Society Meeting Minutes Template for Canada

Society Meeting Minutes are essential governance documents required by Canadian law for registered societies and non-profit organizations. They serve as the official record of meetings, whether regular board meetings, annual general meetings (AGMs), or special meetings. These minutes must be maintained in accordance with relevant federal legislation (such as the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act) and/or provincial Societies Acts, depending on the jurisdiction of incorporation. The document captures crucial information including attendance, quorum confirmation, motions proposed and passed, voting results, and key discussions. Society Meeting Minutes are particularly important for audit trails, legal compliance, institutional memory, and demonstrating proper governance to stakeholders, regulators, and funding bodies. They must be signed by designated officers (typically the Secretary and Chair) and kept as part of the society's permanent records.

1. Meeting Information Header: Date, time, location, type of meeting (regular/special/AGM), and society name

2. Attendance: List of present board members, members, guests, and notation of quorum status

3. Call to Order: Time meeting was called to order and who called it to order

4. Approval of Agenda: Record of motion to approve agenda, including any amendments

5. Approval of Previous Minutes: Record of motion to approve minutes from previous meeting

6. Business Arising from Previous Minutes: Updates on action items from previous meeting

7. Reports: Summary of presented reports (financial, committee, etc.)

8. New Business: Record of new items discussed, motions made, and decisions taken

9. Next Meeting: Date and time of next scheduled meeting

10. Adjournment: Time of meeting adjournment and motion to adjourn

11. Signature Block: Space for secretary and chair signatures, with date of approval