General meeting minutes

[Guest Melinda]

If minutes from a previous meeting are not received from the acting secretary before the next meeting is any business done at that meeting.... voting, elections, etc..... then null and void? The person was reminded weeks before the upcoming meeting and still nothing received. I'm just a bit perplexed as to where to go from here.

[Guest Edgar]

If minutes from a previous meeting are not received from the acting secretary before the next meeting is any business done at that meeting.... voting, elections, etc..... then null and void?

The fact that minutes have not been approved (or even submitted) has absolutely no bearing on the validity of actions taken during a meeting.

[Guest Guest]

But if minutes are the record of club business done at a meeting..... and there are no minutes for a meeting how are the actions taken on motions, elections and such to be recorded.... and any motions that need action how is it known what action is to take place.... by here say from a member? There's no record of members in attendance. I guess I'm not understanding how this cannot have an effect somehow.

[tctheatc]

if it gets to that point, best you can, the assembly can create the minutes from memory. Disagreements (it was $50 allocated! No, it was $25!!!) decided by a vote. And then get a more conscientious acting secretary next time.

[Trina]

But if minutes are the record of club business done at a meeting..... and there are no minutes for a meeting how are the actions taken on motions, elections and such to be recorded.... and any motions that need action how is it known what action is to take place.... by here say from a member? There's no record of members in attendance. I guess I'm not understanding how this cannot have an effect somehow.

Yes, the minutes should be written (re-created, if necessary, if the secretary never does get around to it), and they should be as accurate as possible. However, the actions/decisions taken by the assembly at the minuteless meeting still stand. As for how one knows what action is to take place, any individuals who are supposed to take action based on a decision at a meeting should be taking their own notes (or remembering what they're supposed to do), and then go ahead and do it. They shouldn't be waiting around to read the minutes to receive their marching orders, so to speak.

For example, the members are tired of holding paper plates on their laps during club social events, and a motion is adopted "that three folding tables be purchased by the head of the entertainment committee, at a cost not to exceed $250, the receipt to be submtted to the treasurer for reimbursement." The head of the entertainment committee isn't present at the meeting, and the President is asked to contact the head of the entertainment committee so that the purchase of the tables can proceed. Now, what happens if the secretary, for good or bad reasons, doesn't get around to writing up the minutes??

a ) The president calls up the head of the entertainment committee the next day, the entertainment person goes shopping that weekend, and mails the receipt to the treasurer, who mails back a check for reimbursement.

b ) No one does anything until the draft minutes have been prepared, and then they all continue to wait around, doing nothing, until those minutes have been approved at the next meeting.