Guides · Template to download
Minutes template for general meetings and board or team meetings
Minutes record who attended a meeting, what was decided and who will do what by when. They inform everyone who was not there and provide evidence of elections and resolutions, even years later. Here you will find a Word template for the minutes of a general meeting and of a board or team meeting. You will also learn what belongs in any set of minutes and who signs them.
The Word template for your minutes
- Pages 1 and 2: minutes of an annual general meeting with the 13 agenda items from our agenda template, each with suggested wording
- Page 3: minutes of a board or team meeting with resolutions and an action list
- For general meetings, members’ meetings and delegates’ assemblies, free to use and adapt
Word file (DOCX), also opens in LibreOffice and Pages.
Which type of minutes fits?
There are three types. They differ in how much of the proceedings is recorded.
| Type | What is recorded | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| Minutes of resolutions, also called action minutes | motions, resolutions with the vote count, elections and action items | general meetings, board and team meetings |
| Discussion minutes, in short form summary minutes | in addition, the course of the discussion with the main arguments | contentious business, strategy meetings, meetings with many absentees |
| Verbatim minutes | every contribution word for word, often from an audio recording | parliaments, rare in associations |
For most general meetings and other meetings, minutes of resolutions are enough. Discussion minutes are worthwhile when it should be possible to trace later how a decision was reached.
What belongs in the minutes
These details belong in the minutes of a general meeting or members’ meeting.
name of the organisation, type of meeting, date, venue, start and end time
chair, minute-taker and tellers
those present and those who sent apologies, the number of members entitled to vote, the attendance list as an attachment
confirmation that notice of the meeting was given in time and that the meeting is quorate
the agenda items in the order of the notice of meeting
every motion in its exact wording
every resolution with the vote count, for example “84 in favour, 2 against, 3 abstentions” or “unanimously”
elections with the result and a note that those elected accept the election
who recused themselves from an item
action items with owner and deadline
statements that someone expressly asks to have recorded in the minutes
place, date and signatures
For board and team meetings, the date, those present, agenda items, resolutions and action items are enough. At a delegates’ assembly, record attendance by section.
Organising a delegates’ assembly: running order and checklist ↗Who takes and signs the minutes
Three questions to settle before the meeting.
Minute-taking
Decide before the meeting who will take the minutes. In an association this is often the secretary. Whoever chairs the meeting should not take the minutes at the same time. At a large meeting, a second person who records attendance and voting results is helpful.
Signature
The chair and the minute-taker sign. For companies limited by shares (AG) and limited liability companies (GmbH) the law requires this, for associations only if the articles of association do.
Approval
In an association, the next general meeting usually approves the minutes as a separate agenda item. The board and teams approve them at the next meeting or in writing, for example with the sentence “The minutes are deemed approved unless objections are received by [date].”
What the law requires
Associations, companies limited by shares and limited liability companies have different rules.
Association
The law on associations (Art. 60 to 79 CC) does not require minutes. Any rules on them are set out in the articles of association. Accurate minutes are worthwhile nonetheless. If a resolution infringes the law or the articles of association, any member who did not consent to it may challenge it in court within one month of learning of it (Art. 75 CC). The minutes then show who was present and how the vote went.
Also record recusals. A member is excluded from voting on any resolution concerning a transaction or legal dispute between them and the association. The same applies if their spouse or a person related to them in direct line is involved (Art. 68 CC). How notice, motions and elections work is explained in the guide The general meeting of an association.
Company limited by shares (AG)
The board of directors is responsible for the minutes of the general meeting. They record at least the following points (Art. 702 para. 2 CO):
- the date, start and end, and the form and venue of the general meeting
- the number, type, nominal value and category of the shares represented, stating the shares represented by the independent proxy and by corporate body and custodian proxies
- resolutions and election results
- requests for information and the answers given
- statements that shareholders ask to have recorded in the minutes
- relevant technical problems during the meeting
The chair and the minute-taker sign (Art. 702 para. 3 CO). Shareholders may require the minutes to be made available to them within 30 days (Art. 702 para. 4 CO). Minutes are also required for meetings of the board of directors, signed by the chair and the minute-taker (Art. 713 para. 3 CO).
Limited liability company (GmbH)
The provisions for companies limited by shares apply accordingly to the minutes of the members’ general meeting (Art. 805 para. 5 no. 7 CO).
Writing minutes: step by step
1
Prepare. Transfer the agenda items and motions from the notice of meeting into the template and have the attendance list ready. You will find a template for the notice of meeting in the guide Agenda template.
2
Take notes. For each agenda item, note the resolution, the vote count, who is responsible and by when. Summarise the discussion in one sentence or leave it out.
3
Check back. If a motion is unclear, have it repeated before the vote. Anyone who wants a statement recorded in the minutes dictates the wording.
4
Write up. On the same day or the next, while memories are fresh. Write short, complete sentences and only give names for motions, elections and responsibilities.
