THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO READ THE MINUTES AT A MEETING

[Guest Tai Rahming]

As per the above topic title, my fraternal organization suggested that the Secretary should read the minutes of that same communication immediatedly after the completion of the agenda before closing; as opposed to allowing the Secretary to record the minutes of that communication and then read that same communication date at the next communication so it can be corrected and amended for approval (for which I think is the official procedure).

Kindly advise.

[Guest Edgar]

You're using the term "communication" in a non-standard way. In any case, the reading and approval of the minutes (from the previous meeting) is the very first item in the standard order of business (p.26) so you'd want to have a pretty good reason to delay it.

[Tim Wynn]

As per the above topic title, my fraternal organization suggested that the Secretary should read the minutes of that same communication immediatedly after the completion of the agenda before closing; as opposed to allowing the Secretary to record the minutes of that communication and then read that same communication date at the next communication so it can be corrected and amended for approval (for which I think is the official procedure).

Kindly advise.

It sounds to me like you're saying that some members of your organization have suggested that the minutes of meeting A should be approved at the very end of meeting A. According to RONR, the minutes of meeting A are approved as the first item of business of meeting B.

The minutes reflect what happened in the meeting (including the time of adjournment), so no minutes of a meeting can be complete until the adjournment of that meeting. And after the adjournment of a meeting, that meeting can no longer approve minutes. Therefore, the minutes of a meeting are approved at a subsequent meeting. The process suggested by your question would be similar to announcing the final score of a basketball game with one minute to go.

[Guest Bonnie]

Do minutes have to be READ at a meeting or can printed preapproved minutes be read individually by the membership prior to and then approved with any reccomended changes at the "reading" time during the meeting?

[jstackpo]

Have to be read? No, provided there is no objection and, as you describe, everybody got to read them ahead of time. p. 474.

[Steven Britton]

Have to be read? No, provided there is no objection and, as you describe, everybody got to read them ahead of time. p. 474.

But no to pre-approved minutes. A member still has a right to offer corrections at a meeting. The minutes stand approved (by the chair) when no further corrections are offered.