2. Recording Meetings - Minutes:
The Secretary is responsible for recording the minutes of all meetings held while the steering committee is active. These minutes should be typed and issued to all committee chairpersons preferably within a week of a meeting's occurrence to ensure that those involved understand what they are required to accomplish prior to the next meeting as well as important decisions that have been made in regard to the symposium. A copy of the minutes should be sent to the section chairperson.

Minutes of all meetings shall be maintained in a file for all to review at any time, including the Section Executive Committee, National Executive Committee, and any other group that has the authority to review the symposium's business. The minutes of the preceding meeting shall be reviewed and approved at the following symposium steering committee meeting and modified, if necessary.

3. Bank Account:
The Secretary/Treasurer shall open a bank account for the sole use of the Symposium. The account should be interest bearing and have checking privileges. Money-market funds, if available, should be used as these are interest bearing accounts with checking privileges and the bank notified of the Society's tax exempt status. In the latter regard, the Internal Revenue Service requires that an identification number be furnished to the banking institution that pays interest and/or dividends. The Society's Identification Number for this purpose is 13-5631379N.

A minimum of three (3) people should be used on the bank signature card with one signature required. There may be special circumstances when two required signatures are advisable. The Chairperson, Secretary/Treasurer, and Registration Chairperson are suggested as signatories for the bank account.

4. Budget and Cash Flow:
It is important that the steering committee develop a budget for the symposium that will cover all planned events and programs. A simple budget format is included as Appendix B, which has proven successful in a number occasions. The Chairperson and or Secretary/Treasurer, who will be responsible for the budget once it is approved by the steering committee, should coordinate in the preparation of the budget, along with inputs from all committees set up by the symposium steering committee.

The cash flow out will start with the printing of the symposium’s stationery. Another cash flow out item is the printing and distribution of the registration brochure informing members and the marine industry of what the symposium theme will cover. The symposium brochure should be mailed three months prior to the symposium date and within two weeks to a month later; the cash flow from Symposium registrants will commence with the receipt of registration. When this cash flow begins, the secretary/Treasurer should maintain a weekly record and consult with the Registration Chairperson on all incoming revenue from the registrations.

Ordering of items which will require cash outlay, such as badges, signs, papers, etc. should be done in advance of the symposium, but with delivery dates of one to three weeks before the meeting. When ordered this way, billing will arrive when there is cash to pay for them.

During the symposium, record keeping should be daily. It may be advisable to use a computer to assist in such a task. A tight control should be kept on the number attending the meals through the registration forms as meal guarantees with the hotel or caterer are very important and a source of potential for exceeding the budget if records are not carefully kept. Those inexperienced with guaranteeing food events should inquire of those experienced in the local area. Normally 5 to 10% of those who are registered do not show for luncheons or dinners especially if the event is two or more days! Be sure to guarantee low as extra meals can always be set out.

5. Registration Fees:
Preparing the budget and determining what should be included in the registration fee is very important to a symposium's success. The meeting room costs, special audio/visual equipment, papers brochures, authors' breakfast, coffee breaks, meals, badges, ribbons, and general operating costs are included in the base fee. Spouses, guests, and student members not registered for the symposium should be charged for all meals included in the registration and a small amount for other expenses.

The registration fee when added to hotel or motel room costs, the cost of transportation to the city where the symposium is being held, and the number of days the symposium will be held are factors in whether or not people will attend. Even with an excellent technical program, attendance numbers are price sensitive.

6. Payment of Bills:
Before invoices are submitted to the Secretary/Treasurer, the responsible committee chairperson should check the items and approve payment. Hotel billings, if handled correctly, will be verified by the Accommodation Chairperson, including the count of meals served, and this chairperson will, along with the Secretary/Treasurer, sign the invoice for payment at the conclusion of the Symposium or as arranged with the facility where the meeting was held.

The Secretary/Treasurer will prepare all checks for signature and verify that there is adequate money in the bank account to cover the check amounts. The invoice will be recorded in the Secretary/Treasurer's records.

7. Audit:
The Secretary/Treasurer shall prepare the books for audit by the local Section once all bills have been received and paid, and the canceled checks returned. The audit report for the symposium shall be made by the secretary/treasurer and the records audited by representatives appointed by the Section's Executive Committee. This audit report shall be included with the Chairperson's Report to the Section's Executive Committee and sponsoring bodies, if any. It is important to repeat the guidelines that all profits from the symposium are to be divided up so that 50% of these is provided to Society Headquarters. All remaining profits are to be divided as previously agreed between the cosponsoring parties.