M1: Learner Manual
13. Frequency of Meetings
13.1. Records of Meetings
The agenda is the list of things that will be discussed during the meeting. It is usually sent to Board members well in advance of the meeting to ensure everyone has a chance to read and digest it before the meeting starts.
Some more sophisticated agendas go further than a simple list, also providing supporting information (explanations, related documents, etc.), as well as details about who will address each item, recommendations for action and how much time each item is expected to take up.
The minutes are the official record of the actions and decisions of the Board. They are taken every meeting and approved the next time the Board meets. Generally, meeting minutes will include:
- The date and time of the meeting (including start and finishing times).
- Attendees (including absences and apologies – and noting when people have left and re-entered the meeting).
- A summary of the main points made during the discussion of each item.
- The result of each item discussed (decisions made or deferred, sometimes also including the number of votes for and against).
The minutes are sometimes approved without much thought, or even having not been read by Board members. This is a dangerous practice indeed. The minutes show who voted for what and what action the Board has committed itself to – and they may be referred to as the official record days and weeks and even years after a decision has been made. They should therefore not be treated lightly.[1]
Minutes of each general meeting, Board meeting and committee meeting must:
- be kept in the English language
- entered in the appropriate books within 28 days after the meeting
- be signed within a reasonable time after the meeting by the chairperson of the meeting or the chairperson of the next meeting.[2]
It is good governance for the draft minutes to be circulated within a reasonable time of the meeting, as this will assist in meeting the one-month deadline for entering the minutes in the minute book.[3]