Recording absent members as absent or excused

[Guest Peggy]

In our minutes we list members names as attending or absent.  One member says the correct way to list someone who is absent is to write excused by their name.  Is there a rule that you must use excused or is absent perfectly proper.

[jstackpo]

RONR has no rules (or requirements) for tracking absentees what so ever, so whatever you do is up to your association.

Ask the member how he/she knows that his/her rule is "correct".

[Edgar Guest]

In our minutes we list members names as attending or absent.

Why do you do this?

 

What do you record if a member leaves ten minutes after the meeting starts?

 

What do you record if a member arrives ten minutes before the meeting ends? 

[Edgar Guest]

One member says the correct way to list someone who is absent is to write excused by their name.  Is there a rule that you must use excused or is absent perfectly proper.

 

Do your rules require attendance? Do you have some procedure by which a member's absence can be "excused"?

 

If a member's absence wasn't excused why would you say it was? And if it was excused, why would you say it wasn't? 

[SaintCad]

In our minutes we list members names as attending or absent.  One member says the correct way to list someone who is absent is to write excused by their name.  Is there a rule that you must use excused or is absent perfectly proper.

This may be true if a member of a body that requires attendance.  It is actually illegal for a member of the U.S. House or Senate to not attend if not excused (which is why they're arrested upon a Call of the House if they do not enter the chambers).  If attendance is not required then there is no "excusing" the absence.

[Gödel Fan]

Well, if attendance is required, people can still be absent without being excused.  Many bodies, for instance, drop people after a certain number of consecutive missed, unexcused meetings.  If everyone is automatically excused, how would this work?

[Josh Martin]

In our minutes we list members names as attending or absent. One member says the correct way to list someone who is absent is to write excused by their name. Is there a rule that you must use excused or is absent perfectly proper.

If your rules require attendance at a certain number of meetings, it's up to your group to figure out how they work. Personally, I don't think it's necessary to note that someone is "excused" unless this makes some sort of difference. (That is, the absence would be treated differently if it was not excused.)

If your rules don't require attendance, then it doesn't really matter how you record it. So far as RONR is concerned, you don't have to record it at all (except the presence of the chair and secretary, or the people filling in for them). Keeps things simple.

Well, if attendance is required, people can still be absent without being excused. Many bodies, for instance, drop people after a certain number of consecutive missed, unexcused meetings. If everyone is automatically excused, how would this work?

On the other hand, some assemblies have attendance rules that make no distinction between "excused" or "unexcused" absences.