Duties of Parish Secretary

Duties of Parish Secretary

The following extracts are taken from the Parish Governance Statute 2016:

20	The first meeting of the parish council
20.1	The parish council must meet within 28 days of the annual meeting.
20.2	At its first meeting or as soon after it as is convenient the parish council must:
	(a) review and if necessary, revise the minutes of the annual meeting;
	(b) fill any vacancies remaining after the annual meeting that an annual meeting is competent to fill;
	(c) elect a secretary and a Treasurer; and
	(d) authorise between three and five signatories to its accounts who must be members of the parish council.
20.3	The parish council may elect a new secretary or Treasurer (other than the Rector) and change its authorised signatories as required from time to time.
20.4	The Rector or secretary must, within thirty days after any election, appointment or change of office bearers:
	(a) notify the Diocesan Registrar of the names of the officers elected or appointed;
	(b) in the case of lay members of Synod issue a certificate in the form of Schedule 6; and
	(c) that all elected or appointed persons have signed the declarations prescribed by this Statute.
36.	Electoral Roll
36.1	An electoral roll for each parish must be compiled and maintained by the Rector and the secretary.
36.2	Any person who wishes to be enrolled must sign an application and declaration in the form prescribed by Schedule 1 of this Statute and submit it to the Rector or the secretary, whereupon that person’s name will be added to the electoral roll.
36.3	Either the Rector or the secretary may remove from the electoral roll the name of any person who does not comply with the declaration in Schedule 1 of this Statute.
36.4	The Rector or the secretary must remove the name of an enrolled member from the electoral roll of the parish upon receiving a written request from any such enrolled member and, if requested, give that person a written certificate that their name has been so removed.
36.5	In each general election year for lay members of Synod, all enrolments on the electoral roll must be renewed between 1 March and the date which is one month prior to the relevant annual meeting.
37	Pastoral Roll
37.1	In addition to the electoral roll, the Rector may keep a roll containing such information as is desirable for the mission and ministry of the parish.
37.2	The Rector and secretary must ensure that:
	(a) the privacy of enrolled members, parishioners and visitors is respected; and
	(b) the personal details or information in relation to enrolled members, parishioners or visitors is not published without the express written consent of those persons.
51.2	No person holding the office of warden, Councillor, secretary or Treasurer may undertake any paid position of the parish or enter into any contract until the person has resigned from that office, unless the parish council resolves otherwise.
60	Duties of the Secretary
60.1	The secretary acts under the direction of the parish council and, in addition to any duties of the secretary provided for elsewhere in this Statute, performs such duties as the parish council determines, which may include:
	(a) receiving all correspondence to the parish council;
	(b) writing correspondence on behalf of the parish council;
	(c) ensuring that minutes are taken of every parish council meeting, that minute books are kept, and that there are entered therein minutes of all meetings of enrolled members and parish council and that the minutes are signed by the chairperson as true and correct records of such meetings; and
	(d) in consultation with the Rector, preparing an agenda1 for every parish council meeting.

^{1. Policy 2 – Work Health and Safety requires that Health and Safety is to be a standing agenda item at every parish council meeting↩}