Meeting minutes are the official permanent record of a business or organization. It is the meeting secretary's job to ensure that the minutes are accurate and concise, as they are intended to document the outcome of business decisions (such as motions). Formal meetings need minutes to ensure that there is an accurate record of important decisions and motions made by the committee. They also offer
. future or present members insight into how meetings have operated in the past and how the organization has functioned in the past. The format of minute meetings should be as followed: The name as well as the chapter of the organization should be documented. The date, time, and place of the meeting should be documented for accuracy, and care should be taken to ensure that there are no glaring spelling or grammatical errors. The name of the presiding officer should be noted. Names of any guests, the time of the meeting's adjournment, and the name of the secretary who prepared the minutes should be documented. There are several ways to save time while taking accurate minutes. Start with a preprinted page with the heading filled out in advance. If a pen and paper are used rather than a laptop computer, prepare the template file on a computer with standard headings. Use a blank file to start each new set of minutes. A laptop computer should only be used if the minutes secretary is comfortable using a laptop and is a quick and accurate typer. Once the meeting is started, it is not the time to deal with keyboard issues or other computer technical issues that may arise. An appropriate format to follow is the standard Robert's Rules of Order format wherein motions are proposed, discussed, and voted on. This ensures that minutes of a meeting focus on content and outcome of the motions. After the motions, there should be a clear "yay" or "nay," vote among the members that makes it obvious to all whether a proposal has been approved or denied. Many groups are more informal and do not use motions to drive their meetings. In this case, it is more difficult to decide what should and should not be included in the meeting minutes. Minutes should be finalized in a timely manner and copies should be available to any group members who wish to review them. It is also important for copies to be stored on electronic computer files as well as in a binder specifically allocated for minutes. Clearly worded and written minutes allow meetings to be documented properly and establish a professional record for future reference. More Reference Links: www.effectivemeetings.com/meetingbasics/minutes.asp www.mftrou.com/meeting-minutes.html
