Executive Secretary Job Description

Redrafted 11/6/2011

The purpose of the Executive Secretary position is to be the central office for the association. Basic duties are listed below, but other items may be added should the need arise.

Members

Have available current membership applications, rulebooks, and membership cards and welcome letter, plus any other items to include in membership packets. Keep accurate database of all membership numbers, addresses, and phone numbers. Send names/addresses to NDRA newsletter editor so that each household receives one copy of the NDRA official newsletter. Send out welcome letter and membership information in a timely manner.

Keep accurate standings throughout the rodeo season and post the results/standings on the website, at the rodeos, and in the newsletter. Notify members of any deadlines, changes, etc. that may affect their rodeo entries.

Mail information out that directly affects the membership; i.e. membership cards, finals entry information, annual meeting, fine/reprimand letters, rule changes/additions – if necessary, etc.

Board of Directors

This position is the direct link between the board of directors, contestants, and committees. The board must be kept informed of any activities that require their direct attention, including but not limited to: rule infractions that are reported to or witnessed by the Executive Secretary; concerns of the committees presented to the office; any activity that may be of concern to the association.

Duties to the board include: preparing an agenda for each meeting; having financial information available upon request; taking accurate minutes of each meeting and having them available for the next meeting or when requested; updating the rule book with new items or changes on a yearly basis – reprinting the full book as necessary; relaying correspondence of concern in a timely manner. Thorough knowledge of the association and rules is extremely important!

Executive Secretary is also responsible for filing quarter tax reports, state unemployment, and year-end tax forms. May 15^th is the deadline for non-profit organizations to file yearly tax forms. Corporation paperwork must also be filed with the state by February 1^st each year.

Annual Meeting

Set time and place for annual meeting; advertise in issue(s) of newsletter & website. Take reservations and correspond with banquet facility any necessary information. Request any rule changes from the board and membership to include on the agenda; have all year-end financial information updated (budget items, tack on fee accounts, rodeo income, rodeo entry stats with purse information); listing of officers that are up for election; listing of last approved list of prime/sub stock contractors & judges. Make sure that membership is notified of any rule changes either by letter or newsletter; rule changes/additions must undergo a second reading following publication to become official.

Awards

Solicit bids for saddles and buckles from any sources available to find any advertisements to assist in seeking bids. Order all saddles by April 1^st; help distribute them to sponsors to be displayed throughout the summer; organize ways to get saddles back to the NDRA Finals. Order buckles mid-July. Assist event directors with sponsorships, if possible. Invoice all sponsors and make sure they are advertises in the newsletter, at rodeos, and on the website; keep database of sponsors and payments; send thank you’s and hometown & finals tickets to sponsors.

Rodeo Committees

Correspond with committees on a regular basis; keep them updated on any information that is necessary concerning the association. Send out rodeo approval form and committee forms a few months prior to the annual meeting. Assist them in any way possible – stock contractor and judge list, etc. Remind them that there is a 60 day deadline to get information in to the office. Any approval forms received after that timeline may not be approved by the board. Verify that all personnel listed on the form are approved by the board of directors. Include up to three committee members on the mailing list for the newsletter.

Assist at any and all of the rodeos if necessary; committee personnel change frequently and it is in your best interest to see that the payoff, etc. are done correctly to prevent later corrections. You should try to attend at least one performance of each rodeo committee to show support of their efforts. Be available to answer any questions that may arise.

While it is the duty of the Area Directors to keep in touch with the committees in their area, you are the main link the committees have with the association. It is very important to keep communication open and listen to the concerns of the committees and relay this information to the board.

Rodeos

When the central entry office has completed entries and call backs, they will forward the rodeo information to you. The NDRA office must send a complete office “packet” to each rodeo committee. These items include: contestant receipts, rodeo results form, payoff sheets to figure payoff, three or four copies of judge’s sheets using a variety of colored paper, current membership list, membership applications, Dr. Release and tack on fee payoff sheets, blacklist/fines due, arena diagram for judges, NDRA flag/banner, corporate sponsor flags/banners, extra rulebooks, electric eye schedule & entry fee posters, copies of rodeo results & standings, day money payoff sheets, sponsor list for announcer. Must also arrange with the barrel racing director to get the timer and horn to each rodeo. Remind rodeo secretary that all rodeo personnel must have cards (judges, contractors, pickup men, and bullfighters) or pay the permit charge (bull fighters and pickup men).

