Meeting Minutes
Examples of action, summary, and detailed minutes in Robert’s Rules
Our faithful readers know that Jurassic Parliament advocates for action or summary minutes, not detailed minutes. This article, Meeting minutes record what is DONE, not what is SAID, explains our…
Read MoreI want it on the record!
Dear Dinosaur: When a member of our city council says, “I want this on the record!” do we have to include their remarks in the minutes? Answer: Not necessarily. Robert’s…
Read MoreMeeting minutes record what is DONE, not what is SAID
The biggest problem we encounter in meeting minutes is too much verbiage. Striving to do justice to their job, secretaries sometimes include the arguments that are made, what people say…
Read MoreWhen should the clerk speak up?
The clerk of a local government meeting or the secretary on a nonprofit board has a high calling. Under Robert’s Rules, two persons must be present for a valid meeting:…
Read More3 lists every nonprofit secretary should keep
There are 3 lists that every secretary of a nonprofit board should maintain in the organization’s official record book: A running list of the dates of board meetings. A…
Read MoreUse Minutes Approval Committee instead of waiting months
Have you ever attended an annual meeting of an organization and been asked to vote to approve the minutes from the previous year’s annual meeting? How well did you…
Read MoreSample minutes from Robert’s Rules of Order
Here are the sample minutes provided in Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 12th edition, in section 48:8. The regular monthly meeting of the L.M. Society was held on Thursday,…
Read MoreDon’t put these 6 items in the minutes!
There are half a dozen things that DO NOT BELONG in your minutes. Here they are. 1. Things that didn’t happen don’t belong in the minutes This may sound unlikely,…
Read MoreNo after-the-fact comments in minutes
As our faithful readers know, Robert’s Rules affirms that minutes contain what is DONE, not what is SAID. Personal remarks and commentary do not belong in meeting minutes. By extension…
Read MoreGuidelines for Meeting Minutes in Local Government
Meeting minutes recording the actions taken by your council or board are a fundamental part of the meeting process. These are our guidelines for meeting minutes in local government. They…
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