“The secretary will now read the minutes of our previous meeting.”

Being a secretary is hard work.  But there are some things you can teach your 4-H club secretary to make his or her life a little easier:

• Prep work helps!  Having a simple template to fill in before you start can make life a lot easier.  Check out this template from Wisconsin 4-H:
• Ask yourself while you are taking notes- is this really something that will matter a year from now?  Some things do, some things don’t.  Who approved a specific motion matters, how much everyone liked the nacho dip doesn’t.
• Motions should be recorded exactly as they are stated.
• Include action steps and deadlines.  People will go back to minutes as a reminder of what they are expected to accomplish.
• Try to complete your minutes within 24 hours of the meeting, while you can still remember much of…