Minutes and Record Keeping
Criteria for the Secretary
- Reliable
- Good listener
- Well organized
- Objective
- Informed of organization events and history
Responsibilities--More than taking minutes
Be an Organization Historian
All information a secretary records will be referred to by current
members as a reminder of finished and unfinished business, what needs
to be followed-up on and what actions were taken. Records will
also be kept for future members to read to gain an understanding of
where the organization has been and why.
Inform Members of Meetings
Many organizations make it the secretary's responsibility to notify
the membership about upcoming meetings as well as any important items
to be discussed.
Be present at all meetings
If secretary cannot be present, a responsible substitute should be
chosen.
Be prepared for each meeting
Secretaries should read the minutes of previous meetings, paying attention
to style and format and review the agenda and any attached documents.
If the organization has agreed upon a standard format for minutes, he/she
can use a standardized form and fill in discussions as they occur.
Record Committee Actions
Committee motions and resolutions need to be recorded accurately but
not necessarily verbatim.
How to Take Minutes
There are several ways to take meeting minutes, and each organization
needs to choose the most appropriate method for them. A practical
option is to record a summary of debates, agreements and disagreements
with a succinct explanation of the character of each. The second
method is to take action minutes when decisions are reached and responsibilities
are assigned.
Regardless of the method, minutes should include the following things:
- Type of meeting (executive, standing committee, general, etc.)
- Date, time and place
- List of attendees and those absent.
- Time of call to order
- Approval and/or amendments to previous meeting minutes
- Record of reports from standing and special committees
- Record of proposals, resolutions, motions, seconding, final disposition,
and summary of the discussions, also record any vote
- Time of adjournment
- Nomination of submission and transcriber's name
- Names of people proposing any action, stating an option or making
a motion
- Motions, resolutions, amendments, decisions or conclusions
- What assignments were made to whom with deadlines
Suggestions for Taking Minutes
It is often helpful for both minute-taking and for those attending
the meeting if the chair or the secretary summarizes decisions that
are reached. The summary should carefully clarify
points of controversy.
It is the secretary's responsibility to signal the president/chair
and ask questions regarding the subject being discussed if he/she becomes
lost or unsure. A secretary should not wait until the meeting
has been adjourned to get clarification; individuals can lose their
perspective, issues can become less important and one's memory can alter
what actually occurred. Immediately after the meeting, the secretary
must go over the notes while everything is still fresh.
Once the minutes have been transcribed into draft form, they should
be submitted for review and corrections. Once returned,
the minutes should be prepared formally for final approval at the next
meeting. These minutes should be sent out to all members within
3 or 4 days of the meeting. The minutes should also contain the information
about the next meeting.