Volunteer Job Descriptions

Updated 12/16/2025

All positions require internet access and email.

Time commitments are for the person in charge, not assistants.

If interested in helping, click on and fill out the following form:

Board of Directors (BofD)

Members of the board are elected to a two-year term by a vote of the membership and begin their term at the June board meeting. Nominations for open positions are solicited in the January issue of The BN Expediter.

  • Manage the affairs of the organization.
  • Select officers annually, and fill vacancies as needed.
  • Attend quarterly BofD meetings, either in person, via Internet video, or by phone.
  • Time commitment: 2 hours per quarterly board meeting, plus preparation time.

Officers

Officers are elected by the Board of Directors at the June Board meeting.

President

  • Assemble agenda for quarterly BofD meeting.
  • Preside over quarterly board of directors meeting.
  • Final decision-making authority on organizational issues (in close coordination with BofD).
  • Write the annual president’s message for publication in the January issue of The BN Expediter.
  • Attend quarterly BofD meetings, either in person, via Internet video, or by phone.
  • Time commitment: a couple hours a month, but varies.

Vice President

  • Assist the president as needed.
  • Take over president’s role in the president’s absence.
  • Attend quarterly BofD meetings, either in person, via Internet video, or by phone.
  • Time commitment: a couple of hours a month, as needed.

Secretary

  • Record the minutes of the meetings of the members and of the board of directors.
  • Store official documents of the corporation, and make electronic copies of them available as needed.
  • File Annual Report (of incorporation) with State of Idaho.
  • Attend quarterly BofD meetings, either in person or via Internet video.
  • Time commitment: roughly six hours every quarter to record and distribute meeting minutes.

Treasurer

  • Maintain the organization’s bank accounts and other financial accounts (PayPal, etc.), deposit funds coming into the organization, pay the bills on a timely basis and maintain records of expenditures.
  • Maintain a liaison with the manager of the company store regarding the income and expenses of the store.
  • Maintain a liaison with the membership secretary with respect to membership dues payments.
  • Propose an annual budget to the BofD and provide timely reports on the organization’s income and expenses throughout the year.
  • Make appropriate annual filings with the IRS.
  • Attend quarterly BofD meetings, either in person, via Internet video, or by phone.
  • Time commitment: 1-2 hours/week

Other Positions

Positions are filled by the Board of Directors when vacancies occur.

Managing Editor of The BN Expediter

  • Oversee the production of 4 issues of The BN Expediter each year.
  • Solicit articles, photos and other materials for publication.
  • Work with authors to produce high quality articles.
  • Plan and arrange each issue.
  • Use a desktop publishing system (currently QuarkXPress) to produce a PDF of each issue.
  • Work with the printer to print and mail each issue.
  • Time commitment: a few hours a week, plus up to 100 hours quarterly to lay out each issue.

Membership Secretary

  • Receive membership dues.
  • Forward membership payment checks to the treasurer .
  • Update treasurer monthly on status of membership payments.
  • Update board of directors with membership data.
  • Send renewal reminders to members whose membership is expiring.
  • Send mailing lists to printer for each issue of The BN Expediter.
  • Time commitment: On average, less than an hour per week, except for November and December, when most renewal notices are sent out and renewals are received.

Company Store Manager

  • Process and record all company store sales.
  • Package and ship company store orders.
  • Maintain and store company store inventory.
  • Prepare quarterly reports detailing inventory, sales, etc.
  • Coordinate financial matters with treasurer (deposit checks received; submit expense reimbursements).
  • Maintain order forms and coordinate uploading/replacement of order forms with webmaster.
  • Time commitment: average of 30 minutes per week, but varies seasonally with orders.

Webmaster

  • Oversee the organization, content and evolution of the website.
  • Ensures website is up-to-date and accurate.
  • Work with contracted system administrator to maintain and update website.
  • Time commitment: 10 hours per month (varies).

Social Media Manager

  • Update social media platform(s) as necessary with organizational highlights, announcements, changes and events. Updates must be crafted for both the public and organizational members.
  • Monitor social medial platform(s) for incoming inquiries. Research and coordinate/provide responses as necessary.
  • Manage FOBNR social medial accounts, profiles, and settings to ensure “public facing” appropriate content and service provider policy compliance.
  • Time commitment: 1.5 hours per month.

Web Site Contact

  • Welcome new members by sending a letter and gift of a FOBNR pen.
  • Answer questions about FOBNR membership and publications. Problem-solve any difficulties.
  • Research and write occasional short articles for the “Contact Corner” feature of The BN Expediter based on questions received.
  • Attend BofD meetings as needed as a consultant with non-voting status.
  • Participate in FOBNR email discussion group as needed.
  • Send “Thank You” letters acknowledging donations to FOBNR.
  • Time commitment-varies: Prepare the welcome materials for a new member- a few minutes; Short, easy questions- a few minutes or hours. Add more time if a Contact Corner article is written; Researching and writing a longer article may take many hours over several weeks or months-depends on the nature of the question and resources available.

Archives Coordinator

  • [Note: All archive materials are housed at the Pacific Northwest Railroad Archive (PNRA) in Burien, Washington]
  • Manages the acceptance, transportation and other logistical tasks associated with donations of archival material.
  • Is the interface between the PNRA and the FOBNR and attends, usually via the internet (e.g., Zoom) all regular meetings of the PNRA.
  • The current time commitment is about a few hours a month.

Calendar Coordinator

  • Receive and collect photo submissions for the next BN calendar.
  • Work with photo selection team to pick 12 monthly and one cover photo for the next year’s calendar.
  • Time commitment: minimal as photos arrive, then 10-20 hours, usually in June, selecting the photos and writing captions.