Club Leadership

President

As the club leader, the president helps members develop as leaders and works to make sure that the club’s professional and leadership development activities and community and international service projects are successfully promoted and completed. The President is an ex-officio member of each committee.

The President is ultimately responsible for all actions and activities of the club, maintaining the club image and upholding the principles and policies of Rotaract. The President should report regularly to the sponsoring Rotary club.

Responsibilities of the President

Identifies members skills and interests and puts them to work in club projects
Maintains club operations, delegating responsibilities and establishing meeting schedules
Develops a plan for the year as early as possible (Planning Guide for Effective Rotaract Clubs, page 42, provides guidelines for developing the year’s plan)
Presides over all meetings of the club and its board of directors (following parliamentary procedure may help to keep discussion relevant)
Appoints all standing and special committees, with board approval, and follows up on committee progress with the help of the vice president

The president should maintain regular communication with

Sponsoring Rotary club through joint activities and meetings
District Rotaract Representative through club participation in district activities and meetings
Rotary International through participation in the Rotaract Pre-convention Meeting and annual reporting.

To help facilitate communication, the above groups should also receive the club’s bulletin or newsletter featuring the outstanding Rotaract club projects or activities.

Immediate Past President

The Immediate Past President (IPP) remains on the board the year immediately following their tenure as President to ensure continuity in leadership and act as an advisor to the new President and board. The IPP serves in this capacity even if they reach the age of 30 during their year as President. The IPP can also be effective in molding future leaders in the club and providing training to club leaders and members.

Vice President

The club vice president can serve more effectively by understanding the year’s goals, projects, and activities, and being well versed in community and Rotary resources. To that end, it is important that the club president and vice president work together as a team. This can be particularly helpful for clubs that choose to have the incoming president serve as vice president before taking office.

The vice president presides at all meetings when the president is absent and serves on the board of directors and as an ex-officio member of all committees. The vice president also acts as the officer at large, responsible for all assignments that are designated by the president.

A well-organized and responsible Vice President is often the key to a successful Rotaract year. The Vice President can reduce the administrative load, allowing time for the president to develop new and exciting club projects and activities.

Responsibilities of the Vice President

Preside over club and Board meetings in the absence of the President.
Assist the President in the administrative functions of the club.
Coordinate activities and projects of various committees.
Liaise with Secretary and Treasurer on administrative matters, including membership standing, communication, and finance.

Secretary

The Rotaract club secretary has many responsibilities that require a person who is detail oriented and organized. Because the secretary promotes the club through correspondence to the Rotary club sponsor, outside agencies, prospective members, Rotary International, and other Rotaract clubs, this individual must have good communication skills.

The secretary handles the club’s communication with the public, maintains all club records, and takes the minutes for all board and club meetings. Once club members reach the Rotaract age limit of 30, the secretary sends the Notice of Rotaract Alumnus (Potential Rotarian) form (Rotaract Handbook page 45) to the secretary of the sponsoring Rotary club.

The Secretary is usually a member of the Club Service Committee.

Responsibilities of the Secretary

Record and circulate minutes of club and Board meetings.
Record membership attendance and publish attendance statistics to the club
Liaise with Treasurer to determine list of members in good standing.
Compose and distribute letters and other communication to members, the public, sponsors, Rotary, and various stake holders. Note ALL club communication must be copied to the President and Secretary.
Maintain list of club members and prospective members with current contact information.
Maintain records of when members are pinned and when a person obtains prospective member status.
Maintain, with the Treasurer a record of all club assets and location of assets

Treasurer

As the collector and disburser of club funds, the treasurer is responsible for the club’s solvency and financial stability. In preparing for this assignment, the treasurer should meet with the previous treasurer and consult the sponsoring Rotary club treasurer and a certified accountant.

Responsibilities of the Treasurer

*Chairs the Finance Committee
Works with the board of directors to develop the budget
Collects dues and all funds raised by the club
Pays all club bills and reimbursements for club expenses
Maintains the club’s accounts at financial institutions.
Reports the club’s financial status at each business meeting
Has the books audited at the end of the fiscal year

* Some clubs elect a separate Finance Committee Director to chair this committee. However the Treasurer remains a member of the Finance Committee and works alongside the Committee Director in planning and executing club fund raisers.

Assistant Secretary / Treasurer

This position is optional and as such may either be appointed by the President with the approval of the board, or be elected from among the members in good standing. Furthermore the President may choose to split these roles and have a separate Assistant Secretary, and Assistant Treasurer. In any event the holder of this role acts an assistant to the Secretary and Treasurer fulfilling their duties in their absence. It is therefore recommended that both the Secretary and Treasurer work closely with their assistant and keep them abreast of all developments regarding their role. Some of the task of the Secretary and Treasurer can be assigned to the assistant to lessen the work load and increase the responsibility of the assistant. The assistant can be molded to take on the role of Secretary or Treasurer the following year.

Committee Director

Each committee is chaired by a Committee Director. The Directors of the Community Service, Club Service, Professional Service, International Service, and Finance Committees are elected from among the members in good standing, while the President may appoint the chairs of any special committees formed. The Treasurer normally serves as the chair of the Finance Committee, although this is not always the case.

Responsibilities of Committee Directors

coordinating all activities and project undertaken by his/her committee
present the board with plans and objectives of all committee projects for approval
preparing a budget for all projects to be presented to the board
provide regular reports of all projects to the President and Secretary
provide the Treasurer with receipts of all expenses incurred during a project
act as a liaison between the President, and by extension the board, and the members of his/her committee

Roles and Responsibilities of Different Committee Directors

Public Relations Officer

This is another optional position and is usually appointed by the President. As a result the P.R.O. may or may not have voting rights on the board. The function of the Public Relations Officer is to inform the public about Rotaract and the various programs and activities the club undertakes.

Responsibilities of the Public Relations Officer

increase the public’s awareness of Rotaract
inform the public, through the media or other forms, of the community service projects the club undertakes
promote the ideals of Rotaract
liaise with the media in promoting the club and its projects
prepares press releases and appears on television and radio talk shows promoting the club’s activities
produces promotional material used by the club
together with the club Secretary liaises with the club’s website developer to maintain the club’s website
Use social media such as Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, etc to promote the club.

Sergeant-At-Arms

The Sergeant-At-Arms is responsible for maintaining protocol at all board and club meetings. This position is appointed by the President with approval of the board. While maintaining order at meetings the S.A.A. also raises funds for the club by fining members who breach protocol or standout at meetings in fun and humorous ways. The S.A.A. may fine members for not wearing their Rotaract pin, being inappropriately dressed at meetings, talking during meeting, receiving an award or performing exceptionally in their duties, or even for trivial reasons as long as it’s done with good taste and humour. Fines are always of small amounts and go towards the administrative cost of the club. The S.A.A. is usually a member of the Club Service Committee.

Responsibilities of the Sergeant-At-Arms

Schedule the meeting location and arrange the room before the meeting starts, including setting up the club banner, bell and gravel
Maintain all club equipment and materials for each meeting and ensure that there are adequate supplies after each meeting
Ensure the meeting starts on time and gets everyone seated and ready to start
Collect ballots and tally votes for awards and elections.