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Secretary pro tem & sec both serve. Who prepares minutes?


Richard Brown

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Two or three questions re what happens when both the secretary and a secretary pro tem serve at a meeting.

 

1.  Is there a customary protocol as to who should prepare the minutes when a secretary pro tem is elected at the start of the meeting due to the absence of the secretary but the secretary arrives during the meeting?

 

2.  Do the duties of the secretary pro tem end when the regular secretary arrives, much as when a chairman pro tem has been elected to preside and then the regular chairman arrives late?   Or is the secretary pro tem supposed to be the secretary for the entire meeting, even after the regular secretary arrives?  I see in RONR that the duties of a chairman pro tem end when the regular chairman arrives,  but I see no such provision re a secretary pro tem. (RONR p 453, lines 8-9.)

 

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Two or three questions re what happens when both the secretary and a secretary pro tem serve at a meeting.

 

1.  Is there a customary protocol as to who should prepare the minutes when a secretary pro tem is elected at the start of the meeting due to the absence of the secretary but the secretary arrives during the meeting?

 

2.  Do the duties of the secretary pro tem end when the regular secretary arrives, much as when a chairman pro tem has been elected to preside and then the regular chairman arrives late?   Or is the secretary pro tem supposed to be the secretary for the entire meeting, even after the regular secretary arrives?  I see in RONR that the duties of a chairman pro tem end when the regular chairman arrives,  but I see no such provision re a secretary pro tem. (RONR p 453, lines 8-9.)

 

I don't think the rules are any different with respect to the arrival of the Secretary or the President when it comes to the pro-tem position ending. The rules seem to be nearly the same for both positions. (p. 459 & p. 468) and I think the rule on p. 88 applies to the Secretary pro-tem as well (at least no one disagreed with me at the time the question was asked before).

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I don't think the rules are any different with respect to the arrival of the Secretary or the President when it comes to the pro-tem position ending. The rules seem to be nearly the same for both positions. (p. 459 & p. 468) and I think the rule on p. 88 applies to the Secretary pro-tem as well (at least no one disagreed with me at the time the question was asked before).

 

Thanks, George.

 

A couple of questions:  I searched the forums before posting the question and did not find a previous thread right on point.  I'll look again.  Do you remember about how long ago it was or anything about it that would help me find it?

 

Second, I agree with your rationale that the duties of the secretary pro  tem end with the arrival of the regular secretary, but I'm concerned about whether the provision on page 453 re the responsibilities of a chairman pro tem ending when the chairman arrives should be interpreted as NOT being applicable to any pro-tem officer other than the president (or chairman).   In fact, I see valid reasons why the regular chairman would be expected to take over once he arrives, but that it would be better in the case of a secretary pro tem for the pro tem secretary to continue taking the minutes even after the regular secretary arrives for the sake of continuity and of having only one person prepare the minutes, rather than two people having to coordinate in the preparation of the minutes.

 

This situation just recently occurred and both people were unsure as to who should prepare the minutes.   It's something I have wondered about several times over the years.  Hence, my question.  :)

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Anyone can submit draft minutes for approval. In the unlikely occurrence that both the on-time secretary pro tem and the late Secretary submit competing drafts, I would think that the Secretary's draft should, if only as a courtesy, be considered first. But if she was only present for the last five minutes of the meeting in question, I would hope the assembly would give more credence to the secretary pro-tem's draft.

 

Of course if both are following RONR's guidelines, there should be no discrepancy.

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