How can we dispense with reading the minutes?

Parliamentary Procedure Q&A

Q: Is there any way possible to dispense with the reading of the minutes in a regular meeting which is held each month? - Douglas D. Bundy, Jan. 6, 1999

A: One note: to "dispense" with the reading of the minutes means to not read them at the usual time. It does not mean to not read them ever.

If the minutes are published in advance, you can waive their reading unless someone objects. The presiding officer would still ask if there were corrections. (RONR p. 348-9.)

A popular option is to have the organization authorize the board or a committee to review, correct and approve the minutes between meetings. You would still want to distribute the approved minutes to the members at the next meeting, but you wouldn't have to take time to read or approve them. The authorization can be granted in a couple of ways:

The presiding officer at each meeting could say something like, "Without objection, the minutes of this meeting will be reviewed and approved by the Board."

The organization could appoint a committee whose function was the reading and approval of the minutes.

One disadvantage of this method is that, after they've been approved (by the board or committee), it takes a two-thirds vote (or unanimous consent) - instead of a majority - to make further corrections.

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