The role of the coordinating secretary in organizations affiliated with the Association of School Business Officials of the United States and Canada

The major purpose of the study was to identify and describe leadership duties and service responsibilities provided by Coordinating Secretaries in state, provincial and regional organizations affiliated with the Association of School Business Officials of the United States and Canada. A second purpose of the study was to identify and describe significant historical antecedents leading to the development of the position of Coordinating Secretary.The population of the study included sixteen individuals identified as Coordinating Secretaries of associations affiliated with ASBO and five association secretaries who, though elected annually, have, by agreement, continued to serve year after year.A data gathering. instrument was designed to secure responses from study participants relative to personal and employment information. Also, data was collected relative to the fiscal and personnel support provided by the state association to the Coordinating Secretary to conduct ASBO services and activities. The questionnaire was also designed to secure information relative to value judgment data from study participants regarding the degree of importance of various organizational activities associated with the office of Coordinating Secretary. In addition, information relative to historical antecedents leading to the development of the office of Coordinating Secretary and information relative to the formation of administrative "umbrella" associations was secured from study participants through the data gathering instrument.Findings derived from the study included:(1) Forty-seven percent of the respondents reported having had ten or more years of state ASBO service as a coordinating or elected secretary.(2) Fifty-seven percent of the Coordinating Secretaries reported that at least one-fifth of the total work week was devoted to state ASBO activities.(3) Coordinating Secretaries reported holding other employment positions as faculty members of state universities, professional staff members of state departments of public instruction and as Executive Directors of other professional associations. Four respondents reported being retired from full-time employment positions.(4) Additional compensation paid to Coordinating Secretaries for state association service varied from $0 to $10,000.(5) The number off members in state organizations served by a Coordinating Secretary ranged from 160 persons to 850 persons. The average number of members was computed to be 502 persons.(6) The annual budgets for state associations served by a Coordinating Secretary varied from $2,000 to $54,000. The average annual state association budget was computed to be $25, 750.(7) Coordinating Secretaries reported the following association activities to be of major importance: publications-newsletters-mailings, correspondence, budget control and reporting, membership promotion, relations and communication with ASBO, fiscal record keeping and reporting, workshop planning and relations with the state department of public instruction.(8) The need for continuity, the need for coordination, the need for representation with other educational associations and the need for a centralized repository for association records were reported by study participants to be the four major forces causing state ASBO leadership to establish the office of Coordinating Secretary.Conclusions developed from the study included the following:(1) The establishment of the office of Coordinating Secretary can be very beneficial to a state ASBO organization, primarily because stability and continuity of leadership are strengthened.(2) Because state universities and state departments of public instruction have typically had a strong commitment, to service, have been willing to provide service assistance to professional education groups and have staff members with the needed background and interest, state ASBO officials contemplating the establishment of the position of Coordinating Secretary should explore both sources for assistance and support.(3) Because of the essential nature of the services provided by Coordinating Secretaries, more and more state associations will be considering the establishment of an office of Coordinating Secretary.Thesis (D. Ed.