Meetings should turn good ideas into better ideas. The purpose of this guide is to help your management committee understand how to run great meetings.
Meetings present opportunities for people to share their ideas and have constructive debates, leading to informed decisions.
This is what’s most important about meetings; they are for making decisions, not just for having discussions.
Meetings are for decisions, not just discussions.
Having structure to your meetings means that everyone has an opportunity to express their points of view, that your club’s decisions are made democratically and that accurate records of your decisions are kept.
Before the meeting
Meeting location
First, choose the meeting location and/or set up an online meeting.
Consider these elements when choosing an in-person location for your meeting:
Prepare the notice and agenda
Give notice to members, as per the required notice period, and call for motions to be included on the agenda. The secretary, usually with the chairperson, will set the agenda for the meeting, including the motions submitted by members.
Did you know? It’s not the secretary’s job to interpret what people might want to discuss or decide at a meeting. If you’re the secretary, insist on properly worded motions, submitted at least a few days before the meeting.
It’s best if you circulate the agenda, as well as supporting documents and reports, at least three days before the meeting so everyone has a chance to prepare.
Reports and other relevant information
Prior to the AGM, the president and treasurer’s reports can be circulated at the same time as the agenda.
The president’s report should provide an overview of the club’s achievements, challenges and future plans. The treasurer’s report presents the club’s financial position.
Other committee members and key club personnel may also prepare reports to update members on the club’s progress in operational areas.
If you are proposing a motion that requires a decision, gather and include relevant information, for example:
Read the agenda
Taking a few minutes to read the agenda and supporting documents can save an hour or more during the meeting. If you have any queries, it’s fine to ask questions before the meeting. The meeting can then focus on contentious issues, while routine matters can be swiftly resolved.
During the meeting
Running the meeting
The chairperson runs the meeting, ensures that the agenda is followed, keeps track of the time and keeps discussions on topic.
Remember that the most important reason for meetings is to make decisions so that those decisions can be put into action!
Quorum
Start the meeting on time, or as soon as you have a quorum. Make sure you maintain a quorum for the whole meeting. If attendance drops below the quorum, pause or adjourn the meeting. Further details regarding adjoining and reconvening meetings will be in your constitution.
Be present
All attendees should remain focused during the meeting, avoiding side conversations, emails, text messages or checking social media. Staying engaged is especially important if you are having an online meeting.
Here are some tips for helping engagement in an online meeting:
Minutes
Keep a record of attendance at the meeting, including the time anyone arrived or left while the meeting was running.
Take minutes as the meeting happens to record clear and specific actions. It’s easier to take minutes as the meeting progresses than trying to remember what everyone said afterwards
If your agenda is well constructed with good motions and has all supporting documents and reports attached, creating accurate minutes is quick and easy. It’s simply a matter of recording who moved and seconded each motion, the result of the vote and, most importantly, how that decision will now be put into action.
List of actions
It’s important that you record all the actions in the minutes. Here are some tips for keeping track of your actions:
Did you know? You should think of your meetings as where you come up with what you plan to do and why. If you assign actions to the right people, they are best to figure out how things should get done. Don’t get ‘stuck in the weeds’ discussing the small details.
Voting
Decisions are made by a simple majority vote by the eligible members present. If more people vote Yes than No, the motion is carried and is then called a resolution. The exception is a special resolution, which requires a 75% majority.
Members of your club have both the right and the responsibility to elect management committee members. Elections can be conducted during the AGM. You may choose to conduct a paper-based ballot or use a secure online voting platform. Check your constitution for election provisions specific to your UQ Sport club.
Considerations for elections:
For a vote by raise of hand, this could be the chairperson. If the vote is completed by ballot, scrutineers can be appointed to monitor the counting of the votes. Neither the returning officer nor scrutineers should be candidates for any position in the election.
Here are three common methods for electing a club’s management committee
Conflict in meetings
Meetings are a great opportunity to challenge ideas and find the best solution through debate. Just ensure things don’t get personal. Always remember that you’re working together for the benefit of your members.
Here are some tips to deal with conflict in meetings:
If necessary to maintain order, follow the more formal meeting procedures in the section Formal meeting rules
Finishing the meeting
Set a date for the next meeting while everyone is able to check their calendars.
And importantly, finish on time. People are more likely to attend meetings if they know they will finish on time.
After the meeting
UQ Sport reinvests all profits into services, facilities, and programs, and is supported by funding from the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) to benefit UQ students.
UQ Sport Ltd is a division of UQ Holdings.
