How many people in this Role?
1 Secretary of the Senate
Who can run for this Role?
Must be a Junior or Senior. Must have at least 1 year of experience participating in Youth and Government.
Main Role and Responsibilities
The Secretary of the Senate is a leader in the Senate during the Youth and Government Weekend. The Role closely mirrors that of the real Maine Senate Secretary, keeping the legislative session running smoothly so Senators can focus on debating and voting on legislation. The Secretary is the administrative backbone of the Chamber and the primary support for the President of the Senate.
Responsibilities include:
- Manage Senate business by keeping track of bills as they move through committees and floor debate.
- Maintain official records, including the Senate journal, attendance, motions, votes, and amendments.
- Prepare the daily calendar and agenda so Senators know which Bills and actions are coming before the Chamber.
- Assist the Senate President (or presiding officer) during sessions by announcing Bills, reading titles and amendments when needed, and ensuring parliamentary procedures are followed.
- Coordinate with committee chairs and clerks to make sure legislation and documents are delivered to the correct places at the right time.
- Certify the passage of bills and transmitting approved legislation to the next stage of the legislative process.
What skills are important for this Role?
- Highly organized and detail oriented.
- Confident public speaker.
- Familiar with, or willing to learn, parliamentary procedure.
- Able to work quickly and accurately under pressure.
- Proficient with computers and document management.
Does this Role attend the Leadership Training beginning on Thursday?
Yes! And MUST attend an additional online Airtable Bill Tracker training session!
Election/Selection Procedure
The Secretary of the Senate is an elected position. At either Caucus B or C (see Caucus Agenda) when the Role is put up for nomination by the Program Director:
- Have someone from your delegation enter your name in nomination, this is done by entering your name in the chat.
- After all nominations are in you will be asked to speak about why you want this role. Please be prepared to speak about your qualifications and why you think you would be the best person to fill this Role.
- Then the election will be held, all those present will cast a vote, the candidate receiving the most votes will be announced as the winner of this Role.
