Motions should be found in the minutes as they occurred in the meeting. Motions – Each motion should be numbered. Numbering of motions starts at one at the beginning of each school year and continue from there until the next year.
Record the exact wording of the motion. The names of the movers and seconders of any motion shall be recorded in the minutes, unless the bylaws or committee procedures state otherwise. Usually, voting outcomes are clear and there is no need to count the votes.
Only one thing (motion) can be discussed at a time. A motion is the topic under discussion (e.g., “I move that we add a coffee break to this meeting”).
In reality, though, one of the most essential things any board will do with minutes is approve them. The approval of meeting minutes certifies that the minutes are a complete and accurate reflection of the discussions, actions and decisions that occurred during a board meeting.
What information do board meeting minutes contain? Meeting date, time and location. Type of meeting. Names and titles of attendees and guests. Any absent board directors. Quorum. Notes about directors who left early or re-entered the meeting. Board approvals, resolutions and acceptance of reports. Overview of discussions.
Motions recorded in minutes should reflect exact wording when vote was taken or when presiding officer declared unanimous consent. Minutes should also record numbers of those in favor voting in favor of the motion and those opposed.
To create helpful action items, you need to know the meeting topic and the goal of the project or business objective. Summarize the meeting conversation topic and the problem that needs to be solved. Decide on the specific action that needs to be done to help progress the project, problem, or goal.
You can use a cloud service, a document management system, or a dedicated folder to store your meeting minutes. Make sure to label them consistently, back them up regularly, and protect them from unauthorized access. You can also archive old meeting minutes that are no longer needed or relevant.
There is no general requirement that board minutes be public – though some countries have laws that they must be available to members. However, not-for-profit organisations earn trust by being open about how they handle the public trust that has been granted to them.
Robert's Rules (Section -16) state that “the minutes should contain mainly a record of what was done at the meeting, not what was said by the members.” Minutes are not transcripts of meetings; rather, the document contains a record of actions taken by the body, organized by the meeting's order of business (agenda).