Daniel S. Posted August 23, 2016 at 07:51 PM Report Share Posted August 23, 2016 at 07:51 PM If a motion can be adopted in executive session but what I wonder is how is this documented? Are minutes kept executive session? If so how are those minutes filed since the nature of executive session may to keep the content of the meeting private? If not then how are the motions documented for future reference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hieu H. Huynh Posted August 23, 2016 at 08:04 PM Report Share Posted August 23, 2016 at 08:04 PM Minutes are kept for meetings in executive session. Those minutes are approved at a meeting in executive session. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim Goldsworthy Posted August 23, 2016 at 08:10 PM Report Share Posted August 23, 2016 at 08:10 PM 16 minutes ago, Daniel S. said: Are minutes kept executive session? It is a popular "myth" -- that "minutes are not kept in executive session (closed session or secret session)." *** Per Robert's Rules, minutes are always kept, in all sessions. The handling of such minutes is bit different. But you never stop taking down minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel S. Posted August 23, 2016 at 08:30 PM Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2016 at 08:30 PM So our minutes are kept at our office building. We have personnel at this office building who should not be privy to the content of the executive session minutes. I would assume that the executive session minutes should be filed separately from the minutes from the meeting that is held out of executive session? If so where? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hieu H. Huynh Posted August 23, 2016 at 08:48 PM Report Share Posted August 23, 2016 at 08:48 PM Members have the right to access minutes, including those in executive session. Are the personnel members? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel S. Posted August 23, 2016 at 09:36 PM Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2016 at 09:36 PM No, there are just two of them and I believe that they do not currently meet the requirements to be counted as members. On the other hand I thought that what happens in executive session is by nature secretive to those that are allowed to be in the session. If any member can review those minutes then they are hardly secret. At any given time we may have between 1,500 & 2,000 members (not hard to become a member). So if any one of those members are privy to the minutes then they may as well be a matter of public record and there is no point in going into executive session at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Lages Posted August 23, 2016 at 10:37 PM Report Share Posted August 23, 2016 at 10:37 PM Was this a meeting of your organization's general membership, or a meeting of a board or committee? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Brown Posted August 23, 2016 at 11:59 PM Report Share Posted August 23, 2016 at 11:59 PM Per RONR, meeting minutes are available for inspection by all members of the body that was meeting regardless of whether the meeting was in executive session and regardless of which members were present at the meeting. Regular members (the general membership) has the right to inspect all minutes of meetings of the general membership, regardless of whether it was in executive session. But, if the meeting was in executive session, the members are honor bound not to disclose what was said or took place at the meeting or what is in the minutes. Members of the board are entitled to the same access to minutes of board meetings, regardless of whether the meeting was in executive session. The same obligation of confidentiality applies. Regular members (the general membership) do not have the right to inspect minutes of board meetings unless they are also board members. btw, the body which was meeting has the right to lift the secrecy of the executive session to whatever extent it desires. It is quite common, for example, for a body to adopt a motion in executive session and to report publicly what it was they adopted but to maintain the confidentiality of the rest of the meeting. Any motion which was adopted in executive session but publicly reported out would also be included in the minutes of the regular meeting as having been adopted. An alternative procedure is to have the discussion in executive session but to come out of executive session to publicly adopt whatever motion it is that was discussed. Open meetings laws (sunshine laws) often require that public bodies follow that procedure. They can only discuss things in executive session, but must take all votes in public session. Private organizations often do the same thing, particularly with personnel issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel S. Posted August 24, 2016 at 03:29 PM Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2016 at 03:29 PM 16 hours ago, Bruce Lages said: Was this a meeting of your organization's general membership, or a meeting of a board or committee? This is a regular meeting is a board meeting but is open to members. During this meeting we will go in to executive session. Some things in these meetings are a matter of confidentiality. Say maybe a motion that is made on the rate of pay for personnel. We really do not want this information to be common knowledge. I am hoping to find a mechanism that can be used in a situation like this to where the pay raise for one employee but say maybe not the other can be kept confidential as it would in the average business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Britton Posted August 24, 2016 at 05:53 PM Report Share Posted August 24, 2016 at 05:53 PM 17 hours ago, Richard Brown said: Members of the board are entitled to the same access to minutes of board meetings, regardless of whether the meeting was in executive session. The same obligation of confidentiality applies. Regular members (the general membership) do not have the right to inspect minutes of board meetings unless they are also board members. However, the general membership - as Richard Brown has parenthetically described - at one of its meetings, may vote to order passages of board meeting minutes read - including the minutes of an executive session. Without previous notice, a two-thirds vote or a vote of a majority of the entire membership is required to adopt the order. With previous notice, the threshold to adopt the order is a majority vote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted August 24, 2016 at 07:58 PM Report Share Posted August 24, 2016 at 07:58 PM 23 hours ago, Kim Goldsworthy said: It is a popular "myth" -- that "minutes are not kept in executive session (closed session or secret session)." *** Per Robert's Rules, minutes are always kept, in all sessions. The handling of such minutes is bit different. But you never stop taking down minutes. Are Minutes for an Executive Session kept separately from the regular Minutes and then presented during executive session for approval each month? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hieu H. Huynh Posted August 24, 2016 at 08:48 PM Report Share Posted August 24, 2016 at 08:48 PM Jennifer had posted a new topic for her question here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Marjorie Posted December 7, 2020 at 03:23 PM Report Share Posted December 7, 2020 at 03:23 PM If a vote is taken in executive session, how to you put the result in the regular board minutes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Marjorie Posted December 7, 2020 at 03:27 PM Report Share Posted December 7, 2020 at 03:27 PM If a vote is taken in executive session, how is the result recorded in the board minutes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Elsman Posted December 7, 2020 at 04:32 PM Report Share Posted December 7, 2020 at 04:32 PM This thread is four years old. As much as I enjoyed interacting with Mr. Goldsworthy, I think the thread has become stale. Can you post your question as a new topic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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