Attending and Conducting

Meetings:
Organisation and procedures of
effective meetings
BCS 151 Notes
 Definition
• Meetings are gatherings of two or more
people to discuss matters of common interest;
• Meetings can be face-to-face interactions or
electronic such as tele-conferencing or
through video conferencing;
• meetings can be useful or a waste of time if
they are not well organised.
 Purpose of meetings
• Exchanging views and information;
• Generating new ideas;
• Promoting participatory decision making and
encouraging co-operation;
• Coordinating activities in an organisation;
• Solving problems and harmonising interests;
• Discussing policy matters;
• Reviewing performance;
• Spreading information through group members.
 Unproductive meetings
Meetings could be unproductive if:
• The purpose of the meeting is not clear;
• The people attending the meeting do not want
to participate for various reasons;
• There is insufficient guideline or leadership to
control the proceedings;
• The participates lack information necessary
for effective discussions and decision making.
 Membership
Members can be:
• Appointed;
• Elected;
• Co-opted;
• Ex-officio.
 Types of Meetings
• Informal meetings are not governed by strict
rules and regulations.
• Formal meetings are governed by strict rules
and conversions laid down in the
organisation’s constitution or standing orders;
• The sets of rules determine what the meeting
does and how business in the meeting is
conducted.
 Rules for Formal Meetings
The rules that govern formal meetings include the
following:
• Attending rights;
• Adequate notice;
• Minimum number of members required to hold a
meeting;
• Type of matters to be discussed;
• Binding powers of decisions made on members;
• Voting powers of members.
Basic requirements for a formal meeting
• Chairperson- There should be a chairperson to
lead the discussions, guide and control
members, and maintain order;
• Notice of the meeting- should be sent to
members to inform them of the meeting, place,
date, day and time of the meeting;
• Agenda- there should an agenda for meeting to
show the sequence of items to be discussed;
 Basic requirements(continued)
• Minutes of the meeting- there should be a record
of the proceedings and decisions made during the
meeting. Minutes should be clear, accurate and
complete;
• Quorum- this is the minimum number of
members present before the meeting proceeds;
• Voting- members may subject issues discussed to
a vote to make a decision by simple majority
 Order of items on the Agenda
• Call to order;
• Chairperson’s opening remarks;
• Apologies for absence;
• Minutes of the previous meeting;
• Matters arising from the previous meeting;
• New Business;
• Any other business(AOB);
• Date of next meeting;
• Closing remarks.
 Convening a meeting
There are two ways of convening a meeting:
1. Automatically, without initiating action by the
secretary(every last Saturday of the month);
2. By issuing a notice of each meeting (examples:
7days, 14 days or 21 days);
The meeting may not be valid if it is not convened
according the rules and procedures of the
orgainisation.
 Example of Notice of meeting
MULUNGUSHI UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' UNION
NOTICE OF MEETING
NOTICE IS HEREBY given that the next meeting of the Students' Union Executive
will be held on Friday, 2 June 2017 at 14:30 hours in the Conference room.
I hope it will be convenient for you to attend.
The agenda for will be to discuss end of semester fairwell party for outgoing
students.

Paul Mbao
Secretary
cc Dean of Students
cc Students' Union Chairperson
 Example 2 (as a memorundum)
MULUNGUSHI SOCIAL CLUB
TO: All members of Sports Committee
FROM: Secretary
REF: MU/6/10
DATE: 29 May2017
SUBJECT: NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING
Please note that the next meeting of the Sports Committee will be held on 29 May
2017 in the Sports Conference room at Mulungushi University at 09:30 hours.
The agenda and minutes of the previous meeting have been enclosed.
Observe punctuality.
By order,

