Can a Motion order the Secretary to keep imuntes in violation of RROO?

[Guest Christine the Frustrated]

I serve as Secretary on a BOD who prefers their minutes to be kept as a running documentary of all conversations. This group has for 60+ years operated as a "good ole boys club" and in the past two years I assisted in helpig them become a 501c7 so they did not face financial ruin. Since then, I have been helping with getting things done correctly, such as making the BOD follow it's own Bylaws, Rules and Regs, Etc.

The last two months the BOD has refused to approve my minutes because they were a record only of actionable items and did not parlay who said what, or who suggested this fundraiser, or why dicision X was made.

They have now passed a motion ORDERING me to keep minutes that document all discussion. Can they do this, and if not, what is my recourse?

[George Mervosh]

Yes, the can do that. They can do all kinds of other foolish things too.

[Guest Edgar]

They have now passed a motion ORDERING me to keep minutes that document all discussion. Can they do this, and if not, what is my recourse?

And, though you didn't ask, your recourse if they can do this (which, as Mr. Mervosh indicated, they can) is to resign. They may have trouble finding another secretary as accommodating and so be forced to change their policy.

[Gary c Tesser]

I very much agree with Guest Edgar.

If you do have a commitment to this organization, Guest Christine, you might do stuff like come in with your bare-bones (that is, proper) minutes, and have the chairman invite these blowhards to correct the minutes. Then you dutifully take down their corrections (that is, inserting their blather from the previous meeting), not deliberately writing slowly but remember only some shorthand secretaries and court reporters can take down speech on the fly. Accepting the minutes might take till midnight. Hope they enjoy it

Next meeting,when taking the minutes try having the chairman make sure that every speaker pause every six words, so that you can dutifully take down what is said. After a couple of meetings that take from the evening until the next midafternoon, maybe somebody will get a hint.

The thing I disagree with Guest Edgar is the suggestion that it might be difficult to find an idiot willing to take down all the blather. Plenty of idiots out there. Often they think of it as a calling.