Module 5: Running a Meeting Voting & Minutes

Objective: This module is intended to help each member of the School Community Council to understand procedure for SCC meetings, particularly the methods for calling for and counting votes in meetings, general parliamentary procedure in conducting meetings, taking minutes and keeping appropriate records. Activity: Purpose of Your Meeting We all attend many meetings in life for work, for religious organizations, for our childrens activities, and many others. For a meeting to be successful, it needs to have a clear purpose so each member in attendance can contribute and fully participate. This also prevents confusion and keeps meetings focused so that business can be conducted efficiently. No one likes long meetings. For this activity we are going to brainstorm along these lines. Provide each member with a paper and pen. For each question, think for 3 minutes about your answers then share out responses. It may be helpful to appoint a scribe and to write answers on a large sheet of paper or whiteboard so everyone can see. 1. Why do School Community Councils have meetings? 2. What are some positive outcomes from SCC meetings? 3. How can good record keeping make future meetings easier? Module Outline: Starting off right setting the order of business Making a Motion Meeting Minutes o Tips

Developing an Order of Business In Parliamentary Procedure it is customary for every group to adopt a standard order of business for meetings. The following is an example of how you may want to order your business for each meeting. Not all these items will be necessary for your council. Choose the items that will work best for you. I. Call to order Welcome to the meeting, lets get started. Well begin by reading and approving the minutes . . . II. Reading and approval of minutes III. Reports from officers and standing committees IV. Reports from special committees V. Unfinished business Last time we tabled discussion on the student routing plan. Lets pick that up . . . VI. New business Does anyone have new business to discuss? VII. Adjournment Thank you for attending the meeting, we will adjourn until August 15th, 2012.

Motions In parliamentary procedure the proper way for an individual to propose that the group take a certain action is by "making a motion." The following is the process for handling a motion. A member addresses the presiding officer for recognition. I would like to propose a motion. A member addresses the presiding officer for recognition. The Chair recognizes Mr. Smith. The member proposes a motion. I move that we approve the reading goal as outlined in the School Improvement Plan. Another member must second the motion. I second the motion. The presiding officer states the motion to the assembly. A motion has been put forth that we approve the reading goal as set forth in the School Improvement Plan. Are there any points to be discussed on the matter? The assembly can now discuss or debate the motion. Only one person at a time may speak and must first be recognized by the presiding officer. The presiding officer should try to alternate between those favoring and those opposing the motion. Preference should be given to: The person who proposed the motion A member who has not spoken yet to the motion A member who seldom speaks to one who frequently addresses the assembly Discussion must be confined to the question that is "before the house".

The presiding officer takes the vote on the motion. Voting can be done by voice, show of hands or balloting. For a vocal or show of hands All those in favor? All those opposed? For a ballot cast, all members will write their vote and turn them in to the presiding officer. He/she will count them and record them for the council meeting records.

The presiding officer announces the result of the vote. It appears the motion does not carry with 3 in favor and 5 opposed. The floor is now open and another motion can be proposed. Meeting Minutes The minutes of a meeting are a summarized written record of what occurs and is said at a meeting. While there isn't one universally applied format for how to document the minutes, the meeting minutes generally consist of the following information: Date of the meeting Subject, or purpose of the meeting A list of the attendees (if there is a large organization, then the main members will be listed) Administrative issues discussed and the name of the individual(s) Concerns/Opposition/Questions raised by meeting attendees

Closure

Meeting minutes are usually written by a designated person like a secretary, if one is appointed, and they usually use shorthand notes to maintain pace with the flow of the meeting. Once the meeting is completed this individual will usually consolidate the meeting minutes and put the information from the meeting on a template that will be distributed to council members and in the case of SCCs, posted on the school website for public review. In some cases, a meeting may be recorded and this recording will serve as the record, or it may be used to transcribe the information to the meeting minutes template at a later time. A key area of consideration for the individual that is responsible for taking the minutes of the meeting is to keep the notes brief and only summarize the discussion and outcomes of the meeting. The purpose of the minutes is to provide a summarized overview of the meeting. The following are a few useful meeting minutes tips that will make your job a little easier: If you aren't familiar with all the attendees that may be present at the meeting, have an attendance sheet ready to pass around, ask them to print so you can read their names when you complete your template. In addition to the attendees, if you aren't familiar with who the committee members are, get a list of who they are and be able to identify them so you know who makes a motion. Take notice of the time that the meeting begins, as this will be part of your minutes template. When taking minutes, the most important part is transcribing the main points. You do not need to write down everything that is said. Additionally, be objective and try to remove any personal feelings from your notes... less adjectives is better. When a motion is made, the main points that need to be documented are: what the motion was, who made the motion and the number of votes. If a motion will need to be addressed at a future meeting, document that "motion x to be voted on at next meeting (or whenever it is decided to be addressed). Finally, document when the meeting ends and make sure to print, sign and date your name at the bottom of your notes, or template.

Questions for Discussion How can following the procedures in this module make your SCC meetings better? How can you adapt these procedures to fit the needs of your SCC?