[Eg-oversight-board] Proposed amendment to EOB meeting minutes

[Grace Dunbar]

I'm not sure it's fruitful to continue to discuss the "exact" words Tanya
spoke at the meeting.  But any EOB member may certainly vote against
adopting the minutes if they feel they aren't accurate.  To me it's more
important that we make a decision on the issues of
clarification/amendment.  This is a big enough issue that we can't actually
change the minutes (although that sort of thing can be done for
misspellings, date corrections, etc. without Board vote) but rather we do
need to agree to the clarification, if the Board agrees it's appropriate.

Also, as a point of parliamentary procedure, the meeting minutes are
essentially a draft until they are "adopted" or "approved" at the next
meeting.  Even though minutes were taken, they aren't the official record
of that meeting until the EOB adopts them.  Until then it is reasonable and
acceptable to change/clarify/amend.  So, now is the time to be having this
conversation so we can, hopefully, be at a point where we can make any
clarifications (if necessary) and approve them at the next meeting.

I think Tanya's clarification to the minutes is important because her exact
words to me after the meeting were, "I think you misinterpreted what I was
saying."  This says to me that while Chris may have captured her words
correctly, her *message* was not captured correctly and not necessarily
through any fault of the Secretary.  In my opinion the message she was
trying to convey is equally or perhaps more important than the exact
words.  Goodness knows I've misspoke on occasion and I wouldn't want my
words going down in perpetuity without having the opportunity to clarify
what I meant.

Thanks!
Grace


On Wed, May 11, 2016 at 12:27 PM, Chris Sharp <csharp at georgialibraries.org>
wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I'm trying not to get pulled into this, having happily ended my tenure on
> the EOB, but since I was the recording secretary for the meeting, and my
> minutes are being called out here, I feel I have to respond.
>
> Here is my issue with accuracy in the words of the record: I recall
>> Tanya using the phrase "giving direction" with regard to "a vendor"
>> but I don't recall her using the phrase "point of contact."  That
>> difference between my recollection and the minutes as recorded by the
>> secretary is concerning because the latter implies more specificity
>> than the former.  In other words, what Chris typed implies Tanya was
>> talking specifically about an official conference contact, but what I
>> recall her actually saying implies no such thing, only that she was
>> receiving direction.  Her clarification to several people suggests
>> Chris' typing implies more meaning that was actually provided by
>> Tanya, but the intent is materially beside the point of whether the
>> words typed match the words spoken.  I don't believe they do.  They
>> are, quite obviously, not a direct transcription of what Tanya said,
>
> which means they were interpreted by Chris before being recorded.
>>
>
> The unedited-for-wiki Google doc version of the minutes has the following
> for the wording in question:
>
>    -
>
>       Sponsorships
>       - Conflict of interest to have a point of contact be a vendor
>
>
> To my recollection, Tanya was listing off the issues she wanted to talk
> about, and she said "Sponsorships", then said, more or less verbatim as
> written, the bullet point above.  My goal at the time was to capture as
> faithfully as possible the wording that Tanya used, so I would be surprised
> if what she said was too far off from that.
>
> Having said that, I am a human being prone to the same mistakes as
> everyone else, and the Board is always given a chance to review and correct
> meeting minutes at the following meeting.
>
> I've said my peace here.  How you handle the wording of the minutes is up
> to the Board.
>
> --
> Chris Sharp
> PINES System Administrator
> Georgia Public Library Service
> 1800 Century Place, Suite 150
> Atlanta, Georgia 30345
> (404) 235-7147
>
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>


-- 
Grace Dunbar, Vice President
Equinox - Open Your Library
gdunbar at esilibrary.com
1-877-OPEN-ILS  |  www.esilibrary.com
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