:: EGC - Board Position Descriptions ::

EGC Board Position Descriptions

Duties of the President - Presiding Officer

The president should have leadership ability, knowledge of some basic parliamentary procedure and a desire to further the aims and objectives of the organization. She should be an active member of the club, and have served on committees, with some knowledge of National Garden Clubs and State Federation activities.

a. The president shall preside at all meetings of the club, and the executive board.
b. Attend meeting with a prepared agenda. A copy is given in advance to the recording secretary.
c. Should have a copy of Robert's Rules of Order, revised 1990, a copy of the club's bylaws, standing rules and rules of order, a list of committees, a time piece, a calendar, paper, pen, and gavel and block of wood to enforce order.
d. Chair the administrative and the advisory committees.
e. Be a member ex-officio of all committees except the nominating committee.
f. When the nominating chairman presents the president with candidates for board positions, the president shall appoint one person to the vacant position.
g. Appoint special committees as needed.
h. Appoint chairmen of special and special subjects committees with the approval of the executive board, the number and selection to be determined by the president, unless otherwise specified here in.
i. The president and/or the executive board (at the president's discretion) are responsible to hold the chairmen of regular or special projects accountable.
j. Approve all bills and be aware of all lawful checks drawn against the funds of the club.
k. Call special meetings when needed with the approval of the executive board.
l. Present a condensed report at the annual meeting.
m. Prepare and deliver to successor within one month after the annual meeting a written detailed summary of projects involved for the year.
n. Try to attend annual Federation, Regional and National meetings.
o. Represent the club to the local organizations of the community, State Federation, Regional and National garden clubs.

Duties Of The 1st Vice President

1. Be ready to represent and assist the president whenever necessary, and to accept special assignments, including chairmanships
2. Be familiar with Robert's Rules of Order
3. Be responsible for distributing or collecting miscellaneous items at meetings such as the tablecloths for horticulture and sign-in table.
4. Report to the president any comment, criticisms or suggestions made by the club members or others.
5. May report at regular meetings; give a brief report at the annual meeting.
6. Selects the monthly programs for the garden club year. This includes selecting the monthly speakers. She is to give a copy of this schedule to the 2nd vice president for the program book. There must one meeting per year on conservation decided upon by the conservation chairman and the 1st vice president.
7. Books the speakers, sends out contracts, contacts the speaker 1 week before meeting to remind him/her to see if there are any last minute instructions, assists the speaker the night of the program in unloading and packing up and sends a thank you for program to speaker.
8. Is responsible for the set up and close down of the hall each month.

**In the absence of the president, shall perform all the duties of the office. In the event of the resignation or removal of the president, the 1st vice president shall become president and hold office until the next annual meeting.

Duties Of The 2nd Vice President

1. In the absence of the president and first vice president, perform all duties incumbent upon the office of the president.
2. Be familiar with Robert's Rules of Order
3. Shall serve as chairman of the nominating committee which consists of the executive board.
4. May report at regular meetings; give a brief report at the annual meeting.
5. Shall be responsible for the completing and printing of the program book. She works with the board to gather dates and information to prepare the annual yearbook (program book). Gathers all other pertinent information for the program book. It is her job to have enough copies of this book printed for our membership.
6. Helps the 1st vice president assist the speaker and help set up and close down the hall monthly.
7. Shall prepare for her successor a written list of suggestions by the May board meeting.
8. Completes the GCFMA list of officers. Fills out the form and mails it in to the Federation in a timely manner.
9. Sends three program books as soon as they are printed to:
GCFMA
219 Washington Street
Wellesley Hills, MA 02181
10. Sends two copies of our program book to the South Shore District Director.

Duties of the Treasurer

The treasurer shall:
a. Collect and hold all funds and monies belonging to the club and deposit them in a bank that holds the Easton Garden Club funds.
b. Be the custodian of all scholarship funds and any securities of the club.
c. Pay all invoices within one month of receipt.
d. Pay the monthly speaker immediately before or after the program at the general meeting. This amount is determined by the contract prepared by the program chairman.
e. Keep a complete record of all receipts and expenditures, which will be open at any time, for inspection by the officers.
f. Report at each board meeting and at each general meeting amounts received and expended and balance on hand.
g. Prepare an annual financial report for the annual meeting.
h. An auditor shall be appointed by the president to audit the treasurer's books before the annual meeting in June. If the amounts are large and reports complicated, the audit should be by an independent accountant. .
i. The treasurer chooses a computer accounting program compatible with the one the auditor uses.

