 March/April 2000 (XXXVIII 2) |
ore than 30 Monthly Meetings in PYM have paid office staff. Usually called Meeting secretaries, they are part time and full time, men and women, and they perform a great variety of tasks, all designed to smooth the work of the volunteer officeholders and committees in their Meetings. Paid staff keep membership records and mailing lists, take and send out minutes, keep the office open, coordinate calendars, answer phones and mail, write or publish newsletters, and do dozens of other jobs great and small.
A small group of paid office staff people have been meeting 4 or 5 times a year since 1995 to discuss our positions and learn about each other's jobs. We share tips about techniques we use, forms that are useful, and ways to deal with common problems. We find that talking to others who do the same job is invaluable. We are always trying to reach other paid staff people. We want to make Friends aware of what an isolated job Meeting secretary is, and how we can benefit from knowing each other.
We plan a Paid Staff Support Roundtable at Yearly Meeting sessions during lunchtime on Friday, March 24, and we want as many paid staff people as possible to join us. Topics for discussion will include job descriptions, time management and other concerns which attenders bring. Paid staff are urged to come, or to contact us about future meetings. Those who support paid staff and benefit from their gifts to Meetings, are urged to bring the existence of the group to their attention. For information call Carol Beaton at Abington Meeting, 215-884-2865, e mail abfriends@juno.com; Lyle Jenks at Swarthmore Meeting, 610-328-8699; Paulette de la Veaux at Wilmington Meeting, 302-652-4491; or Sue Heath at Crosswicks Meeting, 856-234-4159 (home) or e mail susandheat@aol.com.
Susan Heath
Moorestown Meeting (NJ)
Secretary for Crosswicks Meeting (NJ)
Last modified: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 08:18 AM