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Minutes and Record-Keeping

The position of secretary of your organization is not a job to take lightly. The following criteria are important when considering who will best fulfill this role:

  • Is the person reliable; does he or she keep appointments?
  • Is the person well organized; does he or she complete tasks in a timely manner?
  • Is the person a good listener; is he or she able to be objective and hear both sides of an issue?
  • Is this person on top of what is going on? Is he or she able to appropriately weed out the trivial information and record the important facts for the record?

As you can see, the role of a secretary is more than just taking minutes. The secretary is, in effect, also the historian. What he or she records will be referred to by members of the organization as a reminder of finished and unfinished business, what needs follow-up, and what actions were taken. It will also be kept for future members to read in order to gain an understanding of where the organization has been. Many organizations make it the secretary's responsibility to notify the membership about upcoming meetings: time, date, location, as well as any important items to be discussed.

The secretary should be present at all meetings. If he or she is unable to attend, a substitute, preferably with the characteristics defined earlier, needs to be appointed. It is helpful for the secretary to prepare him or herself before each meeting. A secretary should be sure to read the minutes of previous meetings, review the agenda and any attached documents. The organization can agree upon a standard format for minutes and can fill in important points of discussion, etc. as they occur.

If your organization has a structure that includes committees, whether ad hoc or standing, there should always be a secretary present to accurately record what transpired during their meetings. It is not necessary to take down everything. However, it is necessary to take complete notes. Motions and resolutions do need to be taken verbatim and should be read back during the meeting to make sure they have been accurately recorded.

There are several ways to take meeting minutes and each organization needs to choose the most appropriate method for them. One option is to record a summary of debates, agreements and disagreements with a succinct explanation of the character of each. Another method is to take action minutes when decisions are reached and responsibilities are assigned. In either of these cases make note of the following:

  • The names of the people proposing any action or stating an option of a motion.
  • Motions, resolutions, amendments, decisions or conclusions.
  • The name of the person that seconded the motion. These should be written verbatim.
  • Whether a motion was withdrawn and what assignments were made.

It is often helpful for taking minutes and important for those attending the meeting if the chair or the secretary summarizes decisions that are reached. This person should be careful in clarifying the points of greatest controversy.

It is the secretary's responsibility to gain the attention of the president or chairperson and to ask questions if unsure about the subject being discussed. A secretary should not wait until the meeting has been adjourned to get clarification; individuals can lose their perspective, issues can become less important and one's memory can alter what actually occurred. Also, immediately after the meeting, the secretary should go over his or her notes while everything is still fresh, checking for the following information:

  • Type of meeting (executive, standing committee, etc.)
  • Date, time and place
  • List of attendees and absentees
  • Time of call to order
  • Approval of and/or amendments to previous meeting minutes
  • Record of reports from standing and special committees
  • General matters
  • Record of proposals, resolutions, motions, seconds, final disposition and a summary of the discussion and records of votes
  • Time of adjournment
  • Nomination of submission and transcriber's name

Once the minutes have been transcribed into draft form, they should be submitted to the chair for review and/or correction. When they are returned, they should be prepared in a formal form for final approval at the next meeting. These minutes should be sent out to all members within 3 or 4 days of the meeting, which will allow members time to read the minutes for accuracy before the next meeting and while the previous meeting is still fresh in their minds.

USED WITH PERMISSION: University of Michigan Office of Student Activities and Leadership Handouts