Listing attendees at a Board Meeting in the Minutes

[Guest Mango Desk]

I currently show the President's name as calling the meeting to order. Then I record the voting Directors and Offricers present. Next I record Directors or Officers who are absent. Then I record all other attendees, who are non-voting, as Guests. I have been doing this for 5 months. One Director has now told me that these committee members who attend are not Guests. How else should I record their attendance?

[jstackpo]

There is no RONR requirement to list attendees at all.

You bylaws should tell you if those "committee members" are members or "guests". (There is no other category that I can think of: members and non-members)

Ask you Director to tell you what they are, if they aren't "guests".

[George Mervosh]

There is no RONR requirement to list attendees at all.

Well you do need to note the presiding officer and secretary (or those filling in for them) are present.

[jstackpo]

OK, OK, (sheesh); All the other attendees need not be listed.

[g40]

I am on a seven person board and our minutes list attendees and those absent. While not a RONR requirement, it give us a record in case one board member is chronic in being absent. One potential problem with listing attendees might be how to classify those who arrive late and/or leave early, but in our case that is rarely, if even, an issue. This record also hels when a board member says, "I don't remember that!" and you can checkif they were in attendance or not. We do not list if they fell asleep during the meeting

[jstackpo]

As you clearly realize, the tricky part is defining "absence" or "attend" -- presumably in your bylaws or rules, RONR doesn't do it for you. Are there any disciplinary actions (which would have to be in your bylaws) for chronic absentees, however you define it?

Here's some things to think about:

How late can you show up and have it still "count" as a non-absence? How soon can you leave?

If you sleep through the meeting does that count? Suppose someone comes but neglects to sign in (if that is your "policing" method)? Or signs someone else's name, as a "favor"? Who is tracking all this? Has the "tracker" a grudge against some members and, shall we say, "shades" the attendance list?

This is (apparently) not your rule, but some have it: Is the "three misses and you are out (or equivalent)" absolute? No appeal? To whom? Who does the "excusing"? Do you have to be excused ahead of time or is after the fact O.K.?

Far better not to require attendance, than try to figure out what "attendance" means in detail.

Good luck!

[g40]

As you clearly realize, the tricky part is defining "absence" or "attend" -- presumably in your bylaws or rules, RONR doesn't do it for you. Are there any disciplinary actions (which would have to be in your bylaws) for chronic absentees, however you define it?

Here's some things to think about:

How late can you show up and have it still "count" as a non-absence? How soon can you leave?

If you sleep through the meeting does that count? Suppose someone comes but neglects to sign in (if that is your "policing" method)? Or signs someone else's name, as a "favor"? Who is tracking all this? Has the "tracker" a grudge against some members and, shall we say, "shades" the attendance list?

This is (apparently) not your rule, but some have it: Is the "three misses and you are out (or equivalent)" absolute? No appeal? To whom? Who does the "excusing"? Do you have to be excused ahead of time or is after the fact O.K.?

Far better not to require attendance, than try to figure out what "attendance" means in detail.

Good luck!

In a practical sense, there is a HUGE difference between a small board of, say 7-10 members with perhaps 2 or 3 "guests"/committee chairs - and a short meeting, and an organization of dozens in each category that has meetings that go on for many hours.

[Guest JR]

So is it necessary to post the names of all the guests, or will their number suffice and list only the names of the board members?

[jstackpo]

The only RONR required "necessity" is noting that the Presiding officer and Secretary were present. Or their pro tem replacements if the President and/or Secretary were absent.

All else is up to you and your association.

[Guest BJR]

Should we list committee members' appointed designees that attended with a special notation?

 

[Richard Brown]

Should we list committee members' appointed designees that attended with a special notation?

As Dr. Stackpole and others have already pointed out, no rule in RONR requires a listing of members (or designees) in attendance.  Doing so would be a customized rule or custom in your organization and it is your organization that must decide those issues.

[Hieu H. Huynh]

Also, Guest_BJR, please post a new question as a new topic instead of adding to an existing thread that's well over 2 years old.

[Gary c Tesser]

Also, Guest_BJR, please post a new question as a new topic instead of adding to an existing thread that's well over 2 years old.

 

Poor Mr Brown had a feeling he was gonna leave something out.

[Richard Brown]

Poor Mr Brown had a feeling he was gonna leave something out.

Yep.  I didn't realize it was a two year old thread.  But, I was responding to a post only 14 minutes old.... and probably only about 12 minutes old when I started typing.