Officers

• Required number of officers
• Method of nominating and electing/appointing officers
• Necessary qualifications for members who want to become officers
• Each officer’s term of office

President/Presiding Officer

• Call the meeting to order at the appointed time after determining that a quorum is present
• Announce the items of business before the meeting in the proper order
• Recognize members entitled to the floor
• State and put to vote all questions that legitimately come before the assembly
• Protect the assembly from frivolous or dilatory motions
• Enforce the rules of debate and those involving order and decorum
• Expedite business while recognizing the rights of members (e.g., by using unanimous consent on noncontroversial motions)
• Decide all questions of order
• Respond to inquiries relating to parliamentary procedure or factual information
• Authenticate all acts, orders, and proceedings of the assembly by signature
• Declare the meeting adjourned

Debate and Vote

• If a motion is specific to the presiding officer, he or she should turn the chair over to the vice president or appropriate temporary chairman and resume the chair when the matter has been decided.
• If the presiding officer wishes to participate in debate, he or she must vacate the chair and yield it to the vice president or temporary chairman until the matter has been decided.
• The presiding officer does not vote unless the vote is by ballot; he or she may, however, vote to affect the result (e.g., to make or break a tie vote).
• If any two members appeal a decision of the chair, the presiding officer does not vacate the chair; rather, he or she has the right to be the first speaker and provide reasons for making the decision. Each member has an opportunity to speak once, and then the presiding officer may speak one last time. A tie vote sustains the decision of the chair.

Vice President

• When the president has the power to appoint all committees, the vice president does not have this power while presiding.
• Members should address the vice president as “Mr. or Madam President” whenever he or she is presiding.

Secretary

• Conduct the organization’s official correspondence and send out a notice of meetings (the call of the meeting)
• Notify officers, committees, and delegates of their election or appointment
• Prepare an agenda (or order of business) at the president’s request
• Have the organization’s documents at each meeting. These include the minutes book, bylaws, rules, list of members and committee members, agenda, ballot paper, and any other necessary supplies
• Call the meeting to order and immediately conduct an election for a chairman pro tem (short for the Latin pro tempore, meaning “for the time being”) should the president and vice president be absent
• Keep a careful and authentic record of the proceedings of all business meetings (see Minutes)
• Read the minutes for approval by the assembly
• Provide a copy of the minutes to the president as soon as possible after the meeting
• Allow members to examine the minutes and records upon request
• Maintain the official roll of members and call the roll when requested
• Sign, along with the president, all official acts, orders, and proceedings of the organization
• Update the bylaws and other formal rules of the organization in accordance with amendments recorded in the minutes
• Furnish delegates with proper credentials
• Act as custodian of all important papers, such as committee reports, belonging to the organization

Treasurer

• Collect and deposit the organization’s funds
• Disburse funds only with the authority of the assembly
• Obtain required officers’ signatures on all checks
• Provide receipts for any cash or checks received
• Maintain accounts as established by the organization
• Reconcile all bank statements
• Prepare a written treasurer’s report for each meeting, detailing receipts, disbursements, and balance on hand at the beginning and end of the period