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What are Minutes?

Minutes, also known as protocols, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing.
They often give an overview of the structure of the meeting, starting with a list of those
present, a statement of the various issues before the participants, and each of their
responses thereto.

They are often created at the moment of the hearing by a typist or court recorder at the
meeting, who may record the meeting in shorthand, and then type the minutes and issue
them to the participants afterwards. Alternatively, the meeting may be audio-recorded
and the minutes typed later. The minutes of certain entities, such as a corporate board of
directors, must be kept and are important legal documents.

Minutes record the decisions of the meeting and the actions agreed. They provide a
record of the meeting and, importantly, they provide a review document for use at the
next meeting so that progress can be measured – this makes them a useful disciplining
technique as individuals' performance and non-performance of agreed actions is given
high visibility.

NEED FOR MINUTE WRITING:

Minutes are a formal brief summary of proceedings at meetings. The main reasons for
keeping minutes are to:

• provide an authoritative source and permanent record of proceedings for future


reference
• provide formal evidence of decisions, e.g. appointments, financial allocations,
authorised actions
• provide a record of policy decisions made and the basis for them
• provide a starting point for action to be taken in future
• create an official record which can be used in legal proceedings
• inform members not present at the meeting and any others of the actions of the
body concerned
• assist in the conduct of subsequent meetings
• set out precedents for future occasions, in the case of rulings from the chair
• provide documentary evidence for audit purposes

At some meetings, especially of bodies with less formal accountabilities, the term
'minutes' is sometimes replaced by the term 'notes'.
Notes differ from minutes in that, typically, they are less formal, depending on the status
of the committee/working party concerned. They are typically: less detailed, involving a
shorter précis of discussion emphasizes action to be taken after the meeting do not need
to be approved at the next meeting.
Public minutes

Most public meetings and governmental hearings follow prescribed rules. Often speakers'
words are recorded verbatim, or with only minor paraphrasing, so that every speaker's
comments are included. This is generally required at public hearings that are called to
address a particular issue, as distinct from other types of public meetings, which may not
strictly require verbatim records of all comments made.

Format

Generally, minutes begin with the organization name, place, date, list of people present,
and the time that the chair called the meeting to order. Minutes then record what actually
happens at a meeting, usually in the order that it actually happens, regardless of whether
the meeting follows (or ignores) any written agenda. A less often used format may record
the events in the order they occur on the written agenda, regardless of the actual
chronology.

Since the primary function of minutes is to record the decisions made, any and all official
decisions must be included. If a formal motion is made, seconded, passed, or not, then
this is recorded. The vote tally may also be included. The part of the minutes dealing with
a routine motion might note merely that a particular motion was "moved by Ann,
seconded by Bob, and passed unanimously." Where a tally is included, it is sufficient to
record the number of people voting for and against a motion (or abstaining), but requests
by participants to note their votes by name may be allowed. If a decision is made by roll
call vote, then all of the individual votes are often recorded by name. If it is made by
consensus without a formal vote, then this fact may be recorded. Tallies may be omitted
in some cases (e.g. a minute might read "After voting, the Committee agreed to...").

It is also often common for adherents to the "less is more" approach to include certain
facts: for example, that financial reports were presented, or that a legal issue (such as a
potential conflict of interest) was discussed, or that a particular aspect of an issue was
duly considered, or that a person arrived late (or left early) at a particular time. The
minutes may end with a note of the time that the meeting was adjourned.

Minutes in businesses and other private organizations are sometimes submitted by and
over the name of an officer of the organization (usually the Secretary, and never the
typist, even if the typist actually drafted the document) at a subsequent meeting for
review. The traditional closing phrase is "Respectfully submitted," (although that phrase
is slowly falling out of use) followed by the officer's signature, his or her typed (or
printed) name, and his or her title.

If the members of the committee or group agree that the written minutes reflect what
happened at the meeting, then they are approved, and the fact of their approval is
recorded in the minutes of the current meeting. If there are errors or omissions, then the
minutes will be re-drafted and submitted again at a later date. Minor changes may be
made immediately, and the amended minutes may be approved "as amended." It is
normally appropriate to give a draft copy of the minutes to the other members in advance
of the meeting so that the meeting need not be delayed while everyone reads and corrects
the draft. It is not usually considered appropriate to vote to approve minutes for a meeting
which one did not attend. It is also unwise to approve minutes which one has not read.

