When it comes to writing minutes of board meetings it is your aim to create a clear record of the proceedings at the meeting that offers legal protection in the future. You need to focus your focus on the most important discussions and the decisions made at the meeting. You’ll need to ensure that all pertinent details are recorded. This includes a list with the names of the participants (including those who attended on the phone or online), their roles, as well as the date the meeting ended.
Your board’s minutes shouldn’t just be an account of all the opinions and comments that were expressed. Your board’s minutes should be neutral, and avoid any inflammatory or savage words, disagreements between individuals or political commentary. It is also recommended to remove any tangents or idle discussions since they could cause liability issues in the event that your board is required to look over the minutes.
Board meetings usually include side conversations that deviate from the agenda. These must be clearly identified as off-the record and not included in the minutes of meetings. Instead, you should record that the board discussed the topic that was not on the agenda, and don’t record any details about the discussion. It is also important to record the votes of board members against or in favor of certain motions and their reasoning behind the motions. This provides a clear, unbiased record of the vote and could be helpful in the event of legal issues in the future.
