motions

[Guest Sandi Jackson]

Concerning minutes: Am I correct in saying minutes do not have to be voted on. As long as you have a motion and second to approve, they are approved. Can you not also say, "Without objection, the minutes are approved>"

[George Mervosh]

The presiding officer asks for corrections and when there are none or no more forthcoming, announces that the minutes are approved {or approved as corrected}, without a motion or vote.

RONR, pp. 343-344

[Gary c Tesser]

I'm looking at M. Jackson's "As long as you have a motion and second to approve, they are approved," along with what Mr Mervosh said.

It must be clear that if anyone thinks that the minutes offered for approval are inaccurate, the assembly does correct them.

[hmtcastle]

It must be clear that if anyone thinks that the minutes offered for approval are inaccurate, the assembly does correct them.

As long as that "anyone" has a majority of other "anyones" on his side.

[David A Foulkes]

Concerning minutes: Am I correct in saying minutes do not have to be voted on. As long as you have a motion and second to approve, they are approved. Can you not also say, "Without objection, the minutes are approved>"

While it is more efficient for the Chair to declare the minutes approved (after asking for any corrections), a vote to approve the minutes (at the appropriate time) is not out of order. It's just kind-a silly because if you're going to vote no on the approval, that means you (should) want to offer a correction, and that's really what you should do.

I would venture to say that if the custom in your organization has been to vote on the approval, there's nothing wrong with that. But - just because you have a motion and second, it doesn't stop there. That's not enough to say the they are approved. The chair should state the question (all this in favor / opposed), followed by debate (if any) and amendments (ie corrections if any) and then a majority vote will take it from there.

RONR (10th Ed.) p. 343 ll. 19-22

[Dan Honemann]

"Whether or not a motion for approval has been offered, the chair may simply say, "If there are no corrections [or "no further corrections"], the minutes stand [or "are"] approved [or "approved as read," or "approved as corrected"]." (RONR, 10th ed., p. 343, l. 24-28, emphasis supplied).

[David A Foulkes]

"Whether or not a motion for approval has been offered, the chair may simply say, "If there are no corrections [or "no further corrections"], the minutes stand [or "are"] approved [or "approved as read," or "approved as corrected"]." (RONR, 10th ed., p. 343, l. 24-28, emphasis supplied).

Well, so it is written, so it shall be. I was thinking along the lines of p. 37 ll. 17-20, but "in principle", I guess there's an exception to (almost) every rule. Lesson learned. Again.

(scraping sound you hear is me shimmying back in off the limb)