Publishing Minutes

[Guest Ursula]

I have been given conflicting information regard whether it is proper to Post online our Board minutes.

For a non-Profit Board that has a members-only website--I assume it IS proper to post the approved minutes of meetings of the Membership. Our Board minutes, however, have also traditionally been posted on the members-only website.

Since the Board minutes sometimes include disciplinary issues of Members (being not in good standing/ on probation, etc...), my opinion is that they should NOT be posted online..

The only direction in our Bylaws is that Board and Membership meetings should be "kept" by the secretary:

1. Keep a permanent book of minutes of Regular and Special meetings of members, meetings of the Board and of Committees of Directors. Record the time and place of holding, the proceedings and actions taken, and the number or names of members present. For Special meetings, record how authorized, the notice given and the names of members present.

What would be the norm?

[Tim Wynn]

You could make a motion to decide the matter. If your board meetings are held in executive session, which is common in most organizations, the proceedings are secret and the minutes should be kept so, as well. See RONR (10th ed.), p. 92-93.

[Rev Ed]

Or do what some organizations do and publish a summary. For example: "On Septermber 8th, the Board had a meeting. At that meeting, the Board made the following decisions:

1) That a Committee be struck to consider the decorating of the clubhouse.

2) That the membership rates for 2012 remain the same as 2011.

3) The the Minutes of last year's Annual Meeting, the Financial Statements, Auditor's Report, and accompanying documents be deleivered to members in advance of the next Annual meeting.

The next meeting of the Board will take place on October 12th."

[Guest Ursula]

You could make a motion to decide the matter. If your board meetings are held in executive session, which is common in most organizations, the proceedings are secret and the minutes should be kept so, as well. See RONR (10th ed.), p. 92-93.

Thank you. We have not clarified "executive session" in the past, during disciplinary discussions. I will be sure to do so in the future. The practice of the Board has been to "invite" committees to report to us, and then they depart before discussion. So, we seem to be "in the habit of" being in executive session, without it being formally declared. :-/ We need to discuss this at our next board meeting. Thank you.

[Guest Ursula]

Or do what some organizations do and publish a summary. For example: "On Septermber 8th, the Board had a meeting. At that meeting, the Board made the following decisions:

1) That a Committee be struck to consider the decorating of the clubhouse.

2) That the membership rates for 2012 remain the same as 2011.

3) The the Minutes of last year's Annual Meeting, the Financial Statements, Auditor's Report, and accompanying documents be deleivered to members in advance of the next Annual meeting.

The next meeting of the Board will take place on October 12th."

I like this idea, and I will discuss this with the Board. Thank you.

[Tim Wynn]

Thank you. We have not clarified "executive session" in the past, during disciplinary discussions. I will be sure to do so in the future. The practice of the Board has been to "invite" committees to report to us, and then they depart before discussion. So, we seem to be "in the habit of" being in executive session, without it being formally declared. :-/ We need to discuss this at our next board meeting. Thank you.

A committee of the board does not need an invitation to report, but you may be talking about something different.

[Rev Ed]

I like this idea, and I will discuss this with the Board. Thank you.

No problem - it keeps the sensitive issues out but lets people know what happened.