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Please help with minutes


Guest Tim

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How detailed should minutes get. I read where it is simply motion and outcome. Here are some sample ones that need to be submitted from a special meeting. This is one issue and then it lists many other accusations with discussion. How should they read and what details should be eliminated:

XXXX needs to be suspended as a drum instructor until the August board meeting. The board needs to discuss if we want to retain Tim’s services or if some form of corrective action needs to be taken. This also gives the parents a chance to see if daily operations of the corps improve without his influences.

Overview:

XXXX has not been successful in getting drum recruits through the training process.

XXXX is verbally abusive to our kids.

Many of the younger kids are afraid of Tim.

XXXX grabs the kids in an improper fashion.

XXXX has acted inappropriately with corps members.

XXXX does not follow the direction of the Executive Committee.

Details:

XXXX has not been successful in getting drum recruits through the training process.

Since Steve left and Tim has been in charge of drum recruits the only drummer he has instructed through the process is XXXX. XXXX has asked some of the recruits to leave because their drumming was not good enough and he didn’t want to spend any more time with them. Some drum recruits left because they were tired of being berated by XXXX verbal abuse.

Outcome:

This issue was dropped and XXXX is not to be held responsible.

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How detailed should minutes get. I read where it is simply motion and outcome. Here are some sample ones that need to be submitted from a special meeting. This is one issue and then it lists many other accusations with discussion. How should they read and what details should be eliminated:

XXXX needs to be suspended as a drum instructor until the August board meeting. The board needs to discuss if we want to retain Tim’s services or if some form of corrective action needs to be taken. This also gives the parents a chance to see if daily operations of the corps improve without his influences.

Overview:

XXXX has not been successful in getting drum recruits through the training process.

XXXX is verbally abusive to our kids.

Many of the younger kids are afraid of Tim.

XXXX grabs the kids in an improper fashion.

XXXX has acted inappropriately with corps members.

XXXX does not follow the direction of the Executive Committee.

Details:

XXXX has not been successful in getting drum recruits through the training process.

Since Steve left and Tim has been in charge of drum recruits the only drummer he has instructed through the process is XXXX. XXXX has asked some of the recruits to leave because their drumming was not good enough and he didn’t want to spend any more time with them. Some drum recruits left because they were tired of being berated by XXXX verbal abuse.

Outcome:

This issue was dropped and XXXX is not to be held responsible.

Take a look at RONR (10th ed.), pp. 451-456, about the form and content of the minutes. I think you'll be pleased with what you see.

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How detailed should minutes get.

Not anywhere close to as detailed as the example you provided.

The minutes are the official record of what was done at a meeting (e.g. motions) not what was said (e.g. debate). They are not intended as a substitute for attending the meeting.

Unless I missed something, none of what you wrote belongs in the minutes.

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Not anywhere close to as detailed as the example you provided.

The minutes are the official record of what was done at a meeting (e.g. motions) not what was said (e.g. debate). They are not intended as a substitute for attending the meeting.

Unless I missed something, none of what you wrote belongs in the minutes.

So basically something like:

XXX made a motion that XXX be suspended or removed.

After discussion XXX made a motion to revisit the situation in 90 days to see if things are on track.

Motion passed

Leave out all details and every accusation?

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So basically something like:

XXX made a motion that XXX be suspended or removed.

After discussion XXX made a motion to revisit the situation in 90 days to see if things are on track.

Motion passed

Leave out all details and every accusation?

Exactly. The minutes are a record of what was done, not what was said. This is especially important in the case of disciplinary action, to protect the board from liability.

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So basically something like:

XXX made a motion that XXX be suspended or removed.

After discussion XXX made a motion to revisit the situation in 90 days to see if things are on track.

Motion passed

Leave out all details and every accusation?

Well, you're getting close.

"Mr. Smith moved 'that Jim Jones be suspended'. Ms. Johnson moved to postpone consideration of the motion for ninety days. The motion to postpone was adopted."

