Amending Approved Minutes

[Guest Annie]

The Dec. minutes for our non-profit group were approved at the beginning of the January meeting. There was election and change of several board members from December to January. A former board member (from December) submitted an amendment to the previously approved minutes. Who should be voting on this amendment- the December sitting board members or the new sitting board members? Does it matter if the members were present at the meeting or not?

Just FYI- since our minutes are published, they include what was "done and said". The discrepancy is about what was "said" (though it is my feeling that the amendment includes some opinion as well). How does one prevent opinion from entering the minutes?

[David A Foulkes]

Who should be voting on this amendment- the December sitting board members or the new sitting board members?

There is only the (current) board, and only members of the assembly that is meeting have the right to vote. People who were, and no longer are, members have no voting rights.

Does it matter if the members were present at the meeting or not?

No.

Just FYI- since our minutes are published, they include what was "done and said". The discrepancy is about what was "said" (though it is my feeling that the amendment includes some opinion as well). How does one prevent opinion from entering the minutes?

Well, it starts with the Secretary not including it to begin with. After that, when the minutes are up for approval, a correction can be offered to strike the opinionated text before the minutes are announced "approved" by the Chair. After that, a motion to Amend Something Previously Adopted would be needed. (RONR 11th ed. Section 35)

[Guest Edgar]

Just FYI- since our minutes are published, they include what was "done and said".

Well, firstly, I doubt that they're "published" in the sense that the 10th edition of RONR used the term

Secondly, the 11th edition now avoids the whole problem of what "published" meant and separates the (done-not-said) minutes from a more discursive document now referred to as the "proceedings".

Finally, once minutes have been approved, the text of those minutes remains forever accessible, no matter how extensively the minutes may be amended in the future.

[Steven Britton]

The Dec. minutes for our non-profit group were approved at the beginning of the January meeting. There was election and change of several board members from December to January. A former board member (from December) submitted an amendment to the previously approved minutes. Who should be voting on this amendment- the December sitting board members or the new sitting board members? Does it matter if the members were present at the meeting or not?

Just FYI- since our minutes are published, they include what was "done and said". The discrepancy is about what was "said" (though it is my feeling that the amendment includes some opinion as well). How does one prevent opinion from entering the minutes?

Are minutes from a board meeting, or are they minutes from some other body; like meeting of the membership.

If they're from a board meeting, only the current board may amend them. If' there from some other body within the organization, only that body may amend their minutes at a meeting of that body.