There are many opinions about how to take meeting minutes. Here are some generally accepted effective best practices.
- Minutes should indicate the place, date, and time of the meeting and the names of all participants at the meeting, including individuals arriving late or leaving early, guests, and staff.
- Include a statement in the minutes about distribution of financial reports and approval or corrections to prior minutes.
- From time to time, minutes may contain self-serving statements to protect the organization. For example: “An antitrust avoidance statement was read and distributed to the board.” This is to the advantage of the organization.
- Don’t have one word more than what is absolutely necessary, but do recognize that what is necessary includes some artfully drafted evidence that a board is meeting its fiduciary duties and is complying with tax and legal requirements.
- Do not retain drafts of minutes, notes, and audio or video recordings in the organization’s files once the minutes are approved. The chief elected officer and staff must be sure they are discarded. The organization should have a policy about who may create audio and video recordings.
- Ask legal counsel to review minutes before they are distributed to be certain no liability is created for the association.
Sources: “Minutes Are to Protect the Organization” by Robert Harris, CAE; “The Substance of Meeting Minutes” by James A. Woehlke, Esq., CAE, Associations Now, February 2006.
