SECRETARIAL WORK
=93.= In nearly all schools there are several organizations--a
debating club, a current events club, an athletic association, a
branch society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, etc.,--and
in all these organizations there is need of a special form of
composition, called secretarial writing, because the secretary
does most (although not all) of it. While it may seem complicated
and unnatural at first sight because of the number of forms fixed
by tradition for every occasion, it is really easier than any
other writing you have been studying, since the very fact that the
forms are fixed makes invention, charm, or force of style on your
part unnecessary. Perfect and unmistakable clearness, accuracy,
completeness, and an observance of certain quite rigidly fixed
formulæ are the essentials of good secretarial work.
In the formation of an organization, the first writing to be done
is the composition of notices (see page 130), sent or posted,
announcing a meeting to be held for the purpose of forming a club.
This first notice and all others announcing later meetings are to be
written according to the general plan described on pages 130-132.
At the first meeting, a chairman or president and a secretary are
usually elected, and a committee chosen to draw up a constitution
which shall be presented to the club at the next meeting. All
constitutions are written along the same general lines. A good
general model for a simple constitution will be found in the
Appendix. The committee precedes the proposed constitution with a
paragraph something like the following:--
To the Members of the ---- Club:
Your committee, appointed at a meeting for the organization of
the ---- Club, respectfully submit the following articles and
by-laws, with the recommendation that they be adopted by this
Club.
During a meeting the secretary should take accurate and careful
notes on what occurs, and as soon as possible afterward should write
his report of the proceedings of the meeting. This report or record
is called the "minutes of the meeting," and the reading aloud of the
minutes is always the first business of each meeting.
There should be no attempt made in writing the minutes to make them
original or interesting. They should be perfectly accurate and
complete. The content of speeches made is not reported (in ordinary
minutes), nor are any comments made on the spirit or events of the
meeting. A plain statement of what took place officially is all that
is desirable.
The place, date, and time of the meeting are set down first, and the
name of the presiding officer. Then it is stated that the minutes
were read and approved. After this the official events of the
meeting are set down in the order of their occurrence. At the end
the hour of adjournment is noted and the date fixed for the next
meeting.
WEST NEWTON, ILL.,
PUBLIC SCHOOL NO. 3.
The Literary Society of this school held its regular monthly meeting
in the general assembly hall, on February 3, 1906, at 2 P.M., the
president, Robert Wheeler, in the chair (_or_ presiding).
After the meeting was called to order the minutes of the last
meeting were read by the secretary and were approved.
The president then addressed the Society briefly upon the need of
new books for the school library, representing to the members the
suitability of the Literary Society's taking some action in the
matter.
It was moved by Miss Mary Smith that the Literary Society give an
entertainment in order to raise money for this purpose. The motion
was carried by unanimous vote of the Society.
The president appointed a committee, consisting of Miss Mary Smith,
Chairman, Mr. Clark Sturgis, and Miss Helen Brown, to decide on the
nature of the entertainment, and to report to the Society at its
next regular meeting.
On the motion of Mr. John Peters, it was voted that the Principal of
the school, Miss Wheeler, should be made an honorary member of the
Society.
The literary programme was then carried out. Mr. Robert Peters and
Miss Ellen Camp recited a dialogue, entitled "After the Runaway."
Miss Edith Randing read an original short story called "The White
Blackbird."
Mr. Elbert Huntington delivered an argument in favor of shorter
school hours and more home study.
At 4 P.M. the meeting adjourned to meet at 2 P.M. on March 4, 1906.
PETER HACKETT, _Secretary_.
After the writing of the minutes, the next duty of the secretary
is to see that the members of committees appointed are notified of
that fact and are told who is their chairman. Some such form as the
following is generally used:--
PUBLIC SCHOOL NO. 3,
WEST NEWTON, ILL.,
February 4, 1906.
MR. CLARK STURGIS,
DEAR SIR,--
At the last regular meeting of the Literary Society of this
school, held February 3, 1906, you were appointed a member
of the Entertainment Committee, of which Miss Mary Smith is
chairman.
Yours respectfully,
PETER HACKETT, _Secretary_.
=Exercise 140.=--1. Make out a constitution and by-laws for a
debating society, an athletic association, a nature study club,
a reading club, a literary society, a walking club, a sewing
society, a chess club.
2. Write minutes for the regular meeting of any one of these
organizations.
3. Write letters of notifications to committees appointed at
these meetings.
There are usually several permanent committees to whom are
regularly referred matters falling in their provinces. Some of
these committees are the financial committee, the entertainment
committee, the membership committee, the programme committee, etc.
When the club votes that some question be referred to one of these
committees, it is the duty of the secretary to write a _notice of
reference_ in some such form as this:--
THE MUSICAL CLUB OF THE CAXTON SCHOOL.
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, CHICAGO, ILL.,
May 23, 1906.
