MSERA OPERATIONS MANUAL: Introduction

Purpose of the Manual

The Operations Manual is designed to assist elected Officers and Directors in fulfilling 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 and a current copy of the Constitution and Bylaws. The operational units include the elected offices, each committee, and publication and communication operations of various editors.

Each section of the Manual provides a description of the responsibilities and duties of the position or unit and suggested procedures for meeting those responsibilities. In the case of some committees and Officers, notebooks or folders will be passed from previous committee chairs or Officers to new committee chairs and Officers detailing specific procedures, examples of effort, uniform letters, tapes, copies of previous reports, and other pertinent information to be used in assisting them.

Contents of the Manual

Section I provides an introduction to the Manual, an overview of the Officers and committees and states the purpose of the Association. A current copy of the Constitution and Bylaws is included in Section II. Section III describes the responsibilities, term of office, selection procedure, and expectations or requirements of the elected offices and Board members. Procedures for the installation of Officers are included in this section. Section IV is devoted to the committees and describes each committee's purpose, selection of members, responsibilities, operating procedures, and possible timelines for the committee's activities. Section V contains the duties and responsibilities of the editors of the Association's publications. The Appendix contains a brief history of MSERA and the Bylaws of the MSER Foundation.

Procedures for Updating the Manual

The Vice President 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 collect copies of the Manual from outgoing Board members at the Annual Meeting.
5. The Vice President will assemble the various reports and prepare additions, deletions, and updates for the Manual by January 15.
6. Each returning Board member will be mailed the current information by January 30 to include in the Manual. Each new Board member will receive a copy of the Manual by January 30.
7. This process will continue on an annual basis for as long as the Board deems useful.