A question has been asked by Helen in Western Australia:

I recently attended a meeting where the required quorum wasn’t present – the 3 of us agreed that nothing could be passed but that the recommendations would go to the next meeting. Problem is the minute taker has written some recommendations in as being passed.  What can you say to the minute taker so that she understands how a meeting operates when there is no quorum present.

This question is quite common – where the minute taker, in all good faith, does not understand the rules and technicalities of meetings. (Although there are some that DO understand and ignore them)

The best thing to do is at the next meeting simply point out that there was no quorum and the minutes therefore technically do not exist for the meeting since there was no official meeting.

You can then start the new meeting (presumably with a quorum) and bring forward what was informally discussed and perhaps even decided at the meeting without a quorum and then re-decide it officially.

Alternatively, if the minute taker is wel meaning but not sure of the protocols, have a quiet coffee with them between meetings and seek to explain the processes.

Please Note: The author accepts no responsibility for anything which occurs directly or indirectly as a result of using any of the suggestions or procedures detailed in this blog. This is not, and should be taken as legal advice. All suggestions and procedures are provided in good faith as general guidelines only and should be used in conjunction with relevant legislation, constitutions, rules, laws, by-laws, and with reasonable judgement. If you are in any doubt, seek appropriate advice.

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