Form with which the board of directors of a corporation records the contents of its first meeting.
Form with which the board of directors of a corporation records the contents of its first meeting.
The minutes are a factual record of business. Do not include: Opinions or judgments: Leave out statements like "a well done report" or "a heated discussion." Criticism or accolades: Criticism of members, good or bad, should not be included unless it takes the form of an official motion.
The minutes should include the point that was discussed and the decision that was reached. Avoid making personal observations or opinions. Don't make your own comments. Stick to just the facts.
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).
Legal requirements for board meeting minutes include the name of the company, date and location, names of present and absent directors, and a record of all the proceedings during the meeting. Legal documents and reports must come as attachments.
What Should Not be Included in Meeting Minutes? Personal opinions and comments. Excessive detail. Tangential conversations. Verbal exchanges or arguments. Unconfirmed information. Confidential or sensitive information. Off-the-record remarks. Meeting details.
Some groups prefer to use Absent and/or Regrets Regrets imply the person told the organizer (probably you) before the meeting that they wouldn't be attending. Absent implies they just didn't show up. You can choose whatever word you like (I default to Regrets even if they didn't tell me in advance) for your minutes.
Personal remarks don't belong. It is a big mistake to include personal opinions in the minutes. The writer must not editorialize, and members' personal remarks should not be included.
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.
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.
There is no general requirement that board minutes be public – though some countries have laws that they must be available to members.