Record of actions

[Guest Cakelady]

As Chairman for an organizations Board of Directors, I and several directors are having a bit of a difference of opinion (and interpretation) with our President.  It concerns the proper record keeping and references to previous actions by our Board and members, and the recording of such in our database.  Example:  Motion #1 at June 1st meeting:  Move that all Board of Directors wear purple T-shirts at meetings.  At the next months meeting, Motion #3 on July 10th:  Move to amend Motion #1 of 7/1 to now read:  Move that all Board of Directors wear either purple or gold T-shirts at meetings.

 

What is the proper method per RONR of recording this action in records?  Since Motion #3 was to amend, does the reference in our database stay Motion #1 on July 1st, with a notation that it was amended, or is the reference now Motion #3 on July 10th with the new wording?    This may sound very simple to you, but it is causing a great problem when referencing motions in our discussions and reports.  Any help will be greatly appreciated, no matter which direction.  Thank you very much.

[Hieu H. Huynh]

The exact wording the chair uses in putting the question is definitive, and the wording in the minutes should be the same. (RONR 11th ed., p. 44, ll. 22-24)

[Dan Honemann]

As Chairman for an organizations Board of Directors, I and several directors are having a bit of a difference of opinion (and interpretation) with our President.  It concerns the proper record keeping and references to previous actions by our Board and members, and the recording of such in our database.  Example:  Motion #1 at June 1st meeting:  Move that all Board of Directors wear purple T-shirts at meetings.  At the next months meeting, Motion #3 on July 10th:  Move to amend Motion #1 of 7/1 to now read:  Move that all Board of Directors wear either purple or gold T-shirts at meetings.

 

What is the proper method per RONR of recording this action in records?  Since Motion #3 was to amend, does the reference in our database stay Motion #1 on July 1st, with a notation that it was amended, or is the reference now Motion #3 on July 10th with the new wording?    This may sound very simple to you, but it is causing a great problem when referencing motions in our discussions and reports.  Any help will be greatly appreciated, no matter which direction.  Thank you very much.

 

It appears that there may be a substantial difference between what you refer to as your database and what we refer to as minutes (the official record of an assembly's proceedings). 

 

Any main motion adopted at your June meeting is recorded in the minutes of the June meeting exactly as adopted, as indicated in post #2. If the policy (or whatever) created by this motion is amended at your July meeting by the adoption of a motion to amend it, this motion is recorded in the minutes of the July meeting in the same fashion (exactly as adopted). No change is made in the minutes of the June meeting, although a marginal notation might be made referring to the subsequent amendment.

 

Motions are not normally numbered.

[Shmuel Gerber]

And if this is a database of standing rules, then it would be appropriate to indicate the current wording of the rule as it stands (so to speak), plus the full history, e.g.:

 

Standing rule #1: "That all Board of Directors wear either purple or gold T-shirts at meetings" (Adopted June 1, 2015; Amended July 1, 2015)

 

[by the way, the wording of this rule does not make sense, but no one asked about that. In addition, it is not worded as recommended in RONR so that the words "Resolved, That" can be dropped from the rules as compiled. Also, June is the 6th month of the year and July is the 7th.]