Episode 2: Mighty Minutes – Say Goodbye to Scribble Struggle

You survived the meeting—but can you survive writing the minutes? Good news: BoardSpace is about to make it a whole lot easier.

What It Is

BoardSpace’s minutes feature lets you draft, organize, and finalize minutes directly within your meeting record. It connects agenda items, motions, and actions automatically. No more frantic note deciphering. No more “what did we decide about that thing” confusion.

How It Works

Minutes are linked directly to the agenda—no jumping between documents. In fact, the minutes become the backbone of your meeting. Instead of scrambling to keep notes after the meeting, you can structure the meeting itself around drafting the minutes in real-time.

As each agenda item is discussed, you can immediately capture the discussion summary, motions made, and any action items. This keeps everyone focused and ensures nothing important gets missed.

BoardSpace also makes the job easier with smart features:

• Attendance Checkboxes: Quickly record who’s present with a click—no flipping pages or chasing signatures.
• Call to Order Button: Captures the exact date and time from your computer—no guesswork.
• Action Assignment in a Flash: Assign follow-up actions directly in the minutes—linking people, deadlines, and tasks immediately. It’s so fast you can assign actions in just a few seconds, without disrupting the flow of the meeting. (We’ll explore more about action tracking in Episode 3.)
• Motion Dropdowns: Select mover and seconder from a list of present directors—no typos, no “who said that again?”

Traditional minutes don’t offer these efficiencies. A Word document certainly can’t.

Once you’ve captured everything, your minutes are ready for review and approval at the next meeting.

What to Include in Minutes

A common mistake some boards make is forgetting to properly use motions or resolutions. Their minutes read like a detailed story, full of discussion points but missing formal decisions. Without clear motions or recorded actions, it becomes difficult to know what was actually decided—or worse, it appears as if nothing was decided at all.

Minutes aren’t just a narrative; they need to show clear decision-making and follow-through. It’s not enough for a board to have a great discussion—the meeting must result in clear decisions. Every decision should be recorded with a formal motion, moved by one director and seconded by another.

Without this, even the best conversations become meaningless from a governance standpoint. It’s easy for boards to fall into the trap of talking around an issue but forgetting to formally close the loop with a motion and a vote. BoardSpace keeps this front and center by encouraging the correct use of motions and making it simple to record them properly.

Minutes should capture the essentials—no more, no less. Think of minutes as the ‘greatest hits’ of the meeting, not the whole concert. A good recording secretary learns the art of the important: the ability to sift out what matters from what doesn’t. It’s about capturing key details and decisions—not every colourful side comment or tangent.

Include:

• Key points of discussion (brief, not every word said)
• Motions (including who moved, who seconded, and whether it passed)
• Action items assigned (with deadlines if possible)
• Decisions made (even if no formal motion was needed)

What not to include:

• Word-for-word transcripts (“Bob said the muffins were dry” is probably not necessary)
• Personal opinions or editorializing
• Random side conversations (save the debate over the best office coffee for another time)
• Detailed weather reports (“Meeting commenced under partly cloudy skies with a 30% chance of rain.”)
• Wardrobe commentary (“Janet wore her lucky board meeting sweater.”)
• Pet appearances (“Director Smith’s cat joined the Zoom call and voted ‘meow’ on Motion”)

Example of Bad Minutes Content:

Before and After: Bad vs. Good Minutes

Bad Minutes:
Agenda Item 2: Approval of financial plan.

Discussion opened with a review of the financial plan presented by the Treasurer. Bob expressed concern about the projected increase in insurance premiums and asked whether multiple quotes had been obtained. Janet suggested postponing the approval until a more thorough comparison of insurance options could be made. Other directors raised questions about reserve fund contributions, especially given the upcoming roof replacement project.

There was also a brief sidebar on whether landscaping expenses could be trimmed to offset rising costs, which led to a lively (and slightly off-topic) debate about flower choices. After further discussion, directors agreed the overall plan was sound and that minor budget refinements could be handled administratively.

Motion was eventually made to approve the financial plan as presented, pending minor administrative adjustments.

Good Minutes:
Discussion: The board reviewed the 2025 annual financial plan as presented by the Treasurer. Questions were raised regarding projected insurance premium increases and the adequacy of reserve fund contributions. Directors agreed that minor adjustments could be addressed administratively and that the overall plan was appropriate for approval.

Motion: To approve the 2025 annual financial plan as presented, with minor administrative adjustments as discussed.

