Accurate minutes and records are important to ensure continuity from year to year. Current members refer to meeting minutes as a reminder of finished and unfinished business, what actions were taken, and what needs follow-up. They also provide future members with insight into past decisions and events.
Minutes and records are most often the responsibility of the organization’s secretary. The secretary should be someone that is reliable, timely, and organized. They should be able to discern what needs to be recorded and what doesn’t. The secretary is also oftentimes responsible for notifying the membership about upcoming meetings, including any important items to be discussed.
The structure of meetings and meeting notes may differ for each organization, but effective minutes should include:

• Type of meeting (executive, standing committee, etc.) date, time and place;
• Time of call to order;
• Approval and/or amendments to previous meeting minutes;
• List of those in attendance and those absent;
• Record of reports from standing and special committees;
• General matters
• Record of proposals, resolutions, motions, seconding, a summary of the discussion, and a record of vote; and
• Time of adjournment.