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Wording for asking for a motion


Guest Lee

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First, the Chair of the meeting should be handling this, not the secretary (unless you are chairing the meeting).

No "motion" is normally made. Rather, the Chair of the meeting will ask if there are any corrections to the minutes, either as read or as distributed in draft.

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I am a new secretary of a fund raising organization and am not sure how to go about seeking approval of minutes. Is this the correct wording?

1. May I have a motion to approve the minutes?

2. May I have a second?

3. All in favor?

4. Opposed?

5. Abstained?

6. So moved.

No. It isn't correct. None of it is correct.

1. Chairs are not to say this.

2. No second is necessary, if done by The Book.

3. No vote necessary, if done by The Book.

4. No vote necessary, if done by The Book.

5. NEVER call for abstentions. Abstentions are not votes. Abstentions do not change the outcome of a vote.

6. NEVER use this phrase. The Book explicitly says that this phrase is improper.

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I am a new secretary of a fund raising organization and am not sure how to go about seeking approval of minutes. Is this the correct wording?

May I have a motion to approve the minutes?

May I have a second?

All in favor?

Opposed?

Abstained?

So moved.

As secretary, your only role is to read the draft minutes (unless they have been distributed ahead of time, in which case this is not done unless requested by a member). The chair will then ask if there are any corrections to the minutes. If corrections are offered, the chair would typically ask, "Is there any objection?" If someone objects, a formal vote will be taken on the corrections (all in favor... all opposed). Abstentions are not called for. After all corrections have been handled, the chair simply announced "The minutes are approved as corrected (or "as read" or "as distributed," if there are no corrections).

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Would the words be correct in asking for approval of Board minutes?

No. It isn't correct.

None of it is correct.

1. Chairs are not to say this.

2. No second is necessary, if done by The Book.

3. No vote necessary, if done by The Book.

4. No vote necessary, if done by The Book.

5. NEVER call for abstentions. Abstentions are not votes. Abstentions do not change the outcome of a vote.

6. NEVER use this phrase. The Book explicitly says that this phrase is improper.

1. May I have a motion to approve the minutes?

2. May I have a second?

3. All in favor?

4. Opposed?

5. Abstained?

6. So moved.

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Would the words be correct in asking for approval of Board minutes?

The chair doesn't really "ask for approval." He asks for corrections, and when no further corrections are forthcoming, he announces that the minutes are approved. If the summary of the correct procedure I provided was unclear, I suggest reading RONR, 10th ed., pg. 343, lines 10-28 for more information.

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