The Room Fell Eerily Silent

Minutes are a major pain in the ***. They’re long. They’re tedious to write. They’re need to be typed up either as the meeting is in progress, or immediately after, before the minute-taker forgets tiny nuances, or (in my case) before the minute-taker can’t read her own handwriting!

Not all minutes are the same. Board meetings minutes are pretty lean, focusing on motions with proper parliamentary procedure. Staff and committee meeting minutes might get a little longer recording a bit more detail along with action items. But what about a more general meeting? A mix of members and volunteers? You’ve got a lot to discuss and frankly, if you tried to follow the format for the two previously mentioned minutes a LOT of information would be lost.

There are only 3 things you need to remember when typing up the minutes from a general meeting that doesn’t follow a board, staff, or committee meeting format.

Match the Agenda

This one’s easy. Match what you write to the order of the agenda. If there’s numbering on the agenda, use the same numbering in the minutes. Record details in the order discussed, and if something gets added mid-meeting, add it to the minutes in exactly the same place.

Keep it Brief

Strive for brevity. Minutes need to capture what was discussed, decisions made, action items, and any details that will need to be addressed at a later meeting. There isn’t a need to record much more than that, but…

Make It Your Own

This week I received the minutes from a volunteer meeting for a group I belong to. The minutes noted that a request was made for a volunteer to lead a major event, and that “the room fell eerily silent.” I have never read a sentence quite like that outside of a fictional novel. I laughed out loud. I loved it. The implied meaning was crystal clear. Sometimes, you just need to make those minutes your own!

Being a minute-taker is kind of thankless job, so why not find your groove and make it work for you. Don’t ever apologize for volunteering your time to take the minutes and type them up. I’m not saying you should turn the minutes into the next great novel. Maybe leave out the “it was a dark and stormy night.” I think that’s copyrighted anyway. But be yourself. Be proud that you are volunteering your time.

The next time you are asked to take the minutes and the meeting simply doesn’t fall under a traditional meeting format, follow these 3 steps.

1. Match the agenda
2. Keep it brief
3. Make it your own

Non-profits are unique. There is no rule that we all need to do things the same way. We don’t. Embrace that uniqueness and maybe have a little fun.

Thanks for taking the time to read my ideas. My mission is to take the mystery out of running a small non-profit. If you know someone who needs to read this, why not grab the link, and share it with them. Let’s work together to make the minute-taker’s job a little more fun.

-Christie

…

Hi, I'm Christie Saas, former board member, current Executive Director, and non-profit volunteer. I remember well, those early years when I lacked the training, the confidence, and the work-life balance to focus on becoming the best non-profit leader I could be.

Fast-forward past many bumps in the road, lessons learned, and you’ll find me still in the trenches, but a little wiser, a little calmer, and a whole lot happier. I love my work and I want to help you love yours too.

I created ChristieSaas.com to give you tools, tips, and templates to remove the mystery of learning to run a small non-profit. If you’re a brand-new non-profit leader, or a little more seasoned, someone who’s looking to make a meaningful contribution and still have time for a full life away from the job, you’re in the right place.

© Christie Saas 2022 All Rights Reserved

…

Want to learn more?
Start with one of my free resources.

FREE Guides