request by member to copy minutes

[Guest VJC]

A member has demanded the secretary's folder with monthly club business minutes and of the executive board minutes to copy for her personal use.  I understand that a member may inspect minutes at a reasonable place and time with the secretary.  Does a club member have the right to take the original folder with business minutes to copy?  Does a club member have the right to copy executive board minutes? 

[Hieu H. Huynh]

No rule in RONR gives a member such rights.

[Guest Zev]

58 minutes ago, Guest VJC said:

I understand that a member may inspect minutes at a reasonable place and time with the secretary.

My understanding is that your statement above is accurate, however, they do not have a right to inspect any subordinate body's minutes except by a motion in the assembly to do so adopted by a two-thirds vote. Other that this, Mr. Huynh's answer is the succinct way of putting it.

[Richard Brown]

I don't believe it is quite as cut and dried as the previous posters have indicated, but I am in a meeting and unable to elaborate at the moment. I'll post more later unless someone else says what I want to add. 

[Joshua Katz]

First, by "executive board minutes" do you mean the minutes of the executive board, or the board meeting in executive session?

Second, is the member a board member?

Assuming the minutes are not of executive session, and the member is not a board member, the member has no right to board minutes unless you have a rule on the matter. The member does have a right to inspect the minutes of a membership meeting. Finally, the membership may, by a 2/3 vote, require the board to produce its minutes.

[Josh Martin]

14 hours ago, Guest VJC said:

A member has demanded the secretary's folder with monthly club business minutes and of the executive board minutes to copy for her personal use.  I understand that a member may inspect minutes at a reasonable place and time with the secretary.  Does a club member have the right to take the original folder with business minutes to copy?  Does a club member have the right to copy executive board minutes? 

A member has a right to inspect the minutes of assemblies that they are a member of, at a reasonable time and place. So this person may certainly inspect the club minutes. Unless this person is a board member, however, the member does not have a right to inspect the board minutes. The board may grant permission to do so if it wishes, or the club may order that the member be permitted to inspect the minutes by a majority vote with previous notice, a 2/3 vote, or a vote of a majority of the entire membership.

The member does not, however, have a right to take the original folder or to make copies of the minutes, although the club (or board, depending on which minutes she wishes to copy) may grant the member permission to do so if it wishes.

Finally, it is possible that your organization’s rules or applicable law provide members with greater rights in this regard, so that is something to look into.

12 hours ago, Joshua Katz said:

First, by "executive board minutes" do you mean the minutes of the executive board, or the board meeting in executive session?

Second, is the member a board member?

Assuming the minutes are not of executive session, and the member is not a board member, the member has no right to board minutes unless you have a rule on the matter. The member does have a right to inspect the minutes of a membership meeting. Finally, the membership may, by a 2/3 vote, require the board to produce its minutes.

I would note the fact that minutes are of an executive session does not change RONR’s rules on this matter, although it certainly may be a factor to consider when determining whether to grant a request to view the minutes, if this person does not have a right to view some of the minutes in question.

[Joshua Katz]

3 hours ago, Josh Martin said:

I would note the fact that minutes are of an executive session does not change RONR’s rules on this matter, although it certainly may be a factor to consider when determining whether to grant a request to view the minutes, if this person does not have a right to view some of the minutes in question.

This is true. It just seems helpful to clarify the terminology and to provide what might be helpful tips if it turns out to be, e.g., an executive session.