During my Sophomore year of college, I wanted to be involved in a student leadership role so I ran for and was elected as the secretary of Women in Business. 

At my first meeting, it became apparent that I had absolutely no clue what a secretary actually does. The meeting began and the other officers look at me asking why I wasn’t taking minutes. “Oh, of course, I’m supposed to be taking minutes, duh!” I thought to myself while pulling out my rickety old Economics notebook. 

Since I didn’t know how to write minutes, this first set of minutes was basically a really bad transcript of what transpired during that last hour. You could argue that they were laughably useless because no one wanted or cared about reviewing such a mess of a document.   

After this meeting, I researched (read a couple of articles on the internet) and reflected on the purpose of minutes for a meeting. 

What I found was that your organization’s minutes is the memory of a meeting. They’re meant as a record of decisions that were made and who were and will be involved with those decisions.  

Just like you wouldn’t take notes by writing word for word what a professor or your textbook says, the same applies to meetings. 

For example – if members or officers are discussing a future potluck, why go through the effort of writing down all the food, location, and other suggestions that were all pass on by the group. You only need to record the actions your group plans on pursuing and those in charge of those actions. 

Example of a decision – or as in “parliamentarian lingo”, a motion – passed by the group and recorded in the minutes:

Spring Potluck Social

This will be an event used for members and officers to get to know each other and break the ice over good food. 

Date: February 2nd 
Location: The Business Building in the Main Atrium 
Time: 5:30 pm

Actions:

• All officers must bring an entrée of their choosing except for Jacob
• Jacob will be in charge of bringing tablecloths, disposable plates and utensils, and 2 Liter Sodas 
• Keri will create all postings on Social Media to inform members about the upcoming Potluck
• All officers need to arrive 20 minutes early to setup event and welcome members

After reading this event summary from my example minutes, at a glance, you understand what the event is about, who is in charge of what, when and where the event is, and what is required of you when you get there. 

Minutes are a Historical Document

The great thing about minutes written in this format is that if there is ever a question about what was decided upon at a meeting, the minutes will clear up any confusion. 

For example – Let’s say Keri forgot who was assigned to creating the social media event postings for the Pot Luck. She checks the minutes to find that she agreed at the meeting that she would take on that responsibility and should probably get on that asap.  

Minutes can also be used as a tool to hold people accountable to their agreed-upon responsibilities. 

Minutes Can Be Used to Hold People Accountable

For example – Jacob arrives at the meeting with nothing in hand. The other officers are confused on why he didn’t bring the organization’s tablecloths, drinks, and paper plates and utensils to the potluck. Mike says he doesn’t remember being put in charge of that task.

The club Secretary pulls up the minutes showing that he was an attendee at the meeting and had indeed agreed upon being prepared at the pot luck with those items. 

From there, if Jacob continues to show a lack of accountability, your student organization will at least have a written record as proof for if and when your group needs to revoke his title.

Minutes can be used as a review of previous meetings