BossLady Posted November 17, 2011 at 12:49 AM Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 at 12:49 AM Situation:A committee met but a quorum was not present. It was acknowledged that no "official business" would take place -- the members could not vote or take any action on a topic. The members decided to hear the "Information Only" topics on the agenda.Questions:1. How would you describe the gathering -- is it a meeting or not? [i don't think "Workshop" is appropriate because a Workshop is usually held to discuss a particular subject.]2. How would you classify the memorialization -- as "minutes" or "notes" ?Thanks so much for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted November 17, 2011 at 01:06 AM Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 at 01:06 AM 1. It is still a "meeting" even though you could do no business. You, some of you anyway, responded to an official call to get together.2. Neither -- Committees are not required to keep minutes. p. 500 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BossLady Posted November 17, 2011 at 01:19 AM Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 at 01:19 AM Thank you for your reply.I should have been more specific -- this committee reports the Board of County Commissioners. Under the County's Ordinance, each Committee meeting is recorded and the notes taken by a "reporter" are transcribed into detailed, summary minutes.At the most recent meeting, a Committee member objected to referring to the document as "minutes." It is still an official record of the proceeding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted November 17, 2011 at 03:03 AM Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 at 03:03 AM The document is still "minutes" - it is probably just very brief:The meeting conviened at 12:30PM. The Chair noted the absence of a quorum.The meeting adjourned at 12:31PMPerfectly good minutes. Or "Seconds". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert B Fish Posted November 17, 2011 at 01:24 PM Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 at 01:24 PM The document is still "minutes" - it is probably just very brief:The meeting conviened at 12:30PM.The Chair noted the absence of a quorum.The meeting adjourned at 12:31PMPerfectly good minutes. Or "Seconds".The minutes should also note the presence of the chairman and secretary or the names of the persons who filled those roles. -Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trina Posted November 17, 2011 at 02:13 PM Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 at 02:13 PM Situation:A committee met but a quorum was not present. It was acknowledged that no "official business" would take place -- the members could not vote or take any action on a topic. The members decided to hear the "Information Only" topics on the agenda.Questions:1. How would you describe the gathering -- is it a meeting or not? [i don't think "Workshop" is appropriate because a Workshop is usually held to discuss a particular subject.]2. How would you classify the memorialization -- as "minutes" or "notes" ?Thanks so much for your help.Thank you for your reply.I should have been more specific -- this committee reports the Board of County Commissioners. Under the County's Ordinance, each Committee meeting is recorded and the notes taken by a "reporter" are transcribed into detailed, summary minutes.At the most recent meeting, a Committee member objected to referring to the document as "minutes." It is still an official record of the proceeding.Regarding level of detail, you need to do whatever your custom rules require in that regard. According to RONR, the minutes of an inquorate meeting would be very brief. If the 'information only' business that was conducted was along the lines of members giving reports, that is not one of the very few things that an inquorate meeting is allowed to do. Nonetheless, the minutes should be a truthful record of what happened at the meeting. Depending on what exactly the 'information only' stuff was, it may need to be done again at a quorate meeting.The key point in response to the objection by the committee member is that an inquorate meeting IS still a meeting. The official record of such a meeting is still known as the minutes (the fact that the meeting was inquorate doesn't change the term 'minutes' to something else).'if a quorum fails to appear at a regular or properly called meeting, the inability to transact business does not detract from the fact that the society's rules requiring the meeting to be held were complied with...' (RONR 11th ed. p 347 ll. 24-27) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Edgar Posted November 17, 2011 at 02:23 PM Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 at 02:23 PM The key point in response to the objection by the committee member is that an inquorate meeting IS still a meeting. The official record of such a meeting is still known as the minutes (the fact that the meeting was inquorate doesn't change the term 'minutes' to something else).I had thought that the reason the member objected to the notes being called "minutes" was not because the meeting lacked a quorum but because it was a committee meeting (which usually wouldn't produce formal minutes). Not that it really matters what the document is called. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trina Posted November 17, 2011 at 02:39 PM Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 at 02:39 PM I had thought that the reason the member objected to the notes being called "minutes" was not because the meeting lacked a quorum but because it was a committee meeting (which usually wouldn't produce formal minutes). Not that it really matters what the document is called.That is certainly a valid point to make (again). However, the original poster said:"Under the County's Ordinance, each Committee meeting is recorded and the notes taken by a "reporter" are transcribed into detailed, summary minutes."If they usually call the official record of the Committee meeting "minutes" then I think there is no justification for using a different word just because the meeting lacked quorum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BossLady Posted November 18, 2011 at 06:37 PM Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 at 06:37 PM To each member who responded to my post, please accept my thanks. I definitely appreciated your answers. You have settled the issue for me and, hopefully, for the persnickety Committee member who raised the question.I am a brand new member -- didn't know the Forum existed until I googled -- and am delighted to have found you. This Forum is now #1 on my list of resources!Again, many thanks!Anne(a/k/a "Boss Lady") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Honemann Posted November 18, 2011 at 08:16 PM Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 at 08:16 PM To each member who responded to my post, please accept my thanks. I definitely appreciated your answers. You have settled the issue for me and, hopefully, for the persnickety Committee member who raised the question.I am a brand new member -- didn't know the Forum existed until I googled -- and am delighted to have found you. This Forum is now #1 on my list of resources!Again, many thanks!Anne(a/k/a "Boss Lady")Well, for purposes of this Forum, I suggest you stick to "Anne" (or anything else other than "Boss Lady". We already have one of those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.