Guest Guest Past Secretary Posted June 30, 2011 at 02:12 PM Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 at 02:12 PM I am the outgoing Secretary of an organization. At the last meeting, we elected a new Secretary. I took the minutes of the meeting as the Secretary and I have prepared them. Should I sign them as "Immediate Past Secretary" or should the new Secretary sign them? Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary c Tesser Posted June 30, 2011 at 03:13 PM Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 at 03:13 PM [snip]RONR says, "MInutes should be signed by the secretary [p. 454]." That's all. In my experience, that is usually taken to mean, signed by the secretary who compiled them. I feel I have seen something about somebody initialing the minutes too -- which might be helpful in answering Guest Past Secretary's question -- but I don't see it now. (Anyone, please?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David A Foulkes Posted June 30, 2011 at 03:26 PM Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 at 03:26 PM I'm without my book at the moment (I know, I know, as an aspiring RP I deserve to be shunned) but it makes sense that the minutes should be signed by the person who prepares them, and with good luck that would be the person who took the notes at the meeting, I suppose, whatever title may have been or is now conferred upon said person. However, as noted, I cannot provide RONR citation to support my position, so I'll take my chances that I'm close to being right and click the Post button. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Ed Posted June 30, 2011 at 05:34 PM Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 at 05:34 PM I concur - it was the person acting as Secretary at the meeting - be it the "outgoing Secretary", the "new" Secretary, or a "Secretary pro tem." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim Goldsworthy Posted July 1, 2011 at 08:23 AM Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 at 08:23 AM I am the outgoing Secretary of an organization.At the last meeting, we elected a new Secretary.I took the minutes of the meeting as the Secretary and I have prepared them.Should I sign them as "Immediate Past Secretary" or should the new Secretary sign them?An author signs his work.The newly elected secretary had nothing to do with the drafting and typing (I assume). So the newly elected secretary signs nothing (yet).Depending on WHEN the transfer of officership took place, you could make an argument either way: (a.) you are the sectary pro tem (in one time slice); (b.) you are the Secretary (in another time slice).(If you were both that same meeting, per the time slicing and dicing, then you might as well put down "Secrretary", as you started that way, and a future reader of the minutes would be confused if you had signed the minutes as a "pro tem", after having been identified as the real-McCoy "Secretary" in the opening paragraph of the minutes.)Upon approval, whoever is secretary will sign and date the minutes, whether that be a pro tem secretary or a real-officer Secretary.(Absentee secretaries cannot vouch for the accuracy of minutes they didn't participate in. So they cannot sign in good conscience that the document is authentic.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Past Secretary Posted July 1, 2011 at 04:04 PM Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 at 04:04 PM Thank you all for the suggestions. We were both at the meeting, so I have concluded that I will sign the minutes as preparer and outgoing secretary and he will sign the minutes as incoming secretary. Thankfully, terms of office are three years so this issue will not arise again for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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