Business and other meetings commonly assign tasks to individuals (or bodies). Usually
(but not always) this is someone who is attending the meeting. This is known as "placing
an action". The assignment of a task to an individual is an important decision by the
meeting and so all actions must be accurately recorded in the minutes. Reviewing past
actions often takes a prominent place in the agenda.

Few guidelines for writing minutes are mentioned in coming section.


MINUTE WRITING GUIDELINES

1 What constitutes a good minute?

A good minute is:


• Brief;
• Self-contained;
• To the full extent that the discussion allows, decisive.

Brevity can be achieved in two ways:


• First, a minute should be selective. It is not a verbatim record, and should
not attempt to reproduce, however summarily, what every speaker said. It
is a skilled summary of proceedings and should record only the essence of
the discussion, picking up the main threads which lead to the conclusion.

• Secondly, the points selected for inclusion in the minute should be


recorded as briefly as possible. The secretary may make use of any striking
phrases used in the discussion but should not attempt to set out the course
of the arguments as they were developed by the speakers, as this will lead
to an unnecessarily diffuse style.

A minute should normally be self-contained, so that it is able to be understood


without reference to other documents. This may not seem important at the time,
when the subject is topical and other relevant documents are fresh in people's
minds. But minutes are usually designed not only as a basis for current action, but
also for permanent record; and for purposes of subsequent reference they are
much more valuable if they can be understood by themselves.

The minute should be as decisive as possible. This is specially important for the
conclusions. But it applies also to the record of the discussion. The secretary
should not try to reproduce what the speaker said; they should get down to the
essential core of discussion and record that as briefly and as clearly as possible.

2 Structure of a minute

The first purpose of a minute is to set out the conclusions reached so that those
who have to take action will know precisely what they have to do. The second is
to give the reasons why the conclusions were reached. A minute should fall
clearly into three parts:
• opening statement i.e. background;
• Points in discussion;
• Conclusions i.e. resolutions or recommendations.

It is a good rule to think out the sequence of a minute before beginning to compile
it, and to work backwards from the conclusion. The secretaries should first decide
what are the conclusions to be recorded and keep those clearly in their mind while
preparing the minute. This will help them decide how much of the discussion
needs to be recorded and in what order it can be best arranged.

To reproduce a good minute the secretary must get clear before they start about
the framework round which they are going to build, i.e. the essential points
leading up to the conclusion. They will not get the same result if they first try to
summarize everything and consider what they can afford to miss out.

2.1 Opening Statement

This part, which can be written before the meeting, and may even appear in the
agenda, provides the background to the item. It can show who was responsible for
putting the item before the meeting, what were the reasons for the proposal and
the previous history of the matter.

It should not summarize the whole of the documents under discussion; the sole
purpose of the opening statement is to make the subsequent discussion intelligible
without reference to other documents. This can usually be achieved in a few lines.
If not, the subject should be stated and the readers left to refer to the documents
themselves.

The minute should begin by recording any documents under discussion, giving
the name and date of each. Thus:

"The Committee noted a letter dated .... from ............stating that ........."

or, where there are several documents -

"The Committee noted the following information concerning ................"

or,
"The Committee had before it the following information - ...................."

Many discussions begin with a statement by the author of the document before the
meeting, who either summarizes or enlarges upon their submission. It is a good
rule not to include in the minute both a summary of the submission and a record
of the author's opening statement. If the speaker adds nothing to what was in their
submission the secretary can produce a summary of it; if they enlarge upon it the
secretary can omit the summary of the submission and produce a comprehensive
statement covering both the essential substance of the submission and the
supplementary points brought out by the speaker.

2.2 Points in Discussion

The second part of the minute contains the reasons advanced in the meeting for
the decision. It will usually proceed: "The following points were raised in
discussion", and will then set out, in separate paragraphs or in point form, a
concise summary of the various points made before the conclusion was reached.

It is normally desirable that this part of the minute should be impersonal, i.e. that
it should not attribute views to persons. The main advantages of this form are:

• It makes for brevity - a point can usually be recorded more concisely in an


impersonal form;

• A point raised by one speaker will often be taken up and developed by


others. In an impersonal minute the secretary need record it only in its final
form;

• It is often convenient to weld together into a single paragraph a number of


points made by various speakers;

• the impersonal style tends to avert suggestions for amendment of the


minute, for members naturally look with special care at paragraphs which
attribute statements to them personally, and tend to ask for additions and
modifications which are not strictly necessary for the purpose of a minute.

