Executive session

[Guest Sharon Leikam]

I am Secretary on the Board of Directors for my church. At our last meeting the President of the board closed the doors in the room and told us she had to discusss something that was extremely delicate situation and that we were to NOT discuss this outside of this room. I asked if I should take notes and she said no she did not want me too document anything that was said.

She did not say we were going to executive session so I did not even document anything. Should this matter have been designated an executive session or how should this have been handled. We follow Roberts Rules of Order for everything else. Plase let me know as we have a board meeting this week and I know the subject that was discussed at the last meeting will come up.

Thank you,

SharonLeikam

[Larry Cisar]

I am Secretary on the Board of Directors for my church. At our last meeting the President of the board closed the doors in the room and told us she had to discusss something that was extremely delicate situation and that we were to NOT discuss this outside of this room. I asked if I should take notes and she said no she did not want me too document anything that was said.

She did not say we were going to executive session so I did not even document anything. Should this matter have been designated an executive session or how should this have been handled. We follow Roberts Rules of Order for everything else. Plase let me know as we have a board meeting this week and I know the subject that was discussed at the last meeting will come up.

Thank you,

SharonLeikam

You went into Executive Session which calls for a separate set of minutes. If no motions were made, you would only record going in and coming out of executive session in the regular minutes of the board. If there was a motion made, the handling of it would be in the minutes of the executive session. The president, unless you have some unusual rule saying otherwise, cannot tell you not to take minutes as that is your job.

[David A Foulkes]

To begin with, you should have still taken minutes. Even in Executive Session, minutes are taken, although they are only approved in Executive Session as well. The president's directive in this regard was not proper.

Although no formal motion to go into Executive Session was adopted, the fact that the President closed the doors and told all present that the topic at hand was not to be discussed outside the room (essentially what Executive Session is - wherein secrecy of the proceedings prevails) might be interpreted as unanimous consent to go into Executive Session. That interpretation will be up to your Board.

[tctheatc]

or maybe it was unanimous consent to take a recess...??

you never know...

Although no formal motion to go into Executive Session was adopted, the fact that the President closed the doors and told all present that the topic at hand was not to be discussed outside the room (essentially what Executive Session is - wherein secrecy of the proceedings prevails) might be interpreted as unanimous consent to go into Executive Session. That interpretation will be up to your Board.

[David A Foulkes]

or maybe it was unanimous consent to take a recess...??

you never know...

And never will.

[Tim Wynn]

I am Secretary on the Board of Directors for my church. At our last meeting the President of the board closed the doors in the room and told us she had to discusss something that was extremely delicate situation and that we were to NOT discuss this outside of this room. I asked if I should take notes and she said no she did not want me too document anything that was said.

What did she say?