Minutes Secretary, Who wants my job?

[skintnbitter]

To cut a VERY long story short we are a new allotment and just going into of 3rd year.

We have a member on our site that some of you would reffer to as a nuts stirrer.  He thinks he can do as he pleases and that no one dare say anything to him. I would like to point out that he is one of these people that likes to stick out his chest and stand in your face.

A couple of months ago he got into a run in with another member, to which I ended up sticking for as the other member was in the right.  Please note I am a young female and half the size of this said man so obviously he then felt the need to come and stand about an inch off my face.  So me being me did not back down and stood up to him and supported the other member.

This morning we have had a meeting and the said member did not attend, yet he set a letter in. He stated in is letter that he was been harassed by a certain member of the committee (not me) and that the minutes I produced were not a true reflection of the meetings and not all conversation were noted. 

Obviously I am f*****g fuming, pardon my french. In my defence I minute everything that is relevant.  I am sure other minute secretary's are fully aware that sometimes there can be 3 or 4 conversations suddenly start at once and you have to choose which conversation / part of a conversation you need to minute. If this happens I do always stopped everyone from talking and say right I have minuted this, is this correct!

At the moment, I feel like saying stuff it and suggesting that the said member who has complained about me should do the minutes. 

[skintnbitter]

[lavenderlux]

I'm the minutes secretary for our field committee - and I think that your chairman should be taking charge of the meetings and not let two or three conversations go on during a committee meeting but to keep to the agenda point. 
Also  - is this person a committee member and if so, why doesn't he say the minutes aren't a true record when they are signed as being correct at the following meeting?

[Trevor_D]

It's up to the Committee to decide whether the minutes are a true record. After "Apologies for absence", it's the next item on the agenda, followed by "Matters arising from the minutes".

We occasionally change ours - by agreement - when a Committee member points out an inaccuracy, or perhaps an unpolitic turn of phrase. They are then agreed, signed by the Chairman and kept on file. We also publish them on the notice board for all the members to see. Assuming this guy is a Committee member, he should have come along to the meeting and made his point. If he's not, it's none of his business.

And yes - it's the Chairman's job to make sure there's only one conversation going on at any one time. It's actually the only thing he/she has to do!

[skintnbitter]

The said guy is not a memebr of the committee, but would love to be given half a chance.

The minutes are emailed to the chairman by me to double check that he is happy I have covered all points and not missed anything essential.  Once he is happy these are then email to the rest of the committee to agree / make any changes.

I have had no complaints from the rest of the committee or any other members of the allotment accept him.

[SMP1704]

So then how does he know that the minutes in inaccurate?  Is he psychic or a time-traveller?

You have described a bully - remember bullies like to get their own way.  This one has discovered that he can't intimidate you in a direct confrontation so is now trying to get at you in other ways.

IMHO resigning is just what he wants you to do.  I suggest that the Chair responds to the letter, backing you up and that is the end of the matter.

Laugh - that's bound to aggravate him ;D

[tonybloke]

I am the secretary of our local association, and I whole-heartedly agree with everything in the previous post. ;)

[Unwashed]

Just minute the decisions, it really doesn't matter who said what on the way to those decisions.

[tonybloke]

p.m. me your email, I'll send you a document outlining all of the duties / roles of the various committee members. give a copy to all members of the committee, so they all know who / when / why / how, things are done at meetings. It'll save a lot of grief.  ;)

[Unwashed]

So then how does he know that the minutes in inaccurate?  Is he psychic or a time-traveller?

You have described a bully - remember bullies like to get their own way.  This one has discovered that he can't intimidate you in a direct confrontation so is now trying to get at you in other ways.

IMHO resigning is just what he wants you to do.  I suggest that the Chair responds to the letter, backing you up and that is the end of the matter.

Laugh - that's bound to aggravate him ;D

Sorry, but I don't agree at all.  The committee is a customer service organisation and it should treat its allotmenteers with dignity.  Yes, some people will try and get what they want by intimidation, but others will come over aggressive because they are intimidated, or frustrated, or wronged.  We all have a basic primitive need to be heard, and this guy is giving a very strong indication that that need was ignored.