Titles/names would be used on occasions - e.g. where the speaker has a particular
expertise in the area under discussion or when a person asked that their dissent be
recorded.

Much less emphasis need be given to unsuccessful arguments that did not
convince the meeting. If there are good arguments on both sides and the vote is
close, separate sections should record the arguments on both sides; this will be
particularly helpful if the proposal is to be reviewed by a higher body.

It is often unnecessary to reproduce the points in discussion in the order in which


they were made. It is better to look forward to the conclusion, and arrange the
points in the logical order in which they lead up to it.

The secretary should not hesitate to discard the irrelevant and the inessential.
Much said in a discussion need not be recorded and much that was relevant to a
certain stage in the discussion may, in retrospect, be irrelevant to the conclusion
eventually reached.

2.3 Conclusions

A minute should end with conclusions which are clear and precise. The
chairperson will sometimes have summed up the discussion and indicated the
conclusions reached. But, if they have not done so, it is the duty of the secretary
to draft a set of conclusions which express fairly the sense of the meeting.
There are many occasions on which the members of a committee are not
altogether clear what has been decided until they see the minutes. The secretary
should certainly consult the chairperson if there is doubt about any conclusions.
Occasionally it may be desirable to clear a difficult point with the member most
concerned in order to avoid subsequent queries or amendments to minutes. It is a
proper function of a secretary to clarify, as well as record, the results of a meeting.

Where action is required, the conclusion should place the responsibility firmly
upon an individual, school etc to carry it out. If several committee members are
concerned they should all be named but care should be taken to indicate who has
the main responsibility.

To make them stand out as clearly as possible, it is preferable to divide the


conclusions into their constituent parts, putting each into a separate provision,
e.g.:

"It was resolved -

(a) that Dr X be requested to draft a revised statement on ...;

(b) that the Vice-Chancellor be invited to discuss the matter at the next meeting
of..."

The conclusions will normally be set out at the end of the minute. If, however, the
minute falls naturally into a number of different sections, the conclusions can be
interspersed in the record of the discussion instead of being brought together at
the end of the minute. In that event, each separate section should end with the
relevant conclusion, inset in the text.

Whatever layout is chosen for the conclusions, it should for ease of reference
apply uniformly to all minutes of the committee.

The preparation of minutes should be treated as urgent. Delay often means that
the taking of action on conclusions will be delayed. Moreover they are easier to
write while the discussion is fresh in the writer's mind.
Taking Minutes of a Meeting

Before the Meeting

• Choose your tool: Decide how you will take notes, i.e. pen and paper,
laptop computer, or tape recorder.
• Make sure your tool of choice is in working order and have a backup just
in case.
• Use the meeting agenda to formulate an outline.

During the Meeting

• Pass around an attendance sheet.


• Get a list of committee members and make sure you know who is who.
• Note the time the meeting begins.
• Don't try to write down every single comment -- just the main ideas.
• Write down motions, who made them, and the results of votes, if any; no
need to write down who seconded a motion.
• Make note of any motions to be voted on at future meetings.
• Note the ending time of the meeting.

After the Meeting

• Type up the minutes as soon as possible after the meeting, while


everything is still fresh in your mind.
• Include the name of organization, name of committee, type of meeting
(daily, weekly, monthly, annual, or special), and purpose of meeting.
• Include the time the meeting began and ended.
• Proofread the minutes before submitting them
                                        
                                   SAMPLE FORMAT

The following is an example of how minutes for University committees can be written. It
should be read in conjunction with the guidelines on minute writing. Clearly, the layout
and content will vary to some extent between committees depending on how the
Chairperson and Secretary, in consultation with the committee, decide to structure the
formal committee papers.

TITLE THE FLINDERS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH


AUSTRALIA

NAME OF COMMITTEE

HEADING Meeting number x/01 of the (title) Committee was held in (room)
on (date).

