What Is the Purpose of Meeting Minutes?

Meeting minutes are the official record of the actions and decisions taken in a meeting or hearing. Minutes capture the important actions of a meeting without recording a verbatim transcript of what was said.

Publicly held companies are required by law to keep minutes of shareholder meetings, board of directors meetings and executive committee meetings. The format for keeping meeting minutes starts with the date and purpose of the meeting. It then lists those attending as well as who is chairing the meeting. An agenda of what is to be covered follows. Motions and resolutions presented during the meeting are listed and are identified as having been passed or denied. The minutes are presented for approval to the body that held the meeting the next time that they convene.