How to chair meetings effectively — handling difficult people, points of order, voting and procedure. Practical answers from David Julian Price.
It’s a reasonable assumption — if the whole committee is behind an idea, surely they can all put their name to it. But that’s not […]
I received this question from Andrew in Hong Kong: I work in a social service organization. Due to the outspread of the COVID-19, most of […]
Casting votes is an issue that has come up recently with a client. They sound simple but there is a little bit behind them. Firstly, […]
I have been asked this question by a subscriber in the Philippines. Can I raise a point of order even during the announcement of other […]
Richard from Australia has made a comment and asked this question: In an answer to Carmen you said “The AGM minutes only need to be signed by […]
This question has come from John, in Australia It is not necessary to have an independent chairperson unless a) your rules dictate it; or, b) […]
It’s been calculated that the “average” adult makes 35,000 decisions every day. It seems a bit high to me but who am I to argue […]
There are a number of books on meeting procedure in Australia and New Zealand. CAUTION: Your organisation may use a book called “Robert’s Rules” (often […]
A question has been received from John of Ballajura in WA. We had a person who is unfinancial but used to be a member attend […]
Peter has asked the following question: How do minutes become confirmed if the persons present at the meeting when a decision was adopted are no […]
Lee has written the following question: What happens when the ‘status quo’ is ambiguous? In this example half of a committee thinks a committee member is not […]
In a reply to my post about rescission motions, Jason from Victoria has added some really good comments. Thanks Jason. Jason says: “in some cases, […]
Karen from Doubleview in Western Australia has asked about the protocol when vacating the chair to make a presentation. Presiding over a meeting as the […]
Andrea from Koroop in Victoria, Australia has asked: “Can the president move a motion at a meeting? What law is this held under?” The short […]
This question is common and the answer is fairly simple. In Australia and New Zealand it is custom to have every motion seconded. Whether it […]
A Consent Schedule is a great tool to shorten any meeting Most meetings which people attend contain a number of items on the agenda. Some […]
The issue of apologies seem innocent enough but there can be a sting in the tail. Firstly, just what are apologies? They are NOT a list […]
A deliberative vote is a vote given to a person because they are a member of the group. The term is usually applied to people […]
The terms “formal motion” and “procedural motion” mean exactly yhe same thing. They are motions which act upon the processes or predured being followed in […]
The term “substantive motion” has been around for a long time and is the term most Australian authorities use. The term “main motion” is used […]
Osmund of Perth has asked a question about the procedural motion “That the meeting proceeds to the next business”. His specific question is, what exactly […]
Di from country New South Wales, Australia has asked a question about rescission of motions. Rescission motions are always tricky – not in procedure but […]
One of the important considerations for meetings which last more than 2 hours is the chairs. Many venues save money on the chairs they buy and this […]
The level of light can have a considerable impact on the outcome of the meeting. The more light there is in the room, the more […]
Alan of Victoria has asked this question because in his volunteer group, the chairman and the secretary insist on seeing the minutes which the minute […]
Tracy Brinkman of Cincinatti Ohio sent the following comment: “95% of the meetings I attend have no agenda and it’s VERY irritating. You’d think Directors […]
The Terminology Minefield Here are some common terms that some people are not clear about. It is by no means an exhaustive list. An expanded […]
What does the minute taker do if they don’t understand the content of the meeting? Leave it blank. Yes, you read it correctly. Leave it […]
How do you deal with people who mumble or people who cannot be heard in meetings? You have to be assertive and ask them […]
What must the chair do when a point of order is raised? Immediately a point of order is raised the chair must stop the speaker […]