This site is a knowledge bank from questions people have asked about issues at any type of meeting.
There is a range of topics to do with meetings.
You can ask any question about any aspect of meetings and I’ll answer as soon as I can
Click the categories below to read posts,
or submit a question and I’ll respond directly to any question you may have.
Can a committee move a motion as a group?
It's a reasonable assumption — if the whole committee is behind an idea, surely they can all put their name ...
Should committee minutes be provided to the entire membership?
I have received this question from Peter in the UK. Does the management committee of a sporting club have to ...
Postal Voting – who can vote
This question was received from Ken in Australia. Incorporated Not-for-profit Assoc in South Australia. Definition of Voting: All members eligible ...
The real cost of meetings
The real cost of meetings Wouldn’t it be great if all the time and energy you spent in meetings earned ...
When should minutes of a board meeting be distributed?
This question has been received from Angela in Canada. Hello there! I am the Secretary for a small, member-based, non-profit ...
Can staff vote in an incorporated organisation
This question has been received from Alice in New Zealand: There are several paid staff in our incorporated society, some ...
No-one willing to serve on the committee – what do we do?
This question has been received from Alice in New Zealand. The incorporated society I'm involved with is run by a ...
The role of the treasurer
I have received this question from Stephanie in the Solomon Islands. What are the roles for treasurer for clubs and ...
Late arrivals. What do you record in the minutes.
I have received this question from Angela in Australia. One of our board members was having difficulty linking up to ...
Business arising from the minutes – how to avoid a potential black hole
I have received this question from Amanda in Australia: I'm trying to understand what "business arising from minutes" actually means ...
Are there special protocols for Zoom meetings?
I received this question from Andrew in Hong Kong: I work in a social service organization. Due to the outspread ...
What is a Point of Information?
I received this question from a man in India: What is the difference between point of order and point of ...
AGM cancelled due to Covid-19? Here’s a workaround
Many organisations are finding themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place with their Annual General Meetings. Their rules, ...
Pedantic people changing the minutes – what can you do?
I received this question from Cheryl in Adelaide. What can one do if the Treasurer of the board is constantly ...
Secretary (or any office bearer) resigns early – what to do?
I received this question from Alan in Australia: What is the correct procedure, when the secretary resigns early in the ...
How do you amend minutes that have already been approved?
I received this question from Robyn in Australia: I am a Secretary of an incorporated non-profit body. If there are ...
How much notice is required for an extraordinary meeting?
How much notice would a voluntary organisation need to give our members of an extraordinary meeting to be held to ...
Vice President overstepping their role or crossing the line
I have received this question from Andrew in the Northern Territory: I am the Executive Officer at my place of ...
Fix the meetings – fix the culture
Harvard Business Review commissions lots of research. They recently had some research conducted which came up with some interesting statistics ...
Who can raise a point of order in a meeting?
Alan is from a community association in the USA and has asked this question: Are members allowed to raise point ...
Proxy votes – when and how are they used
Bruce from Gabbin in Western Australia has asked this question: In the absence of anything in the Constitution related to ...
What happens when there is only one nominee for a position
Alan from Palmeston, Australia has asked this question: If there is only one nominee for President at the AGM, do ...
Minutes have been dissected and distributed with negative comments – what can we do?
Dennis from Leicester, UK, has asked the following question: Minutes of a meeting have been completely dissected and negatively commented ...
Which minutes are tabled at an AGM? When are committee meeting minutes tabled?
I have received this double-barrelled question from Gloria in South Australia: Is it only the previous years AGM minutes that ...
What gets recorded in the minutes when a Point of Order is made?
I have received a question from Steven in the USA. When a point of order has been made, should it ...
Who should apologies be sent to – the secretary or the chair or who?
Alan is a new subscriber and has asked this question: As secretary, I send out requests for agenda items for ...
Which minutes are tabled at a Special General Meeting?
I have received this question from a subscriber - Which minutes are tabled at a Special General Meeting? Sounds like a ...
Can a motion passed at a general meeting be overridden by the Board of Management?
A question has been asked by Judith from Pomona in Queensland: Can a motion passed at a general meeting of ...
When should the minutes of an AGM be sent or made available?
A question has been received from Lance, in Port Elizabeth, a South African subscriber about the minutes of an AGM ...
Casting Votes – when and how to use them
Casting votes is an issue that has come up recently with a client. They sound simple but there is a ...
Can I raise a point of order even during the announcements?
I have been asked this question by a subscriber in the Philippines. Can I raise a point of order even ...
As a member, can I see the committee minutes?
I have received a question from a subscriber in the United Kingdom. I have asked to see the minutes of ...
When and by whom should the minutes of an AGM be signed?
Richard from Australia has made a comment and asked this question: In an answer to Carmen you said "The AGM minutes only ...
What is the difference between an ordinary meeting and a special meeting?
Pranav has asked this question and it's a common one. What is the difference between an ordinary meeting and a special ...
What do you do when there is no quorum
Many people ask about the quorum at a meeting. A quorum is the minimum number of people who must be present for ...
What should be in a financial report?
Terry from Morley has asked about Treasurer's reports. He is in a not for profit association and he serves on ...
Signs to look for that flag possible fraudulent or inappropriate behaviour in organizations
The vast majority of people in organizations, particularly voluntary ones, are reasonable and honest people. But there are some bad ...
Who should receive the minutes of an Annual General Meeting (AGM)?
Lyrianne has asked this question: Who gets a copy of the minutes of a club's AGM? Is it all fully ...
Can a disciplinary board rescind a motion moved by another board?
Keith from Bathurst in New South Wales has asked this question: A motion that has been moved to ban a ...
Do reports for an AGM need to be sent with the notice of the meeting?
Natalie from New Zealand has asked this question. She asks: I understand that 2 weeks notice should be given before ...
