approval of minutes

[dan]

Can the minutes be approved by a member that was not present at the previous meeting?

[hmtcastle]

Can the minutes be approved by a member that was not present at the previous meeting?

The approval of minutes is done by unanimous consent (i.e. without a vote) after any necessary corrections have been made. All members may vote on those corrections whether or not they were present at the previous meeting. All members may vote.

[Guest Matt Frisch]

The approval of minutes is done by unanimous consent (i.e. without a vote) after any necessary corrections have been made. All members may vote on those corrections whether or not they were present at the previous meeting. All members may vote.

Can a meeting proceed if the minutes from the previous meeting, albeit with corrections noted, are not first approved? At what point would the approval of minutes from that previous meeting again be visited?

[Robert B Fish]

The approval of minutes is done by unanimous consent (i.e. without a vote) after any necessary corrections have been made. All members may vote on those corrections whether or not they were present at the previous meeting. All members may vote.

True, but some groups still vote to approve the minutes. So, more to the point of the question, no rule in RONR requires that you must have attended a particular meeting in order to vote that its minutes be approved.

-Bob

[Robert B Fish]

Can a meeting proceed if the minutes from the previous meeting, albeit with corrections noted, are not first approved? At what point would the approval of minutes from that previous meeting again be visited?

Taking a slightly different example, if the assembly could not approve the minutes of the previous meeting - e.g. the secretary who had the minute book was unable to attend - that would not affect the ability of the assembly to conduct other business and then approve those minutes at its next meeting.

-Bob

[frischome@aol.com]

What is the proper procedure if one member, who happens to be the chairperson of the group, refuses to approve the minutes despite corrections noted?

[frischome@aol.com]

In this case, the secreary was in attendance and copies of minutes were provided to all participants. A few corrections were noted but the chairperson was still unwilling to approve the minutes.

[David A Foulkes]

What is the proper procedure if one member, who happens to be the chairperson of the group, refuses to approve the minutes despite corrections noted?

A motion to approve the minutes would not be out of order. If seconded, the Chair should state the question, allowing for debate, amendment (correction) and vote (majority to approve), or rule the motion out of order (which I doubt it would be), which then could be appealed.

I doubt the chairperson has been empowered to unilaterally approve or "dis-approve" the minutes, corrections or not. Who does this person think he is?

[frischome@aol.com]

Exactly!

[Tim Wynn]

What is the proper procedure if one member, who happens to be the chairperson of the group, refuses to approve the minutes despite corrections noted?

That's not how approval of the minutes works. If a member feels the minutes are inaccurate or deficient, he should offer one or more corrections.

"The chair calls for the reading of the minutes, asks for any corrections, then declares the minutes approved..." - RONR(10th ed.), p. 456, l. 29-31.

Whether or not a motion for approval has been offered, the chair may simply say, "If there are no further corrections, the minutes stand approved as corrected" or an applicable variation of that. For details, see RONR(10th ed.), p. 343, l. 10-15.

[frischome@aol.com]

If the chair does not allow the minutes from the previous meeting to be approved, can she then carry on with the agenda for the current meeting?

That's not how approval of the minutes works. If a member feels the minutes are inaccurate or deficient, he should offer one or more corrections.

"The chair calls for the reading of the minutes, asks for any corrections, then declares the minutes approved..." - RONR(10th ed.), p. 456, l. 29-31.

Whether or not a motion for approval has been offered, the chair may simply say, "If there are no further corrections, the minutes stand approved as corrected" or an applicable variation of that. For details, see RONR(10th ed.), p. 343, l. 10-15.

[Tim Wynn]

If the chair does not allow the minutes from the previous meeting to be approved,

A member should raise a Point of Order (RONR 10th ed., p. 240.) that the minutes should be declared approved if there are no further corrections. If the chair rules that the Point of Order is not well taken, a member can appeal from the decision (p. 247), and if the appeal receives a second, the assembly will decide.

Additionally, if the minutes from Meeting A weren't approved at Meeting B, Meeting C should approve both the minutes from Meetings A and B.

[David A Foulkes]

If the chair does not allow the minutes from the previous meeting to be approved, can she then carry on with the agenda for the current meeting?

What's her problem with them anyway?

[Tim Wynn]

What's her problem with them anyway?

I guess she thinks they can't be corrected.

[David A Foulkes]

Whether or not a motion for approval has been offered, the chair may simply say, "If there are no further corrections, the minutes stand approved as corrected" or an applicable variation of that. For details, see RONR(10th ed.), p. 343, l. 10-15.

A member should raise a Point of Order (RONR 10th ed., p. 240.) that the minutes should be declared approved if there are no further corrections. If the chair rules that the Point of Order is not well taken, a member can appeal from the decision (p. 247), and if the appeal receives a second, the assembly will decide.

The problem here however is that this depends on the chair following other procedures properly (ruling on a POO and putting any Appeal to vote) when it's clear she doesn't want to play by the rules to begin with. Clearly this chair should be dethroned, and perhaps at the next election this will take place.

The chair assumes certain responsibilities, among them (and I paraphrase here) to play be the rules (p. 433 l. 24 ff).

Page 642 (ll 11-19, again paraphrasing) offers possible relief. If a member makes a [proper] motion and it is seconded, and the chair neither states the question on the motion or does not rule it out of order, a Point of Order can be raised, from which the Chair's decision can be Appealed. Should the chair also ignore the point of order, the member can make the motion again and if seconded, and the chair still ignores it, the maker of the motion can himself put it to a vote standing in his place. (Power to the People! )

Continuing, ll. 29ff may be of some remedy as well.