The board chair’s function is distinct from that of other members, having distinct tasks and obligations. One of the roles is to foster board member conversation by allowing each member an opportunity to speak.
How to Run a Board Meeting Using Robert’s Rules of Order
An excellent chair allows opposing parties to convey their views and welcomes other members to participate. The chair usually does not participate in the debate; instead, he or she fosters it among the other participants. On the moving member’s request, the chair may help members in phrasing motions. Normally, the chair does not vote; however, there are two exceptions: when his or her vote might have an impact on the outcome or when voting is done via ballot. Aside from that, the board chair’s major responsibility is to run an orderly meeting in accordance with parliamentary etiquette.
The following are the stages to conducting a board meeting:
- Recognize the presence of a quorum.
- The meeting will be called to order.
- Approve the agenda and minutes of the meeting.
- Reports and communication
- Business (old/new/other)
- Put an end to the meeting.
We’ll go through these processes in greater depth further down.
Recognize the existence of a quorum
The first item of business in learning how to handle a board meeting is for the chair to assess if a quorum is present. The quorum is determined by the charter or by-laws of the organization. If the quorum isn’t specified, the simple majority rule applies.
Bringing the Meeting to a Close
The next item on the agenda is for the chair to call the meeting to order with a short remark. The chair then takes care of any personal or routine matters, such as welcoming new members, thanking retiring members, and greeting guests.
The Agenda is being approved
The chair then goes on to the agenda topics after dealing with personal matters. The chair will ask for approval of the agenda from the members. The revised agenda may be authorized without a vote if a member asks additions, revisions, or deletions to the agenda.
This Robert’s Rules of Order Agenda Template was developed to make meeting preparations simple.
Acceptance of the Minutes
To run a good board meeting, you must first take care of matters from previous meetings. The board must approve the minutes of the previous meeting before conducting any formal business. You may accomplish this in one of two ways: ask the secretary to read the minutes from the previous meeting or transmit the minutes to members prior to the meeting. The chair will next ask the members if they have any revisions to make to the minutes.
The chair declares that the minutes are accepted as drafted if there are no revisions.
If members make revisions to the minutes, the chair requests that they be considered and agreed to by the members. This can be accomplished without a formal vote.
In the event of a disagreement over an amendment, the chair may request a vote on whether the amendment should be approved.
“If there are no additional modifications, the minutes stand approved, as corrected,” the chair says after the members have accepted the minutes.
Any revisions to the current meeting minutes would be recorded by the secretary, and the chair would sign the minutes to make them official.