5
Check and sign. The chair reads the minutes through, then both sign.
6
Send out. Meeting minutes go to participants and those who sent apologies within a few days. In an association, members receive the minutes of the general meeting at the latest with the next notice of meeting. Then nobody needs to read them out at the meeting.
Minutes of a board or team meeting
For internal meetings, minutes of resolutions with an action list are enough. The list shows at a glance what is still open and who is working on it.
| No. | Action | Who | By | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Obtain quotes for the meeting venue | [Name] | [Date] | open |
| 2 | Send the annual accounts to the auditors | [Name] | [Date] | done |
| 3 | Send the notice of meeting with the agenda | [Name] | [Date] | open |
Put the open actions on the agenda of the next meeting as the first item. That way each action stays on the list until it is done. For a short team meeting, the action list is often enough.
Template to copy
The framework for the annual general meeting of an association, with the agenda items from our agenda template. Replace the details in square brackets and, for each resolution, replace [votes] with the vote count. For a members’ meeting or delegates’ assembly, adjust the name.
Minutes of the annual general meeting [year]
[Name of the association]
Date: [weekday, date], [time] to [time]
Venue: [venue, address]
Chair: [name, role]
Minutes: [name]
Present: [number] members entitled to vote, [number] guests, attendance list attached
Apologies: [number] members
1. Welcome and confirmation of quorum
[Name] welcomes those present. The notice of meeting was sent on [date] within the required period. [Number] members entitled to vote are present; the absolute majority is [number]. The meeting is quorate.
2. Election of tellers
[Names] are elected.
3. Approval of the agenda
The agenda is approved without changes.
4. Minutes of the general meeting of [date]
The minutes are approved with thanks to the minute-taker. [votes]
5. Annual report [year]
[Name] presents the annual report. It is approved. [votes]
6. Annual accounts [year] and auditors’ report
[Name] explains the accounts. The auditors recommend approval. The annual accounts are approved. [votes]
7. Discharge of the board
The meeting grants discharge to the board. [votes] Board members do not vote.
8. Budget [year] and membership fees
The budget is approved; the membership fee is [amount]. [votes]
9. Elections
[Name] is elected as [role] for [term of office]. [votes] [Name] accepts the election.
10. Motions from the board
Motion: [wording]. The motion is carried. [votes]
11. Motions from members
No motions have been received.
12. Honours
[Name] is honoured for [reason].
13. Any other business
[Information and dates]. No resolutions are passed.
Close of meeting: [time]
[Place, date]
Chair: [name, signature]
Minutes: [name, signature]
Attachments: attendance list, [other documents]
Your general meeting at Eventforum Bern
Planning your next general or members’ meeting in Bern? At Eventforum Bern, the event hall seats up to 380 people theatre style or 136 classroom style. The foyer for the welcome and drinks reception is directly adjacent. Contributions from the floor go through microphones, so everyone hears them and the minute-taker can attribute them. Chairing the meeting, votes and minutes remain with your organisation.
Find out more on the page General meetings and delegates’ assemblies in Bern. You will receive a tailored quote within 12 hours.
Frequently asked questions about minutes
How do you write minutes?
Transfer the agenda items from the notice of meeting into a template. During the meeting, note the resolution, vote count, responsibility and deadline for each item. Write up the minutes on the same day or the next and, once they have been checked, send them out within a few days.
Who signs the minutes of a general meeting?
The chair and the minute-taker. For companies limited by shares, the law requires these two signatures (Art. 702 para. 3 CO), and the same applies to limited liability companies (Art. 805 para. 5 no. 7 CO). In an association, the articles of association decide.
Do the minutes have to be read out at the meeting?
No, the law does not require this. It is common practice to send the minutes with the notice of meeting or make them available, and to approve them under the agenda item “Minutes”. Check whether your articles of association provide otherwise.
How long do minutes have to be kept?
Neither the law on associations nor the retention rule in the Code of Obligations sets a specific period for minutes. That rule requires accounting records, accounting vouchers, the annual report and the audit report to be kept for ten years (Art. 958f CO), and associations apply it accordingly to their accounting (Art. 69a CC). Keep minutes at least that long, preferably permanently. They provide evidence of elections, amendments to the articles of association and earlier resolutions.
May a meeting be recorded for the minutes?
Only with consent. A participant who records a non-public conversation on an audio recording device without the consent of the others commits a criminal offence (Art. 179ter of the Swiss Criminal Code). So announce any recording in advance and obtain everyone’s agreement. Delete it as soon as the minutes have been approved.
More guides
Every agenda item of an annual general meeting explained. With a Word template for the notice of meeting and running order.
Notice, deadlines, motions, votes and elections under the Swiss Civil Code. With a worked example of the absolute majority and templates to copy.
Articles of association, timeline, notice of meeting and running order on the day. With a checklist for associations and federations.
Last updated: October 2026. This guide does not replace legal advice; the law and the articles of association are authoritative.