Hello,
I’m looking for some insights from all of the hon. secretaries out there. I’ve been approached about taking over the role from our current secretary who has just accepted a Master position. I’m most interested in hearing about what tasks you are in charge of regularly, and how many hours per week you spend on your various duties. Also, do you go out nearly every meet, or are there some days when others fill in accepting caps etc? Finally, does your hunt have other volunteers/committees to assist the masters and secretary for things like social activities and fundraising, or does most of this fall to one or two people? Of course, I already have a lunch scheduled to go over the specific responsibilities of our hunt, but I am interested to know what the position consists of at other hunts as well. Thank you.
Well it’s been a while, but I was honorary secretary- treasurer for 5 years or so. Plus did the newsletter. Obviously there are peaks and valleys but on average I would say 8 hours a week. Most hunts also have a field secretary who collects capping fees at meets. Duties are, well, those of a secretary in broad terms, correspondence, meeting minutes, and for many hunts, fielding calls from potential guests. The term ‘honorary’ (not honorable!) signifies that the position is not a paid position, same as for honorary huntsman or honorary whipper-in.
All the guts, and little glory 
For many, I think you can make the position your own, and do the bare minimum required, or develop the position to suit your time and schedule to help engage and (re) energize the hunt by keeping information flowing and membership well informed of activities.
I send out weekly emails in the summer for trail rides, reminders, and other social events. In the season responsible for sending information about meets, joint meets. Answering inquires that come via website (things like “how much is a membership?”, “How do I get involved?”, “Can I cap with a green horse?”).
You may want to ask how often your Board meets, then you will know how often you will be expected to attend and type/distribute minutes. You may need to help schedule meeting location/times, etc.
We have multiple committees responsible for membership, social activities, etc. Though you may serve on them, you do not necessarily have to overextend yourself if you don’t want to!
Keeping a calendar of all hunt related activities throughout the year will help keep you on track. Hunt Ball, hunt days, opening day, boxing day, etc, will help you stay organized as people will often come to you for questions or to ensure no conflicts occur.
Our field secretary manages the collection of caps.
Thank you both. Very helpful! It’s interesting to hear how other hunts organize themselves. I’m envious of hunts with enough volunteers to have active committees and a field secretary! With us it’s beating the bushes to fill two, not very active, member committees and one secretary to do it all. But at least we have full and enthusiastic fields every time we go out!
I share the job w/ another woman. Between the 2 of us, we are at most every event, getting releases, capping fees, answer questions, helping juniors and newbies. I do have a pet peeve about guests not having all their paperwork ready upon arriving at a fixture. Members really need to help guests know the ropes. I address hunt ball invites. We have several members who help w/ fund raising, hound walk and other chores so no one person gets stuck w/ all the work. You get to know a lot about members (maybe a reason not to accept the job :o).
The secretary is really the engine of the hunt. You have to be part school principal, part mother hen and organized as all get out. I tip my hat to anyone that does that job.
I spent a decade as the honorary secretary for the Paradise Valley Beagles.
Our MB liked to do most of the correspondence herself, so I did not have that. I would occassionally answer emails, but my main tasks were taking minutes at meetings, collecting waivers & dues from members, and rustling guests for waivers & cap fees. If I was not at a hunt, our treasurer acted as field secretary.
About two years ago, a joint-MB was added, beagles moved to kennels up north, and in a somewhat related move, I resigned my position. The new secretary lives up north & is able to keep in close contact with the MB there.
I act as field secretary for any meets down here in the valley and remain on the board. I call myself the secretary emerita.
We’re lucky enough to have a big group of people sharing duties on an executive board. The secretary keeps meeting minutes and collects the agenda points for the next meeting. She also sends out a weekly email newsletter for the membership and does the general administrative/archival stuff.
The field secretary is a completely different position that’s basically an assistant to the Masters. The duty there is keeping attendance for each hunt and helping to collect caps and signed waivers from guests. For obvious reasons, that job always goes to someone who attends most of the hunts.