Supplementary Duties
1. Keep a record of all monies received and expended, including those handled by special collectors.
2. Have authorization for purchases and approval for payment.
3. Keep complete payment record by stating purpose of check, on check and account program, either on computer or detailed hand-written reports.
4. Be accurate concerning:
a. name and address of one to whom you should send funds.
b. name to which you should make out your check.
c. name and address of one from whom you have received funds.

Duties Of The Corresponding Secretary

1. Shall be responsible for all correspondence of the club. Shall hold the key to the post office box (president holds the other) and retrieves the mail from the box on a regular basis, especially before board and general meetings.
2. Shall be in charge of a "telephone tree" or some form of communication to the membership in the event of a meeting cancellation or important news to be shared with the membership.
3. Generates, receives and files club correspondence. Correspondence received is to be read, giving writers names before reading.
4. Give president correspondence requiring action at the board meeting.
5. Report at each meeting the number of letters written to whom and contents in brief.
6. Keeps a supply of club stationary (paper, envelopes, cards) and re-order, if so authorized.
7. Attend to all other correspondence that may be assigned to her by the president or executive board.
8. Notify members of their election to the board if a vote is needed.
9. Dispose of any correspondence not authorized for filing before transferring supplies and reports to successor.

Duties of the Recording Secretary

The chief duty is to record proceedings of all club, executive board, and special meetings.
Keep a record and deliver minutes of each meeting and executive board meetings and provide copies to the president.

Duties of the Historian Chairman

It is the duty of the historian to maintain the records of club happenings. She is to compile information from current events and keep this information in chronological order from year to year.

1. Gather any newspaper articles for filing. Ask members to submit to her any articles or photos seen in the newspapers (be sure to turn in the whole page if possible to keep track of the publication and date).
2. Follow up events with photos. If historian is unable to take pictures, ask other members to photograph the event and give you a copy of the photos.
3. Keep publicity history of an event with that event.

Suggested items to be kept:

The current and all previous Program Books.
A copy of the yearly treasurer's report
A yearly report from the corresponding secretary of cards sent and received
A copy of the recording secretary's approved minutes.
A list of all monthly entrants (and winners) for exhibits. Also a list of the silver bowl recipients.
A copy of the slate of officers for the next year
A copy of all publicity items
A copy of all monthly horticulture entered (and winners) as well as silver bowl recipients
A copy of all newsletters published
A copy of current membership and category of membership
A copy of any awards won while representing Easton Garden Club

Duties of the Horticulture Chairman

There shall be a horticulture chairman whose duty is to:

1. Present information on horticulture at each club meeting.
2. Provide a list of horticultural specimens for each meeting. This list must be given to the 2nd vice president by the May board meeting for publication in the program book.
3. Attend Federation horticulture meetings when possible.

The horticulture chairman is expected to present a brief informational report on a topic of seasonal interest at each general meeting. This could be an oral report, a written handout or a question and answer period. This duty should take about five to ten minutes of the business meeting. The purpose of this report is to advance the art of gardening and encourage education in horticulture.

The horticulture chairman must present the 2nd vice president with a list of:
a. horticultural specimens that the membership may bring in on a particular month for judging.
b. A title for each month's topic that will be discussed or handed out at the general meetings.

Duties of the Hospitality Chairperson

The duties of the hospitality chairpersons is:
a. To select a monthly refreshment committee. There shall be at least four members to serve as refreshment coordinators each month selected from the club's general membership for this purpose. The people on this committee change monthly. Note: on Presidents Night the hospitality chairpersons are the monthly chairmen and there shall be a larger number of refreshment chairpersons to help.
b. Provide a list of those names responsible for each month (before the May board meeting) to the 2nd vice president, for the program book.
c. Maintain all supplies kept in the locked cabinet at our meeting place that include coffeepots, carafes, tablecloths, trays, etc, and replace when necessary.
d. Provide coffee, tea and sugar for the monthly meetings.
e. Organize and provide any refreshments for other Garden Club projects agreed upon.

Responsibilities not included under Hospitality duties:
New Members Tea (Membership)
NRT & Plant Sale (Ways & Means)
Garden/House Tours (Respective Chairs)
Special Projects (Special Project Chairman)
The Hospitality Chairmen will be available to advise any chairman of a project the particulars relating to costs, amounts of food or drink recommended, etc.

Duties of the Membership Chairman

It is the duty of the membership chairman to:
a. Keep and report attendance of monthly meetings
b. Inform any and all potential new members the object of our club
c. Introduce all new members at the next monthly meeting immediately after the member is voted in
d. Collect yearly dues and inform the treasurer of the same
e. Notify new members in writing, of their acceptance into the club.
f. Organize the new members tea
g. Maintain a current membership list of active, patron, associate, and honorary members
h. Submit to the 2nd vice president an updated list of all current members including telephone numbers, addresses and any category changes for printing in the yearly program book.
i. Is responsible for distributing the program book to the membership at the September general meeting and mailing the remainder the next day.
j. Give a report at the annual dinner with the number of current members including the number of new members that joined this year.

