Deciding in a meeting, and writing the minutes and action items
Name how a decision will be made before it is made, handle a motion the Robert's Rules way, write minutes that record what was done, and send action items with an owner and a date.
Start here Essentials
For a first decision at a meeting, this chapter asks you to say how the group will decide, take the decision cleanly, and record the result and the actions. Howard Lin's plant sale vote is the worked case.
- Before the item, say how the group will decide it: a vote, agreement, or the chair after hearing views (name how you will decide).
- For a vote, state the proposal in one sentence, take discussion, then take the vote and say the result aloud (a motion, from the floor to the result).
- Write the decision and its result in the minutes, not the discussion (minutes).
- Before closing, read back each action with who will do it and by when (action items).
Minimum time: about 20 minutes to prepare, plus the item itself. Done when: your minutes sheet records the decision and its result, and every action on the actions sheet has a name and a date.
Name how you will decide Understand
A decision goes better when the group knows how it will be made before it is made. Otherwise people argue about the method in the middle of the argument. There are three common ways in small groups. Pick one for each decision and say it aloud when you introduce the item (Running a meeting labels the item a decision on the agenda).
| Way | How it works | What it costs |
|---|---|---|
| A vote | A proposal is stated, discussed and put to the members; the result is the count against a stated threshold. | Quicker, and it makes winners and losers (Seeds for Change). |
| Consensus | The group looks for a proposal everyone supports or can live with. | Slower; needs the group to understand blocks and stand-asides first. |
| The chair or a named person decides after hearing views | The group is asked for its views and the named person decides. | Fast; people may feel unheard unless the person says why. |
Seeds for Change, a UK training cooperative, says voting is quicker and can make sense when a decision is minor or urgent, and that it "creates winners and losers." It describes consensus as seeking proposals that everyone actively supports or at least can live with, and says it is neither compromise nor unanimity (Seeds for Change on consensus decision making). The page's political framing is strong; we take only the process.
Consensus: blocks and stand-asides
In consensus, a member has more choices than yes or no. Seeds for Change names three: a block, a fundamental objection that stops the proposal; a stand-aside, where a member registers a concern and lets the group proceed; and a reservation, a concern recorded while the member agrees. It says people often block when they would be happy to stand aside, so explain the options before you use them. One organization's method
To test how much support a proposal has, the University of Minnesota Extension describes a "first to five" check: each person shows one to five fingers, where one means "I do not agree, but I promise not to block it," three means "I am neutral," and five means "I will help lead implementation." Anyone below neutral is asked to explain their concerns (Minnesota Extension on facilitator habits). One organization's method
The chair decides after hearing views
In this arrangement the chair, a manager or a named person asks for views and then decides. It is a common arrangement, and we found no fetched source that describes it, so we state it as such. Common arrangement, no source If you use it, say at the start who decides and when, so no one thinks a vote is coming, and say the reason after.
When your bylaws or the law choose for you
Some groups have no choice. Bylaws may require a vote, or a vote of a stated size, for money, officers or changes to the bylaws. A law may require a public body to vote in an open meeting. Read your bylaws first (a motion, from the floor to the result, and Running a meeting). The rest of this chapter takes the case of a group that follows Robert's Rules.
Consensus in full
Seeds for Change says how much agreement is enough depends on the decision: where unity matters, even one stand-aside may be unacceptable, while a trial run may need less enthusiastic support. Some groups reserve a block for an objection so strong the person would leave the group. We did not find a fetched source on sociocracy or other formal consent methods, so we leave them out.
A motion, from the floor to the result
Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised is a book of parliamentary procedure that many groups name in their bylaws. The current edition is the 12th, released in 2020; it supersedes all earlier editions for organizations whose bylaws adopt it, and the publisher warns that books sold under the "Robert's Rules" name from older, out-of-copyright editions are not authoritative, and that one has an entirely different text (the Robert's Rules Association's page on the 12th edition). The Association's FAQ says the book applies only where no law, bylaw or adopted special rule says otherwise (the Robert's Rules Association FAQ). So the first question is whether your bylaws adopt it.
We cover a small slice: the main motion, amending, voting, general consent, quorum, a labelled set of small-board relaxations, and when to call a parliamentarian. We do not teach the whole book.
