Proper Way to Write Minutes

[Guest Lisa]

Hello - I'm the secretary for the Administrative Council for my church. I have a question or two about the proper way to do the minutes for a particular meeting.   I have a copy of Robert's Rules In Brief which has been a help to me, but I feel I need a little additional guidance/input from others more knowledgeable/experienced than I am.  

 

At a couple of points during our last meeting, there was lengthy and heated discussion among members and the pastor over issues brought up during committee reports, to the point where tempers flared and unpleasant comments exchanged.  There was further (quite) heated debate following a motion and second to approve a matter that the pastor deemed inappropriate (he considered the motion inappropriate).  In the end there was a motion and second to table that first motion, and the motion to table was approved and the meeting adjourned.

 

I understand that the minutes should be a record of what was done and not what was said, and that I shouldn't try to summarize committee reports and what was said during debates.  So what is the proper way for the minutes to reflect what I've described above?  Do I say something like, "There was lengthy and heated debate on X"?

 

Thank you for any guidance you can give me.  As you can see, not even church groups are  immune from unpleasantness arising during meetings.

[Edgar Guest]

Do I say something like, "There was lengthy and heated debate on X"?

 

No. You don't characterize the debate as either "lengthy" or "brief" or "heated" or "cool". You don't characterize the debate at all.

 

As you can see, not even church groups are  immune from unpleasantness arising during meetings.

 

Actually, our experience on this forum is that church groups (and dog clubs) are among the most egregious offenders.

 

Edited to add: When it comes to minutes, less is more. I don't have a copy of RONR In Briefs but RONR (aka "The Right Book") includes sample minutes. Keep asking yourself, WWMDD.

[Edgar Guest]

In the end there was a motion and second to table that first motion, and the motion to table was approved and the meeting adjourned.

 

The motion to Lay on the Table is frequently misused. See FAQ #12.

[Guest Lisa]

 

No. You don't characterize the debate as either "lengthy" or "brief" or "heated" or "cool". You don't characterize the debate at all.

 

So I would simply state that there was debate on such and such issue or motion.   

 

I will get a copy of RONR so that I can study the sample minutes.  I am learning to keep minutes brief - I used to agonize over things that I now know I don't need to agonize over, like this.

 

 

 

Actually, our experience on this forum is that church groups (and dog clubs) are among the most egregious offenders.

 

 

I suspected that might be the case!   Interesting about the dog clubs.

 

Thank you so much for your help!

[Guest Lisa]

Thank you also for the clarification about the motion to lay on the table.  I suspect that few if any of the members of the Council are even aware of the distinction.

[Guest Nancy N.]

You have your copy of RONR - IB and you're not yet answering questions here on the world's premier Internet parliamentary forum yourself, so that maybe Mr. Guest and I and Dr. Stackpole and Chris Harrison can take a weekend off this year or next or the year after that and maybe go fishing in West Virginia or something?

 

O Lisa.

But you're young yet.