Board Job Descriptions

OREGON OCEAN PADDLING SOCIETY

PRESIDENT

Lead monthly club meetings and monthly board meetings. Recruit new volunteers and leaders. Help determine annual issues internal and external to club. Assist individual board members in carrying out the goals for their positions. Help ensure that the club meets its legal and financial responsibilities. Follow-up between meetings with individual board members. Network with leaders of other clubs to stay abreast of general membership trends, new activities, safety, education and environmental issues. Represent the club at various civic functions. Provide an energetic presence to motivate kayak adventuring.  

SECRETARY

Keep corporate registration up to date. Maintain club records: membership roster, by-laws, liability releases, insurance coverage, board actions and minutes, back copies of newsletter. Take minutes at board meetings and distribute to newsletter editor and board members in a timely fashion. Ensure that notice of the annual meeting when the election of the board takes place is properly given.  Help identify potential areas of legal concern and ways to reduce legal risks. Oversee pending legal issues. Serve as clearinghouse for correspondence on behalf of club.  Run board meetings in president's absence.  Keep signatories on checking account up to date.

TREASURER

Maintain responsibility for club budget. Prepare annual budget showing projected cash revenues, expenses, and membership levels. Prepare mid-year statement of cash flow, balances and performance against the budget. Plan for Club's monthly cash needs. Recommend level of reserves for cash account. Recommend and oversee investment of club reserves.  Keep checking account current and reconcile on monthly basis. Respond to phone call inquiries regarding membership. Process all new and renewal memberships and coordinate with Membership Database Coordinator on monthly basis. Provide board with quarterly statement of membership levels. Organize processing of member renewals on yearly basis. Maintain responsibility for membership application forms.  Retrieve OOPS mail from postal box. Bring mail and checkbook to monthly board meetings to distribute to board members as appropriate.  Mail out handbooks as needed.

PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Find and schedule speakers for monthly programs.  Serve as custodian of club slide projector and screen. Schedule and lease space for club monthly meetings.  Provide creative and enthusiastic announcement of each month's program to the newsletter editor in a timely fashion. Solicit members' suggestions for program topics and presenters.  Network with other clubs, suppliers, instructors, authors, manufacturers, etc. to generate programs. Organize club involvement in annual Christmas party and boat swap.  Arrange for refreshments and clean-up at meetings.  Recruit volunteers to assist in preparation and clean-up of monthly meetings.

EDITOR, THE GAM

Prepare and publish our monthly newsletter, the GAM, according to schedule set by board.  Recruit contributors to newsletter. Review newsletters of other clubs and publications to find items to include in the GAM.  Publicize due dates and publication dates for newsletter.  Coordinate preparation of copy, printing, addressing and mailing to ensure timely delivery of newsletters.  Accept, print advertisements in the GAM according to club policy. Identify for the board and treasurer significant changes in newsletter costs. Keep track of general circulation levels and quantities involved in printing, paper and mailing. Publish club membership directory at intervals set by the board.

TRIP COORDINATOR

Assay needs for different types of trips. Recruit new leaders.  Screen trip leaders as to their qualifications to lead their trips.  Retrieve and file with the club secretary on a quarterly basis liability release forms.  Encourage trip leaders to write up reports of their trips for the GAM.  Identify safety incidents arising during club trips, classes, or programs; communicate with the safety coordinator and secretary about them; provide written description of them for club records. Oversee organizers of established club trips. Ensure a full calendar of club sponsored trips.  Keep newsletter calendar and phone line up to date.  Help develop trip leadership guidelines.  Oversee paddle portion of annual events such as Skamakowa and Christmas party.  Maintain trip information board and bring to meetings.

EDUCATIONAL COORDINATOR

Identify areas of skill development that can be taught in classes and options for providing such instruction.  Work with board and club members and private instructors to develop classes in such areas as stroke development, rescues, trip leadership and planning, navigation, double kayak paddling and safety techniques, bracing and rolling, surfing, safety, etc. Network with other clubs to identify potential class topics. Publicize at meetings and in the GAM both OOPS and non-OOPS classes that may interest members. Confirm that outside instructors are skilled and safe trainers.  Recruit volunteers to assist with classes. Complete arrangements for class instruction, (i.e. pool and/or equipment rental, etc,).  Sign up participants getting advance deposits when necessary. Provided information regarding payment schedules and forfeitures for no-shows.  Take responsibility for collecting and forwarding to the treasurer any fees due the club. Submit post class write ups to GAM editor to publicize education program and attitude in general.

SAFETY COORDINATOR

Identify actual and potential safety issues for club. Communicate with other clubs to identify emerging safety issues and policies. Publicize safety issues and policies in GAM and at club meetings.  Coordinate with Program Coordinator to bring safety oriented presentations for monthly meetings. Work with club Secretary and Trip Coordinator to follow-up. Coordinate with Education Coordinator to promote safety related classes.

ENVIRONMENT COORDINATOR

Identify and educate the membership on issues of interest or concern to club members, especially as these relate to waterways and wetlands. Recommend areas and issues for which OOPS should provide financial support.  Look for projects that give club members the opportunity to get involved with environmental action. Recommend and prepare environmental policies to govern individual and club trips.  Oversee the club's involvement in environmental actions and donations.  Network with other clubs to determine potential areas of collective environmental action. Recruit volunteers to help monitor and participate in public issues. Oversee club expenditures related to the environment. 

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR

Coordinate with the treasurer and database entry person to update and monitor membership changes. Welcome new members to the club and answer their questions. Provide a club representative at the "membership table" at the monthly OOPS meetings who will distribute a membership registration form/brochure to each visitor. Arrange for a public display of OOPS brochures at area paddling/sport shops. Coordinate publicity and persons to promote OOPS membership at various events. Respond to questions sent to the membership mailbox

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Serve on one or two subcommittees during the course of the year.  Be prepared to help other board members who may need assistance.  Be prepared to take on specific board duties in future years.  Assist in leading trips, setting up or staffing meetings, or preparing for annual events. Be a responsible and articulate participant in Board meetings, especially as these discussions relate to the traditions and strategic direction of the club.