1. Meetings that Work: Effective Meeting Basics
Presented by
YOUR NAME HERE

2. Effective Meetings Workshop Outline Introductions, ground rules
Meeting Preparation
Facilitating Meetings
Meeting Follow Up
Wrap up & Evaluation

3. Introductions Questions: Name and organization
What brought you here today?
What do you want out of today’s workshops?
What is your favourite weekend activity?

4. Robert’s Rules Agenda Many organizations use this model for agendas:
Call to order
Roll call of members present
Reading of minutes of last meeting
Officers reports
Committee reports
Special orders --- Important business previously designated for consideration at this meeting
Unfinished business
New business
Announcements
Adjournment

5. Sample Agenda Item Pages Time Allotted Presented By Action required
1. Call to order, identification
of new business, approval of
agenda
5:00 – 5:05
Chair
Motion
2. Board minutes
3. Financial statements
1-5
5-8
5:05 – 5:10
4. Membership fees being raised 9
5:10-5:40
Chair, Anne,
Treasurer, Joe
Decision/Motion
5. Correspondence
10-15
5:40-5:50
Secretary
Motion/ information
6. Set next meeting
7. Adjournment
5:50-6:00
6:00
Decision

6. The Community Co-operative Inc
Sample Agenda
The Community Co-operative Inc
Board of Directors Meeting
Location: Gail’s House – 2 Lakeshore Dr.
Sunday April 25, 2pm – 3:30pm
Proposed Agenda
Approval of Minutes from last meeting
Incorporation status - update
Policies
Review conflict of interest policy final draft
New Board Members
Review applications
New Business
Next Meeting
Adjournment

7. Brainstorming Use Brainstorming to:
generate a bunch of ideas quickly using free thinking
get everyone’s input
encourage creativity and flexibility
create energy in a group
allow people to put ideas out there without fear of being corrected or challenged
separate generating ideas from evaluating ideas

8. Brainstorming Principles of Brainstorming All ideas are welcome
All ideas are written down
There is no editing or censoring of ideas
Ideas can be new or build on other ideas
There are no bad ideas

9. Brainstorming: How to…
Introduce the topic
Allow some quiet time for thinking
Ask people to say their ideas, letting them flow
Have people saying things as they come to mind
Facilitator writes them down on flip chart for all to see
What if money and time were no object?
What do you wish we could do 10 years from now?
Begin Sorting Ideas
Explore ideas in detail
Combine like ideas that are simply worded differently
Sort ideas into solutions using decision grids, mutli voting etc…
Create action plan(s)

10. Consensus Process Discussion Proposal Test for Consensus
Address any concerns
Modification
Decision
Participant Options:
Active Support
Passive Support
Stand Aside
Block
From:

11. Robert’s Rules of Order
For Fair and Orderly Meetings & Conventions
Provides common rules and procedures for deliberation and debate in order to place the whole membership on the same footing and speaking the same language.
The conduct of ALL business is controlled by the general will of the whole membership - the right of the deliberate majority to decide.
Complementary is the right of at least a strong minority to require the majority to be deliberate - to act according to its considered judgment AFTER a full and fair "working through" of the issues involved.
From

12. Robert’s Rules of Order
Robert's Rules provides for constructive and democratic meetings, to help, not hinder, the business of the assembly.
Under no circumstances should "undue strictness" be allowed to intimidate members or limit full participation.
The fundamental right of deliberative assemblies require all questions to be thoroughly discussed before taking action!
The assembly rules - they have the final say on everything!
Silence means consent!
From

13. Robert’s Rules of Order
Debate can not begin until the Chair has stated the motion or resolution and asked "are you ready for the question?"
Before the motion is stated by the Chair (the question) members may suggest modification of the motion
The "immediately pending question" is the last question stated by the Chair! Motion/Resolution - Amendment - Motion to Postpone
No member can speak twice to the same issue until everyone else wishing to speak has spoken to it once!
From

14. Robert’s Rules of Order
All remarks must be directed to the Chair. Remarks must be courteous in language and deportment - avoid all personalities, never allude to others by name or to motives!
The agenda and all committee reports are merely recommendations! When presented to the assembly and the question is stated, debate begins and changes occur!
From

15. Minute Taking Minutes should: be accurate, brief and clear
record issues discussed
record decisions taken and any action required
be written in the past tense and third person
correspond to the agenda as far as possible

16. Sample Minutes
Sample of Board Meeting Minutes Name of Organization (Board Meeting Minutes: Month Day, Year) (time and location)
Board Members: Present: Sam Jaques, Dorothy Ash, Bill Robinson, Haji Nakam, and
Melissa Swanson, Justin Porter, Zach Smith
Absent: Sheila Johnson Quorum present? Yes Others Present: Exec. Director: Susan Johns Proceedings: · Meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Chair, Sam Jaques · (Last month's) meeting minutes were amended and approved
….continued…

17. Sample Minutes Chief Executive's Report:
Recommends that if we not able to find a new facility by the end of this month, the organization should stay where in the current location over the winter. After brief discussion, Board agreed.
Swanson mentioned that staff member, Sheila Philip's husband is ill and in the hospital.
MOTION to send a gift to Philip's husband, expressing the organization's sympathy and support; seconded and passed.
Finance Committee report provided by Chair, Dorothy Ash:
Ash reviewed highlights, trends and issues from the balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement. Issues include that high accounts receivables require Finance Committee attention to policies and procedures to ensure our organization receives more payments on time. MOTION to accept financial statements; seconded and passed.
….continued…

18. Sample Minutes
Board Development Committee's report provided by Chair, Bill Robinson:
Robinson reminded the Board of the scheduled retreat coming up in three months, and provided a drafted retreat schedule for board review.
MOTION to accept the retreat agenda; seconded and passed.
Other business:
Porter noted that he was working with staff member, Jacob Smith, to help develop an information management systems plan, and that two weeks ago he (Porter) had mailed members three resumes from consultants to help with the plan. In the mailing, Porter asked members for their opinions to help select a consultant. Porter asked members for their opinions. (NOTE: Swanson noted that she was also a computer consultant and was concerned about conflict of interest in her Board role regarding this selection, and asked to be ABSTAINED from this selection. Members agreed.) The majority of members agreed on Lease-or-Buy Consultants.
MOTION to use Lease-or-Buy Consultants; seconded and passed
….continued…

19. Sample Minutes Assessment of the Meeting:
Nakama noted that the past three meetings have run over the intended two-hour time slot by half an hour. He asked members to be more mindful and focused during discussions, and suggested that the Board Development Chair take an action to identify solutions to this issue. Chair, Jacques, agreed.
Meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.
Minutes submitted by Secretary, Zack Smith.

20. Thank you! For information on other workshops: NORTHWATCH
Box North Bay, ON P1B 8H2
Tel: (705) Fax: (705)