Ruritan Club and District Officers' Handbook

Responsibilities of Club Officers (continued) C. Secretary Duties 1. Serving as a member of the board of directors. 2. Notifying each member of time, place, and date of all meetings.

Forms and Handbooks Available Online Nearly all of the Ruritan National forms and books are available digitally as PDF files. Some can be downloaded from the website at http://ruritan.org under the heading “Member Resources.” Clubs also have the option of choosing an entirely digital Club Kit instead of the paper books and materials traditionally mailed to clubs each fall. Ruritan National also has club treasurer’s ledgers and secretary’s attendance sheets designed as Excel spreadsheets with formulas and calculations embedded, making computer record keeping very simple for the club. While many clubs are using computers and the internet for their records and files – others continue to prefer the paper documents. Please contact Ruritan Member Services at 540-674-5431 ext.1310 or email at membership@ruritan.org for paper documents. 9. Ensure the filing of Form 990, 990 EZ, or 990 N (electronic postcard) with Internal Revenue Service by May 15. 10. Attending club officers’ training, zone meetings, and district and national conventions, if possible. 11. Pay state sales and use taxes. ment of dues. c. Bill members quarterly who have not paid their dues in advance. 5. Paying obligations of the club promptly, by check, as properly authorized. 6. Giving complete club financial report when request ‑ ed, showing receipts and disbursements since previous report, with balance of funds on hand. (Give a copy of report to secretary for minutes.) 7. Reporting members delinquent in payment of dues, with amounts, at each board of directors’ meeting. 8. Submitting books for auditing at anytime as request ‑ ed by Board of Directors. Federal Income Tax Exemption All clubs fall under Ruritan National’s Group Exemption Number 1615 and are exempt from paying federal income tax on funds raised. They are also exempt from paying federal excise taxes on members’ annual dues. All clubs should have a unique and individual Employer Identification Number (EIN). This EIN is obtained by filing form SS4 with the IRS.

3. Keeping available a copy of all publications and forms prepared by Ruritan National for club use. (Cop ‑ ies of approved minutes of the National Board of Direc ‑ tors’ meetings are available from the national office upon request of club secretary.) 4. Sending personal invitations to prospective mem ‑ bers approved at the last club meeting. 5. Keeping an accurate record of membership and at ‑ tendance, reporting the number on roll and the number present at each meeting, and making those changes in the MMS or submitting them to the national staff. Each club establishes its own policy regarding perfect atten ‑ dance tabs. Call and see why the member was absent. 6. Keeping accurate, thorough, and permanent records of the club and all meetings of the board of directors, in‑ cluding minutes, reports and correspondence. Reports of Board of Directors’ meetings are to be read at the following club meeting for proper action. Club minutes may be distributed by email or handed out at club meet‑ ings for club approval. 7. Making prompt and complete reports to Ruritan National, district governor, lt. governor, and zone gov ‑ ernor - or making prompt updates to the online member database. 8. Writing a letter of appreciation to the speaker and others on the program, immediately after each meeting. 9. Helping the club reporter in preparing publicity re ‑ garding the club’s activities and accomplishments. 10. Being responsible for ordering past president’s pin for presentation by the vice president to the president at December meeting. 11. Filing all completed records in place designated by the board of directors prior to passing current material to the new secretary. 12. Submitting books for auditing at anytime as re ‑ quested by the board of directors. 13. Attending club officers’ training, zone meetings, and district and national conventions, if possible. D. Treasurer Duties 1. Serving as a member of the board of directors and Finance Committee. 2. Serving as custodian of all funds, bonds, and other evidence of assets owned by the club. 3. Keeping detailed, accurate and permanent records that can easily be understood by successor. 4. Collecting all dues from members and depositing them along with any other funds in a bank or financial institution selected and approved by the board of direc‑ tors. a. Deposit all funds in the name of the club. b. Keep an accurate record of each member’s pay ‑

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Revised 8/2024