Approval of prior meeting's minutes when discrepancy exists

[Guest Harold]

Motion made and passed at previous meeting that was reflected in the minutes. Now some of the board members believe the motion was for one thing while others believe it was something different. When the topic for approval of last meeting's minutes comes up, and the vote say is a tie, what do we do to get past this impasse? Revote?

[Guest Edgar]

When the topic for approval of last meeting's minutes comes up, and the vote say is a tie, what do we do to get past this impasse? Revote?

If the motion to correct the draft minutes results in a tie, the motion is defeated and the draft remains as is.

But you don't vote on the final approval, just on any controversial corrections.

QAW67b

[George Mervosh]

When the secretary's draft is up for approval, a tie vote on a proposed amendment to correct the record defeats the proposed amendment and the language in the draft stands.

Therefore the motion, as worded in the draft, is the official record of what was adopted.

Any member can propose to amend the adopted motion itself in most cases (RONR (11th ed.), p. 305ff), but good luck with that if the board is equally split.

[g40]

When the secretary's draft is up for approval, a tie vote on a proposed amendment to correct the record defeats the proposed amendment and the language in the draft stands.

Therefore the motion, as worded in the draft, is the official record of what was adopted.

Any member can propose to amend the adopted motion itself in most cases (RONR (11th ed.), p. 305ff), but good luck with that if the board is equally split.

What does the maker of the motion say? After all he/she might be the best source of that the motion said. It may also have been written down somewhere.

[Tim Wynn]

What does the maker of the motion say? After all he/she might be the best source of that the motion said. It may also have been written down somewhere.

In the secretary's notes would have been a good place for the motion to have been written.

[George Mervosh]

g40, in my view this is the kind of discrepancy that can and must be avoided, and I don't mean to sound too harsh, but the fact the members don't know exactly what they voted on, or what effect their vote may have had, means the presiding officer failed miserably in his number one responsibility during a meeting.

[Gary Novosielski]

What does the maker of the motion say? After all he/she might be the best source of that the motion said. It may also have been written down somewhere.

If you're following the recommended method in RONR for approval of minutes, no formal motion is necessary.

After the minutes have been read (or after their reading has been omitted by unanimous consent...), and whether or not a motion for approval has been offered, the chair asks, “Are there any corrections to the minutes?” and pauses. Corrections, when proposed, are usually handled by unanimous consent (pp. 54–56), but if any member objects to a proposed correction—which is, in effect, a subsidiary motion to Amend—the usual rules governing consideration of amendments to a main motion are applicable.

So what you would do is:

• if you are one who disagrees with the draft minutes, propose a correction
  
• if you are one who agrees with the draft minutes, wait for someone else to propose a correction and object to it when the chair asks if there is any objection
  

Once objection is heard, the chair should treat the proposed correction as a motion to amend, which is debatable, so that would be the point where you could present your compelling evidence, one way or the other. If the amendment passes, the draft is corrected.

After any proposed corrections have been disposed of, and when there is no response to the chair’s inquiry, “Are there any corrections [or “further corrections”] to the minutes?” the chair says, “There being no corrections [or “no further corrections”] to the minutes, the minutes stand [or “are”] approved [or “approved as read,” or “approved as corrected”].” The minutes are thus approved without any formal vote, even if a motion for their approval has been made.