Main Committee Officers’
Duties and Responsibilities
September 2014
Officers’ Training Workshop
Jeff Adkins & Brian Milewski
Objectives
• To identify key duties and responsibilities of the
Chairman, Vice Chairman, Membership Secretary,
and Secretary in order to strengthen the
leadership skills necessary for a productive
committee.
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The Chairman
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Know ASTM Rules and Regulations
• ASTM Regulations
– http://www.astm.org/COMMIT/Regs.pdf
• Officer Handbook
– http://www.astm.org/COMMIT/RedBook5.pdf
• Committee Bylaws
– MyCommittees - Committee Documents
• Parliamentary Procedure
– ‘Robert’s Rules of Order’
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Facilitate Committee Administration
• Appoint Subcommittee Chairmen and Liaisons and fill vacancies
• Appoint Special Purpose Ad Hoc Committee
• Plan meetings
• Ensure Executive Subcommittee duties are fulfilled
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Facilitate Committee Administration
• Appropriate Committee Funds
• Delegate Responsibility
• Monitor Subcommittee Meetings
• Respond to Circular Letter Ballots
• Assist in Inquiries on Standards
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Inquiries on Standards
• ASTM membership and staff are prohibited from
offering official interpretation of standards
• Official responses must follow Section 16 of the ASTM
Regulations
• Inquiries can be handled informally by subcommittee
chairmen and technical contacts
• Be clear that the response is a personal opinion
• Do not use ASTM stationery for the response
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Chair Executive and Main Committee
Meetings
• Ensure organized,
informative reports
• Facilitate an efficient
meeting
• Introduce and
welcome new
members
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Conducting an Efficient Meeting
• Meeting Preparation
– Prepare an agenda
– Review correspondence
– Review minutes & action items from previous
meeting
– Communicate with your Staff Manager
• Understand the basics of parliamentary procedures
• Manage meeting time effectively
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When to Use Robert’s Rules
• Seeking resolution to a controversial issue (e.g.
handling a negative vote)
• Requires a formal vote count (e.g. voting on a not
persuasive negative)
• Business must be conducted in a formal and
efficient manner (e.g. main and subcommittee
meetings).
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Use of Motions Motion Requires a Second Debatable Vote Needed
Approve Agenda Yes Yes Majority
Approve Minutes Yes Yes Majority
Place an Item on Ballot Yes Yes Majority
Establish a Task Group Yes Yes Majority
Executive Administrative
Decision
Yes Yes Majority
Adjourn a Meeting Yes No Majority
Not Persuasive Action
(must state rationale)
Yes Yes 2/3 Affirmative
Not related Action
(must state rationale)
(New agenda item for
next meeting)
Yes Yes 2/3 Affirmative
Amend a motion Yes Yes Majority
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Oversee the Standards Development
Process
• Establish a good line of communication with ASTM Headquarters (Staff Manager) and Subcommittee Chairmen
• Ensure proper consideration and documentation of negatives
• Ensure that consensus is reached
• Ensure standards are current
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The Vice-Chairman
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Prepare to Substitute for the
Chairman
• Know ASTM rules and procedures
• Assist chairman with duties
• Prepare to conduct an orderly and productive meeting
• Keep abreast of all Committee operations
• Be prepared to serve as Chairman in the absence of Chairman
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Perform Special Duties and Assignments
Based on Committee’s Bylaws, there can be several Vice Chairman
positions:
– Head Nominating Committee
– Champion Bylaws
– Chair Long Range Planning
– Serve as the Committee Awards Chairman
– Review requests for new standards, ensuring that industry needs
are addressed
– Review Subcommittee Scopes
– Succession Planning
– New Member Orientation
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Perform Special Duties and Assignments
Chair Bylaws Committee
• Keep Bylaws current with the Society policies/practices
Chair Awards Subcommittee
• Recommend Award of Merit recipients from the Committee
• Administer Committee Awards Program
• Honorary Members
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Other Duties
• Liaison
• Publicity
• Symposia
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The Membership Secretary
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Coordinate Membership Matters
within the Committee
• Update Committee Rosters in accordance with Committee
Bylaws using Roster Maintenance
• Process Membership Applications
• Utilize Electronic Membership Rosters
• Report on Committee Membership Status to the
Executive Subcommittee
• Print out Committee attendance rosters (Main and
Executive Committees)
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Additional Membership
Secretary Duties
• Monitor Classification and Voting Status of Committee Members
– Is the Committee in balance?
• Monitor Inactivity
– Voting Members Not Returning Ballots
• Initiate and coordinate recruitment efforts
– Membership Promotion
• Review status of affiliate members annually
– Executive Subcommittee approval needed
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Roster Maintenance
The Recording Secretary
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Secretary Responsibilities
• Assist Chairman in preparing:
– Agenda
– Minutes
– Correspondence
– Communicates with Subcommittee Chairmen
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Meeting Coverage
• If you cannot attend, find a replacement
• Brief your replacement on the agenda
• Inform replacement of any potential “hot topics”
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Responsibilities During Committee
Meetings
• Record attendance
• Record minutes
• Identify voting members
• Have pertinent documents available
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Responsibilities After Committee
Meetings • Prepare minutes of main and executive subcommittee
meetings
– An accurate summary of the decisions and conclusions reached
– Record all motions and vote counts
– Assignments that were made
– Note if follow-up action is required
– Note time of adjournment, next meeting date, time, and location.
• Collect and consolidate any germane reports
• Submit minutes to ASTM International Headquarters for posting (in a single file)
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Questions?
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