meetings Resources
Organizations large and small are benefited by the creation and use of certain documents: Agendas, Minutes, Bylaws, and Standing Rules.
Robert's Rules of Order is an authority on how to conduct meetings and operate organizations. This publication dates back to 1876 written by U.S. Army officer Henry Martyn Robert. It is used in companionship with an organization's unique set of rules and procedures aimed at protecting the rights and privileges of its members.
Agendas
Agendas are used by organizations as a list of items to be discussed at a formal or informal meeting. It may include topics for discussion, reports from attending members, and action items. The best, most productive meetings start with a clear and concise short list of items. Papillon's focus is on a simple meeting with a few participants, like a non-profit board meeting.
Minutes
Minutes are a summarized record of the proceedings at a meeting. A well-written agenda can be a springboard to the minutes of a meeting. The minutes of a meeting are usually shared with members of the organization or team and also become an historical record. They include a record of time, place and those in attendance, brief accounts of topic discussions, actions (often in the form of motions) taken by those attending, and announcements. Minutes are written by a secretary who is either elected or appointed by those in attendance.
Bylaws
The bylaws are the rules made by a society to control the actions of its members. It protects the members, states the leadership structure, and provides the basic operations of an organization. Many non-profit organizations are hierarchical in nature with the bylaws filtering down to the community level with few opportunities to personalize them. Once the bylaws are approved by the members goverened by this document it is difficult to amend them except by two readings of the desired change and a vote of the members of the organization to accept the change.