Section outline

    • Stiff and formal?

      Meetings under Robert's Rules begin with a number of formal procedures that, while repetitive and mechanical, are important to get right. 

      Call to order

      "I call this meeting to order."

      This might sound like an archaic, high-faluting way to say "let's get started" but it is important to use this formal language to set the tone. It's an indication that the normal rules of conversation are at an end and Robert's Rules are now in effect.

      Roll call

      It's very important to make sure everyone present is correctly accounted for. On the other hand, going around the group and asking people to say "here" can be pretty tedious, not to mention error prone in a large group online. Listen to the efficient way roll call is performed during an online AGM at the NCRA, and note the correction that is requested at the end.

    • Roll call

      NCRA AGM 2026

       

       

    • Quorum

      Your meeting must always have a minimum number of attendees, called quorum. Unless your bylaws state differently, quorum is calculated as:

      Half the total number of board members + 1

      Your regulator may not recognize the meeting or the actions it takes if you do not have quorum. Make sure you have calculated the quorum before the meeting so you don' t have to do any math once the meeting has started! 

      A cartoon of a man and woman sitting alone at either end of a very, very long table. The man says "Do we have quorum?"

    • Setting the agenda

      An efficient meeting begins with the agenda. There are a number of ways you can set the agenda so that discussions remain focused and members engaged.

    • Question based agenda items 

      Broad open-ended topics can lead to broad open-ended discussion that goes nowhere as everyone takes the opportunity to speak their mind, however tangential to the point at hand. Try framing agenda items as a question with clear possible answers. Instead of "Buying a new mixing board", try "Should we buy a Solid State Logic for $84,000, a Behringer for $5000 or stick with what we have?" 

      Define objectives

      State the objectives of the meeting right at the beginning. For example, "at the end of this meeting we will have decided whether or not to purchase a new mixing board, and if so, which one; elected a new Secretary; and approved the yearly audit."

      Interesting presentations

      Much board time is taken up with reports from staff. These are necessary but can be a little dry. Mix things up with some presentations, testimonials or first-person accounts of the successes you've had or the impact you're organization has made since the last meeting. 

      Use your members to the full

      Select agenda items that call on members' particular skills or experience. They will feel valued and their committment will deepen, such that they are likely to increase their participation on other agenda items too.

      Action items

      Make a list of any undertakings that members make during a meeting. Assign a due date, and make sure you review the list during the next meeting, to ensure people stay on track

    • Paperwork

      Several days before a meeting, the board secretary, possibly with the help of staff or other board members, should distribute the following documents to all members where applicable:

      • The agenda
      • Draft of the minutes from the previous meeting (to be accepted or amended in this)
      • Any financial statements to be presented (balance sheet, income statement, a table comparing the budget to actual expenses)
      • The report from the executive director
      • Any committee reports to be presented

      Although the director, committee chairs, auditor and anyone else with a report to present may deliver an oral precis during the meeting, the bulk of the discussion will center on these written documents.

    • How long should a meeting be?

      To be able to answer that question you need to look at the purpose of your meeting. Talk to the people who are bringing business or items to the meeting, and find out, what is a reasonable amount of time which will be needed for each item, and do the math. Keep in mind that many peoples’ attention span seems to wane after a couple hours, so if you have a long meeting ahead consider adding in a break.

      Listen to NCRA board members debating whether to take a break. The discussion takes almost as long as the proposed break itself, but demonstrates an admirable committment to Robert's Rules. 

    • Taking a break

      NCRA AGM 2026

       

       

    • Outside the meeting

      Don't try and do too much in a single meeting. There are things you can do outside of the meeting to ease the burden on the agenda.

      • Try to hold an informal meeting outside of the board meeting to consult with interested stakeholders, address the largest concerns, and try to bring some recommendations to the meeting to help move the conversation forward
      • Delegate a subcommittee the tasks of doing research or making recommendations to the board.
      • Try splitting the meeting into more than one session.