People have different styles for recording discussions. The main idea is to capture the key points of a discussion rather than trying to record everything. Generally an item is presented, then discussed, and sometimes a formal decision or outcome is needed. Some people attach names of speakers to key points while others do not.

For decisions, proposals are often made on the fly, so it is helpful to record the wording of specific proposals. Sometimes the exact wording gets lost or needs to be repeated so people can decide how to amend the proposal or how they want to vote.

We generally just record the outcome of a vote, not how many people voted in favour, against, or abstained (choosing not to vote), but this can be useful information sometimes, for example to know if a decision was contentious or unanimous.

Image Credit: Mac

Sample Copy of Meeting Minutes

February 3 2010 General Meeting Minutes