QUESTION: I have recently taken on the role of secretary of the executive committee of a small block of units because no-one else would do it. Funny that. As I’ve never done this before I’m not sure of what exactly my duties or anyone else’s entail. On advice from the Chair, I have been sending all minutes to her for checking before sending them out. Is this necessary? Otherwise she doesn’t lift a finger to help. Surely the Executive Committee members should help the Secretary, or is it the job of the Secretary to do everything around the place. So please clarify, what power does the Chair hold and what are our respective roles?Exhausted!!
ANSWER: The reasons people have for joining executive committees vary from selfishly protecting their own interests to having an extension to or replacement for their social lives. A few have a strong sense of community and want to put in. Some people want to be chair because they don’t want anyone else to have that position; others are voted in because they’ve been there longest, have the most friends or the loudest voices.
The chair does, however, have to chair any meetings and that’s when they get to show their true characters, from overbearing bully who silences debate to everyone’s friend who lets discussions ramble on. But the chair doesn’t have any executive powers. They have no casting vote and it’s down to the secretary to call meetings and post agendas and minutes.
The secretary’s role is up to the individual too, from the passive note-taker and tea-maker to an organisational powerhouse who is actually running the whole show. There’s a brief description of your statutory duties in the Fair Trading booklet Strata Living which is available on their easy-to-remember website www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/realestaterenting/strata.html.
Checking the minutes with the chair isn’t a bad thing, as long as she isn’t censoring or rewriting them. Another pair of eyes can only help but ultimately it’s your responsibility. The good news is that, as secretary, you get to finalise the agenda for any meetings. I’d include an item for your next EC meeting along the lines of “Sharing The Load – new duties for EC members.” And if they don’t want to help, let them find another secretary.