New To Writing Meeting Minutes?
Whether you’ve been tasked with taking notes for a committee or you’ve been appointed Secretary to the Board of your organization, preparing meeting minutes doesn’t have to be an arduous task. Here are some tips and ideas that will help you get started with writing and preparing effective meeting minutes, as well as a meeting minutes sample and a meeting minutes template that you can follow.
This guide on how to write meeting minutes was prepared by WildApricot to help the volunteers and/or staff of small non-profits and membership organizations who may be new to the task of taking and preparing minutes of meeting for committees or Boards of Directors.
What Are Meeting Minutes?
Meeting minutes are the written record of what was discussed and decided during a meeting. They typically include the date and time of the meeting, a list of attendees, a summary of the topics discussed, decisions made, action items assigned, and the time of adjournment.
Minutes are essential for providing an official account of the meeting, ensuring accountability, and helping attendees recall important details. They are usually prepared by a designated person, such as a secretary or administrative assistant, and are approved at the subsequent meeting.
Who Should Write the Meeting Minutes?
Meeting minutes are typically written by the designated secretary or administrative assistant of the group or organization. In some cases, a specific member of the group may be assigned to take minutes for a particular meeting.
The person responsible for writing the minutes should be someone who is attentive, detail-oriented, and capable of accurately capturing the discussions and decisions made during the meeting.
Meeting Minutes Template:
Here’s a simple template you can refer to next time you need to take meeting minutes:
Organization Name
Meeting Minutes
Date:
Opening:
The meeting was called to order at [Time] by [Name] at [Location].
Present:
[List of all present members]
Absent:
[List of any members who were not present]
Approval of Agenda:
The agenda was reviewed and approved.
Approval of Minutes:
The minutes from the previous meeting were reviewed and approved.
Business From the Previous Meeting:
- [Summary of any motions or topics from the previous meeting, including decisions made]
New Business:
- [Summary of any new motions or topics raised, including decisions made]
Additions to the Agenda:
- [Summary of any additional items raised during the meeting]
Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned at [Time] by [Name]. The next meeting will be held on [Date] at [Location].
Minutes submitted by:
[Name]
Minutes approved by:
[Name]
How to Create Your Meeting Minute Process
As mentioned above, there are essentially five steps involved with meeting minutes:
- Pre-Planning
- Record taking – at the meeting
- Minutes writing or transcribing
- Distributing or sharing of meeting minutes
- Filing or storage of minutes for future reference
Pre-Plan Your Meeting Minutes
A well-planned meeting helps ensure effective meeting minutes. If the Chair and the Secretary or minutes-taker work together to ensure the agenda and meeting are well thought out, it makes minute taking much easier.
For example, depending on the meeting structure and the tools you use, the minutes-taker could work with the Chair to create a document format that works as an agenda and minutes outline as well.
Set the Agenda of a Meeting
At the very least, it’s important to get a copy of the meeting agenda and use it as a guide or outline for taking notes, setting up your mom format, and preparing the minutes – with the order and numbering of items on the minutes of meeting matching those of the agenda.
In addition, the agenda and/or meeting notice also provides information that will need to be included in the minutes, such as:
- the names of all the meeting attendees, including guests or speakers
- documents that are sent out with the agenda or handed out in the meeting – copies (digital or hard copy) of handouts should be stored with the meeting minutes for future reference and for sharing with those who were unable to attend the meeting (and others as determined by the meeting’s Chair).
Clarify Expectations
When you take on a new role as minutes-taker or Secretary, be sure to ask the Chair of the committee or Board what their expectations are of your role during the meeting, as well as the type of detail he/she expects in the minutes.
For example, if your Board or committee will be dealing with motions, or voting on items/issues, be clear on whether you need to offer names of those making motions, seconding, etc. If you will be dealing with this type of procedure, you (and your Chair) may want to refer to Robert’s Rules of Order.
The Minutes Writing Process
Once the meeting is over, it’s time to pull together your notes and write the minutes. Here are some tips that might help:
- Try to write the minutes as soon after the meeting as possible while everything is fresh in your mind.
- Review your outline and if necessary, add additional notes or clarify points raised. Also check to ensure all decisions, actions and motions are clearly noted.
- Ensure you’re including sufficient detail
- For Board of Directors minutes in particular, we recommend including a short description of each action taken, as well as the rationale behind the decision
- If there was a lot of discussion before passing a motion, write down the major arguments for and against
- Edit to ensure brevity and clarity, so the minutes are easy to read
- In terms of mom format, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Be objective
- Write in the same tense throughout
- Avoid using names other than to record motions and seconds.
- Avoid personal observations — the minutes should be solely fact-based
- If you need to refer to other documents, don’t try to summarize them. Rather, simply indicate where they can be found or attach them as an appendix
In Closing…Enjoy Your New Role!
Meeting minutes are important – after all, they capture the essential information of a meeting. But taking and preparing minutes doesn’t have to be a daunting task. We hope this article helps newbies in getting started in creating effective meeting minutes for your organization.