Pauline Mubanga
CC Chairperson
 Need for an Agenda
The agenda is distributed to members so that:
• Everyone knows the items to be discussed in
order to prepare adequately for the meeting;
• Everyone knows the order of the business to be
discussed;
• The chairperson can keep the meeting to a
schedule within the framework everyone knows;
• To save time as discussions would be restricted to
items on the agenda.
 Minutes of a meeting
• Proceedings of a formal meeting have to be
recorded for future reference;
• They should contain only facts discussions, and
decisions in connection with what happened
during the meeting and not opinions;
• Minutes validate actions to be taken after the
meeting;
• They are legal documents. They must clear,
accurate and complete.
 Types of minutes
• Verbatim minutes are usually used courts and in
parliament where everything said is recorded
word-for-word;
• Minutes of resolution in which only the main
conclusions reached and decisions made are
recorded;
• Minutes of narration are concise summary of all
the discussions which took place, reports
received, action to be taken and decisions made.
 Example of resolution minutes
4.1 Purchase of a Printer
The Club secretary submitted a report from the
Social Secretary containing full details of the trial
of the canon colour printer.
It was resolved that the canon colour printer be
purchased at the cost of three thousand Kwacha
(K3 000).
 Example of minutes of narration
4.1 Purchase of Printer
The Club Secretary submitted a report from the Social
Secretary containing full details of the trial of the canon
printer.
The machine had been used for one month in the printing
room. The printer’s benefits were pointed out such reduction,
enlarging facilities, scanning, and collating. After discussion, it
was agreed that such a printer would be useful to the Club.
The Treasurer was asked to make arrangements for the printer
to be purchased at the quoted price of three thousand Kwacha
(K3 000).
 Order of items in minutes
• Type of meeting, time date and place of
meeting;
• Names of members present with the
chairperson’s name first;
• Ratification of minutes of the previous meeting;
• Matters arising from the minutes of the previous
meeting;
• Reading of any correspondences received;
 Order of items (continued)
• New business in which new items for the meeting
are listed;
• Any other business in which less serious items
which were not included on the agenda could be
discussed;
• The date of the next meeting;
• Closing remarks by the chairperson;
• Signature block for the Chairperson and the date
when the minutes will be signed.
Duties and powers of a chairperson
• The word ‘chair’ is now commonly used instead of
‘chairman’, ‘chairwoman’ or ‘chairperson’ to avoid
sexual stereotyping;
• The chair’s duties are:
– To prepare an agenda of the meeting with the help of
the secretary;
– To declare the meeting formally open and close the
meeting at the designated time;
– To introduce each item for discussion and allow one
person to speak;
 Duties and powers of the chair
• To ensure that no one is allowed to dominate
the discussion;
• To control unruly members;
• To ensure that the meeting is conducted
according to the standing orders;
• To ensure that minutes of the discussions are
written by the secretary;
• To rule members out of order.
 Duties of the secretary
• Prepare the agenda in consultation with the
chairperson;
• Prepare chairperson’s agenda;
• Book suitable venue/room for the meeting;
• Obtain any necessary documents or statements
from members who will be absent;
• Collect the following items: stationery, spare
copies of agenda, minutes of previous meeting,
relevant files and correspondences.
Duties of the secretary during the meeting

• Attend early;
• Arrange direction signs to the meeting;
• Arrange sitting order;
• Supply refreshments and writing paper;
• Check attendance register;
• Read minutes of the previous meeting if necessary;
• Write minutes of the proceedings of the meeting;
• Assist chairperson in supplying information from files.
 Secretary’s duties after the meeting

• Return all documents used to the office;

• Prepare draft minutes;
• When minutes are approved by the
chairperson, type the minutes and distribute
them to members;
• File all the papers used;
• Enter date of the next meeting in the
chairperson’s diary.
 Duties of committee members
• To attend meetings regularly;
• To actively participate in the discussions
during the meeting;
• To vote whenever there is need;
• To contribute items for discussion during the
meeting;
• To speak through the chair in order to avoid
confrontation with other members.
Common Terms associated with meetings

• Ad hoc ex-officio
• Addendum; Lie on the table
• Addressing the chair; Majority
• Adjournment; Motion
• Amendment; Nem.Con
• Attendance record; No confidence
• Casting vote; Point of order
• Co-option; Poll
 Common terms
• Quorum; Ultra Vires
• Resolution; Intra Vires
• Rider;
• Right of Reply;
• Sitting arrangement;
• Standing Orders;
• Sub committee;
• Teller;
• Unanimous;
• Sine Die;
• Postponement;
FIND OUT THE MEANING OF THE ABOVE TERMS