For information on the rules of order, here is a link from our NSNA web page. You can find the link under the Neighborhood Information segment, in the ''About Our Association'' link...at the bottom of the page.

(Claude has done a good job keeping our web page alive and well..thanks Claude!).

...or just copy and paste this link in your web browser's command line:

http://www.constitution.org/rror/rror--00.htm

It's great for insomnia, too...ahaha.
(revised in 1915!)

Record the Meetings, Please

I hope members will find the time to brush up on Roberts Rules. I remember being introduced to them years ago but the main thing I got from that was the realization that there are some rules.
One important point from your earlier posting is that someone should be assigned to record the minutes of the meetings. I always assumed this was being done. I know there was some controversy about recording a board meeting earlier in the year. Don't we continue to do that?

I just assumed that the board secretary is also responsible for membership meeting minutes. If not, we should remedy that situation immediately. Since I can't attend Monday night meetings, I depend on an accurate and timely account of what went on. (At this point, I'm a little hazy on whether the association still has a secretary at all.)

Now I see there is some disagreement about what did actually happen at various board and membership meetings. Even with the best intentions, the reports are not objective. A subtle choice of words can bias a report.

I am left to use my gut feelings, based on personality impressions, to guess what probably took place. It's lucky I have good instincts.

By Steph Arnold

Minutes

Dear Steph:

The Secretary has been recording meetings right along. When the Secretary has not been able to attend, such as the Sept. 18 meeting, the meeting did not commence until a person was appointed to take minutes. This meeting was not recorded on audio tape as a recorder was not available. The Secretary usually brings one.

I have chaired countless meetings over my lifetime. God knows how many I've attended! It is now considered SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for the Secretary to record such meetings. These recordings allow for the Secretary to be excruciatingly accurate when transcribing the minutes. Should there ever be a question as to the wording or a direct quote, the recordings can be reviewed. Also, people tend to maintain some level of decorum knowing they are being recorded for posterity.

Richard Nixon was certainly not the first to use tapes for historic accuracy, which happened to backfire upon him. It is the very best way to precisely record meetings.

Questions as to minutes should be referred to the Secretary who should make copies of the minutes of meetings available upon request.

The new Newsletter Editor is getting into the habit of reporting on the meetings. It is not reasonable to publish the entire transcript of the minutes into the newsletter. not enough room and it is usually as boring as reading Robert's Rules of Order.

By Concerned Citizen