Board governance glossary
Definition
What is Board minutes?
Board minutes are the association's official written record of a board meeting, including attendance, motions, votes, and decisions.
What it means in practice
Minutes preserve what the board formally did, not a word-for-word transcript of everything participants said. Clear minutes usually identify the meeting date and location, who attended, whether quorum was present, the exact motions considered, and the outcome of each vote.
Reliable minutes help future board members, owners, auditors, and counsel understand the authority behind an action. The association’s governing documents and local law determine approval, retention, inspection, and distribution requirements.
Key points for boards
- Record motions, vote results, recusals, and assigned actions.
- Do not treat minutes as a transcript or include privileged legal advice.
- Draft promptly and approve them through the process required by the governing documents.
- Retain the approved version with the materials that informed the decision.