You track the records, organize the activities calendar, manage the budget, and keep the YM presidency running smoothly. The young men don't see most of what you do — but when it's done well, the organization that serves them is far more effective. The records you keep protect boys from falling through gaps.
Day One
Do These Things First
Meet with the YM President.↗ text him
Ask: What does he most need from a secretary? What record-keeping system is currently in place? What's coming up in the next month that I need to know about immediately?
Get the youth roster from the ward clerk.
Every young man ages 11–17 in the ward, organized by quorum (Deacons 11–12, Teachers 13–14, Priests 15–17). Note birthdates — boys turning 12, 14, and 18 are transitioning between quorums or out of YM entirely.
Get LCR access. The ward clerk sets this up. LCR holds quorum rosters, ordination records, and activity participation. It's the source of truth for who's in which quorum and whether ordinations are current.
Get the current activity calendar and budget summary. Know what's planned for the next 4–6 weeks. Is there a campout, a service project, or a stake activity coming up that needs coordination? Are there budget items already committed? Don't start blind.
Meet with the outgoing secretary if possible. Get records, passwords, budget files, and anything in progress. A good handoff prevents weeks of reconstruction.
Your Role
What the YM Secretary Actually Does
Note on current Church structure (updated 2020): The 2019–2020 General Handbook reorganization dissolved the standalone ward Young Men presidency as a standard calling. "Young Men Secretary" is not a named calling in the current General Handbook, though the administrative functions described here — rosters, attendance, ordination records, budget — are still real work. Your bishop may have called you by this title informally or as a local designation. For the current official structure, see the Aaronic Priesthood quorums handbook resources ↗
The Young Men Secretary supports the YM President by handling the administrative layer of the organization. You maintain the quorum rosters, track activity attendance, manage the budget, take minutes at presidency meetings, and coordinate logistics for activities — from ward calendar approval to permission slips and headcounts.
You attend Sunday quorum time and weeknight activities. You are not an advisor and not a quorum leader — your job is to make sure the information, records, and logistics are in order so the leaders can lead.
The YM Secretary is often the person who first notices when a young man is slipping away. Attendance records don't lie. When a boy hasn't been at quorum in three weeks and hasn't come to an activity in a month, that shows up in your records before anyone else puts it together. Bring that information to the president promptly — the follow-up is his, but the noticing is yours.
Weekly & Monthly Rhythm
The Regular Work
Sunday quorum
Take attendance for each quorum. Note who's absent. If a quorum has a guest or a young man you don't recognize, get their name — they may be new to the ward or visiting. The attendance record is your most important weekly output.
Activity nights
Track attendance. For activities that require permission slips, advance sign-ups, or headcount for food/transportation, coordinate ahead of time — not the night of. Confirm logistics with advisors early enough to fix problems before they become crises.
Presidency meeting
Take minutes — focused on decisions and action items, not a full transcript. Circulate a brief summary after each meeting. The presidency should be able to review it in two minutes and know exactly what was decided and who's responsible for what.
Budget tracking
Track YM budget spending monthly. Know what's been spent, what's remaining, and what's coming up. The YM President shouldn't be surprised by budget problems — and won't be if you're keeping the numbers current and sharing them proactively.
Roster maintenance
Monthly: sync your roster against LCR. Boys turn 12, 14, and 18 throughout the year; young men move in and out of the ward. The roster should always reflect who's actually in each quorum, not who was in it six months ago.
Records & Tracking
What to Keep and How
Quorum rosters
Maintain a current list for each quorum — Deacons, Teachers, Priests — with each young man's name, birthdate, and contact info (or parent contact if he doesn't have a phone). Organize by quorum, not alphabetically, so you can see at a glance who's in each group.
Ordination records
Track which boys have been ordained to their current office. LCR holds ordination records, but the YM President and bishop need to know when a young man reaches the age for the next ordination and hasn't been advanced. Boys turning 12 are ordained deacons; 14, teachers; 16, priests. Don't let these dates slip by unnoticed.
Activity log
Keep a simple log of each activity: date, type, who attended. This record is useful at Ward Council, for quarterly reporting, and for identifying patterns — boys who come to Sunday quorum but never to activities, or the reverse.
Camp and high-adventure logistics
For Scout camps, high-adventure trips, or stake youth conferences, the logistics burden falls heavily on the secretary: permission slips, medical forms, gear lists, transportation coordination, headcounts, payment tracking. Start collecting these weeks before departure, not the day before.
Keep records clean enough to hand off. When you're released, the next secretary should be able to pick up where you left off without reconstructing everything from scratch. The records you keep protect the young men in them — not just during your tenure, but after.
Key Contacts
Who You Work With Regularly
YM President
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Your direct leader. Communicate proactively — especially attendance gaps, budget concerns, or logistics issues that need his decision. A president who trusts his secretary's records can lead with confidence. Don't make him wonder whether things are handled.
YM Counselors
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You'll coordinate with both counselors on activities, quorum matters, and anything that touches their responsibilities. Know who owns what and route logistics questions to the right person.
Quorum Advisors
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The advisors are running the day-to-day with the boys. For activity logistics — headcounts, supplies, transportation — they're your ground-level partner. Keep them informed of any administrative details that affect their ability to run activities smoothly.
Ward Clerk
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LCR access and membership records. When a young man moves in or ages into a new quorum, the clerk updates the official record — you sync your roster. Keep this relationship active; records drift when it doesn't.
YW Secretary
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For joint activities, camps, and youth events involving both organizations, you'll coordinate with the YW Secretary on logistics — headcounts, transportation, permission slips, and budget. Establish a working relationship early and make joint-activity coordination a known process, not an improvised scramble.
Quick Notes
Operational Notes
Log your meeting schedule, room numbers, key dates, or anything worth handing off when you're released.