Page:Felt’s Parliamentary Procedure Upload 2.pdf/30

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26
Duties of the Secretary.
§ 20

it is only necessary that he record what is done—what business is introduced and how it is disposed of. It is often as important to know what measures were introduced and rejected as what ones were adopted. What is said by the members or merely proposed, or moved without coming to a vote, has no place in the record. There are, however, assemblies in which it is necessary to know what is said as well as what is done. In such assemblies where the duties of the secretary are difficult, he should have one or more assistants. When more than one secretary is elected the one first elected is considered the secretary, the others his assistants.

20. In the absence of the presiding officer (if there be no vice presidents present) it is the duty of the secretary to call the meeting to order, state the fact of the presiding officer's absence, call for nominations and preside at the election of a temporary presiding officer. He should be attentive to his duties, capable of expressing himself accurately in writing, be a good reader with a voice strong enough to be