Board Responsibilities

Local Chapter President

The President of-a Chapter is a REALTOR® or REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® elected by the Chapter membership to be its authorized leader.

Major responsibilities:

  • Presides at Governing Board and Chapter meetings.
  • Appoints all committees, except Nominating Committee, subject to the approval of the Governing Board.

General responsibility to have knowledge of:

  • Local Chapter bylaws and standing rules.
  • WCR structure and history.
  • Robert’s Rules of Order (Newly Revised).

Specific responsibilities to the Local Chapter:

  • Disseminates applicable materials and information to officers/members.
  • Issues an invitation early in the year to the State WCR Governor to make an official visit to the Local Chapter.
  • Ensures that Chapter activities are not in conflict with Local Board of REALTORS® activities.
  • Coordinates officer and committee activities and responsibilities.
  • Makes certain Chapter bylaws are up to date and amendments reported to the national WCR office.
  • Attends Local Chapter President sessions at Midyear and Annual Conference and learning lab sessions at Midyear

Meetings.

  • Schedules meetings in accordance with the Chapter bylaws and standing rules.
  • Follows the Chapter Meeting “Order of Business” as outlined in this Leadership Policy & Procedure Manual.
  • Cooperates with requests from the State Chapter President, State Governor, Regional Vice President and national WCR office.
  • Assures that the Chapter’s votes are cast by the Voting Delegate or Alternate at the national Annual Business Meeting. The Local Chapter Delegate shall be the President in good standing of the Local Chapter or another member, who shall be an Active member in good standing of the same Local Chapter, designated in writing by the President.

Working with the REALTOR® Board’s Executive Officer

One of the most critical tasks you will have during your term as Local Chapter President is establishing a strong rapport with your Local REALTOR® Board or Association. The simplest way to assure ongoing cooperation is by communicating with the Executive Officer (EO). The EO can help you reach local officers, committee chairs, staff and much more! If your EO feels WCR has value to offer the members of your Board, you’ll find their assistance will make your year flow much more smoothly. The help they can give is invaluable.

1.             Invite EOs to be speakers at Chapter meetings.

2.             Provide Eros with complimentary passes to WCR sponsored education courses.

  1. Hold Chapter Governing Board meetings at the Local Board of REALTORS® office instead of at a restaurant, etc.-, to provide more visibility for WCR at the Board level.

4.             Remember to follow protocol (Le., follow Board’s chain of command).

5.              Executive Officers can be national members of WCR. Offer them a complimentary WCR membership.

6.            At national meetings, find out what successful methods other Chapter Presidents have used.

Local Chapter President-elect

In the absence of the President, the President-elect (a REALTOR® or REALTOR-ASSOCIATE®) presides at all meetings and performs the necessary duties of the office. The President-elect automatically succeeds to the presidency the following year. The main role of the President-elect is to prepare for presidency. This includes assisting the President.

Preparation includes:

  • Attend Leadership Academy. No other action helps you more, because the Academy helps volunteer leaders plug

into the WCR national network sooner and more effectively. For peer support and for referrals.

  • Review the President’s sections of this manual.
  • Read the WCR History pages at the front of this manual.
  • Visit WCR.org and review the national Strategic Framework 2006.  This is located in The Member Center on the WCR Web site.
  • Locate and review the Local Chapter’s Bylaws.
  • In the fall, and in collaboration with the Chapter’s entire incoming leadership team, completes the Chapter Business Plan using the WCR Annual Report (Chapter Business Plan and Chapter Excellence Awards) form.

Local Chapter Vice President of Membership

An elected office of the Local Chapter. Individual must be a REALTOR® or REALTOR-Associate®. Oversee all membership activities. Accountable for the· recruitment, retention and recapturing membership efforts of the chapter.

  • Responsible for the implementation and follow-through on the national membership marketing campaign when one is in effect.
  • Establish Local Chapter membership goals in coordination with the Local Chapter President and Governing

Board.

