officer transistion period

[Guest joel]

When a new secretary is voted in but his office does not become effective until two days after the meeting in which the vote was taken, who is responsible to insure that the meeting minutes are properly taken, the old secretary or new one? Who is responsible that the meeting minutes get the proper corrections for approval, the old secretary or new one? In other words, when does the new Secretary take over the responsibilities of the old secretary?

I have a situation where the old secretary sent the meeting minutes out for comments to the Board for pro-forma approval. The new secretary wants to incorporate the comments into the meeting minutes for approval at the next Board meeting and the old secretary is raising a stink because he feels that it still his responsibility.

What is the normal rule on this?

Thank you in advance.

Joel

[hmtcastle]

When a new secretary is voted in but his office does not become effective until two days after the meeting in which the vote was taken, who is responsible to insure that the meeting minutes are properly taken, the old secretary or new one?

The current secretary.

But there's no rule that says that the person who took the (draft) minutes has to be the same person who serves as secretary when the minutes are approved.

And there's no rule (in RONR) that says that the secretary who took the minutes has to submit the draft to anyone prior to submitting them for approval at the next regular meeting.

In other words, when does the new Secretary take over the responsibilities of the old secretary?

When the new secretary becomes the current secretary.

[Guest dan]

Your organization seems to have a customized rule about the officers taking office two days after the meeting. Are there other aspects to your customized rules?

If not, then the current (new) secretary assumes all responsibilities on taking office and the old secretary should turn over all books, records, notes to the new secretary two days after the meeting. Period.

Perhaps there is a reason why the old secretary os out.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

When a new secretary is voted in

but his office does not become effective until two days after the meeting in which the vote was taken,

who is responsible to insure that the meeting minutes are properly taken,

the old secretary or new one?

Whoever is secretary at the time, is responsible for the DUTIES ON THAT DAY.

If Secretary X is the officer "Secretary" on the day N, then Secretary X is 100% responsible for fulfilling the duties of Secretary.

What an out-going secretary did, or what an in-coming secretary will do, is not of any authority.

Who is responsible that the meeting minutes get the proper corrections for approval, the old secretary or new one?

In the usual situation, WHOEVER IS ACTING AS SECRETARY AT THE MEETING is the person who presents the minutes, and, if there amendments, hand-writes the changes into the hard copy (i.e., the single master copy), and who dates and initials that master copy.

The absent officer "Secretary" cannot do anything, under this scenario.

If the minutes are to be re-typed with a clean master copy (instead of using the hand-written corrected master copy), then the answer can change. But not necessarily change. It is a variable. It depends on who can read whose handwriting. It is possible that the absent officer (the current Secretary) cannot decipher the notes of the temporary secretary (the secretary pro tem). So this is a dynamic variable which may not follow the strict rule, the pure chain-of-command.

When does the new Secretary take over the responsibilities of the old secretary?

Joel said:

"... a new secretary is voted in, but his office does not become effective until two days after the meeting in which the vote was taken ..."

There is your time line.

Obey your time line.

I have a situation where the old secretary sent the meeting minutes out for comments to the Board for pro-forma approval.

The new secretary

wants to incorporate the comments into the meeting minutes

for approval at the next Board meeting and the old secretary is raising a stink because he feels that it still his responsibility.

The rule from Robert's Rules of Order is:

Never include comments or opinions in the minutes.

(See RONR for an exception for Points of Order and Appeals.)

So your question is moot: Neither the old secretary nor the new secretary get to "incorporate the comments."