Moved by Janet Smith, seconded by Bob Green. Motion carried.

The goal? Create an official, professional record that’s clear, concise, and easy to follow later on.

Benefits for Users and Organizations

“Before BoardSpace, finalizing minutes was like solving a mystery with half the clues missing. Now it’s just click, type, done.” – Secretary, Volunteer Board

• Capture discussions while they’re fresh – no more relying on memory.
• Link decisions and actions directly – build a complete record.
• Save hours – no retyping agendas, formatting, or cross-referencing.
• Stay organized – minutes for every meeting stay attached to the right agenda.

Creative Uses

• Draft minutes live during the meeting for a faster approval process.
• Use BoardSpace to assign someone the role of “Minutes Monitor” to update on the spot.
• Create “Action-Only Minutes” for committee meetings focused solely on decisions and next steps.

Connected Features

Minutes are at the heart of the meeting ecosystem in BoardSpace.

• Pull motions from the minutes into the organization’s decision history.
• Auto-link actions so nothing gets lost in the shuffle.
• Attach documents discussed to the relevant agenda item.

BoardSpace doesn’t just record what you said—it builds a living, breathing record of your board’s decisions and direction.

Final Review Before Approving Your Minutes

Before your board approves the minutes, take a moment to check:

• Have all motions been recorded correctly (including mover, seconder, and result)?
• Are action items clearly listed with assigned persons and deadlines?
• Is there a summary of key discussions—without unnecessary detail?
• Are all attachments or referenced documents properly linked?
• Is the tone professional, neutral, and factual?

A quick review helps ensure the minutes become a reliable and permanent record.

I used to dread building the agenda—it took hours and still ended up full of formatting mistakes. Now I reuse our template and it’s done in ten minutes. I actually look forward to sending it out.” – Board Chair, Housing Cooperative

Directors know what’s coming – no more last-minute surprises.

• Staff can prep in advance – supporting materials are already linked.
• Meetings stay on track – or at least closer to it.
• Continuity – templates mean next month’s meeting doesn’t start from scratch

Keep the colour commentary for the coffee break—record what matters where it matters.

Stay tuned for Episode 3, where we tackle the world of action items—because decisions without follow-through are just good intentions!

Locking Minutes After Approval

One powerful feature of BoardSpace is that once the minutes are reviewed and approved at a subsequent meeting, they are locked and can no longer be edited. This protects the integrity of your official records—and prevents the kind of uproar that made headlines with the Rogers board situation (where, if you recall, one family member accused another of altering the minutes).

Our founder, Pat, saw that story unfold and immediately said,
“They should have been using BoardSpace.”

With BoardSpace, once your minutes are approved, they are locked securely—there is no tampering, confusion, or drama—just transparent, trustworthy records you can rely on.

Connected Features

Minutes are at the heart of the meeting ecosystem in BoardSpace.

Auto-link actions so nothing gets lost in the shuffle.
Attach documents discussed to the relevant agenda item.

BoardSpace doesn’t just record what you said—it builds a living, breathing record of your board’s decisions and direction.

Stories from the Board Table

1. Meet Sam, the Reluctant Note-Taker

Sam dreaded being the secretary for his nonprofit board—until he discovered BoardSpace. During meetings, he clicks into each agenda item, quickly types a few key points, and links motions as they happen. By the time the meeting adjourns, the minutes are nearly complete. Sam now leaves meetings smiling (and everyone wonders how he got so efficient).

2. Teresa, the Chair Who Runs Tight Meetings

As a condo board chair, Teresa uses BoardSpace to keep the meeting moving. She calls the meeting to order with one click, keeps directors on task by referring directly to agenda-linked minutes, and assigns action items as discussions wrap up. Her meetings run faster, and her board members leave knowing exactly what was decided.

3. Darren, the Detail-Oriented Director

Darren loves details—sometimes too much. Before BoardSpace, he filled minutes with side conversations and colourful commentary. Now, with templates and guidance built into BoardSpace, he focuses on capturing motions, key discussions, and action items only. Darren’s minutes are now concise, professional, and approved on the first review.

Wrapping Up

Good minutes aren’t just a formality but the foundation of strong, transparent governance. With BoardSpace, creating minutes becomes less of a struggle and more of a strategic advantage. Save time, stay accurate, and build trust with every meeting. Your future self—and your board—will thank you.

Hit play and learn how to transform your board’s workflow today.