Use Of Digital recorder at Meetings by Recording Secretary

[Guest Norma H]

The recording secretary for an organization has asked to have the purchase of a digital recorder put into the budget for 2015.  A number of members have a concern regarding having meetings recorded to begin with and the use of a digital one presents another level of concern.  That is because it could be possible for the recording to be transmitted in whole and not just the summary that appears in the Minutes.

 

It appears that the use is planned for the next meeting.  Would it be in order for a motion to be adopted regarding the use of a recorder as the 1st item of business following the meeting be called to order?

[Gary Novosielski]

It is up to the assembly to decide whether to allow the use of a recorder or not.  If you use an agenda, a motion could be added near the top (I like to do minutes before anything, for a number of reasons).   If you use the a standard order of business, it could be considered a Question of Privilege affecting the assembly, which has a pretty high precedence, and could be made at nearly any time.

 

But I have to ask, don't you trust your Secretary not to put these recordings on the web?  Where do these concerns come from?  

 

Also, although recording can certainly be a useful tool to ensure proper recording of motions, groups that use recorders are often the same groups that tend to include too much in their minutes, such as a summary of who said what in debate.  This practice is improper according to RONR.  Minutes should record what was done (motions) and not what was said (debate).    

 

In addition to simply being improper, attempting to summarize debate rarely goes unpunished when it comes time to approve the minutes, and everyone wants to tweak the summary to more perfectly represent their views.  You don't want approval of minutes to take up the first half of each meeting.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

It appears that the use is planned for the next meeting. 

 

Would it be in order for

a motion to be adopted regarding the use of a recorder

as the 1st item of business

following the meeting be called to order?

Yes.

You may suspend the rules and move up any given agenda item, so that the agenda item is entertained prior to certain other agenda items.

 

Reminder:

* If the organization is using organizational money to purchase it (or purchase any asset), then the organization gets to set the limits of usage of that asset.

* If the devce had been bought and paid for by the Secretary's own money, then my answer would be slightly different. --- Private property is not subject to another party's rules, normally.

[Josh Martin]

It appears that the use is planned for the next meeting.  Would it be in order for a motion to be adopted regarding the use of a recorder as the 1st item of business following the meeting be called to order?

Yes.

Yes.

You may suspend the rules and move up any given agenda item, so that the agenda item is entertained prior to certain other agenda items.

I don't think a motion to Suspend the Rules is necessary. I concur with Mr. Novosielski that this matter could be introduced by means of a motion to Raise a Question of Privilege, and it seems to me the matter is one which should be addressed immediately.

[Guest Norma H]

Thank you.  Adopting a policy is now on the published agenda for the next meeting.