Membership secretary
Own the roster behind every answer
The membership officer keeps the board's most-used record accurate. It shows who belongs, who paid dues, which category applies, and which participation details other volunteers need. Joiners and renewals create the visible work. The lasting responsibility is making sure the roster remains useful, protected and understandable when another officer takes over.
The honest hours. Most weeks need less than an hour, while the renewal period can expand from several days to several weeks depending on record quality.
What the job actually is
Process new members
Confirm the application, category, consents and dues, then send a clear welcome that helps the person begin.
Manage yearly renewal
Notify the roster, track payments, follow up missing responses and record who has actually left rather than guessing.
Keep records dependable
Maintain contacts, emergency details, categories, preferences and relevant qualifications so coaches and officers can trust each field.
Provide accurate groups
Give coaches, the treasurer and safety leads the current roster views they need without creating permanent side copies.
Protect personal information
Keep member data for a clear club purpose, restrict access appropriately and remove it under the organization's policy.
Show membership movement
Report new joins, departures, renewals and category changes so the board sees how participation is changing.
The year, honestly
Renewal campaign
Load agreed dues, send notices, match responses and confirm non-renewals using one clean starting roster.
During the season
Add joiners, process changes and supply useful roster views as teams and officers request them.
Before the annual meeting
Prepare member totals, category movement and the main changes for the board and membership report.
Officer handover
Transfer access, the renewal process and any exceptional arrangements with the reason each one exists.
The handover checklist
What the outgoing membership secretary hands to the incoming one. Most get none of this; be the club where they do.
The record
- Membership system or spreadsheet access with full rights
- Current member list verified against payments
- Category definitions and current fee for each
- Consent and data records, and where they live
The process
- How someone joins, step by step, as it actually happens
- The renewal cycle with dates and templates used
- How lapses are decided and recorded
The exceptions
- Members on special arrangements, with the reason and who agreed it
- Honorary and life members and what their status means
- Any live membership disputes
The connections
- What the treasurer receives and when
- What coaches and safety officers pull from the record
- Governing body registration requirements per member
The parts software takes off your plate
The record maintains itself
Members update their own details, consents are captured at joining, and the list stays true without an evening a week.
How it worksRenewals run as a cycle, not a crisis
Notices, payments and lapses tracked per member, with the chase list building itself.
How it worksEvery list is one filter away
Session lists, unpaid lists, qualification lists: filters on the record, not fresh spreadsheets.
How it worksQuestions
What does a US membership officer do?
They process joiners, run renewals, maintain the member roster, protect personal information and provide current groups to other officers. They work closely with the treasurer because membership status and dues collection depend on each other.
How is this different from secretary?
The secretary manages board meetings, official correspondence and organization records. The membership officer manages people, categories, dues status and the renewal cycle. Smaller clubs may combine them, but the workload becomes concentrated during renewals.
How much weekly time is required?
Most weeks take less than an hour when the roster is accurate. Renewal creates the main peak. A clear process and member self-service can keep that work to focused exceptions instead of weeks of manual correction.