Minutes made available to membership befor being approved by the board

[Guest samantha]

Recently the secretary of our board of directors has been making the minutes of our meeting available for the membership and any one visiting our Senior center, to pick up at our office and read befor the board has approved them. They are put out on the counter where anyone can pick them up and read them. They are made available even befor the board members have seen them. This is disturbing to me as sometimes there are mistakes that do not present things as they actually were.

Is there any thing Roberts Rulses of order says about this?

What can you tell me as to what we can do about this problem.

I don't necessarily object to the membership reading the minutes if they have been approved so they are accurate.

Our Bylaws and policies don't address this issue.

We are a (501c3), A non profit.

[Chris Harrison]

A Board member should make a motion ordering the Secretary to refrain from distributing the minutes (approved or unapproved) to any non-Board member (or anyone) unless previously authorized by the Board or ordered by the Membership itself at a properly called Membership meeting. After that motion is adopted the Secretary can (and maybe should) be subject to discipline if she continues to distribute them. However, be forewarned that the Membership if they were so inclined could Rescind that motion which would then allow the Secretary to distribute the minutes again.

[Guest Samantha]

A Board member should make a motion ordering the Secretary to refrain from distributing the minutes (approved or unapproved) to any non-Board member (or anyone) unless previously authorized by the Board or ordered by the Membership itself at a properly called Membership meeting. After that motion is adopted the Secretary can (and maybe should) be subject to discipline if she continues to distribute them. However, be forewarned that the Membership if they were so inclined could Rescind that motion which would then allow the Secretary to distribute the minutes again.

What do I use as my basis for this action? Is there something in RRO that I can site to support this action?

[David A Foulkes]

What do I use as my basis for this action?

The basis for making a motion that the secretary refrain from pre-distribution of the bylaws minutes (or restricting it to only certain persons, such as board members only) is that you don't like the current practice. If a majority of members agree with you (as evidenced by the vote of such motion), the secretary should follow the new rule in the future.

Is there something in RRO that I can site to support this action?

RONR does allow for the practice, although it refers only to sending the draft of the minutes to members only. See pages 343-344. You should also take a careful read of the bylaws, especially the section on the duties of the secretary, to be sure it is not addressed there. I think it's safe to say that, generally speaking, if the bylaws (and RONR) do not specifically prevent an action from being taken, that should not necessarily be interpreted as their approval of the action. In cases such as these, the assembly should have the final vote.

[hmtcastle]

The basis for making a motion that secretary refrain from pre-distribution of the bylaws . . .

And, by "bylaws", I'm sure the irrepressibly ruminative Mr. Foulkes meant "minutes".

I'm less sure that, by "pre-distribution", he meant "distribution", but one can always hope.

[David A Foulkes]

And, by "bylaws", I'm sure the irrepressibly ruminative Mr. Foulkes meant "minutes".

I'm less sure that, by "pre-distribution", he meant "distribution", but one can always hope.

Ha ha ha ha. I really need to stay away from the Post button until the second pot.

[Gary Novosielski]

What do I use as my basis for this action? Is there something in RRO that I can site to support this action?

Virtually the entire book, which is all about how to conduct business--the basic tool of which is the Main Motion, which is what you're doing.

And while you're at it, you might also include in the motion after where it says unless authorized by the board, and insert, and when so authorized, all copies shall be clearly marked "-D-R-A-F-T-" at the top and bottom of each page, and shall contain a notation on the first page that these minutes have not been approved, and are subject to later correction.

That way, at least people who are looking at them don't think that they have the final copy in their hands.