What is the primary purpose of attendance records?

• A. A log for planning social events.
• B. A log for mailing lists.
• C. A log of member attendance used for governance, reporting, and engagement analysis.
• D. A log for snacks.

Answer: (C)

Attendance records capture who shows up at meetings or events and build the data you need to govern effectively, report to stakeholders, and understand member engagement. By tracking participation, leaders can confirm quorum, plan future agendas, and spot participation trends over time. This information supports accountability, helps create accurate reports for annual meetings or funders, and shows how engaged the membership is, guiding decisions to improve involvement.

Logging social events or mailing lists isn’t enough to meet these broader governance and engagement needs, and a snacks log only covers a minor logistical detail.