  • Communicate membership goals and organize Chapter ·effort to achieve goals.
  • Monitor membership reports received from National WCR for accuracy and follow-up on any discrepancies.
  • Report to National WCR any corrections, changes (i.e. telephone, address) to member information.
  • Some duties may be delegated to the membership chairman when the chapter has chosen to have one, however, the ones listed above should not be delegated .

Materials needed are adequate supply of WCR Membership Applications and a Leadership Policy & Procedure Manual.

FUND YOUR OFFICERS

It is important to fund Chapter Leadership to attend national meetings -the President, President­elect and, if possible, the Vice President of Membership.  Also, providing airfare, hotel and registration fee assistance to the President-elect to attend the Annual Leadership Academy should be a budget priority.

Even if fundraising for charity, money must always be earmarked to support the chapter, which includes sending officers to learn and connect at the national level.  And ultimately that translates to long-term participation in the community as well as enhanced ability to deliver member value.

Local Chapter Secretary

The Secretary takes the minutes of each Chapter meeting and each Governing Board meeting. When writing the minutes, record what was done, not what was said (e.g. “After discussion, the motion was approved.”)

Original copies of all minutes should be kept in a permanent Chapter minutes book, and one copy of each shall be sent to the WCR Chapter President, President-elect, State Chapter President and State Governor.

The Secretary is responsible for notifying the National WCR office of names and addresses of newly elected officers of the Chapter as soon as elected, but no later than November 1. Failure to report officers is grounds for disbanding the Chapter.

MINUTES – general information always to be included:

  • Name of Chapter, committee which is meeting (in caps), whether regular or special meeting.
  • Date, hour and place.
  • Name of presiding officer or chairman.
  • Roll call, plus statement that number of members present constitutes a quorum (provided it does).
  • Pledge of Allegiance and Inspiration.
  • Introduction of new members, if any.
    • Approval of minutes of last meeting “as mailed or emailed” or “as posted” (Internet). The National WCR no longer recommends reading the minutes aloud; this is not a good use of the members’ time. Approval is by majority vote.
    • Treasurer’s report should be accepted and placed on file.
    • Reports.
    • Unfinished business.
    • New business.
    • Election, if any.
    • Next meeting: time and place.
    • Adjournment and time.

Example of Minutes

WOMEN’S COUNCIL OF REALTORS®, Bigtown Chapter City, State

Date:                       September 5, 2009

Time:                      2:00p.m

Place:                      Bigtown Association of REALTORS®

Presiding:              President Sue Smith

Attendees:            Barbara Brown, Elaine Jefferson, Janet Jones, Kay King, Mary Mason, Rose Rogers,Tillie Tuttle, Wanda Williams (a quorum)

Governing Board Actions

I.              Minutes of the previous meeting were Approved.

II.            Treasurer’s report was accepted and placed on file.

III:           Committee reports received

IV.           FUND RAISING PROJECT: Moved and seconded to hold a silent auction at the next Chapter

membership meeting, with Kay King to organize and chair. Approved.

V.            OFFICER VACANCY: Moved and seconded to elect Elaine Jefferson to fill the unexpired term of Secretary/Treasurer. Approved.

VI:           The meeting was adjourned at 2:30 p.m.

Any corrections or amendments to minutes or Treasurer’s report should be marked in RED. It is permissible to write amendments on a separate page to become part of an attached to minutes. Minutes should not be rewritten after they have been presented.

The permanent Chapter minutes book is an important document. Pass it on to the new Secretary immediately upon completion of your term.

It simplifies the taking of minutes if information is obtained beforehand. Ascertain the purpose of the meeting, and if possible, get copies of resolutions, reports, etc., to be presented.

Obtain a list of the persons to be present, and at the meeting simply check the names “P” or “A” (present or absent) on the list. Note late arrivals and early departures, as an important point may hinge on whether or not a certain person heard a certain discussion.

