Is it correcting or is it changing ?

[Guest Cappy]

I have 4 questions. I record my group’s minutes. At the Sept. 30 meeting a member of the board wanted to change a motion on the first draft of Sept. 1 meeting. It was a motion that I made. She was trying to change it during the corrections or additions to the minutes portion of the agenda. I stated that I thought it should be an amendment. That it would be a new motion with the peoples’ name who were making it listed in the minutes. The board did not support my position. So now the minutes reflect that I made a motion I don’t even support. Question 1. Am I correct about making the changes through a new motion? 2. Do I have to keep my name associated with that motion ? If this has been done in error, how can I go about correcting it? Am I obligated to post minutes I know are incorrect?

Thank you for taking the time to reply

Cappy

[Guest dan]

I think you and/or your organization has a completely distorted and wrong understanding of minutes and their correction and approval.

Minutes should record what was done and not what was said, to start with.

If a motion was made, then the motion should be recorded in the minutes. Under no circumstances should what the motion states (at that meeting) ever be changed at a later point. The only changes/corrections to the minutes should be to correct what was actually in the motion at the time.

To give some examples, suppose at the Sept 1 meeting, a motion was made by John, "I move that the clubhiuse be painted blue." Suppose the motion passes. Suppose that the draft minutes state, "John moved that the clubhouse be painted green. The motion was seconded and passed." At the next meeting, a correction should be offered th change the minutes be corrected to change green to blue in the motion. The minutes should be approved as corrected.

It would never be proper to change the minutes to substitute any other color in the motion but blue, even if everyone now wanted orange. If the clubhouse has not yet been painted, then at a meeting a new motion shoulld be made, seconded and passed to amend/rescind a previously adopted motion and paint the clubhouse orange.

You can't make up motions in the minutes that didn't happen at the time.

[Guest Guest]

Dan, I do understand about only motions, assignments or volunteering to do something should be recorded. But it went something like this:

Change item 6 motion 4 from: I motioned, 2nd by Mr. B to send out notification to Mrs. W. that we are closing the AB&T account that is in her name. Our Secretary will also send the USB air card. It will be sent via certified mail. No opposition. Motion carried.

To: I motioned, 2nd by Mr. B to send out notification to Mrs. W that we no longer need the AB&T account that is in her name. Our Secretary will also send the USB air card. It will be send via certified mail. No opposition. Motion carried.

It is the underlying facts that are involved here. Mrs. W opened the account with AB&T using her credit card at the board’s request. If the motion is changed it leaves Mrs. W to close the account and puts her in a position to incur costs she is not truly responsibility. That is why I cannot support the amended motion. How do I write a motion without using the words spoken? How do I get my name off that motion as it is not the intent of my motion.

[hmtcastle]

How do I write a motion without using the words spoken?

You don't. You record the motion exactly as it was put by the chair prior to the vote. See p. 42.

How do I get my name off that motion as it is not the intent of my motion.

You don't. If you're the maker of the motion, your name is recorded in the minutes, even if the motion that was adopted ends up being different from the motion you made.

And there's no need to record the name of the seconder.

See RONR for sample minutes.