When rodeo results are received, you must verify that the payoffs are done correctly; if corrections need to be made you must fix the payoff error by collecting money back and paying off those that should have received money. (The rodeo committee is responsible for any money not returned that has been paid to the wrong person – if you cannot collect it.) Verify that the tack on fee sheet is correct and the money collected for the association and central entry are paid in a timely manner. Email or fax results to all area newspapers and radio media ASAP.

Finals Rodeo

You are the direct link between the finals committee and the association- unless the finals coordinator has been appointed. The executive secretary assists the finals committee with any items of concern to the association – advertising the dates and times of the finals rodeo in the newsletter & website; finals entries; advertising for all saddle and buckle sponsors in the finals program; taking finals entries by phone and collecting finals entry fees; assisting at the finals rodeo with items for announcer, judges, timers, rodeo secretary. Update points and standings as each event progresses, have ballots ready for rough stock event directors to have votes for bucking horses and bull of the year, assist rodeo secretary and announcers during the final performance by updating points and relaying year-end champions and finals average champions immediately following each event.

Contact MRND to appear at the finals rodeo; she will work with other state queens to see who else can attend and help out. Get names of queens to whoever is working on the finals program to include names & titles.

Other

Website: Use Dreamweaver to update and add information to the website in a timely manner – schedule, results, rodeo programs, standings, items of concern/interest to members.

Newsletter: Work with the NDRA newsletter editor to ensure correct & up-to-date info is in the newsletter each month. Include sponsors, rodeo schedule, blacklist, results, standings, judges/contractors list along with any other info for that month. Newsletter need to go out each month from May-Sept with additional newsletter mailed out in the fall and spring.

ARTS program: Complete rodeo association package. You can ZIP up each rodeo to send to the central entry, have him/her use it to enter contestants in the rodeo for programs/judges sheets, and the program will do the rest. Once contestants are entered in each event, the program will randomly draw for positions (central entry responsibility) and you can print/save the program, judge’s sheets, fee sheets, etc. to send in the rodeo packet. Once the rodeo is completed, all you have to do is enter all the scores/times into the program and it will figure placing, points, standings, etc. Results and standings can be saved into EXCEL or .pdf format for further use (posting to web, printing, sending to media, etc.).

At the beginning of each season, you will have to “roll” the information over to get ready for a new season. Save the current year information on a CD and also a different file named on your computer. All contestant/member information is saved and can be updated as they purchase new memberships and/or enter rodeos.

NRCA/SDRA/MRCA/NRA: The executive secretary corresponds with all the co-sanctioning organizations. Current membership lists and fines owed must be communicated to the SDRA and NRA central entry when the rodeos are co-sanctioned. Lists are needed from the NRCA and MRCA for any NDRA rodeos that they are sanctioning. You should request a complete list of contestants following the SDRA rodeo entries to verify in any fines need to be collected so they can communicate that to contestants when they call back. You will need to send each out-of-state secretary a current membership list and fines that are due from their rodeo entrants. Rodeo secretaries must collect theses fines from the contestants-even if they don’t want to pay them! The NDRA pays the NRCA and MRCA 1% of the fees collected, $5 of permits, and $2 NRCA finals fund is collected from the contestants. If the NDRA co-sanctions out-of-state rodeos, the association collects 1%, $2 finals fund, and a portion of the SDRA permits.

Financial: Bill all sponsors for buckles/saddles, etc.; collect moneys owed the association and deposit into appropriate accounts; pay bills as needed (phone, internet, salary, mileage, postage, taxes, awards, etc.). Keep accurate accounting of all deposits and checks; categorize items appropriately in Quicken; ensure that balances are maintained and reported to the board at all meetings. Pay off rodeos as needed utilizing the rodeo payoff account; committees will collect all money from contestants and forward that along with purse money to the executive secretary. Executive secretary will write checks and mail out to those winning money at said rodeo(s).

Keep an accounting of rodeo turn outs and fines; update the fines list after each rodeo, relay them to central entry and make every attempt to collect these debts. Contestants are fined $50 in addition to their rodeo fees for turn outs/no shows. They have two weeks in which to turn in a valid doctor’s release or vet release (barrel racers only); after that time the fees will be assessed. The release must be on official letterhead, signed by attending physician, and mailed or faxed to the office. Sports medicine, chiropractors, etc. are not acceptable; judges may do a visible release at a rodeo should a contestant become injured while competing. If a release is supplies and accepted, the fees are waived.

Judging/Timer Clinics: Work with NDHSRA to arrange a judging clinic every other year. Cost is split with participating associations. NDHRA usually makes arrangements for the judge’s clinic and the NDRA does the timer clinics. Arrange to have an experienced timer teach clinics for rodeo committees, contractors, and other interested in learning. Make sure NDRA specific rules are covered at all clinics.