Committee minutes voted on by board members

[Guest Juanita]

When our committee's meet, they vote to approve minutes of that prior committee meeting. At the next board meeting, the board votes, upon recommendation from that particular committee, to approve the minutes of the committee meeting. In the past no one has questioned this method. This was just a way of making sure all board members are aware of what each committee is doing. We now have a board member who is questioning why do we ask the entire board to approve minutes of a committee when not all board members are in attendance. It has been explained that this is a way to keep all members fully informed. However, this explanation doesn't seem to satisfy this member. My questions, "Are we doing something wrong? There is nothing in our by-laws, policies, etc., which addresses this voting." Is there a better way to deal with this issue. We only have the one board member question this practice and has stated that no other board that she sits on or has sat on, handles committee minutes approval this way. Help! Thanks.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

When our committee's meet, they vote to approve minutes of that prior committee meeting.

Oh? Okay.

Not many committees do this.

Perhaps your committee is indeed the exception.

At the next board meeting, the board votes, upon recommendation from that particular committee, to approve the minutes of the committee meeting.

"Hmmmmm."

In the past no one has questioned this method.

This was just a way of making sure all board members are aware of what each committee is doing.

Uh, okay.

We now have a board member who is questioning

why do we ask the entire board to approve minutes of a committee

when

not all board members are in attendance.

I was with you up to the sudden appearance of the jackalope creature, "... [because] not all board members are in attendance."

It has been explained that this is a way to keep all members fully informed.

However, this explanation doesn't seem to satisfy this member.

... who isn't himself exactly on top of things, parliamentarily-speaking.

"Are we doing something wrong?"

"There is nothing in our by-laws, policies, etc., which addresses this voting."

"Is there a better way to deal with this issue?"

We only have the one board member question this practice and has stated that no other board that she sits on or has sat on, handles committee minutes approval this way.

Well, he is right in one respect. -- Very few human beings on planet Earth have sat on a board which approves minutes a second time, after the committee has approve its own minutes.

So, he's gotcha there!

[Gary Novosielski]

When our committee's meet, they vote to approve minutes of that prior committee meeting. At the next board meeting, the board votes, upon recommendation from that particular committee, to approve the minutes of the committee meeting. In the past no one has questioned this method. This was just a way of making sure all board members are aware of what each committee is doing. We now have a board member who is questioning why do we ask the entire board to approve minutes of a committee when not all board members are in attendance. It has been explained that this is a way to keep all members fully informed. However, this explanation doesn't seem to satisfy this member. My questions, "Are we doing something wrong? There is nothing in our by-laws, policies, etc., which addresses this voting." Is there a better way to deal with this issue. We only have the one board member question this practice and has stated that no o ther board that she sits on or has sat on, handles committee minutes approval this way. Help! Thanks.

I'm not even sure why the committee is keeping minutes. That's out of the ordinary right there. Nothing wrong with having some notes, but all the formality is not usually required in a committee, because nothing it does actually takes final action on anything.

If the committee wants to keep the board informed of what it's doing, then a Report is probably the right vehicle for doing that. It takes just one majority vote at the committee level, and then the report can be given to the board as soon as you like, without waiting yet another meeting later to "approve" the minutes.

All that procedure sounds like it gets in the way of what's supposed to be timely communication. Committees issue reports.

[Josh Martin]

My questions, "Are we doing something wrong?

Committees generally do not take minutes, but if they do, they should approve their own minutes. There is no reason for the board to approve the minutes. The purpose of approving minutes is to verify that they are an accurate record of the meeting, so the member is right to question why the board would approve them. The committees can report their activities to the board to keep members informed. The board doesn't actually need to vote on anything unless the committee is recommending that the board take some action.