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Katie is in her third and final year studying History and Theology & Religious Studies at the University of Leeds, and is the Backstage Secretary 17/18.
“My job is all about keeping the society organised and running smoothly”
As the Secretary, my job is all about keeping the society organised and running smoothly. I’m in charge (alongside the President) of doing all the admin for the Society, both within Backstage, in relation to other Societies that we work with and (predominantly) keeping the committee going!
“Secretary is a really important role as we make a LOT of decisions”
I’m in charge of making sure that committee meetings are running smoothly, and as the Secretary you need to make sure that everything’s ready for regular meetings. I make the agendas and minute the meetings, so that we have a written record of what discussions and decisions we make every week. As we work on so many shows, the Secretary is a really important role as we make a LOT of decisions regarding shows, crews and so on and these all need to be written down so we can justify any decisions we have made.
“I am in charge of making sure that the contract and constitution are up to date”
With regards to other societies, I’m in charge (alongside the Production Manager) of making sure the contracts are signed for shows, which is so important as it means that all our shows work smoothly and to the same lines. As the admin-sorter, I am also in charge of making sure that the contract and constitution (which are both actually v interesting documents, which says a lot about me tbh) are up to date and the Union has access to the constitution if they ask for it, as well as sending the contract to societies that we work with, both old and new.
“We have meetings with the Execs of other performance societies, which means I’ve got to know them really well”
However, as part of the Backstage Exec, my role is bigger than just restricted to admin. Alongside the President and Treasurer, we make the decisions on major issues that crop up (alongside the rest of the Committee), and if anything needs a super quick decision then we can choose to make it on the spot. If anything crops up throughout the year, Exec often have a meeting between ourselves before the issue gets brought up with the rest of the committee as well, so being Secretary means you are #privy to a lot of knowledge. We also have meetings with the Execs of other performance societies throughout the year to discuss shows and how they and Backstage are working together, which means I’ve got to know them really well throughout the year.
“You pick up skills in all areas of Backstage”
Being the Secretary is a great role, and I’ve really enjoyed my time on committee. I would really encourage people to run for it, particularly if you like organising things, as that’s pretty much the entire role! I also have a big say on what is going on with the society so you pick up skills (especially troubleshooting skills) in all areas of Backstage (#soundmonkey), which is always good. Being on Committee in general is also great for boosting your CV, and if you love the society then I would really recommend running. If you have any questions about being the Secretary (or being on committee in general) feel free to hmu on secretary@luubackstage.com xo
By Katie Hayton
Posted on 1st March 2018