Minutes Taking

1.5 hour credit.

This shift is done for each house meeting.

• • Attend the meeting. Try to arrive early; you must be there by the time the meeting starts.

  • Bring a laptop or other note-taking implement.

  • Bret's suggestion: Use the Agenda as a starting/reference doc (helpful to keep organized). Remember to note: Names (chair, note taker, motion leads), total attendance #, time of start & adjournment.

  • Take detailed notes.

    • The most important things to get are the specific wording of the motions that are voted on, in their final form, and whether they pass or not. It's not necessary to get the vote count, although you can include it if the presiding member announces it.

    • Discussion and announcements, and the more significant non-main motions (major amendments, successful motions to postpone) are less important, but you should try to include them if you can.

    • Incidental motions like technical amendments to the motion, motions to cut off debate, and other procedural history, can be skipped. (But remember even minor changes must be included in the version of the motion you write down as passing (or losing); the point is that you don't need the history of how the change was made at the meeting.)

  • After the meeting, edit the minutes with an eye towards:

    • Accuracy

    • Professional presentation (grammar, politeness)

    • Objectivity, and a charitable presentation of each point of view (to the extend that you did include discussion)

    • Discretion. Do not include any discussion that could be used against us by neighbors, the city, or other frenemies. Remember the minutes go up on a public web site. If you are unsure about what is appropriate, ask the president.

• • Within a couple of days of the meeting, post a copy to hip.coop. There must be a link on the Meeting Minutes page to your minutes; please name your minutes page consistently with the ones that are already there. (The link might already be there, but if it isn't you need to create it.)

    • Include the minutes in the wiki page itself, not in an attached file. This makes them easier to get at. You will need to use the wiki codes for headings, lists, italics, links, and any other effects that you need.

    • Send the president an email when you have done that, so he or she can review them.

  • Also email the minutes to hip_house.