Responsibilities of the Ward Executive Secretary

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mhromney
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Responsibilities of the Ward Executive Secretary

#1

Post by mhromney »

Does any have a list of the responsibilities of the Ward Executive Secretary as outlined in the Handbooks? I have looked through the handbooks and have noticed that the Executive Secretary is mentioned in several places. Also I have been in 4 bishoprics now and have always thought it was the responsibility of the Ward Executive Secretary to maintain the calling sheet and update MLS. However I can't find a reference to this in the handbooks.
russellhltn
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Re: Responsibilities of the Ward Executive Secretary

#2

Post by russellhltn »

You'll probably find a number of things that are not spelled out by the Handbook. It leaves a number of details up to the local units to run as they see best. It's up to the bishop as to how he wants to assign it - as long as it gets done.
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aebrown
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Re: Responsibilities of the Ward Executive Secretary

#3

Post by aebrown »

mhromney wrote:I have been in 4 bishoprics now and have always thought it was the responsibility of the Ward Executive Secretary to maintain the calling sheet and update MLS. However I can't find a reference to this in the handbooks.
Keeping callings updated sounds more like a clerk responsibility. In most of the wards in my stake, it's the ward clerk who keeps them updated in MLS. But I don't see anything in the handbooks that would prevent the bishop from assigning that responsibility to the executive secretary. Either way could work.
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Re: Responsibilities of the Ward Executive Secretary

#4

Post by russellhltn »

aebrown wrote:Keeping callings updated sounds more like a clerk responsibility. In most of the wards in my stake, it's the ward clerk who keeps them updated in MLS. But I don't see anything in the handbooks that would prevent the bishop from assigning that responsibility to the executive secretary. Either way could work.
Some factors that may affect this decision:
  • The computer abilities of the Executive Secretary (one would hope the clerk is computer literate)
  • Getting time on the MLS computer
  • Getting the needed information to the responsible party in a timely fashion.
  • Workload of everyone involved.
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1968leocomeeatabite
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Re: Responsibilities of the Ward Executive Secretary

#5

Post by 1968leocomeeatabite »

russellhltn wrote:Some factors that may affect this decision:
  • The computer abilities of the Executive Secretary (one would hope the clerk is computer literate)
  • Getting time on the MLS computer
  • Getting the needed information to the responsible party in a timely fashion.
  • Workload of everyone involved.
I agree with what russellhltn has said. I would like to add this: Being aware of keeping the custom callings to a minimum, or at least not making Standard callings into a custom calling, should be part of that work load. If the Bishop and his counselors are not aware of exactly how the standard calling should appear in text, and the assigned clerk or exec. sec. is not on top of it, you can end up with a mountain of custom calling that should be a standard calling.

Therefore it seems that part of the process of a calling should be to check how the Standard calling is formated and make the call accordingly.

In my case it is helpful to be the exec. sec. and do the callings in MLS. I can keep a handle on it and advise the bishop of a most correct calling that would come under the Standard calling.

I am hoping that this will also help in the area in the future to keep the callings clean through CDOL, LDS.ORG, & MLS.

I also hope in the future to help the bishopric keep a little better track of calls, releases, worthy, accepting, sustaining, setting apart, scouts approvals, which can be pretty extensive etc.
1968leocomeeatabite
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Re: Responsibilities of the Ward Executive Secretary

#6

Post by 1968leocomeeatabite »

russellhltn wrote:You'll probably find a number of things that are not spelled out by the Handbook. It leaves a number of details up to the local units to run as they see best. It's up to the bishop as to how he wants to assign it - as long as it gets done.
Amen to this, The bottom line as far as my experience has been is to assist the Bishop in anyway that you can. The goal being to take the load off the bishop! Their are many administrative items that can be done by the clerks and Executive Secretary. Some things that I have gleaned from the Hanbooks are: Appointments, agendas, Home teaching reports, help to transition agenda items from PEC & Ward Council, Remind and follow through with the ward council & PEC with assignments and being an administrative assistant to the Bishop. But even these items can be completely subject to the Bishop as to how he feels things should run. It would be part of his leadership style. It also can be the time available to the bishopric. To come up with a specific agenda can even be a problem. Many times these items are delayed until late Saturday evening. For the most part I have been given a project to prepare documents etc. to be presented in a meeting so as to communicate with all in the meeting. What has been your experience? Are you a clerk or are you a Exec. Secretary?
1968leocomeeatabite
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Re: Responsibilities of the Ward Executive Secretary

