can minutes be corrected before a meeting?

[serendipity07]

Recently, the minutes of a very contentious meeting were circulated to the entire membership without review by anyone other than the secretary. The club by-laws do not say anything about prior review of minutes before publication, but in the past the secretary has sent draft minutes for review and feedback prior to distributing them (though not consistently). Normally, this has not been an issue, but these minutes do not follow RRs re including only what was done, not what was said. While mostly no names are used, the minutes still include lots of content about the various discussions as well as very subjective reporting of what went on.

My interpretation of pg. 355 in Robert's Rules, revised, 11th edition is that the minutes can be materially modified prior to our next meeting and redistributed prior to the meeting. Other people disagree with me.

Expert opinions?

Thank you!

[Guest Edgar]

My interpretation of pg. 355 in Robert's Rules, revised, 11th edition is that the minutes can be materially modified prior to our next meeting and redistributed prior to the meeting. Other people disagree with me.

While the secretary is not obligated to distribute the draft to members, she is free to do so. And while the secretary is under no obligation to make any suggested corrections (prior to the meeting at which the minutes will be approved), she is certainly free to do so. And other members are free to prepare their own drafts of the minutes but it is the secretary's draft that will be submitted for approval at the next meeting, so that's the starting point. After that, they're fair game for any corrections (which, if there's any disagreement, will be voted on).

Note that if the draft minutes are distributed to all members prior to the meeting (in order to save time during the meeting) you'll probably want to avoid making any changes before the meeting. Getting them right the first time is clearly the best approach.

[tctheatc]

On the other hand, the minutes do not become the minutes and assume their essential status of the official record of the proceedings of the society until they have been approved; and before this happens, the secretary's draft may be materially modified in the correction process.

- RONR p 355 lines 17-22

It's plainly stated that the secretary's draft may be "materially modified" not prior to the meeting, but during the correction process before they are approved. The correction process happens at the meeting when the draft is considered. As Edgar explains, any modifications made before that don't really count for anything.

[serendipity07]

Thank you. I misinterpreted the meaning of "correction process" and did not take it to mean at the next meeting.