Minutes Record Check

What makes minutes hold up in a dispute

Minutes are the official record of what a board decided. In a dispute, someone asks you to show what was decided, who agreed, and whether the record changed since. Minutes that hold up share five traits.

• The group formally approved them.
• Nobody can change them after approval without a trace.
• You can show who received them, and when.
• You can find a past decision fast.
• Sensitive talk is kept apart from the general record.

How the score works

The check has 10 questions. Eight of them are scored, questions 2 to 9. Each scored answer is worth 0 to 10 points. The strongest practice earns 10, a partial practice earns 5, and a weak practice earns 0. An answer of "Not sure" earns 2, because a gap you cannot see is still a gap. On question 7, "Not that I know of" also earns 2, because being unaware is not a partial control.

The check adds the points and scales the total to 0 to 100. A score of 80 to 100 is a strong record. A score of 50 to 79 means gaps to close. A score of 0 to 49 means your record is at risk in a dispute.

Questions 1 and 10 are not scored. They ask where you write minutes and how often you meet. The check uses the meeting count to estimate the hours you spend on minutes each year. The estimate assumes about 1 hour per meeting. It counts 52 meetings a year for weekly, 12 for monthly, 4 for quarterly, and 2 for less often.

Common questions

Are my meeting minutes legally sound?

This check cannot say. It looks at how you keep your record, not at what your bylaws or state law require. Read those first. Then use this check to find weak spots in your process.

What are meeting minutes best practices?

Record decisions, not every word. Get formal approval. Lock the approved version. Keep proof of who received it. Track action items from one meeting to the next. Each question in this check covers one of these steps.

Why does the check ask about AI tools?

A transcript pasted into a personal AI tool leaves your control. It may hold confidential talk. A short written policy lowers that risk.

What does the check record?

The score is computed in your browser. We record anonymous answer categories, such as whether approved minutes can be edited, to learn how organizations keep minutes. We never record names or anything you type.