PRESENT: List the members present at the meeting. Normally the name of
the Chairperson comes first followed by the names of the members
in alphabetical order. For formal committees use titles and initials,
eg:
Professor F Bloggs (Chairperson), Ms A Aardvark, Dr M Dobbin,
Sir J Jones, Professor P Smith.

APOLOGIES: A list of those members who asked for their apologies to be


recorded.

IN ATTENDANCE: List here those who, while they are not members of the committee,
were present at the meeting and took some part in it. This will
normally include the Secretary, but not observers whose names are
generally not recorded.

REPORTING
OF ITEMS: The reporting of items should follow the order used in the agenda.
If any items are still confidential at the time the minutes are
circulated, these items should be reported in a confidential section
of the minutes to be sent only to committee members:

1 STARRING OF ITEMS

The following items were starred for discussion: (List here all of the items starred
on the agenda and by members at the meeting)
The Committee resolved that all unstarred items be received or approved as
appropriate.

2 MINUTES

Copies of the minutes of the meeting held on (date) had been circulated (Note:
insert a document number if the minutes were circulated as part of the agenda).
The Committee resolved to confirm the minutes as a correct record.

If an item in the minutes is queried it might be appropriate to record this as


follows:

In response to a point of clarification, it was agreed to rephrase the first sentence


under item x on page y:

Reproduce here the corrected version

With that amendment, the Committee resolved to confirm the minutes as a correct
record.

3 BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES

With reference to item x in the minutes, a member sought clarification about the
progress being made on the development of the Strategic Plan. In response the
Vice-Chancellor advised members that the plan is now in its final draft and will be
presented to Academic Board at its next meeting.

4 COMMITTEE REPORTS

4.1 Finance Committee

A copy of the report of Meeting x/01 of the Finance Committee held on


(date) had been circulated as (document number). Note: as appropriate,
this can either be followed by an account of the Committee’s
consideration of each of the items in the report, or, if the items were
not identified separately on the agenda, by a minute which indicates
that the report was received or noted for information:

4.1.1 2001 Budget


The Committee noted the draft 2002 budget approved by Finance
Committee (Attachment A), which had also been referred to the
Budgets Committee. It was agreed to advise Finance Committee
that the allocation of $500 000 for overseas travel should be
increased by z% in response to the rise in airfares announced
recently by the major airlines.

5 NEW BUSINESS

5.1 Educational Profile 2002-2004

A report from the Academic Registrar about the recent profile negotiations
with the Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET) had
been circulated (document number). The Academic Registrar spoke to her
report and advised the Committee that, following the visit by
representatives of DEET on 21 August, the University had prepared
revisions to the educational profile submission which included the agreed
equity quota. The revised submission had been referred to DEET and a
final response was expected by late October.

There was discussion about the admission of full fee-paying overseas


students during which the following points were raised:
• concern was expressed about the need to achieve a mix of
nationalities on campus;
• it was felt that the University’s fee structure should be reviewed
with reference to the policies of the other South Australian
universities;

The Committee received the report from the Academic Registrar, and
resolved:

(1) to ask the Vice-Chancellor to seek advice from the University of


Adelaide and the University of South Australia about the fees
charged to private overseas students;

(2) to invite the President of the International Students’ Association to


attend the next meeting to explain to members the structure and
functions of the Association.

5.2 Proposed Amendment to the University Act

The Chairperson introduced the proposed amendment to the University


Act (document number) and explained to members that it had been drafted
by the Director of Administration & Registrar, in consultation with
Faculties, as a means to correct a flaw in the present Act.
It was moved and seconded:

That the Committee approve the proposed amendment to the


University Act set out in (document number) and refer it to
Council for consideration and approval.

The Chairperson invited discussion of the proposal and asked speakers to


identify whether they spoke in favour of, or against, the motion.

Speaking in support of the proposal a number of members argued that the


amendment would improve significantly the way in which decision
making in the University would be conducted in future. The amendment
was thought to be of particular importance to women members of staff and
those employed in the Science-related areas.

Those members who opposed the motion argued that the amendment to
the Act was managerialist in nature and was therefore not in the interests
of academic staff. It was felt that the Act had operated quite successfully
throughout the University’s history, without any apparent need for the
particular amendment. The amendment was considered by some members
to be an issue which:
• was central to the issue of who governed the University;
• should be thoroughly debated throughout the University prior to
referral to Council;
• was potentially divisive.

