Can Secretary "interpret" someone's motions, resolutions, or points of order?

[Newbie]

Our Secretary has taken to modifying board member's motions or points of order. This is happening, best case, with the President's approval; or worst case, at the President's behest.

Words are important. Does RONR view this practice as acceptable?

While we may not expect our Secretary to transcribe things word for word, a few such items that have been brought up have been submitted in writing either before the meeting, or after the meeting via email when the member who made the point of order or motion sent it along. At that point, I would think it quite easy to copy/paste into the draft minutes. But the Secretary has taken to providing their own "spin" on the matter.

Regardless the outcome of the matter, I view this as a transgression of the process and perhaps a violation of an individual's rights as a member of the board.

Our board members are largely ignorant of RONR protocol and think what the Secretary is doing is fine as long as the "main point comes across". I realize that if a majority of our board thinks this way we can't expect otherwise. I'm hoping to provide some education to these folks although some are not interested in order to continue to promote their own self interests.

Thanx for any guidance and suggestions.

[Hieu H. Huynh]

37 minutes ago, Newbie said:

Our Secretary has taken to modifying board member's motions or points of order. This is happening, best case, with the President's approval; or worst case, at the President's behest.

Words are important. Does RONR view this practice as acceptable?

No.

[Guest Zev]

<to-the-voice-of-edna-mode-while-throwing-a-crumpled-piece-of-paper-at-her-head>

No spin!

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[Richard Brown]

The secretary should record motions precisely as they are stated by the chair to the assembly at the time the motions are about to be voted on. If the chair is not doing that, and he should be doing it, then the motion should be recorded exactly as the maker stated the motion when he made it ( unless it was amended prior to being adopted). The secretary should not be editing or wordsmithing the motion.

[jstackpo]

And the secretary, as does any member, has the right to ask the chair to state, or restate, any motion exactly so the correct text will get into the minutes -- page 40.  This will assure the maker of the motion that his/her motion is what is discussed and recorded.

[Gary Novosielski]

And when the minutes are up for approval, offer corrections to any modified wording to restore it to the correct wording.  The "main point" is nowhere near good enough.  Precisely correct is the only option.

[Joshua Katz]

7 hours ago, Gary Novosielski said:

And when the minutes are up for approval, offer corrections to any modified wording to restore it to the correct wording.  The "main point" is nowhere near good enough.  Precisely correct is the only option.

Of course, I agree that's what the rules say, and what must be done if members are making motions using actual words. But I think there are times where it's unavoidable that the Secretary will need to do something with the minutes, such as a member saying "okay, I'll make that motion" when one has been described but not stated, and the chair does not state any particular language in putting the question. "Okay, let's vote." In the ordinary case, though, of course the Secretary must write the language stated by the chair, not an editorialized version.

[jstackpo]

I've been there (haven't we all?) but if the motion is anything greater than trivial I will ask the chair to please state the motion, as a favor to me as secretary and for the minutes. Or I will suggest "my" wording.  Not infrequently, someone else will come back with "But that's not what I meant to have us do" (or the like)  and things then get straightened out.  Assume nothing!

Takes a little longer at the time but saves tons of time when the minutes come up for approval next meeting.

[Josh Martin]

2 hours ago, Joshua Katz said:

Of course, I agree that's what the rules say, and what must be done if members are making motions using actual words. But I think there are times where it's unavoidable that the Secretary will need to do something with the minutes, such as a member saying "okay, I'll make that motion" when one has been described but not stated, and the chair does not state any particular language in putting the question. "Okay, let's vote."

In such cases, however, the Secretary (well, really everyone, but especially the Secretary) should insist that members and the chair make, state, and put actual motions with actual words, precisely so that the Secretary knows what to put in the minutes.