What to include/what to ignore ~ London Institute of Business and Management

Headers of Minutes Should Include:

The name and type of the meeting
Date, start time, and location
Names of meeting members (present or absent)
Identification of the chair and the minute taker
Names of those present who are not official members: in attendance or guest
Whether the minutes of previous meeting were approve

Bodies of the Minutes should include:

Separate sections for each topic (multiple paragraphs can be used)
Motions and names of movers of the motions (formal minutes)
Any action for follow up (including names and dates)
Brief discussion of information
Last paragraph should state hour of adjournment and date of next meeting

Additional Roberts’ Rules

The name of the seconder of a motion – unless ordered by the assembly – need not be recorded
The name and subject of a guest speaker can be given but no effort should be made to summarize his marks
When a committee report is of great importance to show the legislative history of a measure, the assembly can order it “to be entered in the minutes,” in which case the secretary copies it in full in the minutes.

More Robert’s Rules

A vote is not needed to adjourn a meeting. The chair can ask if there is any further business – pause – and then if there is no further business state that the meeting is adjourned.

Minutes would read: There being no further business, the chair adjourned the meeting at 9:15 pm.

You Should Record

Key points only once
Issue Debate – only include the pros and cons
New information All motions and their results
Expected actions, who is responsible and deadlines

What should not be recorded:

Housekeeping information
Speaker’s experiences
Old Material
Personal comments
He said/she said dialogue

When are names needed

To provide an attendance list
To show the mover of a motion
To assign actions/tasks
To identify a presenter
To fulfil the wishes of someone who asks that his or her name be recorded in the minutes (because of an objection