The minutes of board meetings are a formal record of the decisions, issues and discussions that occurred during a board of directors’ meeting. They ensure that everyone is aware of what took place, who spoke and the manner in which the vote was taken. They also serve as legal documents for future reference.
It’s not a requirement however having a board secretary who is committed to the task will make it easier to record and publish minutes. They can focus on listening to the discussion and record important details without interrupting. Also, having a designated note-taker in each meeting can allow for a more consistent, structured method of conducting the meeting. Audio recordings can also be used to resolve differences in minutes and to determine what happened during the meeting.
The first step in the minutes-taking process for meetings is to verify that there was a quorum for the meeting. Checking the attendance list against the membership records of the board will identify who was present. If a quorum was not attained, the chair could ask for an adjournment or postpone the discussion to a later time for consideration.
Anything that was presented in the meeting should be mentioned in the minutes, however it is not necessary to provide a full description. The best option is to house all meeting materials in a secure online board portal with solutions like Boardable. The presentations and other materials can be easily accessed when required. This is particularly beneficial for board members who are new and those who have missed the meeting.