Or something like that.

RONR has sample bylaws which are worth taking a look at. You should be able to find the book in the library.

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Well, you're getting close.

"Mr. Smith moved 'that Jim Jones be suspended'. Ms. Johnson moved to postpone consideration of the motion for ninety days. The motion to postpone was adopted."

Or something like that.

RONR has sample bylaws which are worth taking a look at. You should be able to find the book in the library.

Wow, lots of help - thanks! How would I write it if the original motion was made at a member's meeting (not board meeting). It failed. The board of directors called a special meeting to discuss it (since it should have been done there to begin with), and decided to watch everything and meet again in 90 days. Would the original motion from the members meeting be listed in the minutes?

Sorry if that is confusing. I think I understand how to write them now, other than that original motion from the other meeting.

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Would the original motion from the members meeting be listed in the minutes?

The minutes of meetings of one body (e.g. the general membership) are separate from, and independent of, the minutes of meetings of another body (e.g. the board).

You don't include anything that happened in the meeting of one body in the minutes of a meeting of the other body (unless, of course, it happened there as well).

As an added wrinkle, it's not clear that the board can consider a question that the general membership has already disposed of (though that will depend on just what authority your board has). You might want to take a look at Official Interpretations 2006-12 and 2006-13.

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The minutes of meetings of one body (e.g. the general membership) are separate from, and independent of, the minutes of meetings of another body (e.g. the board).

You don't include anything that happened in the meeting of one body in the minutes of a meeting of the other body (unless, of course, it happened there as well).

As an added wrinkle, it's not clear that the board can consider a question that the general membership has already disposed of (though that will depend on just what authority your board has). You might want to take a look at Official Interpretations 2006-12 and 2006-13.

Okay that makes sense. I will leave that part out.

The reason the Board called a meeting was according to the bylaws it should have been addressed at a Board of Directors meeting since it was disciplinary. It should have never been addressed at the general meeting, but the president allowed the motion, lots of discussion and a vote. When he was called on it he apologized later.

The board then called a special meeting to discuss it since it should have been there first. I'm assuming the vote at the general meeting shouldn't really count since it shouldn't have been handled there. Unfortunately the person who was allowed to make the motion at the general meeting is also on the board, so that is why it is so important to get these minutes right so it won't be brought up all again. If it isn't obvious, there is an agenda to have someone removed.

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I'm assuming the vote at the general meeting shouldn't really count since it shouldn't have been handled there.

I'm not sure that assumption is warranted. Unless the board has exclusive jurisdiction in this matter, the general membership is still the superior body.

Stick around, or stop back tomorrow, in case anyone else offers a different opinion.

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I'm not sure that assumption is warranted. Unless the board has exclusive jurisdiction in this matter, the general membership is still the superior body.

Stick around, or stop back tomorrow, in case anyone else offers a different opinion.

??? I thought the general membership was accountable to the Board of Directors? Our problem is the Board of Directors is made up of 7 members of the general membership, no one different. However, our bylaws do state that disciplinary actions are handled by the Board, not the general membership.

Thanks for the help so far, I'll keep checking back.

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I thought the general membership was accountable to the Board of Directors?

It's the other way around, unless your Bylaws say otherwise.

Our problem is the Board of Directors is made up of 7 members of the general membership, no one different.

I don't see the problem. It's a very common arrangement for the directors to be elected from the general membership.

However, our bylaws do state that disciplinary actions are handled by the Board, not the general membership.

If your Bylaws grant exclusive authority to the board to handle disciplinary action, the motion at the general membership meeting was out of order, but since the motion failed that doesn't seem like a big deal at this point.

Whether the motion to make this a general order for 90 days later was in order depends on whether there is another meeting before then and, more importantly, whether this is consistent with the disciplinary procedure in the Bylaws.

At any rate, your original question was about the content of the minutes, and that one's easy - the minutes record what happened, even if what happened was improper.

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