[flowerofshona2007]

I agree with the others, you minute the meeting but not the general 'chat' if we did that it would be 15 pages long  ;D    ;D
There is always one or two ignorant members on every site they seam to be a necessity  ;D  ;D
Just do your job and ignore him hun he is powerless until the AGM you where voted on he wasn't !
If he feels 'unheard' he can stand up and be heard at the AGM.

[skintnbitter]

I agree with SMP1704 this guy is a bully.

After his letter had been read out today at the meeting I just laughed at the fact that he is complaning about being harassed by a committee member.

You think by now I would have learnt to keep my mouth shut, but no I had to put my two pence worth in! I just simply said that he is the worst offender, he is aggressive and intimidating and he should think himself lucky that I have not poked him in the eye before now!

Should I minute that??  ;D

As per flowerofshona2007 alot of what is said is general chit chat, as mentioned before when there is a natural break in conversation I say to all attending members 'This is what I am miniuting, is this correct?'

[ACE]

Do you lot do any gardening or is it committes and meetings you are more interested in. They tried to get me involved on my last allotment. Soon told them to eff off. I enjoy gardening too much to get involved in all the petty little arguments and 'status'.  How did all this sort of crap creep into allotments. 5 sites I have been on over the years and only the last one had a stupid committee. The others ran along ok.

Get back to gardening and let the little hitlers get on with it they will soon get fed up with nobody to boss about.

[cocopops]

I would try not to take it personally, there are some people with big ego's and no influence who get off in trying to make someone they consider a weak link take the blame.  The fact that that you stood up to him (never backed down when they push into your space) is brilliant.  You are doing your job (I have taken minutes and hated it).  Remember he is the one with the issues.  Stay impartial, let the committee deal with it and well done for standing up for yourself.

[flowerofshona2007]

Ace that would be great except we are self managed and sitting back and doing nothing is not an option !
Funny those who do nothing on sites are the first to shout when they have a problem and expect others to sort it out !
Remember we are un paid and work for the benifit of the sites and the members, we do our plots but put in extra time to help the sites improve.

[tonybloke]

Ace, our association owns our sites, so, it's run by a group of volunteers, not at any cost to the tax-payng towns-folk. Associations don't run themselves. :)

[Hyacinth]

"  I am sure other minute secretary's are fully aware that sometimes there can be 3 or 4 conversations suddenly start at once and you have to choose which conversation / part of a conversation you need to minute. If this happens I do always stopped everyone from talking and say right I have minuted this, is this correct!"

I picked up on this...whtever else is going on, you really must have a quiet word with your Chair and ask them to keep meetings in order & be strict about not allowing cross-talking so that you, as minute taker, can give a correct account. And that is the Chair's responsibility - not yours.

I was both Secretary + minute taker for 5 years for an Assoc. (not a lottie one) and keeping a meeting in order wasn't in my remit and neither should it be in yours...

[ACE]

we do our plots but put in extra time to help the sites improve.

What needs improving on an old established tradition. You get a plot of land, dig it and plant it and reap the benefits. Oh, somebody needs to pay the landowner the rent. What else. I suppose there are those that go out with begging bowls for grants etc. But why? it's a hobby, it does not need shed loads of money thrown at it. Your plot, your tools, your shed or greenhouse. Up to the plot owner to sort it not a load of busy bodies.

[flowerofshona2007]

Get real Ace !!!
We have to abide to the lease agreement from the council, the loos need sorting, the shows we do to raise funds for equipment for members to use , all the junk that gets left on site needs clearing by someone the fairys dont seem to want to do it ! The shop needs stocking and running (flippin fairys are slipping  ;D )
On modern sites its not just dig my plot stuff the rest of the site, members who do not do their plots have to be removed s that others don't get weed seeds all over their plots, so wh does that ???? yep those fairys again ! Nope committee members!

[ACE]

Get real Ace !!!
We have to abide to the lease agreement from the council, the loos need sorting, the shows we do to raise funds for equipment for members to use , all the junk that gets left on site needs clearing by someone the fairys dont seem to want to do it ! The shop needs stocking and running (flippin fairys are slipping  ;D )
On modern sites its not just dig my plot stuff the rest of the site, members who do not do their plots have to be removed s that others don't get weed seeds all over their plots, so wh does that ???? yep those fairys again ! Nope committee members!

Blimey if you are going to get that stressed, Why mess up a perfectly calming hobby?