Minutes

[Guest Elaine A]

At a recent Board Meeting the secretary was told not to record minutes. Can another Board Member who took notes record minutes?

[Richard Brown]

First, what do you mean by "record the minutes"?  Do you mean to record them with a tape recorder? Do you mean to take the notes that will be used to produce the minutes? Or do you mean to actually produce the minutes?

The secretary should not have to be told to take notes in order to prepare the minutes at a meeting. That is the secretary's job!

However,  anyone may prepare draft minutes of the meeting from notes or even from memory. When the minutes are up for approval, they can be corrected as the assembly deems appropriate.

Edited to add:. Oops, I misread your post. I thought you said the secretary was not told to take notes or record the minutes. However, you said she was told not to record the minutes.  That should not happen, as minutes should be produced for every meeting, including those that are held in executive session. I suspect there is a lack of understanding as to what should be in the minutes. The minutes should be a record of what was done, not what was said.

Edited February 27, 2017 at 02:31 AM by Richard Brown
Added last paragraph

[Richard Brown]

Elaine please explain to us what you mean by "record the minutes".

If you are referring to using a recording device for recording the meeting, that is something which is under the control of the assembly. A tape recorder can indeed be helpful in assisting the secretary with preparing the minutes, but the assembly has the right to prohibit tape recording its meetings or to put restrictions on the use of recordings.

[Elaine A]

6 minutes ago, Richard Brown said:

Elaine please explain to us what you mean by "record the minutes".

If you are referring to using a recording device for recording the meeting, that is something which is under the control of the assembly. A tape recorder can indeed be helpful in assisting the secretary with preparing the minutes, but the assembly has the right to prohibit tape recording its meetings or to put restrictions on the use of recordings.

By record I meant for us to have a written record of this meeting. It had pertinent information that we would like confirmed for our upcoming Election.

[jstackpo]

Were any motions made at the meeting relevant to that "pertinent information"?  Minutes are supposed to contain only what was done (motions made, then adopted or defeated, or a few other parliamentary things) not what was "said".  News, or gossip, or debate on motions, does not belong in minutes.  See RONR 11th, page 468ff.

[g40]

On Sunday, February 26, 2017 at 9:52 PM, Elaine A said:

By record I meant for us to have a written record of this meeting. It had pertinent information that we would like confirmed for our upcoming Election.

Who told the Secretary this? Not taking minutes seems contradictory of the regular duty of the Secretary. If this same person told the Secretary to jump off a bridge, would he/she have jumped?

[Richard Brown]

This should be clear by now, but in case it doesn't I will try to state it clearly: one of the primary duties of the secretary is to take minutes at every meeting. No officer has the authority to direct the secretary otherwise.

If the assembly is unhappy with the minutes that were prepared by the secretary when they are before the assembly for approval, the assembly may make whatever corrections to the minutes that it so desires at that time.

It is the secretary's duty to prepare the minutes but the assembly has the ultimate decision on what is included in the minutes as approved.