Exemplar minutes for governance professionals
The governance professional is responsible for producing minutes which:
- are a clear, accurate, transparent and impartial record of meetings
- record the discussions and deliberations of the board
- highlight questioning, challenge and support from governors or trustees
- evidence governors or trustees fulfilling their strategic role
- provide a formal and historical record of governance
- allow those not in attendance at the meeting to understand what took place
Download exemplar minutes (MS Word)
These exemplar minutes and template – together with guiding principles – cover the fundamentals of producing minutes and can be used to develop your own practice.
- If you are new to clerking and need a template to work from then you can use this template.
- If you already have an established minutes format, you may wish to compare it to this template to identify any changes that might be beneficial.
- These exemplar minutes indicate the level of detail minutes should contain – they are not an example of verbatim minutes.
There are many ways to format and present minutes; many elements are a matter of preference and understanding what works best for your board. We recommend that you consult with your chair before making any changes.
How to minute a meeting effectively: e-learning module
Our How to minute a meeting effectively e-learning module is part of the Learning Link Introduction to Clerking programme. It addresses the challenge of producing meeting minutes in a practical way by providing approaches and examples that both the clerk and the board can be proud of.
Find out more about Introduction to Clerking e-learning
Further reading