Responsibilities in secretary's absence

[Guest Malcolm]

I'm in a non-profit where the Board keeps using "Board secretary is away" as an excuse for poor or delayed minutes, not responding to inquiries, etc. Under Roberts Rules, who bears the responsibility for ensuring the secretary's duties are covered if they're away? Also, if the minutes don't have a signature, who is responsible for their accuracy?

[Richard Brown]

On 2/14/2023 at 8:38 AM, Guest Malcolm said:

I'm in a non-profit where the Board keeps using "Board secretary is away" as an excuse for poor or delayed minutes, not responding to inquiries, etc. Under Roberts Rules, who bears the responsibility for ensuring the secretary's duties are covered if they're away?

The membership, by electing a secretary pro-tem.  The chair should bring that up on his or her own, but it is ultimately up to the membership.  Any member can move to elect a secretary pro-tem when noticing that the secretary is absent.

On 2/14/2023 at 8:38 AM, Guest Malcolm said:

Also, if the minutes don't have a signature, who is responsible for their accuracy?

Initially, it would be the person who prepared the minutes, but, ultimately I would say it is up to the membership when the minutes are up for approval.  That's the whole purpose of "reading and approval of the minutes".  Once approved, they are deemed accurate.

[Guest Malcolm]

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That's the whole purpose of "reading and approval of the minutes".  Once approved, they are deemed accurate.

Thank you. What happened was that a member made a verbal amendment, and people voted to approve the minutes "as amended" under the assumption that the secretary would properly record the amendment that had been verbally stated. 

I now understand we should remove the secretary, but I should have also asked what is now the proper procedure for correcting the minutes? The "approved" document is not what we really approved. Also, is there a way to prevent this from happening again? 

 

[Gary Novosielski]

The proper method of handling meetings does not include a vote for approval.

After the minutes have been read (or if printed copies of the draft minutes have been distributed) the chair asks,

"Are there any corrections to the minutes?"   Members may offer corrections (as such amendments are called) and if there is not unanimous consent on the correction, it is treated like any amendment possibly via a secondary amendment, and voted on.

Eventually, no one speaks up when the chair asks "Are there any further corrections? <pause>  Hearing none, the minutes stand approved."  There is no vote on final approval.  The only way one can object to the contents of the minutes is to offer a correction.

As to your specific question, if the secretary did not properly make the correction to the draft minutes, remind the secretary to do so.

Edited February 15, 2023 at 03:16 AM by Gary Novosielski

[Richard Brown]

On 2/14/2023 at 9:13 PM, Gary Novosielski said:

As to your specific question, if the secretary did not properly make the correction to the draft minutes, remind the secretary to do so.

I agree.  And if the gentle reminder doesn't work, the assembly could adopt a motion directing him or her to make the corrections. Or, I suppose the assembly could appoint a committee of one (or more) to make the corrections.  It might be that the secretary is being obstinate, but it could also be that he or she actually doesn't know how to go about making such a correction. Just asking the secretary about the situation might lead to a resolution.  As a last resort, there is always the option of a motion of censure, disciplinary action, or removal from office, but that is getting a bit extreme.

[Atul Kapur]

On 2/14/2023 at 7:15 PM, Guest Malcolm said:

what is now the proper procedure for correcting the minutes? The "approved" document is not what we really approved.

If it has been "approved," then look at §35 for the motion Amend Something Previously Adopted.

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48:15 If the existence of an error or material omission in the minutes becomes reasonably established after their approval—even many years later—the minutes can then be corrected by means of the motion to Amend Something Previously Adopted . . . 

 

[Joshua Katz]

On 2/15/2023 at 1:05 AM, Atul Kapur said:

If it has been "approved," then look at §35 for the motion Amend Something Previously Adopted.

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I understand the OP to be saying that the document marked "approved minutes" is not the document that was approved by the assembly. In my view, that can be corrected via a point of order, not a motion to amend something previously adopted.

[Guest Malcolm]

On 2/15/2023 at 7:15 AM, Joshua Katz said:

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I understand the OP to be saying that the document marked "approved minutes" is not the document that was approved by the assembly. In my view, that can be corrected via a point of order, not a motion to amend something previously adopted.

 

Yes, the problem is that the written document doesn't reflect the verbal correction that was provided. Whether we were supposed to vote on the correction or not, the verbal correction was accepted by everyone at the meeting, but not written down accurately.

 

[Gary Novosielski]

On 2/15/2023 at 7:30 PM, Guest Malcolm said:

Yes, the problem is that the written document doesn't reflect the verbal correction that was provided. Whether we were supposed to vote on the correction or not, the verbal correction was accepted by everyone at the meeting, but not written down accurately.

I'm not sure what this written document is.  If it is the actual official document of the minutes, as retained by the secretary, then that's the one that should be corrected.   If it's just a number of paper copies of what the minutes say, it has no official status and can simply be thrown out and reissued after the corrections that were adopted have been properly made to the real minutes.