troop committee meeting minutes

[scouter08]

Please tell me your thoughts on keeping troop committee meeting notes. The troop that we are in does not keep notes on the minutes of committee meetings. I suggested that someone do that, offered to help and the idea was rejected by the committee chair. I feel it is very important to keep notes to record decisions made, as a follow up tool on tasks assigned and to keep everyone informed and on the same page. Notes would keep an absent member up to speed - and they can be used for reference - sent to missing members via email.

 

What do other troops do. Can a committee chair refuse to allow this to be done?

[eisely]

Committee Secretary is one of the positions recommended by BSA National. This position often goes unfilled. As a practical matter, the committee chair wields a great deal of influence over anything the committee does or does not do. Personally I agree with you. I think minutes should be kept. However, if your committee chair refuses even when there is a volunteer willing and able to do the job, there is a problem. Other than butting heads with the committee chair over this, I don't see an easy resolution.

[acco40]

Who mentors the Troop Scribe? Why does the PLC need a Troop Scribe?

 

The Committee Chair has every right to not have someone act as Committee Secretary and you (or anyone else) has the right to take good notes at the committee meeting and share your notes in a friendly manner with the troop!

[Eamonn]

I'm 100% for making meetings as relaxed and friendly as is possible.

Still not having a record of who said they were going to do what? Just seems daffy.

Having an agenda does help move the meeting along, having someone keep notes and share them with the other members of the committee just seems like a good idea.

I suppose a lot depends on how much the committee is involved and undertakes?

Ea.(This message has been edited by Eamonn)

[Gold Winger]

As E said, not having notes is just goofy. What do you do when three months from now someone says, "I thought that we decided to have chicken at the banquet."

[Stosh]

Gee, one would think that a working knowledge of Parlimentary Procedure would be a required basis for proper citizenship. Surely the committee would be leading by example. I have chaired and sat in on hundreds of meetings and those that use PP are efficient, stay on task, make thoughtful decisions, and run in majorly less time that free-for-all meetings that are totally wasting everyone's time. PP calls for careful and precise records so that what is decided is preserved and public for everyone's knowledge both at the meeting and those who couldn't make it. I volunteer time, I really don't like it when it's wasted by people who don't think it's as valuable as I think it is.

 

Stosh

[John-in-KC]

The leaders of the unit are accountable to the Chartered Partner.

 

The CHARTERED PARTNER can be accountable to State and Federal review, especially if it is, in and of itself, a non-profit.

 

I'm with E and GW on this... there has to be some record of the meeting, no matter how simple.

[FScouter]

Over the years our committee has kept minutes, or not, depending on if we had someone willing to do it.

 

What would be "goofy" is if the CC proclaimed that NO, we will not keep a record. Is that what happened in your case?

[jmwalston]

Do the committee members take notes as ideas or decisions are made, or do you just brainstorm?

[ScoutNut]

The Committee Chair can't stop you from writing at the meeting. So,take your own notes. That way you have them if you need them.

 

[dnorrington]

Our Troop Committee meets monthly. When I took over as CC a year ago, I began keeping the minutes, which wasn't being done before. Soon thereafter, we filled the Secretary position and he now keeps the minutes. We email the agenda and the previous meeting minutes to all adult leaders the week before our Committee meeting each month. We do this every month, and it seems to be working very well. The minutes are reviewed at the start of the meeting and voted on.

 

If your committee is making decisions that affect the Troop, it needs to be recorded. How else will these decisions carry on for years to come when certain adults are no longer with the Troop?

[eagle90]

Our troop has always had a written agenda for our Committee Meetings, but just started taking formal minutes about 2 years ago after we did the Committee Training session. The secretary distribute them electronically after each meeting. I find they are invaluable. They remind me who is doing what, what I need to do, and is a good memory jogger for when the Troop newsletter is being written.

 

And as we get older, the less we remember! Anyone else find that out yet?

[LongHaul]

scouter08,

As ScoutNut said the CC can't stop you so keep your records! Speaking as a former CC and SM I can tell you there is a huge difference in effectivness of the committee depending on whether you have accurate records or not. I was fortunate to have a "real" secretary while I was CC. This wonderful woman took dictation professionally so we had word for word transcriptions of many of the discussions. We didn't realize just how valuable she was until her son left the troop and took mom with him.

LongHaul

[Eagle Foot]

I agree the CC can not stop you from taking notes. I being the CC would can't imagine why you would not keep notes of the meeting unless you have something to hide or just don't want anybody to know. We use Roberts rules of Order...I learned this ....O lets say thirty five years ago. I even put the minutes on the troop web page, I use a password (which is given out to all troop memembers)

 

I order to have a good functioning committee you need to keep minutes...that's the bottom line.

 

Edited by Eagle Foot