Handling a main motion
A main motion is a proposal that the group take an action, such as spend money. Kansas State's guide for 4-H club officers shows the sequence (Kansas State's guide to parliamentary procedure). It is written for youth clubs and names no edition of the book, so we use it for the order only. Convention
- A member gets the floor. The member addresses the chair and is recognized.
- The member makes the motion: "I move that the club spend $400 from the treasury on the spring plant sale."
- Another member seconds it. The chair asks for a second.
- The chair restates it. "It has been moved and seconded that..." and asks for discussion. Once the chair has stated it, the motion belongs to the group.
- Members discuss it, recognized in turn.
- The chair takes the vote. The chair asks for more discussion, restates the motion, and takes the vote: ayes, then noes.
- The chair announces the result. "The ayes have it, and the motion is adopted."
A member who doubts a voice vote can call for a division, and the chair takes a standing vote and announces the count.
Changing the wording: amending and general consent
While a motion is before the group, a member can propose changing it, which is an amendment. The FAQ says a "friendly amendment" is not a separate thing: once the chair states a motion, it belongs to the group, so an amendment needs a vote or unanimous consent. The chair can use general consent (also called unanimous consent): ask "is there any objection?" If no one objects, the chair declares the change adopted. If even one member objects, the change is debated and voted on like any other motion. General consent saves time on a point no one cares about; it does not fit one that people care about.
How many votes: majority, two-thirds and abstentions
- Majority means more than half of the votes cast. The FAQ says to avoid "50 percent plus one." Example: 9 to 8 out of 17 votes is a majority.
- Two-thirds means at least two-thirds, with no rounding: 67 of 101 fails. A quick test is that the yes votes are at least double the no votes.
- Abstentions are not votes. When the threshold is votes cast, an abstention does not count. When the threshold is members present or the whole membership, it has the effect of a "no."
Your bylaws may set a different threshold for a specific matter. Read them.
Quorum
A quorum is the number of members who must be present for the group to do business. Your bylaws state it. The FAQ says that once a quorum is established it is presumed to continue until someone points out that it is gone, and that it is not permissible to do substantive business without one. At the Maple Street Garden Club the quorum is eight, so a meeting of 15 has it with room to spare.
"Call the question" and "table it"
Two phrases are often used loosely. The FAQ says what they do.
| Phrase | What people think | What the FAQ says |
|---|---|---|
| "Call the question" | It ends debate. | It does not. A member must get the floor and move the Previous Question, which needs a second and a two-thirds vote. |
| "Table it" | It kills a motion. | It is not a way to kill a motion. To dispose of one, the options are Postpone Indefinitely (majority vote) or Objection to the Consideration (two-thirds against). |
In a small club, you can avoid both by watching who still wants to speak, and asking "is there any more discussion?"
Small-board relaxations, labelled
A board of about a dozen members or fewer present may use looser rules. The Robert's Rules Association FAQ says that in a small board, and in committees, the chair may make motions, debate and vote like any member; in larger assemblies the chair votes only by ballot or when the vote would change the result. Jim Slaughter, an attorney and professional registered parliamentarian, lists more: motions need no second, discussion is allowed with no motion pending, and a vote can be taken without a formal motion when the proposal is clear (Slaughter's page on board procedures). One parliamentarian's summary
We labelled this as a summary because we could not read the 12th edition's own text for these rules, which is not online. The FAQ and Slaughter agree on "about a dozen," and secondary sources disagree on whether a board must adopt the relaxations or has them automatically; see Go deeper. The Maple Street club's meeting is of 15 members at a general meeting, not a board, so Howard follows the full rule: a second is needed.
Interest, and one-by-one approval
The FAQ says a member with a direct personal or financial interest in a question should not vote on it, though the member may not be forced to abstain. It also says that approvals given separately by each board member, even all of them, are not valid board approval; a board acts at a meeting.
When to call a parliamentarian
A parliamentarian is a person trained in parliamentary procedure who advises a chair or a group. The National Association of Parliamentarians runs a find-a-parliamentarian directory (the National Association of Parliamentarians). Call one when a vote is disputed, for an election, a removal from office, a bylaw change, or anything with legal or financial consequences.
