Who Owns the Minutes?

The answer is a lot easier than you might expect…the group whose meeting it was owns the minutes.

So when the Board meets, the Board owns the minutes.  As a result, members do not have the right to view minutes of Board meetings unless there is an existing bylaw or policy to that effect, or the Board provides permission.  Because they own the minutes, the Board also approves the minutes. 

Minutes of member meetings (e.g. the AGM) are owned by the members.   All members have the right to receive the minutes, and the members approve the minutes.

The information provided in Clarity....by AXI serves one very important purpose - to provide readers with sufficient understanding of an issue so that they are able to identify potential issues within their organization and then, when necessary, discuss, challenge and question the advice of their internal or external paid advisor related to that issue as it impacts their organization. With that purpose in mind, we will provide information in very clear, non-technical language and we will use the word "generally" and its synonyms a great deal.  Much of the complexity of technical and/or legal topics relates to the language used and the need to address every conceivable and obscure exception. This column is for information purposes only, and AXI will not be responsible for any errors or omissions...consult your paid advisor before acting.

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