The Agenda – The branch should have a standard agenda format that can be varied to meet the current topics under consideration. Items should be numbered and the same numbering used in the minutes. A typical agenda will have the following items:

1. Welcome and Apologies for absence.
2. Minutes of previous meeting.
3. Items of new business.
4. Reports from officers
5. Other agenda items

and at the end

• Any other business
• Date of next meeting

It is important that the agenda covers all the important items without over running the time allotted to the meeting. It is also important that the whole meeting is not taken up by routine matters and that new ideas longer term issues can be discussed. For many of the routine items the time spent in the meeting can be minimised by the provision of documents and email  discussion before the meeting, or the use of sub-committees.

Chairing the meeting

The rules for conducting meetings are long established by tradition and best practice, but this does not stop meetings descending into chaos if the chair fails to enforce them. The rule for meeting attendees is that they should address their remarks, not to each other, but to the chair.

The Chair’s objectives in the meeting are to:

• Welcome those attending and record apologies for absence;
• Get agreement to, and record approval of the minutes of the previous meeting (if any);
• Ensure that everyone has a chance to contribute;
• Keep the speakers to the subject that is being discussed;
• Prevent disagreements becoming personal attacks;
• Conduct votes when required;
• Summarise the decisions of the meeting for the participants and the minute taker;
• Assign action points wherever an item is to be progressed;
• Finish the meeting at the due time;
• Thank the participants for their attendance.

Any Other Business

This is usually the last item on the agenda so very little time can be devoted to it at the meeting.  However, the points raised can be new ideas, problems or situations that should be given serious consideration. If the business can not be easily settled at this meeting someone can be assigned to investigate it further and/or it can be put on the agenda of the next meeting, or it can be assigned to a sub-committee, or it can be discussed in e-mail correspondence.