R&C Secretary, Key To Success Of Local Commandery – Col Ezeogu

The Recording and Corresponding Secretary has been described as the key to the success of the Local Commandery of the Knights of St. John International.

Colonel Phil Ezeogu, Grand Secretary, Enugu Grand Commandery, made the assertion at a training workshop organized for Recording and Corresponding Secretaries and Adjutants in the Enugu Grand Commandery.

According to Col Ezeogu, the “Secretary is very important not only for the communication of the commandery activities, but also works to ensure that every officer in the team lives up to their respective individual duties and responsibilities.

The Secretary is the main link of every member of the Board of Trustees of the Local Commandery, District or Regiment, and should be committed to group success”, he said.

He explained that the responsibility of the Recording Secretary is that of “guardian of the process of meetings”.

The Secretary should make arrangements for the meetings, including preparing the agenda for the meeting with due consultation with the Worthy President, he said, pointing out that while the Secretary issues and circulates invitations, notices and general correspondence to members, maintain the membership role, and record other proceedings, he should however not dominate the meeting or inject his personal views into the minutes, but constantly consult with the Worthy President.

The Grand Secretary listed the do’s and don’ts of a good Secretary to include punctuality at meetings, keep copies of correspondences, check if quorum is met for meetings, respect for confidentiality, work closely with the Worthy President, and ensure effective communication.

The Secretary should however not ignore correspondence or keep information to himself. He must not be absent or late for meetings, or throw away important papers, he stated.

The Grand Secretary advised the Corresponding and Recording Secretaries not to neglect the modern tools of communication, in particular, the social media, but to make effective use of them.

On the Adjutants, Col Ezeogu described them as the “engine room” of the military wing of the Knights of St. John International.

“The skill set of a military adjutant is comparable to the responsibilities of an administrative manager, a company secretary or a human resources expert in a corporate environment”, he explained.

Quoting from the KSJI Constitution, Col Ezeogu said that “it shall be the duty of the Adjutant to keep a record of the proceedings of all meetings, sign all orders, answer all correspondence and exhibit his books when requested by the District Commander.

He shall keep list of all commanderies represented in the District Commandery, and also a list of all delegates to and members of his District Commandery.

He said the Adjutant should remain in contact with the Grand Secretary and provide him with any needed information, because he is a Recording and Corresponding Secretary of the Regiment/District.

Earlier while declaring the workshop open, Grand President, Brigadier General Gil Obu, said Enugu Grand Commandery thought it necessary to organize training for the Recording and Corresponding Secretaries and the Adjutants, in order to keep them abreast with their roles and responsibilities.

Brigadier General Obu advised the participants to take their training very serious, and in the end, try to put what they were taught into practice in the interest of the order.

Twenty-five participants attended the workshop.