Meeting Minutes
Use 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 remember that previous meeting? I am guessing that your memory was a bit fuzzy, unless something dramatic happened. There is a better way. Use Minutes Approval…
Read MoreSample minutes from Robert’s Rules of Order
Here are the sample minutes provided in Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 11th edition, on pages 472-473. The regular monthly meeting of the L.M. Society was held on Thursday, January 4, 20__, at 8:30 P.M., at the Society’s building, the President being in the chair and the Secretary being present. The minutes of…
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, but we have seen instances where after the meeting, the chair or a board member wants to put something in the minutes that didn’t actually…
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.
Read MoreMeeting minutes record what is DONE, not what is said
The Town of Groton, Connecticut had an interesting kerfuffle this winter, when the Town Council voted to remove a statement from the November 14, 2017 meeting minutes.
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 refer to ordinary business and work or study meetings of councils, boards and committees. Public hearings are governed by different rules. Download PDF WHAT KIND…
Read MoreDon’t include detailed public comment in meeting minutes
When city councils, school boards or other public bodies hold their meetings, it is usual to reserve a time in the meeting for members of the public to speak to their elected officials. One common name for this is the public comment period.
Read MoreApproving minutes if you were absent
Is it all right for you to vote to approve minutes of a meeting if you were absent? Robert’s Rules of Order gives a resounding “yes” as the answer to this question. When you vote to approve the minutes, you are expressing your confidence in the veracity of the secretary, the actions of your colleagues,…
Read MoreWho may correct meeting minutes?
In the olden days, the standard way to correct meeting minutes was to request the correction at the next meeting, when the meeting minutes were up for approval. Nowadays, since meeting minutes are often circulated in advance, the question becomes a little more complicated. This article explores those complications. According to Robert’s Rules of Order…
Read MoreRecording votes in meeting minutes
When deciding about recording votes in meeting minutes, first review any legal requirements in your state of incorporation. For instance, in California, public bodies must record how each board member cast her vote by name in the minutes. Those requirements may settle the matter for you. If your state doesn’t specify how to record the…
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