Effects of ratification of Committee Minutes by the Board

[Judy K]

If motions are passed in committee and the Board reviews and ratifies the committee minutes, does that mean that the Board also approves of the motions passed in committee?

[hmtcastle]

If motions are passed in committee and the Board reviews and ratifies the committee minutes, does that mean that the Board also approves of the motions passed in committee?

Why is the board ratifying committee minutes?

The approval of minutes only indicates that the facts recorded therein are accurate. It doesn't mean that what was done was proper, only that what was done was done.

That said, committees don't typically prepare minutes and minutes are typically approved by the body that met, not by some other body.

If, on the other hand, you're referring to a committee report, it should simply be received since anything else (ratification?) would, indeed, indicate approval.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

If motions are passed in committee

and the Board reviews and ratifies the committee minutes,

does that mean that the Board also approves of the motions passed in committee?

No.

"To approve minutes" only asserts that all the errors, miscues, improper motions, null and void votes, etc. were accurately written down on paper.

"Approval of minutes" only approves the accuracy of the written report, and never approves the (poor, unwise, impossible) actions described by that written report.

***

Unless, of course your board is actually ratifying those actions.

That is possible. That is even likely.

If I were a betting man, I'd lay odd that the board "thinks" its is indeed "approving" those actions.

So you better ask your board your questions.

[Gary Novosielski]

If motions are passed in committee and the Board reviews and ratifies the committee minutes, does that mean that the Board also approves of the motions passed in committee?

The word Ratify can't properly be applied, unless the committee already took actions that it did not have the authority to take, and the board wants to authorize them (or not) retroactively.

Committees normally don't take minutes as such, because they don't make decisions--they make recommendations for decisions. (Though they may keep notes, of course, to help them stay organized.) If they do keep minutes, they approve them (confirm their accuracy) for themselves

Committees normally DO issue reports to the body to whom they--er, report. Normally, reports are simply received, and if there are any recommendations in the report, the reporting committee member will make the appropriate motion. The written report itself is just received and placed on file.

If a board Accepts or Adopts a committee's report, they are agreeing to every word in it, as though it were an act of the board itself, including agreeing to all recommended actions within it.

Obviously, this practice should be used sparingly, carefully, or, better still, avoided entirely.