Committee Job Descriptions
CHAIR
Chair or organise others to chair committee and monthly meetings.
Keep the committee informed of matters needing urgent attention.
Assist the secretary to issue agendas and minutes of meetings as necessary.
Write Chairman’s Letter for the newsletter and Chairman’s Report for the A.G.M.
Deal with emails, telephone calls and letters addressed to the chairman.
Receive communications from TAT and U3A National and handle as necessary.
In collaboration with the treasurer and committee ensure that resources are available to run Winchester U3A efficiently.
Second authorization for online bank payments.
VICE CHAIR
When required deputise the chairman at monthly and committee meetings.
Carry out ad hoc tasks not covered by other committee members as requested.
Maintain a record of policy decisions made by committee.
Act as contact for non-trustee officers and submit their reports to committee.
SECRETARY
In collaboration with chair prepare and distribute agendas of committee meetings and the A.G.M.
Take the minutes at committee meetings and the A.G.M.
Receive communications from TAT and U3A National H.Q. and disseminate relevant information to the membership.
Collaborate with Webmaster to keep TAT information up to date on the website.
Display on a table in the hall any materials received by the Secretary of interest to members
Book the hall for committee, monthly and group meetings.
Carry out any other tasks relating to the running of the organisation when requested.
TREASURER
Monitor and control the movement of monies in and out of the bank accounts.
Maintain records of bank account movements.
Prepare summary accounts for the committee as required.
Raise online payments for further authorisation.
Pay in all cheques and cash received.
Liaise with chair on financial matters.
Liaise with the Charity Commission and submit required returns.
Liaise with the Membership Secretary and submit Gift Aid returns to HMRC.
Prepare annual financial statements for presentation at the AGM after approval by the independent examiner.
Prepare an annual budget including review of subscriptions for committee approval before the AGM.
Pay in new members’ cheques and send standing order mandates to the banks on which they are to be drawn.
Check members' subscriptions have been received and follow up where necessary.
Answer members’ payment queries.
Keep all records for six years.
GROUPS SECRETARY
Act as contact for groups and group leaders.
Update the groups list on the website when informed of changes by group leaders and on the website.
Send the up-dated list to the webmaster on the 15th of each month.
Organise and run an annual meeting for group leaders to share information and discuss issues.
Organise and run an annual meeting (Groups Fair) to inform members, especially those recently joined, of the group activities available.
Assist members, wherever possible, in joining groups.
Encourage the development of new groups.
Review and amend as necessary the document Guidelines for Group Leaders.
MEMBERS SECRETARY
Work in partnership with the Treasurer to keep the lists of members up to date using Excel spreadsheets.
Act as a focus for enquiries about membership ; advise on where to find application forms and standing order forms on the website ; send these by post if the prospective member has no internet access.
Deal with all new applications ; assign a membership number and put this on both forms. Add the member to the Excel lists, file the application form and give the cheque and standing order form to the treasurer.
Send the new member a welcome letter, to include their membership number, the password for the full groups list and the location of the monthly meetings.
Send a list of new members to the Newsletter editor for inclusion in the magazine.
Aim to welcome new members at the monthly meetings.
Maintain a list of new members and also a list of those who leave for whatever reason. Once a year the treasurer will hand over the names of those who haven't paid their subscription.
To comply with GDPR, shred the application form of a member who leaves, unless they have been donating Gift Aid, in which case keep their form in a separate folder for 6 years.
When the newsletter is ready, send to the printer an Excel list of those wanting a paper copy.
Using Thunderbird, send out emailed copies of the newsletter to those requesting it this way.
When Head Office ask for the TAM magazine list, prepare it using Excel and send it in via the u3a Portal.
Report to the committee on membership issues.
WEBMASTER
Maintain and develop Winchester U3A website to meet the needs of the members and requirements of the committee.
Ensure timely inclusion on the website in the members area of minutes of committee meetings and the A.G.M.
Include on the website the monthly updates to the list from group secretary of current groups and any vacancies any reports of group activities.
Include on the website any monthly meeting reports.
Provide on the website an archive of Newsletters.
Provide an emailing service for messages to Group Leaders.
Provide an emailing service for e-Newsletter to members.
Provide an emailing service to all members with email addresses.
Maintain links with Littleton Hall Management and technical staff for use of hall P.A. and A.V. systems.
Arrange the annual PAT test for the Winchester U3A computer.
Have responsibility for operational effectiveness of Winchester U3A’s computer, projector and screen.
SPEAKERS SECRETARY
Part 1: for meetings in the Littleton Memorial Hall.
Find speakers for each monthly meeting and submit details of speakers and topics to newsletter editor and webmaster by the 20th of the month deadline.
Maintain a list of past and prospective speakers.
Advise the treasurer of speaker’s fee and have the cheque ready to present after the talk.
Determine whether the speaker requires the Winchester U3A laptop and/or projector.
If required collect the laptop and/or projector and ready from current designated keeper (details on website).
Arrange with other members and committee to prepare the hall and have everything the speaker will need to hand.
Arrange for someone to thank the speaker and if possible for someone to do a write up for the newsletter.
Thank the speaker soon after the event.
Part 2: for online meetings.
Keep a list of online speakers notifying us of talks and availability.
Identify and book experienced speakers for the 3 months ahead if possible.
Agree the topic, duration, how the speaker plans to host the meeting and the fee payable.
Notify the u3a treasurer of the details for direct online payment.
Contact the speaker a week or so prior to the meeting to make sure everything is set up, get the Zoom codes for the meeting.
Maintain an up-to-date list of all members who have emailed their interest in these monthly meetings.
7-10 days before each meeting, email all these members to invite them to that month’s meeting: include details of date/time/speaker/subject.
To join, each member must register with the Speakers Secretary prior to the meeting, maximum of 100 members; first-come-first-served basis.
Above 100, email to inform them why they cannot join.
2-3 days prior to the meeting, email the Zoom codes for the meeting and a reminder of the date/time.
Ensure there is a report on the meeting for the u3a newsletter.
Send email of appreciation and thanks to the speaker after the meeting.
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Newsletter is published quarterly in March, June, September and December.
The deadline for copy being the 20th of the month before publication.
Contributions from members of text or pictures should be sent by email if at all possible.
The editor will acknowledge receipt of contributions.
Editorial decisions about acceptability of content will be made by the editor and the chair.
If accepted the editor will edit and cut as necessary for publications.
The Notes for Contributors must be kept up to date stating the next deadline.
Regular items like Chairman’s Chat and committee list must be current.
A calendar of events will be made using members’ submissions.
A picture for the cover may be produced in liaison with the photography group if possible.
The final copy will be converted into PDF format and emailed to the Printers.
A copy of the final newsletter in both PDF format and MSWord will be sent to the webmaster.
On sending copy to the printers, the editor emails the Membership Secretary to ask him/her to send the latest address list to the printers who will then post printed newsletter to members.
22.03.21