MSERA OPERATIONS MANUAL: Introduction

Purpose of the Manual

The Operations Manual is designed to assist elected Officers and Directors to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of their respective offices. The Manual or sections of the Manual may also be used by committee chairs and other specially appointed members to assist them in successfully completing their assigned tasks.

Organization of the Manual

The Manual is organized to address the major operational components of the Association as well as to provide a brief history and purpose of MSERA. A current copy of the Constitution and Bylaws are also included

Each section of the Manual provides a description of the responsibilities and duties of elected officers, appointed officers, committee chairs, as well as publication editors and suggested ways for meeting those responsibilities. In the case of some committees and Officers, either paper or electronic information may be passed from previous committee chairs or Officers detailing specific procedures, examples of effort, uniform letters, copies of previous reports, and/or other pertinent information.

Contents of the Manual

Section 1 identifies the purpose of the Association, includes information regarding the Operations Manual, and provides an overview of the Officers, committees, and editors.

A current copy of the Constitution and Bylaws is included in Section 2.

Section 3 describes the responsibilities, term of office, selection procedure, and expectations or requirements of the elected officers and Board members. Procedures for the installation of Officers are included in this section. This section also describes the committees’ responsibilities, operating procedures, and possible timelines for the committee's activities.

Section 4 contains the duties and responsibilities of the editors of the Association's publications.
The Appendix contains Installation of New Officers and Board Members, A Frequently Asked Questions about MSERA section, a brief history of MSERA, and the Bylaws of the MSER Foundation.

Procedures for Updating the Manual

The Vice President/President Elect will assume the responsibility for updating the Manual and disseminating the updates and/or entire copies to appropriate Officers, Directors, committee chairs, and other specially appointed members. The following procedures are suggested:

1. All Officers, committee chairs, and specially appointed members will be responsible for monitoring their work and the work of their committees throughout each year of their appointed/elected term.
2. Officers, committee chairs, and specially appointed members will prepare a report of activities, changes in procedures (as presented in the current Manual), and accomplishments of their offices or committees within the last year.
3. This information will be mailed to the Vice President as soon as possible after the Annual Meeting each year, no later than December 15.
4. The Vice President will assemble the various reports and prepare additions, deletions, and updates for the Manual by January 15.
5. These updates should be added to the current Operations Manual and distributed to the Board by February 15.
6. The Board should review all changes to the Operations Manual and be prepared to vote on all sections with changes at the spring board meeting held in March of each year (or a time in close proximity).
7. Changes in all sections should receive a majority vote by the Board.