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Correction of Minutes


Babs

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What is the proper procedure when the minutes of a meeting accurately reflect what was said by the Chairman of a committee in a committee report, but it was later discovered that what the chairman said was inaccurate? I am the recording secretary and am of the opinion that the minutes reflect what actually was said in the meeting, and should not be altered by corrections to those minutes. I think that the correction should come during the next meeting when the chiairman can correct himself and that will be reflected in those minutes. Am I right or wrong?

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The minutes should only reflect what is done at a meeting not what is said (RONR p. 468 ll. 16-18). So if you all get rid of the references to what was said and stick to what was done the problem will be resolved. :)

However, in this case it appears that the 'what was said' was a committee report. Short reports do sometimes have a place in the minutes (pp. 526-27).

Regarding the original question, the minutes should be an accurate report of the business conducted. If the (inaccurate) report belonged in the minutes in the first place (see Chris's cautionary statement), then it is not appropriate to retroactively alter the content of the report in the process of writing up the minutes.

You might consider adding a marginal note about the correction (e.g. "Mr. Brown misspoke in reporting that the club had received a bill for $1,219 from General Roofing. The actual amount of the bill was $1,291."). Stay tuned, though, for possible opinions that such a marginal note is not in accordance with RONR.

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Stay tuned, though, for possible opinions that such a marginal note is not in accordance with RONR.

Such a marginal note is not in accordance with RONR . . . unless it only directs the reader to the minutes of a subsequent meeting where a correction was presented. While the simple transposition of two numbers seems a likely (and harmless) candidate for marginalia, I fear it creates the proverbial slippery slope.

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However, in this case it appears that the 'what was said' was a committee report. Short reports do sometimes have a place in the minutes (pp. 526-27).

Regarding the original question, the minutes should be an accurate report of the business conducted. If the (inaccurate) report belonged in the minutes in the first place (see Chris's cautionary statement), then it is not appropriate to retroactively alter the content of the report in the process of writing up the minutes.

You might consider adding a marginal note about the correction (e.g. "Mr. Brown misspoke in reporting that the club had received a bill for $1,219 from General Roofing. The actual amount of the bill was $1,291."). Stay tuned, though, for possible opinions that such a marginal note is not in accordance with RONR.

I think there is no chance whatsoever that the committee report to which Babs refers falls within one of the extremely limited exceptions described on pages 526-27. :)

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