The Association of Secretaries was founded in 1979 by the Sales Manager of the Grand Hotel in Hartlepool who saw the need to bring together senior secretaries in the town on a purely social basis.   The Sheffield Branch of the Association of Secretaries held its first meeting in December 1983.

From those early beginnings we now have 11 Branches in Scotland, the North of England and the Midlands (Birmingham being the most southerly).

The aim of the Association is to bring together senior secretaries to discuss mutual and current matters of interest and to promote goodwill. It is not a political organisation.

In addition to welcoming speakers to their regular monthly meetings, each branch arranges outside visits to places of interest and cultural activities and organises courtesy visits to local hotels.

Fundraising plays an important role in Branch activities - most Branches try to donate to local charities the proceeds of fundraising events.

Branches levy a membership fee pro-rata to the number of members and the amount of outside support received (fees varying between £15 and £20 per annum).

Most Branches maintain a scrapbook or photograph album that is of interest to old and new members alike.

Two Representatives from each Branch attend an annual Joint Committee Meeting where matters of interest to all Branches are discussed. This JCM is now incorporated into the Annual Convention weekend (in October), which is hosted by a different Branch each year and is attended by approximately 100 delegates.

It is hoped to expand our network of Branches into the southern half of the country in the next few years.