Minute-taking

Induction, Part 3b

Minute-taking

It is part of a Secretary’s responsibility to make sure that contemporaneous records of meetings are kept. Such records are called “minutes”.

The Secretary of an organisation or structure within an organisation will often be the one to take such minutes, but sometimes another person could do it, thereby setting the Secretary free to take a more active part in the meetings. In some organisations, there may be an official called a “Minute Secretary”, whose main job it is to keep the minutes.

On other occasions, an ad hoc “scribe” might be appointed to minute a gathering.

It is therefore a normal part of what a cadre might be asked to perform. It is advisable to consider what might be involved, so that one can do this thing, if and when called upon to do so.

The attached document has been compiled as a general and common manual on minute-taking. It is printable as an 8-page booklet.

In any particular case, in whatever organisation one might be working, it would be as well to look at how the minutes of that organisation have previously been done. This is so as to know what the members are used to, but not to make one shy about improving practice in that organisation, if such improvement is necessary.

·        The above is to introduce an original reading-text: Minute-taking.