MODULE 6
Chairperson
* Meeting Organizations
Formal meetings :
Chairperson, agenda, notice of the meeting
Examples: board meetings, annual general meeting, committee meetings
Informal meetings
• scheduled get-together for the purpose of problem solving
• do not follow all of the rules of a formal meeting
• no motions
• no mandate
• not required quorum
Examples: staff meetings, disciplinary meetings, regular employee/manager meetings, department
meetings
Types of meetings Face-to-face meetings
• face-to-face • Creative, interactive group discussion
• virtual, web based • Observe and respond to the body language
• national & international • More relaxed & more familiar
• Conference based • Socializing can be a disadvantage
Virtual, web based
• more common, especially in merged environments
• teleconference & videoconference room set ups
• teleconference: "conference call"- when three participants are involved
• videoconference: video camera and monitor or screen to project video image (zoom
meeting)
National & International
• allows a meeting to occur via teleconference/videoconference from different locations
• popular for different cities, provinces, and countries
• disadvantage:time zones
• aware of etiquette especially with different cultures where certain gestures mean different things
Conference
• usually theme or topic based
• doctors will attend or coordinate conferences
• you may be asked to set up or coordinate on behalf of your doctor
Steps involved in organizing a meeting
1. Confirm the meeting date and time:
• consider the schedules of the other participants
• if attending virtually, consider their time zone
2. Select and prepare the room
• you would need to select a room that has the appropriate amount of seating for your
participants
3. Determine seating arrangements
• if changes to the pre-set seating arrangements are needed, you will need to arrange in
advance
4. Prepare and distribute the Notice of Meeting
• usually done with the calendaring function in e-mail. Indicate the date, time, and location at
the same time
5. Prepare and distribute the agenda and previous minutes
• the chairperson may provide you with agenda items, or you might be responsible to read
the previous minutes to determine what needs to be discussed and to ask members to
provide agenda items to you by a set date.
• should be distributed at least a week prior to the meeting, when possible
6. Prepare and distribute any additional materials
• attendance list is valuable for each meeting
7. Order any equipment and other items necessary
• any additional equipment will need to be pre-scheduled and arranged well in advance of the
meeting date
8. Confirm which participants will be attending if and a quorum will be reached
• few days prior to the meeting date, you will need to check which members have
accepted and declined the meeting.
9. Order catering if necessary
• determine if any members have any food restrictions
• catering usually needs to be ordered well in advance
TERMINOLOGY
• Agenda: order of business for a meeting; usually e-mailed/ distributed to the members before the
meeting or as the meeting begins.
• Minutes: the record of the proceedings of a meeting; the formal written record of a meeting
• Chairperson: person who calls the meeting to order; guides/controls the meeting and the conduct of
the meeting
• Adjournment: the last item noted in the minutes before the signature; tells when the meeting is
finished
• Amendment: proposed modification
• Business arising: current discussion on any matter recorded in the minutes of the previous meeting
• New business: discussion of anything that has not been discussed at the meeting; new item
• Standing meeting: regularly scheduled meeting with no end date
• Tabled: topic is open for discussion on a different, unknown date; may be postponed indefinitely
• Deferred: agenda could not be discussed due to time or because information was not available, it will
be deferred to a different meeting; not postponed but expected to be discussed at a specific date
• Motion: formal statement, usually involving some proposed action, put to a meeting for discussion and
subsequent decision by vote
• Mover: proposer of a motion
• Seconder: formally supports the mover of a motion
• Quorum: minimum number required to be at a meeting for it to proceed legitimately
Amendment example:
It was moved by N. Elder and seconded by L. Short that no third semester classes, with the exception of general
education courses and elective courses, should be scheduled for the office administration - health services
program so that the students are able to participate in a field placement if they choose.
