If ever there was a gap between a job’s glamour and its importance, such is the case for the person responsible for board meeting minutes. Meeting minutes serve as a record of what was discussed and decided in a meeting, what actions must be taken, who must take them and when. So, being of such great importance, who is responsible for the minutes?

It’s the secretary, right? Think again.

While boards generally appoint a secretary who records minutes during the meeting, that does not make them solely responsible for the execution of those minutes. All members of the board are responsible for contributing to and assuring the accuracy of the minutes before approving them. The minutes are meant to be a contemporaneous document aimed at being an accurate reflection of the events. In other words, minutes should be written like a letter to an unknown future judge of what occurred at the meeting. Therefore, in order to gain the most accurate insight into a meeting through the minutes, the board should collectively be responsible for both recording, and ensuring their accuracy.

The main benefit of the board being collectively responsible for the minutes is that there is immediate consensus, instead of the back and forth over messages and email. This also makes secretary role less intimidating to newcomers, and will likely encourage more members to put their hands up for the role.

How can Process PA help? 

Process PA is cloud-based software that automates association procedures and paperwork, saving committee members from administration time. New office bearers are guided through their role and compliance requirements through simple yet effective handovers, ensuring committee processes are maintained.

Agenda Templates, automatic notifications, online Members, Motions and Action registers. Everything taken care of.