Motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes

[Rob Elsman]

But, isn't it fun to see all those responders of old?

[Richard Brown]

19 minutes ago, Atul Kapur said:

Guest Lizette, this forum (other than this particular thread) prefers that you ask a new question by creating a new post, rather than piggybacking on an old post.
Normally @Richard Brown would be the one to tell you that. 😀

And Richard Brown was in the process of doing just that when you made your comment!!  But it was getting too lengthy as I was trying to explain to Guest Lizette that her organization apparently does not understand the difference between "unfinished business" and "old business" and that her membership should not be sitting around discussing "old business" and cluttering up the minutes with the minutiae of said discussions.  So, I wound up just deleting it.

Guest Lizette, I strongly suggest you get a copy of RONR or RONR in Brief to learn the difference between "old business" which RONR does not even recognize and "unfinished business".  Both books also explain what does and does not belong in the minutes.  The minutes should be a record of "what was done at the meeting", not what was said. 

Edited to add:  BTW, you've gotten pretty good at "telling em that" yourself... for which I thank you!

Edited November 23, 2019 at 07:11 PM by Richard Brown
Added last paragraph

[Richard Brown]

39 minutes ago, Rob Elsman said:

A member can make a unanimous consent request to dispense with the reading of the minutes.

That is true, but the minutes nonetheless must still be read upon the demand (or request) of one member even if the draft minutes have been distributed in advance.   RONR, p. 474.  If no one objects, then the reading of the minutes (but not the approval of them!) can be dispensed with.  There is a common misconception that "dispensing with the reading of the minutes" also dispenses with the need to approve them.  It does not and it does not take the place of approval. 

[Gary Novosielski]

8 hours ago, Guest Lizette said:

Is it mandatory for the Old Business be read out loud by the President when everyone has read the minutes and Approved them as "read"?  At our meetings it ends up being another half hour of discussion on the Old Business again with intermixing of New Business before we even get to new business.  Very unorganized and we don't get an agenda, everything is all in one.  I have asked that Old Business not be read out with extra discussions (yes, some items should fall under Unfinished Business but try to tell the President and Secretary that goes on deaf ears) if Approved by members so we can get going on the New Business and get out at a decent time.  Anyones thoughts on this?

 

There is no category of Old Business in RONR.  At first I thought you were referring to Reading and Approval of Minutes, but you say the minutes have been approved already.  

Sometimes Unfinished Business is incorrectly referred to as "Old"  but that refers to business that was pending at the time of adjournment at the last meeting, or was never reached on an agenda of the previous meeting.  In either case, that refers to motions that are handled in the regular way.  Nothing gets "read out" and nothing gets debated or discussed without a motion.

You say that you don't get an agenda, but in most ordinary societies there is no need for an agenda.  If your parliamentary authority is RONR, you should be using the Standard Order of Business:

1. Reading and Approval of Minutes
2. Reports of Officers, Boards, and Standing Committees
3. Reports of Special (Select or Ad Hoc) Committees
4. Special Orders
5. Unfinished Business and General Orders
6. New Business

There is no heading under which chaotic and wasteful discussions are in order.  

For a full description of what occurs in each of those categories, refer to RONR §41: ORDER OF BUSINESS; ORDERS OF THE DAY; AGENDA OR PROGRAM

Edited November 24, 2019 at 03:22 AM by Gary Novosielski