The Chairperson closed the discussion by summarising the main points in


the debate. The motion was put and carried.

Prior to the close of the meeting, a member foreshadowed the following motion
for discussion at the next meeting:

That the Committee recommend to Council that smoking be banned throughout


the University.

The Chairperson closed the meeting and thanked members for their attendance.

CONFIRMED:

CHAIRPERSON:_______________________________________

DATE:______/______/2001
Tips for Writing Meeting Minutes

When our meetings aren't effective, we waste valuable time figuring out what we are
trying to accomplish in them.

When our meeting minutes aren't effective, we waste the time we spent in meetings.
Without good meeting notes or minutes, we may not remember or recognize:

• What we decided in the meeting


• What we accomplished in the meeting
• What we agreed to in terms of next steps (action items)

And when we can't remember the items above, we end up going in different directions
and then meeting again for the same original purpose!

(Definition: Notes and minutes are the same thing. Minutes are more formal and are often
required by organizational bylaws.)

To avoid wasting your time spent in meetings, we should be sure our notes and
minutes answer these 10 questions:

1. When was the meeting?


2. Who attended?
3. Who did not attend? (Include this information if it matters.)
4. What topics were discussed?
5. What was decided?
6. What actions were agreed upon?
7. Who is to complete the actions, by when?
8. Were materials distributed at the meeting? If so, are copies or a link available?
9. Is there anything special the reader of the minutes should know or do?
10. Is a follow-up meeting scheduled? If so, when? where? why?

Minutes need headings so that readers can skim for the information they need. Our
template may include these:

Topics
Decisions
Actions Agreed Upon
Person responsible
Deadline
Next Meeting
Date and Time
Location
Agenda items
Do's and Don'ts of Minutes Writing:

Do write minutes soon after the meeting--preferably within 48 hours. That way, those
who attended can be reminded of action items, and those who did not attend will
promptly know what happened.

Don't skip writing minutes just because everyone attended the meeting and knows
what happened. Meeting notes serve as a record of the meeting long after people forget
what happened.

Don't describe all the "he said, she said" details unless those details are very
important. Record topics discussed, decisions made, and action items.

Don't include any information that will embarrass anyone (for example, "Then Terry
left the room in tears").

Do use positive language. Rather than describing the discussion as heated or angry, use
passionate, lively, or energetic--all of which are just as true as the negative words.

Do have a new year filled with productive meetings captured efficiently in crisp, clear
meeting notes!
Few Templates provided by MS Office:
(Formal Meeting Minutes)
[Company/Department Name]
Meeting Minutes
[Date]

I. Call to order
[Name of Meeting Facilitator] called to order the regular meeting of the
[Organization/Committee Name] at [time of meeting] on [date of meeting] in
[Location of Meeting].

II. Roll call


[Name of Organization Secretary] conducted a roll call. The following persons
were present: [List of Attendees]

III. Approval of minutes from last meeting


[Name of Organization Secretary] read the minutes from the last meeting. The
minutes were approved as read.

IV. Open issues


a) [Open issue/summary of discussion]
b) [Open issue/summary of discussion]
c) [Open issue/summary of discussion]

V. New business
a) [New business/summary of discussion]
b) [New business/summary of discussion]
c) [New business/summary of discussion]

VI. Adjournment
[Name of Meeting Facilitator] adjourned the meeting at [time meeting ended].

Minutes submitted by: [Name]

Minutes approved by: [Name]


(Informal meeting minutes)
Team Meeting
[Date]

[Time]

[Location]

Meeting called by: Type of meeting:


Facilitator: Note taker:
Timekeeper:
Attendees:

Please read:
Please bring:
Minutes

Agenda item: Presenter:


Discussion:

Conclusions:

Action items Person responsible Deadline





Agenda item: Presenter:


Discussion:

Conclusions:

Action items Person responsible Deadline






Other Information
Observers:
Resources:
Special notes:
Contents

1. WHAT ARE MINUTES?

2. NEED FOR MINUTES.

3. PUBLIC MINUTES.

4. FORMAT.

5. GUIDELINES FOR WRITING MINUTES.

6. TAKING MINUTES OF A MEETING.

7. SAMPLE FORMAT.

8. TIPS FOR MINUTE WRITING.

9. FEW TEMPLATES.

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