The Complete Guide To Minutes

In this course, you will learn to draft proper minutes in accordance with parliamentary law, using Robert’s Rules of Order. You will become familiar with the proper format for minutes and learn tips and tricks to save time and energy by preparing for the meeting in advance, streamlining the note-taking process, and learning to easily discern in a meeting what belongs in the minutes and what doesn’t. You will become confident in your role as secretary (or designated minute taker). The course includes quotations from and references to Robert’s Rules of Order, providing you with the specific rule that governs each step of the process, so that you can be sure your approach to the minutes and the finished product are in accordance with parliamentary law. The course contains practical examples and helpful templates that can be used in any meeting, helping you avoid the common mistakes encountered with the minute-taking process. The minutes are the official record of what happened in the meeting and should mainly include what was done in the meeting, not what was said by members. The course also covers the rules associated with members' access to the minutes, including how and when members can share the contents of the minutes with nonmembers. The course also examines and explains the rules for the minutes of an executive session, where the proceedings of the meeting are secret, including what executive-session minutes should include, how they should be approved, and who has access to the contents of executive-session minutes. We’ll also cover the process of presenting the minutes to the assembly for approval and the process for correcting minutes, both before their approval and after—even years after their approval.