Changing Meeting Minutes

[Guest Robert in Vero]

We just had a meeting of the Board of Directors.  A director demanded that changes be made in the last meeting minutes.  He said it was his right and it did not require a motion or vote of the entire Board.  He is supposed to be our parliamentarian.  However, I can find nothing in Robert's Rules that says this is permitted.  Is it?,

[Richard Brown]

Nope.

[Josh Martin]

We just had a meeting of the Board of Directors.  A director demanded that changes be made in the last meeting minutes.  He said it was his right and it did not require a motion or vote of the entire Board.  He is supposed to be our parliamentarian.  However, I can find nothing in Robert's Rules that says this is permitted.  Is it?,

Without knowing the nature of the changes, I don't know whether these changes should be made, but it is certainly not correct that any member has a right to demand changes to the minutes. Changes to the minutes are adopted by unanimous consent, or by majority vote if there is disagreement.

Perhaps this member should not be the Parliamentarian.

[Guest Guest]

Without knowing the nature of the changes, I don't know whether these changes should be made, but it is certainly not correct that any member has a right to demand changes to the minutes. Changes to the minutes are adopted by unanimous consent, or by majority vote if there is disagreement.

Perhaps this member should not be the Parliamentarian.

Thank you for your response.  The changes he demanded were to highlight that a revised quote on a piece of equipment was given orally by our Community Manager.  While technically accurate, the minutes draft noted the revised quote, and this director seconded the motion to approve the purchase.  He now wants to change his vote and has been agitating to have information entered into the minutes that did not happen in the meeting.  So he took this tact to get whatever point he was trying to make.

[Gary Novosielski]

Certainly among the more mavericky parliamentarians, I'd say..

[Josh Martin]

Thank you for your response.  The changes he demanded were to highlight that a revised quote on a piece of equipment was given orally by our Community Manager.  While technically accurate, the minutes draft noted the revised quote, and this director seconded the motion to approve the purchase.  He now wants to change his vote and has been agitating to have information entered into the minutes that did not happen in the meeting.  So he took this tact to get whatever point he was trying to make.

The minutes are a record of what was done, not what was said, so this quote may not belong in the minutes to begin with (although the motion certainly does). It is far too late for the member to change his vote, and it is certainly inappropriate "to have information entered into the minutes that did not happen in the meeting."

[Edgar Guest]

. . . he took this tact to get whatever point he was trying to make.

That would be "tack". Tact seems to have been lacking.