Local Chapter Treasurer

  • The Treasurer has custody of the funds of the Chapter and makes disbursements as may be directed by the President or Governing Board. It is suggested that a bond be obtained for an appropriate amount.
  • Records are kept in an account book showing all receipts and disbursements. Treasurer’s report should be available at all regular Chapter meetings.
  • Reviews association expenditures and financial status on a regular basis to ensure overall fiscal integrity.
    • Ensures that regular financial reports are submitted to the Governing Board and presents an annual financial report to the membership.
      • Submits the financial accounts of the association to an annual independent audit (usually a group of members).

Performs other duties assigned by the President.

  • Gives receipts for collection of cash, keeps copy of transaction for Chapter’s permanent records.
    • Prior to the end of the term of office, books of the Treasurer shall be audited by a committee appointed by the President. The Treasurer and Auditing Committee Chairman shall arrange a time to meet so that the records can be audited. Schedule this meeting no later than two weeks prior to the following month’s Chapter meeting.

The National WCR office must receive notification of Chapter dues changes by October 31 in order for the change to be included in the dues billing for the following year. All dues changes become effective January 1 of the following year. Membership renewal notices are printed and mailed in November. Chapter bylaws must also be changed and re-approved.

REFERENCE FOR THE VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBERSHIP

WCR BILLING PROCEDURES

Each renewing national WCR member receives two mailed and one e-mailed renewal notice for 2009 dues.

  1. The renewal notice and e-mail are sent in early November 2008. The e-mail contains a personalized link to the member’s individual renewal page.
  2. The second notice is mailed in February 2009 to each member who has not yet renewed.

This is the last notification they receive from the National WCR office before being dropped on March 31.

NEW MEMBER PROBATION

Members who joined in 2008 receive a prorated invoice for 2009 dues. Payment of their prorated invoice advances their expiration date to January 2010 bringing them up to WCR’s January-to-January billing cycle.

GLOBAL MEMBERSHIP DROP

Members have a 90-day grace period to pay current year’s dues. If a member has not paid dues by March 31, they are deleted from membership in the Global Membership Drop. If National WCR receives payment after March 31 and before October 31, they will be reinstated with their same/original Member Since date & a January 1, 2010 expiration date.

New members are the exception to this Master Membership Drop. Members who joined WCR in 2008 will drop from membership on their one-year anniversary if they do not pay their prorated invoices by that time. In other words, a 2008 new member must renew before their membership expires, one year from the time they joined. For easy reference, expiration dates are printed on the quarterly Chapter Membership Roster and are included in the Chapter Management Center downloadable data.

HOW MAILED PAYMENTS ARE PROCESSED

Before any renewal payment ever reaches the WCR office, it is opened by the NAR mailroom and then processed by NAR Finance. Depending on the volume of mail being received, this creates a lag time of 3-4 days, not counting mail delivery time. ENCOURAGE MEMBERS TO RENEW ONLINE. Renewing online insures the member’s payment is recorded immediately and saves money printing and postage.

Member dues payment activity is available online in the Chapter Management Center and is recorded on the Chapter Activity Summary mailed to the Vice President of Membership. If a member should appear as a member and does not, please contact the WCR Member Services Department at 800-245-8512. Staff will help you resolve the situation promptly.

Each member’s original form of payment should always be sent to the National WCR office. Do not send multiple payments on a single chapter check.

NEW MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS

To avoid processing delays, complete the dues information on new member applications before giving them out.  This allows a new member to pay the correct amount and ensures that they are processed quickly.  Send applications and payments to the National office without delay, otherwise, the member does not receive her welcome brochure or Connections and she does not appear on any Chapter rosters or the Website.

CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS

Members may join and renew by using MasterCard. Visa, Discover, or American Express.  Due to the volume of payments received during renewal periods:

1)       Encourage members to renew online. National WCR office cannot accept dues payments by telephone. A member may fax the renewal notice or application with credit card information. Do not fax and mail.

2)       If the credit card payment is declined or the credit card number is invalid, National WCR staff will follow up.

3)       If incorrect dues amount is indicated on application or renewal, the credit card will be charged the correct amount.

Charges to WCR will appear on member credit card bills as either REALTORS®and Affiliates or REALTOR Association/MLS.

Comments are closed.