Preparing Minutes

Why important?
Tangible record of the meeting for its participants

Source of info for absent members

Can act as reference point or as a reminder of tasks

assigned or timelines

Who does this?

Secretary

Minutes-taker

Types
Action

Discussion
Verbatim

Five steps
1.

2.
3. 4.

5.

Pre-Planning Record-taking at the meeting Minutes writing or transcribing Distributing or sharing of meeting minutes Filing or storage of minutes for future reference

1. Pre-planning
Get a copy of the meeting agenda (for guidance and

note-taking)

Use the same order and numbering Contains info that should be contained in the minutes (names of attendees, speakers, and guests; documents to be used in the meeting; date, time, place of the meeting)

Clarify expectations from the Chair or Presiding

Officer

 Location of minute-taker during the meeting

Tools (laptop, tablet, pen and paper)

Required forms

2. Record taking: What should be included?

May depend on the organization or the meeting

Usual details: Date, time, place of meeting Names of attendees and regrets Call to order Vote to accept the minutes of the previous meeting Acceptance or corrections/amendments to previous meeting minutes

Decisions made about each agenda item, e.g.:

Actions taken or agreed to be taken Next steps Voting outcomes (who made the motions, who seconded, show of hands) Motions taken or rejected Items to be held over New business Next meeting date and time

Motion to adjourn, time of adjournment

 Board meetings: You may include a short statement of each action taken by the board and a brief explanation of the rationale for the decision When there is extensive deliberation before passing a motion, summarize the major arguments Quorum, proxies, waivers,

Some tips in note-taking

Create an outline

Check-off attendees as they enter the room or

distribute an attendance form Record decisions or notes on action items Ask for clarification if necessary Dont try to capture it all Record it

3. The Minutes Writing Process

Write the minutes ASAP

Review the outline. Clarify and add as necessary.

Check if all actions and motions are clearly noted Check for sufficient detail

Edit to ensure brevity and clarity

 Be objective

Write in the same tense throughout

Avoid using peoples names except for motions or

seconds Avoid personal observations. The fewer adjectives or adverbs, the better. If theres a need to refer to other documents, attach them in an appendix or indicate where they may be found

4. Distributing or Sharing Meeting Minutes

MUST ensure that the Chair has revised/approved

the minutes for circulation Physical or soft copies (intranet, Google Docs, other cloud storage) Send the minutes timely

5. Filing/Storage of Meeting Minutes

Most committees and Boards review and either

approve or amend the minutes at the beginning of the subsequent meeting. Once youve made any required revisions, the minutes will then need to be stored for future reference.