Writing the minutes

Minutes record action taken by the group, including:

• The exact wording of motions as stated by the chair. (The presiding officer can require any main motion or amendments to the motion to be in writing before it will be stated by the chair. The secretary can request the presiding officer to require that this be done.)
• The name of the member who moved the adoption of a motion, but not the name of the individual who “seconds” the motion, unless the assembly orders that it also be included.
• The action taken on the motion (pass/fail).

The minutes are typed on a laptop or written legibly in permanent black ink and signed by the secretary. Minutes are recorded in an official minutes record and must have numbered pages in order to avoid alteration or removal of pages.

Taping the meeting has special considerations. There can be technical issues, it requires 100% consent of the body and disposal and use in case of lawsuits is another factor.

Minutes are read (or a draft printed and distributed) and approved or corrected immediately after the call to order, opening ceremonies and after a quorum has been established.

Should minutes not be available for approval, then those minutes are approved first at the next meeting. Minutes are approved in the order that the meetings occurred.

Minutes of an association meeting may not be approved at a special meeting.

Minutes are signed by the secretary, using the secretary’s given name. Example: Sue Jones, Secretary. The words “Respectfully submitted” represent an older practice that is not essential in signing the minutes.

Minutes of the preceding meeting may be printed and distributed if clearly marked as “draft.”

If the secretary is not present at a meeting, the president appoints a secretary pro-tem, who then provides a draft to the secretary for approval at the following meeting.

After the minutes have been read (or distributed) and approved, the secretary writes “Approved as read (or printed)” or “Approved as corrected,” the date of approval and the secretary’s initials.