Effect Of No Annual Meeting Convention Minutes

[Guest DrTomStevens]

Our Political Corporation held an annual convention recently. Delegates were in attendance. Credentials Checked. Quorum established. Resolutions passed. Officers were elected. No Secretary Pro Tem was appointed. The elected Secretary who was an officer for the last year did not take minutes but the individual who was elected Secretary at the end of the business session took note of all actions taken and people elected.

As Chair, I have put those unoffical minutes up to the delegates for review to check for inaccuracies. One person has posted that if no minutes were taken, then no meeting was held and all actions are null and void. I am inclined to disagree.

I would love your feedback.

Thanks.

[Rev Ed]

Well, at least you have something that can be called Minutes. However, regardless motions take effect either once the motion passes (default) or when stipulated in the motion. You don't need an approved set of Minutes for a passed motion to be legit.

[jstackpo]

the individual who was elected Secretary at the end of the business session took note of all actions taken and people elected.

What the new Secretary wrote down is EXACTLY what is supposed to be in minutes -- see p. 468.

There may have been a few election details (vote counts) left out, but the essentials "what was done, not what was said" are all there.

Tell that "one person" who claims no minutes means no meeting is nuts -- politely, of course.

[David A Foulkes]

One person has posted that if no minutes were taken, then no meeting was held and all actions are null and void.

This assertion is absolutely preposterous. Ask this person to show you the rule that says so. (Hint: keep breathing while you wait).

If the convention meeting was properly called (notice and all that), with a quorum present, motions properly moved and adopted (or defeated) with appropriate voting thresholds, elections properly advanced, and all that other "proper" stuff, then the meeting and its actions were all perfectly valid. Having a record of those proceedings (the minutes) is pretty darn important, you betcha. But not having them in no way invalidates what happened.

[Tim Wynn]

Our Political Corporation held an annual convention recently. Delegates were in attendance. Credentials Checked. Quorum established. Resolutions passed. Officers were elected. No Secretary Pro Tem was appointed. The elected Secretary who was an officer for the last year did not take minutes but the individual who was elected Secretary at the end of the business session took note of all actions taken and people elected.

As Chair, I have put those unoffical minutes up to the delegates for review to check for inaccuracies. One person has posted that if no minutes were taken, then no meeting was held and all actions are null and void. I am inclined to disagree.

I would love your feedback.

Thanks.

Generally, delegates stop being delegates as soon as the convention session adjourns, making it impossible to present them with minutes. In the case of such a convention, the assembly should authorize a committee or board to approve the minutes.

[Guest Guest]

I fully understand that the delegates should have authorized a committee or board to approve annual meeting minutes but here that was not done. We do have accurate minutes of action taken recorded by an unauthorized delegate and I have placed those "minutes" before the delegates for correction but how do I get them approved?

[jstackpo]

Although it is a tad irregular, make whatever amendments in the "informal", or draft, text that seem appropriate to the (past) delegates that are paying attention, then present those minutes at your next convention for adoption/approval. Further amendments are proper, offered by those with long accurate memories or an ax to grind. With luck, the convention delegates will be able to distinguish between them.

Ya gotta do something to generate the official record of the past convention even though the adopted actions, positions, statements, whatever are all valid.