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.
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.
Board meeting minutes are an objective record of what took place during a board meeting. The minutes are typically used for internal purposes like record-keeping and for posterity. Minutes can serve to inform future meetings and recall what was discussed, agreed upon or dismissed by a company's board members.
In most cases, the meeting secretary will sign the approved copy of the minutes, while some boards require all present board members to sign the approved minutes.
There is no general requirement that board minutes be public – though some countries have laws that they must be available to members.
To take effective meeting minutes, the secretary should include: Date of the meeting. Time the meeting was called to order. Names of the meeting participants and absentees. Corrections and amendments to previous meeting minutes. Additions to the current agenda. Whether a quorum is present. Motions taken or rejected.
Minutes, papers, agendas should be public and meetings should have a portion of the session for confidential matters e.g. financial, HR, crisis management etc., to be discussed in private, either before or after the open session. Confidential matters and papers are still confidential.
Board minutes often contain information that is subject to the attorney-client privilege and that directors may prefer to keep confidential. However, most jurisdictions allow stockholders to inspect corporate books and records, including board minutes.
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.
What Should Be Included in Meeting Minutes? Date and time of the meeting. Names of the meeting participants and those unable to attend (e.g., “regrets”) Acceptance or corrections/amendments to previous meeting minutes. Decisions made about each agenda item, for example: Actions taken or agreed to be taken. Next steps.
2. What should be excluded in the meeting minutes? Avoid switching tenses in your writing. Avoid recording the debate; just record the outcome. Avoid making personal observations or opinions. Avoid verbatim quotes. Avoid letting the meeting move on if you're confused.