CONDUCT OF A MEETING

A] Before the Meeting

Preparation before meeting is necessary for a good meeting. The chairman and the secretary discuss the notice and the agenda. Thereupon, they draft the notice and the agenda. Depending on the members likely to attend the meeting, a suitable venue is selected. Arrangement for the necessary stationery is made. First, the notice of the meeting including venue, date, time is sent to all the members. The notice is accompanied by the agenda. Agenda means the topics of meeting to be discussed in the meeting. The notice and agenda help the members to make preparation for the meeting.

B] Starting the Meeting

Before starting the meeting, the chairperson should be sure a quorum is present. Quorum is the minimum number of members who must be present at the meeting. In the absence of quorum the meeting is held after thirty minutes. Then quorum is not necessary. The transactions performed are considered legally correct. After reading the minutes of the previous meeting, the meeting starts in the real sense. The points mentioned in the agenda are discussed one after another. The secretary makes notes of the proceedings of the meeting. The chairperson ensures that there is active participation by all the members, and the meeting goes according to plan.

C] Closing the Meeting

At the end of the meeting, the chairperson summarises what has been accomplished, announces the decisions taken and the future actions to be followed up. The secretary makes official recording of the proceedings of the meeting. This is called the minutes of the meeting. The minutes are to be approved by the chairperson. The decisions taken at a meeting are called resolutions. The decisions are taken by consensus or voting. At the end, the chairperson should thank the participants for their contribution.