Attachments to the minutes

[Guest Amy Thomsen]

Will someone confirm my understanding or correct me about attaching docs to minutes.  I understand that only documents, (such as proposals, spread sheets, contracts), may be attached to the minutes if they were discussed at the board meeting and presenting to the secretary for attachments to the minutes.

Example: Board asked for proposal to review in advance of meeting.  Board and committee discussed proposal via email in advance of meeting.  Board discussed proposal at a budget meeting night before board meeting and determined their decision.  Hard copy presented by committee at meeting and discussion ensued.  Board announced their decision.  Committee presented secretary with hard copy.  President refuses to attach proposal to minutes for members to read on grounds that it wasn't a proposal but a series  of emails (?) and that there was no discussion.  Is this right?

Example:  Board agrees to snow removal contract terms at Oct. meeting and contract is signed after the meeting.  No contract was at the meeting and there was no discussion other than the president announced it was signed between Oct & Nov meetings.  President wants to attach contract to the November minutes.  Is this right? 

Example:  Board reviewed comparison of insurance providers and took action to switch carriers.  Comparison presented to secretary to attach to minutes.  President attaches comparison and also the cancellation documents signed 2 days after meeting.  Okay to attach comparison but not cancellation docs signed after meeting.  Right?

[Guest Who's Coming to Dinner]

Nothing is attached to the minutes. Written reports are filed. Other documents may be filed if the assembly so directs.

[Richard Brown]

4 hours ago, Guest Amy Thomsen said:

Will someone confirm my understanding or correct me about attaching docs to minutes.  I understand that only documents, (such as proposals, spread sheets, contracts), may be attached to the minutes if they were discussed at the board meeting and presenting to the secretary for attachments to the minutes. . . .  (remainder of post omitted)

 

1

 

7 minutes ago, Guest Who's Coming to Dinner said:

Nothing is attached to the minutes. Written reports are filed. Other documents may be filed if the assembly so directs.

Well, that's only partially true.  The assembly can order by majority vote or unanimous consent that documents be attached to the minutes.  The assembly is ultimately in control of what goes in (and gets attached to) the minutes.

[Tom Coronite]

Then what is meant/intended by "written reports are filed"? Aren't they filed with the minutes of the meeting at which the reports were given? And if they are, doesn't it make sense to say they're filed with the minutes, perhaps even stapled to, or otherwise attached?

I guess I'm not understanding the distinction being made between attaching reports to the minutes, and filing reports.

 

Quote

Nothing is attached to the minutes. Written reports are filed.

 

Edited November 25, 2017 at 01:45 PM by Tom Coronite

[Gary Novosielski]

I think it's safe to say that RONR does not get very far into the weeds of filing systems.

I could imagine a filing system that was chronological, where reports from committees, if not attached to the minutes, would still end up right next to the minutes of the meeting at which they were received.

But I could also imagine a system where all the membership committee's documents were sorted by last name, and separate from the building and grounds committee reports, which were filed by location.   Financial records are typically kept by the treasurer, often apart from the secretary's records.

You're pretty much free to file things as you like.  RONR recommends  that the minutes be kept in a substantial book or binder, but in the days of cloud storage that's rapidly becoming quaint advice.  One take-away would be that there is certainly no requirement that things be attached to the minutes.  

 

[Tom Coronite]

OK, that makes sense. I suppose I've always assumed if the ABC committee reports at the annual meeting (per the bylaws), and the minutes reflect that J.Jones reported for the ABC committee, that gets files with the minutes. But your other example makes sense and is helpful. Thanks.