jenc Posted September 19, 2023 at 06:32 PM Report Share Posted September 19, 2023 at 06:32 PM Hi. I am fairly new to being a board secretary for a non-profit. I currently have three lists on our minutes for attendance - members present, members excused and guests. This month there are some changes and I want to make sure I am putting people in the right places... Two members attended on Zoom due to illness - is this present with a "(Zoom)" next to their name or should I add a line for "Present on Zoom"? We voted in a new member at this meeting - for this meeting's minutes do they stay in guests or move them up to members present? We had a board member who now staff and no longer a voting member but still attends to give her report early in the meeting and then can leave. Does she stay under members with a "(staff)" next to her name or move her to a permanent spot in guests? Maybe this is all trivial, I just like it to be correct, orderly and consistent. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Elsman Posted September 19, 2023 at 06:42 PM Report Share Posted September 19, 2023 at 06:42 PM Almost none of this has anything to do with the rules governing the contents of the minutes in RONR (12th ed.) 48:2-5. I am assuming that the society has adopted special rules of order that supply the additional rules that support what has been related. The answers to the questions will be found in these special rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted September 19, 2023 at 07:13 PM Report Share Posted September 19, 2023 at 07:13 PM (edited) On 9/19/2023 at 2:32 PM, jenc said: Hi. I am fairly new to being a board secretary for a non-profit. I currently have three lists on our minutes for attendance - members present, members excused and guests. This month there are some changes and I want to make sure I am putting people in the right places... Two members attended on Zoom due to illness - is this present with a "(Zoom)" next to their name or should I add a line for "Present on Zoom"? We voted in a new member at this meeting - for this meeting's minutes do they stay in guests or move them up to members present? We had a board member who now staff and no longer a voting member but still attends to give her report early in the meeting and then can leave. Does she stay under members with a "(staff)" next to her name or move her to a permanent spot in guests? Maybe this is all trivial, I just like it to be correct, orderly and consistent. Thanks. Bearing in mind that this is a Robert's Rules, forum, RONR has no requirements for attendance records in the minutes. So far as the rules in RONR are concerned, the only attendance that needs to be recorded in the minutes is the presence of the presiding officer and the recording officer (typically the president and secretary). "Attending" a meeting via Zoom is prohibited regardless of state of health, unless provisions are made in the bylaws to do so, and rules are in place to govern the modified procedures that would be necessary to have absent members participate remotely, including quorum rules if necessary. So all the answers to your question would appear to depend on the contents of your own bylaws or special rules of order, since these would supersede the rules in RONR. Edited September 19, 2023 at 07:14 PM by Gary Novosielski Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puzzling Posted September 19, 2023 at 10:24 PM Report Share Posted September 19, 2023 at 10:24 PM On 9/19/2023 at 7:32 PM, jenc said: Hi. I am fairly new to being a board secretary for a non-profit. I currently have three lists on our minutes for attendance - members present, members excused and guests. This month there are some changes and I want to make sure I am putting people in the right places... Two members attended on Zoom due to illness - is this present with a "(Zoom)" next to their name or should I add a line for "Present on Zoom"? We voted in a new member at this meeting - for this meeting's minutes do they stay in guests or move them up to members present? We had a board member who now staff and no longer a voting member but still attends to give her report early in the meeting and then can leave. Does she stay under members with a "(staff)" next to her name or move her to a permanent spot in guests? Maybe this is all trivial, I just like it to be correct, orderly and consistent. Thanks. To do it consistent is to do it as you have always done it. As a new situation happens make a rules to follow and follow those new rules consistently. The question about the new member depends if he became member before or after the attendance report was included in the minutes . So if the report is near the beginning of the minutes and he became member later in the meeting record him.as guest. If the attendance report is at the end of the minutes record him as member. The staff memer is a guest so record him as such. And note in the minutes when he leaves. But note RONR does not require any of this. So you need to make the rules yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenc Posted September 20, 2023 at 12:14 AM Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2023 at 12:14 AM Thanks. Sorry, I didn't realize it didn't fall under anything proper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atul Kapur Posted September 20, 2023 at 01:43 AM Report Share Posted September 20, 2023 at 01:43 AM On 9/19/2023 at 8:14 PM, jenc said: Thanks. Sorry, I didn't realize it didn't fall under anything proper. I wouldn't go so far. It is not a requirement in RONR, which deals with rules applicable generally to al organizations that adopt it as their parliamentary authority. But, within the book itself, is a recognition that each organization will likely have some practices specific to itself, which it provides for through Special Rules of Order and Customs. Recording attendance in the minutes is a common practice. The main suggestion is that, rather than re-inventing the practice with each new secretary, that you decide on what is appropriate (often by following the longstanding custom) and write that down. Then you can adopt them as a special rule and simply follow them from then on. If your organization doesn't want to create a special rule (despite the benefits of doing that) just keep them written for yourself as a guide and pass that along to the next secretary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Martin Posted September 20, 2023 at 03:38 PM Report Share Posted September 20, 2023 at 03:38 PM On 9/19/2023 at 1:32 PM, jenc said: Hi. I am fairly new to being a board secretary for a non-profit. I currently have three lists on our minutes for attendance - members present, members excused and guests. This month there are some changes and I want to make sure I am putting people in the right places... Two members attended on Zoom due to illness - is this present with a "(Zoom)" next to their name or should I add a line for "Present on Zoom"? We voted in a new member at this meeting - for this meeting's minutes do they stay in guests or move them up to members present? We had a board member who now staff and no longer a voting member but still attends to give her report early in the meeting and then can leave. Does she stay under members with a "(staff)" next to her name or move her to a permanent spot in guests? Maybe this is all trivial, I just like it to be correct, orderly and consistent. RONR does not require recording attendance at all, and RONR therefore has no answers to any of these questions. To the extent the organization wishes to record attendance, it will be at the organization's discretion how to address these situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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