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Excerpts from the January/February
2003 Issue of Leader Link.
Preparation
For
every meeting, there should be a goal that guides the
meeting. Because there is always something else to do or
one more thing to consider, it is easy to get
sidetracked or bogged-down. Prevent that by answering
these three questions:
·
What
needs to be done or decided?
·
Who
will be at the meeting?
·
When
and where will the meeting be?
The answers to these questions will help you
establish an agenda that will allow everyone to speak to
the issues they want, and still get through everything
you need.
Setting
the agenda (sample
agenda)
An agenda is made up of several elements that fall into
two categories:
·
items
for information (sub-committee, financial, and other
reports) and
·
items
for decision/discussion.
If you are
not sure if a decision requires a vote, it is best to be
same and ask for a motion and vote. Among others, items
that always require votes include:
·
spending
any money that hasn’t already been approved by a
vote,
·
establish
a committee or sub-committee,
·
changes
or additions to procedures or policies, and
·
changes
to Standing Rules or Constitutions.
To
vote on any issues, you must have a quorum. A quorum is
defined in your Committee or Local Section governing
documents. It is most commonly defined as a majority of
everyone on a committee or board – so a board or
committee of 15 must have at least 8 people at the
meeting in order to vote.
Meeting
Extras
On the day of the meeting, it is a good idea to bring at
least one extra copy of:
·
the
agenda,
·
the
minutes of the last meeting to approve
·
any
written reports or documents to be handed out, and
·
the
committee or board contact sheet.
In addition to material specific to the meeting, you
may want to consider bringing:
·
a
clock or other timepiece,
·
standing
rules or constitution for the committee or local
section, and
·
the
CWEA (state) Constitution.
Follow-up
& Follow-through
Get the
meeting minutes out as quickly as possible after the
meeting. The actual “best time” depends on the
issues discussed at the meeting, and when your next
meeting is scheduled. If there are burning issues, it is
a good idea to get the draft minutes out sooner rather
than later. This ensures that everyone involved has the
same recollection of the outcome.
To ensure
that everyone’s time is used in a meaningful and
productive manner, keep these simple standards in
mind:
·
prepare
through sending announcements & advance information
·
set
and stick to the agenda,
·
follow
up and follow through. |
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