QUESTION:
According to Robert’s Rules of Order, minutes of our PTA’s board or committee meetings are “accessible to members of the boards or committees but no others.” A member of our PTA has requested to see copies of our Board minutes—do we have to provide them?
ANSWER:
Assuming that the member joined more than three months ago, the answer is yes. While you have correctly quoted Robert’s Rules, Washington state law, specifically Revised Code of Washington § 24.03.135, requires that certain records must be “ open at any reasonable time to inspection by any member of more than three months standing.” The statute also states the member making the request must bear the costs of copying the records that he or she wants copied. State law prevails over Robert’s Rules so yes, requests such as this must be granted.
