Guest Michael Clark Posted July 20, 2016 at 08:03 PM Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 at 08:03 PM I am the staff assistant for the Board of Directors. I prepare the minutes for each meeting and the secretary normally signs. If the secretary is absent from a meeting, who then would sign the minutes for that meeting? Is he still permitted to do so? If not, how is the signer determined? From my online research I've determined that he may not be permitted to sign the minutes and the Board would choose another officer to sign in his place. If this is true I need to be able to explain this and show where this is stated in writing. I believe I have my answer, I just need to be able to prove it. Any help or corrections would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Mervosh Posted July 20, 2016 at 08:16 PM Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 at 08:16 PM "Minutes should be signed by the secretary and can also be signed, if the assembly wishes,, by the president." RONR (11th ed.), p. 471, ll. 30-32 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim Goldsworthy Posted July 20, 2016 at 08:56 PM Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 at 08:56 PM 38 minutes ago, Guest Michael Clark said: I am the staff assistant for the Board of Directors. * I prepare the minutes for each meeting. • The secretary normally signs. Q1. If the secretary is absent from a meeting, who then would sign the minutes for that meeting? Q2. Is he still permitted to do so? Q3. If not, how is the signer determined? Beware. We may be talking about two different actions. Maybe three. *** The secretary takes the minutes. If someone other than the secretary is taking the minutes, then you have created a problem where the default assumptions of Robert's Rules of Order may not apply. *** The term "minutes" refers to a written document. A written document is signed by the author. E.g., If I take minutes, then I sign the written document. E.g., if you take minutes, then you sign the written document. The sign-er of the document is only signifying "I am the author of this document." Nothing more. *** Upon the approval of one's minutes (upon approval of the written document), the secretary is to mark the written document, with a signature or with an initial, and add a date (of the approval) as a sign that the written document has been approved as the official minutes. If the regular secretary is absent, then the regular secretary cannot authentically mark any document as authentically approved minutes. So, the secretary pro tem of the meeting would be the party who marks and dates the written document as being officially approved as minutes. As a result: Any earlier draft, any photocopy, etc., are thereby deemed inauthentic minutes, and are deemed superseded by another document. *** >> From my online research I've determined that he may not be permitted to sign the minutes. In general: You cannot forge names. And the secretary cannot forge names. You cannot have another party sign in your sted. -- That is dishonest. Neither can the secretary have another party sign for the secretary. The secretary cannot sign a document which the secretary did not author. But the secretary, or a secretary pro tem, if present at the meeting where the approval took place, is certainly authorized to mark and date any written document which has been approved as being the official minutes. -- No absent party can do this act. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Mervosh Posted July 20, 2016 at 11:47 PM Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 at 11:47 PM 2 hours ago, Kim Goldsworthy said: The term "minutes" refers to a written document. A written document is signed by the author. E.g., If I take minutes, then I sign the written document. E.g., if you take minutes, then you sign the written document. The sign-er of the document is only signifying "I am the author of this document." Nothing more. * The secretary cannot sign a document which the secretary did not author. Then why does RONR say the President can sign if the assembly wishes if it's dishonest of him to do so and/or he didn't author the document, and Secretaries sign all kinds of official documents they didn't author. I don't even know where to go with the rest of the post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim Goldsworthy Posted July 21, 2016 at 01:42 AM Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 at 01:42 AM >> Then why does RONR say the President can sign if the assembly wishes ...? Because -- the assembly wishes it. Note that RONR does not say that the president signs - period. The president cannot sign. The president needs permission. Permission from whom? From the appropriate party. That is why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Absent Secretary Posted April 2, 2019 at 12:09 AM Report Share Posted April 2, 2019 at 12:09 AM Secretary was absent but typed minutes that were culled from another’s written notes of minutes and conferences with other attendees. Can Secretary submit minutes for approval? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Brown Posted April 2, 2019 at 03:02 AM Report Share Posted April 2, 2019 at 03:02 AM (edited) 2 hours ago, Guest Absent Secretary said: Secretary was absent but typed minutes that were culled from another’s written notes of minutes and conferences with other attendees. Can Secretary submit minutes for approval? Guest Absent Secretary, please re-post your question by starting a new topic, which is the custom in this forum, rather than tacking your question onto an old thread. The instructions for starting a new topic are contained in the first (pinned) post in this forum with the title "Important: Read this first". Here is a link to it: https://robertsrules.forumflash.com/topic/25416-important-read-this-first-faq-and-information-for-new-members-and-guests/ Edited April 2, 2019 at 03:03 AM by Richard Brown Typographical correction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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