MR. ELMER HENDERSON,
Chairman of Membership Committee,
Musical Club of the Caxton School.
DEAR SIR,--
At the last meeting of the Musical Club, the question of the
admission to the Club of three pupils from the lower grades was
referred to your committee. They are Henry Appleton, in the
Fifth Grade, Mary Monkhouse, in the Sixth Grade, and Parsons
Latham, in the Fourth Grade. The respective teachers of the
above-mentioned pupils represent them as being sufficiently
advanced in the study of music to become useful members of our
Club.
Your committee is requested to look into the matter and report
at the next regular meeting.
Yours very truly,
HELEN IRVING,
_Secretary_.
The answer of the committee would be as follows:--
CHICAGO, ILL., May 28, 1906.
To the Musical Club
of the Caxton School:
The Membership Committee, to whom on the 23d day of the present
month was referred the question of the admission to the Musical
Club of three pupils from the lower grades, with instructions
to ascertain their proficiency in music, respectfully report
that they have given due attention to the matter referred to
them and find:--
That Henry Appleton plays the violin well enough to play a
second part in the quartet.
That Mary Monkhouse has a good voice and reads music at sight
fluently.
That Parsons Latham is as yet too uncertain in his mastery of
the flute to take a part in our orchestra.
Your committee therefore recommends that the first two be
admitted to membership, but not the last.
Respectfully submitted,
For the Committee,
ELMER HENDERSON,
_Chairman_.
=Exercise 141.=--1. Write a notice of reference to a committee
on entertainment, asking them to decide on a programme for the
annual meeting. Answer as from the committee.
2. Write a notice of reference to a committee on finance, asking
them to look into the cost of renting a hall for the meeting of
a dramatic society. Answer.
3. Write a notice of reference to a committee on finance, asking
them to report upon the probable cost of a set of Dickens for
the school library. Answer.
A club sometimes wishes to send a member as delegate to an assembly
or convention of similar clubs. When he arrives at the convention,
he needs something to show that he has been regularly elected
a delegate, and this is furnished him by the secretary in the
following form:--
COLUMBUS, OHIO,
March 30, 1906.
To the Thirteenth Annual Convention of
the School Branches of the S. P. C. A.:
This certifies that James Harrow has been duly elected a
delegate from the Columbus S. P. C. A. to the Thirteenth Annual
Convention of the School Branches of the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
HENRY SWIFT,
_Secretary_.
Such a letter is called "the delegate's credentials."
All the usual duties of a secretary, so far as his writing goes,
have now been stated, but there are other occasions for secretarial
writing and for the use of set and customary forms, which arise in
connection with the duties of other officers.
The president's report is usually annual, and is presented to the
club when he retires to make way for the new president. This report
is less formal than other secretarial writing. It is supposed to
present in a clear and condensed form a picture of the activities of
the Club during the year.
The treasurer should keep the club informed frequently and in detail
of the state of its finances. A customary form for the beginning of
his report is:--
The undersigned, Treasurer of the Musical Club, respectfully
submits the following report for the month ending May 15, 1906:--
The balance on hand at the beginning of the month was three
dollars and forty cents. There has been received from all
sources during the month two dollars and sixty cents. During the
month the expenses amounted to four dollars, leaving a balance
in the treasury of two dollars.
The annexed statement will show in detail the receipts and
expenditures.
ROBERT HARRIS,
_Treasurer_.
The most difficult form of secretarial writing is the drafting of
preambles and resolutions. These are used for many purposes: to
convey the thanks of the club to a person who has done something
for it, to express condolence with the family of a member who has
died, to send good wishes to a member leaving the club on account
of change of residence, to voice the sentiments of the club on some
matter of public interest.
The preamble or first part (which is not always used) follows in
general a fixed form, but to the composing of resolutions applies
all that was said of the writing of petitions. They call for a
graceful style, a good and melodious choice of words, and they aim
to produce a favorable effect on the reader.
Following is an example of a preamble and resolutions:--
WHEREAS the Reverend George S. Stirling has honored this Club by
appearing before us and delivering an address, and whereas this
club feels deeply the profit and pleasure it gained from his
speech, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That we place on record our deep appreciation of the
honor which Mr. Stirling did us, and our conviction that he has
profoundly influenced for the better all who heard him.
RESOLVED, That we tender to him our warmest thanks for
consenting to address us.
RESOLVED, That a copy of these resolutions be sent to Mr.
Stirling.
The resolutions would be sent to Mr. Stirling in a letter like the
following:--
REVEREND GEORGE S. STIRLING,
DEAR SIR,--
At a meeting of the ______ Club, held ______, the following
resolutions were unanimously adopted:--
Whereas, the Reverend George S. Stirling, etc. ______
GEORGE OLDHAM, HENRY MILLER,
_Secretary_. _President_.