Duties of the Newsletter Chairperson

There shall be a club newsletter chairman whose duty will be to publish and distribute a monthly newsletter prior to each general meeting.

This newsletter is named "Country Clippings."

The newsletter is emailed (or for those members who do not have email, it is mailed in the US mail) to the EGC membership once monthly except in July, August, and December. It is sent out one week prior to the monthly general meeting.

1. The newsletter editor gathers important information for each newsletter at the monthly board meetings.
2. Dates of importance are also gathered from Internet calendars, flyers that are sent to the EGC mailbox, the EGC membership book, and the GCFMA "Mayflower."
3. The newsletter should include an announcement of the coming meeting, including the speaker and program, exhibits, horticulture topic, as well as flower arrangement and refreshment committees.
4. The newsletter should include topics discussed and voted on at the board meetings.
5. The newsletter may include a listing of relevant and interesting garden events coming up in our area.
6. The newsletter may include some gardening or flower arranging tips, or any other information of interest to EGC members.
7. The newsletter editor may publish the newsletter using any format desired. It must be mailed to the full membership on or before the Wednesday prior to the general meeting.
8. The newsletter editor keeps an accurate list of names and addresses of the membership as well as email addresses.
9. The newsletter editor types up, emails, prints, collates, folds, seals, stamps and mails the newsletter.
10. The newsletter editor compiles receipts for paper, toner, seals, and stamps and turns them in to the treasurer for reimbursement.

Duties of the Publicity Chairman

It is the duty of the publicity chairman to reach the general public with news articles on the club's activities, such as new members, new officers, programs, events and projects via the news media as well as when pertinent, the Federation newsletter editor and Federation Secretary. Her interviewing any and all members that have the appropriate information accomplish this. The chairman should also have access to one free ticket to all in-house activities. It is recommended that the chairman have a computer with the Internet and have computer skills as well.

Duties of Village Improvement Chairman

There shall be a village improvement committee consisting of a chairperson and committee of at least four members whose duty will be to improve civic areas, arrange Arbor Day observances when feasible, and maintain and oversee all the village improvement projects completed. This committee is dedicated to enhancing and beautifying the Town of Easton. This is a critical committee of our club. It is responsible for organizing volunteers to maintain all the village improvement projects. This committee must maintain new or on-going projects, or we must have a plan for a maintenance program in place upon completion of the project. Examples of village improvement projects would include - any civic planting project, including traffic islands, parks, etc.; school landscaping projects; landscaping at a Memorial Hall; library, museum; creation of labeled trails at a nature preserve. Also, included would be improving sites that are of historic importance to the local community.

The following will be the responsibilities of the chairman.

Window boxes - it is the chairman's duty to gather a committee to fill the boxes 3 times a year.
1. Spring/summer flowers in the box by Memorial Day Weekend,
2. Fall plantings by Columbus Day, and
3. Greens for winter by Thanksgiving Weekend.

Daffodils - it is the chairman's duty to arrange the purchase and planting site when we choose to plant. The chairman must gather a planting committee as well.

Civic Beauty /Roadside Beautification - it is the duty of the chairman to form a committee to develop a plan to meet the needs of a specific site or sites that result in a permanent improvement for public benefit. It is also the chairman's responsibility to have her committee maintain the upkeep of the site.

Duties of the Ways and Means Chairman

There shall be a ways and means committee whose duty will consist of the planning and executing of projects to raise money for the club.

Standing projects are:

NRT Fair - this is a major fundraiser for the club. It is held at the NRT's Sheep Pasture the first Sunday of October unless otherwise scheduled by NRT.

Plant Sale - this is a fundraiser held in May at the NRT's Sheep Pasture, usually held the Saturday before Mother's Day.

Raffles - are usually held during our general meetings.

Christmas Greens Sale - held on our off year when there is no house tour in December during same weekend as the Festival of Lights.

Aprons, T-shirts, gloves, tote bags, cookbooks, etc. - are sold when decided upon.

The ways & means committee executes all fund raising projects within the club. They offer suggestions to the board for approval on projects to earn money necessary for operating our club. They shall appoint committee chairmen to run a certain fundraiser if they choose to do so. This appointed person, if not on the board, shall not attend the board meetings, but shall report to one of the ways & means chair before our meetings.