Meetings can be an effective method of communicating with members, leading to better member engagement and well-considered decision-making. However, a poorly run meeting can drag on too long, fail to make any decisions and disengage members. If this has been your experience, you are not alone! The good news is that this can easily be fixed with the right meetings framework.
Having structure to your meetings means that time isn’t wasted, everyone has an opportunity to hear others and be heard, good decisions are made democratically, and accurate records of decisions are kept.
Your agenda helps structure your meeting. A well-chaired agenda keeps your meeting on the right track, from start to finish. By sending out your agenda and supporting documentation prior to the meeting, everyone will have a chance to be prepared – meaning less wasted time during the meeting and more opportunity to focus on making things happen. As a bonus, a well-structured agenda easily converts into your meeting minutes, with defined resolutions and actions.
Meeting types
Clubs have various meetings, each with its own purpose. As a UQ club, and as an incorporated association, some meetings are required and must follow rules set out in your club’s constitution.
For more information on the different types of club meetings, read the section: Club meetings.
Understanding the language of meetings
Meetings have their own jargon – words and phrases that you’ll need to understand and use for your meetings to run smoothly.
The section, Meeting terminology, defines meeting terms and what they may mean for your club.
Running great meetings
It’s easy to avoid the meeting pitfalls by sticking to some basic guidelines. First, keep in mind that the primary purpose of holding a meeting is to make decisions, not sit around chatting.
The section, Running great meetings, will help you run a great meeting, turning good ideas into great actions.
Sometimes, though, emotions can run high if there are any contentious issues or if people are passionate about a particular topic. In these cases, applying formal meeting rules can keep things on track and limit any negative interactions. Formal rules apply to all attendees and define expected behaviour, how to deal with motions and what powers the chairperson has.
Here’s your ‘go to’ resource in these situations: Formal meeting rules.
Your Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Your club’s AGM is a formal and ceremonial meeting, where you report on the financial year just past, celebrate your successes and elect incoming management committee members. Your AGM must be held within six months of the end of your financial year.
The AGM preparation section, Your AGM and beyond, will help minimise the stress of preparing for, and following up on, your AGM.
There is also a suite of templates that you can use to help run your AGM, including
You can also make use of these resources for your management committee meetings
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