#7

Post by 1968leocomeeatabite »

A reference in one of the above posts refers to the Exec. Sec. being an administrative assistant. This is found in Book 1 of the handbooks. I am intrigue with this idea. It would seem that this could be a way for a Bishop to lighten his load. Yet I have been the Sec. to 2 Bishoprics, with men that I am friends with and have worked with in other callings over the past 25-35 years, and it seems that for this to work we as a church need to think out of the present way of doing things.

This is interesting to me, on the one hand I see the Ward Clerk & Exec. Sec. to do everything possible to relieve the burden of the bishopric, but especially the bishop. The Bishop's burden, as we all know, is HEAVY. On the other hand in trying to help the bishop, his helpers might go too far in being administrative assistant, and be ineffective because all expect the direct attention or being dealt with by the Bishop himself.

Would any of you care to comment on this? Would you have any specific examples of what exactly it means to be an administrative assistant?
1968leocomeeatabite
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Re: Responsibilities of the Ward Executive Secretary

#8

Post by 1968leocomeeatabite »

The following link.
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-admin ... stants.htm states this.
What Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Do
Secretaries and administrative assistants perform routine clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, draft messages, schedule appointments, and support other staff
Another link.
http://www.snagajob.com/job-description ... assistant/ states this:
For the most part, a job as an administrative assistant requires you to structure someone else's (typically an executive's) day by coordinating their appointments, taking messages, and sending emails on their behalf.

This is much different 30 years ago when I was a Sec to a Bishopric in College. All I did then was make appointments for the Bishopric. Do these descriptions work for you?
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aebrown
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Re: Responsibilities of the Ward Executive Secretary

#9

Post by aebrown »

1968leocomeeatabite wrote:Would you have any specific examples of what exactly it means to be an administrative assistant?
I think the benefit of the term "administrative assistant" is that it is NOT specific. The job description you copied from snagajob.com was pretty reasonable: "Secretaries and administrative assistants perform routine clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, draft messages, schedule appointments, and support other staff." It really just means that the executive secretary does anything to help the priesthood leader.

I've never seen an executive secretary who only scheduled interviews. The additional specific tasks I've seen them do depend greatly on the capabilities of the priesthood leader and of the executive secretary, as well as the capabilities of other helpers such as the counselors and clerks, but here are some examples (some apply more to the stake level than ward level):
  • Prepare meeting agendas
  • Update calendar
  • Take pictures for the Directory
  • Prepare a presentation
  • Research Handbook guidelines and policies
  • Document procedures such as priesthood ordination workflow
  • Go to the whiteboard to record ideas presented by a council
  • Communicate with other leaders (bishops, high council, ward council, stake council, etc.) to solicit feedback
  • Fill out portions of missionary applications such as medical forms
  • File paperwork for the priesthood leader
1968leocomeeatabite
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Re: Responsibilities of the Ward Executive Secretary

#10

Post by 1968leocomeeatabite »

aebrown wrote:The additional specific tasks I've seen them do depend greatly on the capabilities of the priesthood leader and of the executive secretary, as well as the capabilities of other helpers such as the counselors and clerks,
Thank you, your post, it is absolutely just what I needed. One thing that I have learned or have not put in words is your quote above. These two men not only need confidence in each other but the Priesthood leaders for sure needs confidence in his Exec. Sec. because of the many confidential things. Beyond that, the ability of both is the key. Even if the Exc. Sec. wants to be able to do the many techy things that can be done, his learning curve would have to be part of this process, which their may not be time for. Or visa verses if the Priesthood leader was not able to use a tech y application quickly he would not take the time to learn because of the great amount of work load.
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