Editing of Meeting Minutes

[Guest Barbara Hoepp]

I am secretary on a Board where the President requests that minutes be forwarded to her for review and editing before she distributes them. I have never heard of this before. Aren't they just submitted and then corrections/approval occurs at the next meeting?

[Josh Martin]

Aren't they just submitted and then corrections/approval occurs at the next meeting?

That is all that is required. No rule in RONR either requires or prohibits you from discussing the draft minutes with others prior to the meeting. So it's up to you whether you comply with the President's request.

[Weldon Merritt]

No rule in RONR either requires or prohibits you from discussing the draft minutes with others prior to the meeting. So it's up to you whether you comply with the President's request.

Josh is correct. On the other hand, having someone else look at the draft before the meeting can be useful. And if you choose to do it, it still is up to you whether to make any changes suggested by the president.

[David A Foulkes]

Josh is correct. On the other hand, having someone else look at the draft before the meeting can be useful. And if you choose to do it, it still is up to you whether to make any changes suggested by the president.

Problem is it sounds like the president takes the secretary's notes, drafts her own version, and sends out the edited draft in advance of the next meeting. Thus, if the secretary shows up with her own version of the minutes, and the president and the rest of the board show up with the president's version, there will be some (a great deal?) of confusion which is the "right" one. Yes, through the correction process the final version can be attained, but it will present an environment of confusion and possibly mistrust as to what anyone' agenda might be.

It sounds like this secretary is new to this organization (at least in that capacity), and that this practice is "the way we've always done it." To change this will be somewhat of a challenge for our poster, I suspect.

[Weldon Merritt]

Problem is it sounds like the president takes the secretary's notes, drafts her own version, and sends out the edited draft in advance of the next meeting.

Yes, I did miss that part. In that event, the secretary probably is better-advised to ignore the president's request and just bring the draft to the meeting.