This chapter teaches the common forms. The group's bylaws and the law that governs it decide what is valid. A disputed vote, an election, a removal from office, a bylaw change or anything with legal or financial consequences is for the group's parliamentarian, its officers or its attorney, and we do not advise on them. The small-board relaxations are summarized from the publisher's FAQ and one parliamentarian; we did not read the book's text, and whether a board must adopt them is disputed among secondary sources.
The small-board rules in full, and the dispute
Slaughter lists these relaxed rules for meetings with not more than about a dozen members present: raise a hand instead of standing; stay seated to speak or move; motions need no second; discussion with no motion pending; a vote without a formal motion when the proposal is clear; no limit on how many times a member speaks; the chair usually takes full part; votes are often by show of hands. He says a small board may choose more formality, and that city councils and school boards often do. His page does not say whether a board must adopt the relaxations. Other secondary sources say they apply automatically, and still others describe boards adopting them by vote or policy. Until the book's text is read, treat it as unsettled and ask your parliamentarian.
Electronic meetings
The FAQ says a board may meet by video or phone only if the bylaws specifically authorize it, that everyone must be able to hear each other at the same time, and that rules for recognition, motions, quorum and voting are needed. The publisher added sample rules for electronic meetings to the 12th edition (the Association's page on sample rules).
The Kansas guide's table of motions
The Kansas guide also has a table showing which motions need a second, are debatable or amendable, and what vote each needs. We did not copy it; it is the place to look for motions beyond the main one.
Minutes: what was done
Minutes are the group's official record of a meeting. Under Robert's Rules they record what was done, not what was said. The FAQ says summarizing discussion is improper. The fact sheet from Ohio State lists what notes should contain: date, time and place, who was present, reports, votes, elections and nominations, and important announcements. Put together, a minimal record for a group under Robert's Rules has these parts. Convention
- The group, date, time and place, and who chaired and took the minutes.
- Who attended, and that a quorum was present.
- That the last minutes were approved, and whether they were corrected.
- Each motion, as it was passed or rejected, and its result (the count, for a counted vote).
- Reports received, by title, without the discussion.
- The time and date of the next meeting, and when the meeting ended.
The Community Tool Box suggests putting decisions in bold so they stand out. It also includes announcements and informational items; its emphasis differs a little from Robert's Rules, since an announcement is not discussion. The page's own caveat is that formal minutes help many groups but not all.
Law can require more
Some laws require more than Robert's Rules. In Texas, the Attorney General's handbook says a public body's minutes must state the subject of each deliberation and indicate each vote or action (the Texas Open Meetings Act Handbook). Florida's statute for homeowners' associations says each director's vote or abstention on each matter must be recorded in the minutes (Florida statute 720.303). These are examples that vary by state and group; ask your officers or your attorney what applies to you.
Approving and correcting
At the next meeting, the chair asks whether there are corrections to the last minutes. The FAQ says corrections made at approval go into the text, and the minutes are approved "as corrected."
What different groups put in minutes
| Source | What goes in | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Robert's Rules FAQ | What was done, not what was said; summarizing discussion is improper | Groups that adopt it |
| Community Tool Box | Decisions and follow-ups in bold; announcements and informational items; formal minutes help many but not all | Community groups |
| UNC faculty center | Decisions and follow-up responsibilities only; confirm each with the group | Meeting recorders |
| Ohio State fact sheet | Date, place, attendance, reports, votes, elections, announcements | Coalition meetings |
| Texas statute (example) | The subject of each deliberation, and each vote or action | Texas public bodies |
Law and bylaws govern over general guidance, and a group may keep fuller notes separately from its official minutes.
Action items
An action item is a task someone agrees to do after the meeting. Seeds for Change says each action point should be noted with who will do it and any deadline, and its prompts are what, who and when. We use three fields: what, who and by when. Convention
- State each action as it arises. The note-taker writes it on the actions sheet with a name and a date.
- Read them back before closing. Ohio State says to adjourn with a summary of action items, assignments and deadlines.
- Send them out within a few days. UNC's faculty center says a recorder should send the notes within 72 hours; no other source we found gives a figure, so we treat it as one source's rule. One source's rule
- Check them at the next meeting. Open with "Last time we agreed..." and mark each done or not done. Seeds for Change adds a caution: if the same people take on all the work, informal hierarchies form.
