How to change a document that's already been approved

[post54]

I was reading through an old agenda which had been approved and accepted by motions and I found an error, specifically the date on the agenda for that particular meeting. What is the proper way of going about changing an already approved and accepted agenda or other document?

[jstackpo]

Move to "Amend Something Previously Adopted"  --  RONR, p. 305

[Richard Brown]

Move to "Amend Something Previously Adopted"  --  RONR, p. 305

And if the error is obvious and correcting it not likely to be controversial, the easiest way to do it will probably be by unanimous consent, especially if the chairman and a couple of other members know in advance about it.

[post54]

So after reading RONR am I correct in saying to the Board "I would like to motion to amend the agenda." And then once the correction has been made and the motion carried it would be noted in the current meeting minutes that for example, "September's agenda was amended."

[jstackpo]

Correct, excepting your slightly infelicitous phrasing.   Move it like this...

 

"Mr. Chairman, I move to amend the agenda of the [date] meeting, by [changing whatever needs changing]".

 

None of this "would like to motion" stuff  --  don't tell us what you want to do, just DO IT!

 

The current meeting minutes would then contain exactly the words you used in the second line of this reply, plus a "The motion was adopted" notation.

[Edgar Guest]

So after reading RONR am I correct in saying to the Board "I would like to motion to amend the agenda." And then once the correction has been made and the motion carried it would be noted in the current meeting minutes that for example, "September's agenda was amended."

 

And, assuming the agenda is part of the approved minutes of the September meeting, no change should be made to those minutes (though a note in the margin indicating that the date has been corrected is appropriate).

[Josh Martin]

I was reading through an old agenda which had been approved and accepted by motions and I found an error, specifically the date on the agenda for that particular meeting. What is the proper way of going about changing an already approved and accepted agenda or other document?

While I concur with my colleagues regarding the general procedure for amending an approved document, I don't think it is necessary or in order to amend an agenda for a meeting which ended several months ago, since the motion has been fully carried out. The purpose of an agenda is simply to provide an order of the business to be conducted at a particular meeting, so such a document has no effect after the meeting is over.

[post54]

It effects those that may want to go back and look at it for reference and if something so important as the date is incorrect that someone may be led to believe the document they are looking for does not exist.

[Gary c Tesser]

O Great Steaming Cobnuts.

[Josh Martin]

It effects those that may want to go back and look at it for reference and if something so important as the date is incorrect that someone may be led to believe the document they are looking for does not exist.

I don't quite understand why it is necessary to have an agenda for reference, since it would seem to me that any necessary information for reference would be in the minutes. If it is, however, the association's practice to keep agendas of previous meetings as a historical record, then I suppose it is in order to amend them.

[jstackpo]

Well, if an agenda is adopted, the text of the agenda should appear as a portion of the minutes of the meeting, along with the text of all other (main) motions.

[post54]

The agenda is adopted. It should be kept with the minutes since there is reference to it in the minutes.

[jstackpo]

It, the adopted agenda, isn't "kept with" the minutes  --  the text of the agenda is a part of the minutes.

[Shmuel Gerber]

While I concur with my colleagues regarding the general procedure for amending an approved document, I don't think it is necessary or in order to amend an agenda for a meeting which ended several months ago, since the motion has been fully carried out. The purpose of an agenda is simply to provide an order of the business to be conducted at a particular meeting, so such a document has no effect after the meeting is over.

 

 

I don't quite understand why it is necessary to have an agenda for reference, since it would seem to me that any necessary information for reference would be in the minutes. If it is, however, the association's practice to keep agendas of previous meetings as a historical record, then I suppose it is in order to amend them.

 

I think you had it right the first time.

[Gary Novosielski]

It effects those that may want to go back and look at it for reference and if something so important as the date is incorrect that someone may be led to believe the document they are looking for does not exist.

Once the meeting is over, they should be looking in the minutes for reference.  That's where you'll find what actually happened--what motions passed and which ones didn't.   The agenda can't tell you that.  And amending it after the fact won't change the date on any copies in people's possession.   The agenda simply isn't important once its purpose is exhausted.

[Shmuel Gerber]

Whether it's the agenda or some other approved document, such as approved minutes, the important point is that it's actually impossible to literally amend something that has already been adopted. All you can do is say what words should be in effect from this time forward.

That's why item 15 in Table II speaks of amending an adopted agenda "with reference to items not yet reached."

And that's also why, when the question comes up about correcting approved minutes, we say that you don't go back to the minutes book and start messing up the old minutes, despite the conniptions that such advice tends to induce in some people. [i would put a smiley here, but I'm thinking of a certain someone who doesn't like them.]

[Edgar Guest]

Bless you, Mr. Gerber.