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OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES

Officers | Officer Responsibilities | District Officers Responsibilities

Responsibilities of Members and Officers

Council officers have important duties and responsibilities among themselves and to the rest of the student body. Many councils include descriptions of those responsibilities in their bylaws; often, the responsibilities change as the council grows and changes.

THE PRESIDENT

A FCNHS President is like the captain of a ship. He or she needs full knowledge of many situations, maturity, sound judgment, and an ability to work with many different kinds of people. A captain who does not possess these abilities may face a mutiny by the crew, or even a shipwreck. The plight of a FCNHS President who lacks the leadership ability to direct council affairs is similar.

Keeping the delicate balance between leading the student council and encouraging other officers, members, and interested students to take on leadership responsibilities is a challenge. In addition, the practical side of being president requires energy, careful management of time and a good relationship with the student body.

Listed below are some of the president's responsibilities to FCNHS, members, administrators and advisors, the state of Florida, and the next year's president.

RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE OFFICERS

To the Vice President:

  1. Provide training in all important skills and operations so the Vice President can assume the President's duties if necessary.
  2. Delegate the essential job of coordinating all committees.
  3. Appoint the vice president as chairperson of an important committee and/or as administrative liaison.
  4. Include the vice president in both budget and agenda planning.

To the Secretaries:

  1. Require that all-main motions and amendments proposed during a business meeting will be immediately submitted in writing to the recording secretary.
  2. Aid Executive Committee discussions by summarizing the group's decisions so that they can be clearly recorded in the minutes.
  3. Submit all letters that must be typed well before the mailing deadlines.
  4. Write all correspondence reports, etc., legibly, making it easy for the secretary to retype them.

To the Treasurers:

  1. Work closely with these officers to remind them of meeting year-long their budget deadlines especially in the early part of the year.
  2. Depend on these officers to keep close watch on the money expenditures, and listen closely to the treasurer's monetary advice.

In addition to formal responsibilities, the president has a wide range of responsibilities to the officers as people and should constantly try to be aware of their needs and deal positively with them. This sometimes-delicate task is crucial in maintaining a good working relationship among the officers.

RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE FCNHS COMMITTEES

The president has responsibilities to an important group that includes the elected officers and the executive committee. Among the president's responsibilities to the executive committee are to:

  1. Submit proposed agendas, to be further refined and approved through group discussion.
  2. Act as the facilitator of a group discussion by summarizing, harmonizing, clarifying, etc.
  3. Participate as a member with full power to make motions, debate and vote.
  4. Call executive committee meetings at time intervals in accordance with the bylaws.
  5. Praise committee members publicly for a good job on project or assignment.

President's responsibilities to the general assembly or business meeting are to:

  1. Serve as the chairperson, whenever possible.
  2. Alternate the recognition of people for debate to allow different sides of an issue to be presented.
  3. Make all final rulings on parliamentary questions subject, of course, to appeal.
  4. Prepare with the help of the vice president and the executive director an agenda in advance of business meetings.
  5. Explain the use of parliamentary procedure or call on your parliamentarian on procedures.
  6. Protect individual rights.
  7. Report as accurately and clearly as possible the relevant activities in which the president has been involved since the last meeting.

President's responsibilities to the standing and special committees include:

  1. Serve as an ex-officio member of all such committees.
  2. Keep in touch with what each committee is doing and sit in on committee meetings when time allows.
  3. Participate in the planned activities, in which the various committees offer.
  4. Give public praise to a committee and its chairperson when the committee has done a good job.

Responsibilities to the Constituency:

The president's responsibilities extend beyond the officers within the FCNHS. A most important responsibility of a president is to serve as a spokesperson for the voice of the students that make up the FCNHS at large, since representing his constituency is the primary goal of the entire FCNHS.

The president's responsibilities to FCNHS efforts to represent the students are to:

  1. Voice state student concerns to the executive board and attempt to develop programs and policies that will address these concerns.
  2. Make sure students realize that all FCNHS meetings are open to anyone in school where their school is a member of the FCNHS.
  3. Work with students who want to speak in a board or business meeting, but who are not familiar with formal business procedures.
  4. Lead the school delegation to regional, state and national conventions and conferences.
  5. Keep in touch with the various schools, and other states and organizations.
  6. Organize, with the vice president, when he/she chairs any appointed committee.
  7. Seek student opinions by visiting district meetings or groups when feasible.
  8. Attend functions involving school administrators in state functions such as lobbying.

Responsibilities to Board Members:

In adequately representing the board, the president comes into frequent contact with members and administrators. The president has to meet a number of responsibilities in order to maintain the student-educator dialog. The president should:

  1. Keep the board and administration informed on the significant developments of the state student councils.
  2. Report without distortion to the executive boards the comments and attitudes of the state 

FCNHS
Florida Chapters of the National Honor Society
P.O. Box 5408
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33310
Phone (754) 321-1201
Fax (754) 321-1205

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