See it: Howard's plant sale vote See it
Howard Lin (he/him) is the president of the Maple Street Garden Club, 22 members. The bylaws name Robert's Rules; the quorum is eight. Tonight 15 members are present. The motion is to spend $400 from the treasury on the spring plant sale.
Known: the bylaws name Robert's Rules; 15 are present, so there is a quorum; the amount is $400.
Assumed: that the bylaws set no special threshold for spending $400, so a majority of votes cast carries it (Howard assumes this from his reading and has not checked the whole bylaws); the vote count below, which is invented for the example.
How the item runs. Howard says: "This is a decision. We will vote." A member moves it; another seconds. Howard restates it: "It has been moved and seconded that the club spend $400 from the treasury on the spring plant sale. Is there any discussion?" After two members speak, he asks again, restates the motion and takes the vote, ayes then noes. Twelve members vote yes, two vote no and one abstains. Howard says: "The ayes have it, and the motion is adopted."
Does it need a second? Yes, here. The small-board relaxations describe boards of about a dozen or fewer present; this is a general membership meeting of 15, so Howard follows the full rule.
The minutes line: "Moved and seconded: that the club spend $400 from the treasury on the spring plant sale. Adopted, 12 to 2, one abstention." No discussion is summarized.
Action items, read back: the treasurer issues the $400 by Friday; a member who volunteered books the hall for the sale date by the end of the month; Howard sends the minutes within three days.
Open: whether the bylaws require a larger vote or notice for spending (settled by the bylaws, and by the club's officers or a parliamentarian if unclear). If a member disputes the count, that is for a parliamentarian or the club's officers, not for this manual.
Free pages that show the method: Kansas State's parliamentary procedure guide (a motion, step by step), the Robert's Rules Association FAQ (short answers on votes, quorum and minutes) and Seeds for Change on consensus (blocks and stand-asides).
Practice: run one decision and record it Practice
Minimum: a way of deciding named in advance, a motion written in one sentence, and the minutes and actions entered on the sheets. Time: about 30 minutes before the meeting, and the time of the item. Materials: your bylaws, the proposal, and the meeting sheets.
- Find your bylaws' rule for this decision: who decides, by what vote, and whether a quorum is needed.
- Choose the way of deciding and enter it on the meeting sheet ("how we decide").
- Write the proposal as a motion in one sentence beginning "I move that...". Give it to the member who will make it.
- At the meeting, run it through the seven steps above, and say the result aloud.
- Enter the motion and its result on the minutes sheet, and the actions on the actions sheet, each with a name and a date.
Try a first-to-five check on a low-stakes question at your next meeting, such as where to hold the picnic, and note whether the people below neutral had something the others had not heard.
Your talk Your talk
Check your work Check your work
Criteria
- Did you name how the group would decide before the decision?
- Does the motion fit in one sentence, with the amount or action stated?
- Was there a quorum, and did the minutes say so?
- Did the chair restate the motion before discussion and announce the result?
- Do the minutes record the motion and its result, not the discussion?
- Does every action have a name and a date, and did the note-taker send them out within a few days?
- For anything disputed or with legal or financial consequences, did you ask the parliamentarian, officers or attorney?
Worked example
Howard's minutes line has the motion as passed and the count (12 to 2, one abstention), the quorum is noted, and three actions each have a name and a date. It passes. It does not yet say whether the bylaws set a larger vote for spending, and it does not claim to.
Common mistakes
- Deciding the method mid-argument. Say it before the item.
- Using the small-board rules at a general meeting. They describe boards of about a dozen or fewer.
- Treating "call the question" as ending debate. It does not; it is a motion that needs a second and two-thirds.
- Recording the discussion. Under Robert's Rules, minutes record what was done.
- Actions with no date. "Someone will look into it" is not an action.
- Approving by separate emails. One-by-one approval is not board approval.
What is still unresolved
What your bylaws require is settled by the bylaws; for anything unclear, disputed or consequential, ask your parliamentarian, officers or attorney. How to chair the meeting around the decision, and the agenda, are in Running a meeting. If you are presenting a proposal to be decided at a later meeting, A short presentation covers making the ask clear.