Ep 15 Writing it Down

Show Notes Most committees treat minutes as an afterthought. Someone volunteers to take them, types up a rough summary, emails it around before the next meeting, and hopes for the best. But minutes are a legal document — and failing to keep proper ones is an offence under Australia's various Associations Incorporation Acts. This episode covers everything from what minutes actually are and where the term comes from, through to who should be taking them, how to handle corrections, and what role AI tools can appropriately play. In This Episode What minutes actually are — a legal record, not a summary, not a newsletter, not a transcript — and why that framing matters Where the word 'minutes' comes from (hint: it's Latin, and nothing to do with time) The proper header every set of minutes needs — and why apologies and absences are not the same thing What the right level of detail looks like — with a good example and a bad example side by side When to attribute comments to individuals — and when not to, and why individual attribution chills debate How to record resolutions properly — and why a report with recommendations framed as motions makes your secretary very happy The action list: how to turn good minutes into good governance Timing, signing, storage and corrections — the procedural details most committees get wrong Who should take the minutes — and why it shouldn't be the chair or the most senior person in the room Practical tips to make the job easier — including templates, preparation and a note-taking approach that works AI as a tool, not a substitute — what AI transcription tools can and can't do for your minutes Free Download We have a minutes template from the Committee Companion. Download it and adapt it for your organisation. This Week's Challenge Pull out the minutes from your last three committee meetings. Are they good enough to settle a dispute about what was decided? Do they have a proper header? Are resolutions recorded clearly with mover, seconder and result? Is there an action list? If the answer to any of those is no — that's your starting point. The minutes template in the show notes will help. Got a Question for the Kates? Use the contact form at thecommitteeroom.com.au. Someone else will be glad you asked. About Your Hosts Kate Hartwig has spent forty years working in and around not-for-profit and membership organisations — as a CEO, director, and independent consultant. Her Committee Companion is a head start on good governance with checklists, frameworks and exemplars for committee members. katehartwig.com.au Kate McPhee has three decades of hands-on experience helping small clubs and associations get more done with less stress. She is the author of Just a Tick, a plain-English governance guide for committees and boards. liquoriceallsorts.com.au Together they offer governance health checks and practical support through Fresh Allsorts. <p class="wp-block-para