Form with which the stockholders of a corporation record the contents of their annual meeting.
Form with which the stockholders of a corporation record the contents of their annual meeting.
The format for a meeting depends on the meeting type and style. While there is no set format for meeting minutes, templates provide guidelines for essential information that should be included in your documentation.
At a minimum, minutes should include: Name and kind of meeting. Date, place, and time that the meeting began and ended. Names of the chair and secretary or their substitute. Names of voting members attending and whether a quorum was present. Names of guests and their subject matter.
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.
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).
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.
10 Meeting Minutes Software to Use in 2024 ClickUp – Best for AI-powered meeting minutes. Fellow – Good for integration with other apps. FreJun – Good for automations. Magic Minutes – Good for stand alone meeting minutes. Evernote – Good for all-purpose note-taking. Beenote – Good for planning meeting notes.
Minutes should include the following: Date and time of meeting. Place of meeting. Members present. Members absent. Invited guests present. Agenda items. Actions voted (number by month and year only the voted actions) Major discussion items (even though no action voted)
Alternatively, you can also browse the templates available under the "Meeting Minutes" category. Select a template: Choose a template that suits your needs and click on it to open it in Word. Customize the template: Fill in the necessary details such as the meeting date, time, location, attendees, and agenda items.
What to include Meeting date, time and location. Names of the committee or other group holding the meeting, the Chair and Secretary. List of those present, including guests in attendance, and any recorded regrets/absences. A record of formal motions and outcomes.
When writing meeting minutes, always use the past tense, as minutes are a record of what has already occurred. This creates consistency and ensures a professional tone. Meeting minutes should be read as an objective summary, focusing on outcomes, not the ongoing process.