Ministry
in word and act, responsibility for the good order and material needs
of the Meeting, visitation, faithfulness in
testimonies: all these things, in the measure of the Light that is
given, are the responsibilities of persons in the Meeting. For
practical reasons Monthly Meetings appoint members to serve as its
officers for definite terms of service, using a nomination process
described below. A good officer is one who, while assuming a
particular responsibility, seeks to engage the resources of the
Meeting in the task to be done.
The
Clerk presides at the business sessions of the Meeting, prepares
or bears responsibility for the minutes of its proceedings,
and carries out the instructions of the Meeting to accomplish its
business. <See p. 89 for qualifications
and role of a Presiding Clerk> He or she may be assisted by a Recording Clerk who assists
with
drafting minutes, an Alternate Clerk, who presides when the Clerk
is unable to serve, and a Corresponding Clerk, who handles Meeting
correspondence.
Most
Meetings appoint a Recording Clerk who can make faithful, concise
and accurate records of the minutes of action, as discerned
and stated by the Clerk. The Recording Clerk puts the Meeting’s
insights and minutes of exercise into written words but the Clerk
bears the ultimate responsibility for the completeness and accuracy
of the Meeting’s minutes. <See p. 90 for Minutes of Action
and
Exercise.>
The
Treasurer is responsible for maintaining and disbursing the Meeting’s funds, and giving regular reports to the Meeting.
A
financial professional should periodically review the Meeting’s
accounts.†
The
Recorder (or Recorder/Archivist) keeps faithful and accurate membership
records on forms provided by the Yearly Meeting.
Such records include vital statistics pertaining to the member and
his or her immediate family, whether or not they are all members
of the Meeting. The Recorder promptly notes any changes relating
to
the membership, such as births, deaths, transfers, releases, or
marriages. At the request of the Yearly Meeting Statistical Clerk,
the
Recorder completes a questionnaire regarding the Monthly Meeting,
and files a copy of this report in the permanent records of the
Monthly Meeting.
The
Recorder/Archivist also takes proper care of other important records
of the Meeting. The officer responsible for current minutes
and record books may retain them. All others should be preserved,
together with important correspondence and legal papers, such as
deeds, conveyances, and trusts, in a durable and legible form, and
in
a permanent repository, protected from fire and loss. <See Appendix
1a: Recommendations for Monthly Meeting Records.>