Best Practices for Effective Chapter Board Meetings

Sheryl Dodd-Hansen, FCSI, CCS, CCCA

Lane J. Beougher, FCSI, CCS, CCCA

The Construction Specifications Institute

Learning Objectives

1. Holding productive meetings by knowing the basics of parliamentary procedure.

2. Learning how the President and Secretary work together to develop and use an effective agenda.

3. Applying best practices for taking meeting minutes and providing information to the members. 

4. Discovering effective techniques for delegating tasks and following up on assignments. 

To help the chapter leadership (officers, directors, and committee chairs) become more proficient at conducting the business of the CSI chapter by holding more effective meetings.

Parliamentary Procedure

• Knowing the rules of the “game” makes you a better player and helps the team move business along.

• CSI’s parliamentary authority is Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR); small books “In Brief” or “In Plain English” can be sufficient sources.

• Bylaws are like the General Conditions: they establish rights, duties and responsibilities; are not easy to change.

• Standing Rules (Policies, Operating Guides) are like Division 01: they define procedures for accomplishing the work; can be changed by majority vote of the board.

Purpose of Parliamentary Procedure

“Parliamentary procedure protects the rights of people to join together to accomplish common goals and enables them to debate and take action in a fair manner with the least amount of controversy.

Parliamentary rules protect: the right of the majority to decide; the right of the minority to be heard; the rights of individual members; and the rights of absentees.”

The Purpose of Robert’s Rules is to protect the rights of members – running an effective meeting is a byproduct.

Members’ rights are to make motions, debate, vote, and have concerns addressed in the proper way; chair can be overruled so that the group keeps control of the meeting.

Steps to Effective Presiding

• Memorize constantly used procedures

• Make sure all know what’s being debated and voted on

• Learn how to conduct voting

• Know the steps in a meeting

• Learn to handle points of order and appeals

• Know more about parliamentary procedure than other members

Presiding Officer

It is the duty of the presiding officer to expedite business in every way compatible with the rights of the members. (RONR, page 434)

Good judgment is essential. Rules should not be enforced strictly if to do so would hinder business. (RONR, page 440)

Use rules for small boards to ease the process.(RONR: page 470)

Presiding Officer

Should have on hand at each meeting:• A copy of the group’s Bylaws and other rules;• A copy of the group’s parliamentary authority, such

as RONR;• A list of all committees and their members; and• A memorandum of the complete order of business for

the meeting (agenda) – usually listed in the order of importance.

“Standard” Agenda

• Call to Order• Approval of Minutes• Reports of Officers• Reports of Board

Members/Committees• Unfinished Business• New Business• Announcements/Open

Forum• Adjournment

Presiding Officer’s Guide

AGENDA ITEM

Call to Order

PROCEDURE

Call the meeting to order at the announced time.Determine that a quorum (number of members required by Bylaws) is present.

Note: If there is not a quorum present, call the meeting to order at the announced time, then entertain a motion to adjourn, or recess, or make an effort to obtain a quorum. Discussion and reports can occur without a quorum; no votes may be taken unless absolutely vital, and then must be ratified at the next meeting.

AGENDA ITEMApproval of Minutes

of Previous Meeting

PROCEDURE

General Consent: “If there are no corrections, the minutes are approved as distributed.”

After corrections, minutes are approved as corrected.

Note: For any routine or non-controversial business, Chair can and should say “if there are no objections” to the action as stated, it will be considered adopted.

If a member disagrees, should say “I object”, then a vote must be taken. General Consent moves business along; use it as often as possible.

AGENDA ITEM

Reports of Officers

PROCEDURE

President’s Report: Members listen.

Treasurer’s Report: Presiding Officer says Thank you, the report will be filed for audit;

no motion is necessary.

Motions• Motions must be properly made by a member, stating “I move

that...”; never “So moved”.

• A second is required, indicating that someone else believes that the matter is worthy of consideration, not necessarily in favor of the motion.

• The Chair states the motion: “It has been moved and seconded that...; is there discussion?”

Types of Motions

• Main Motions – to do something.• Secondary Motions –

– Subsidiary – relate to main motion; amend, commit, postpone.

– Privileged – relate to the group; recess, adjourn.– Incidental – procedural; voting, correcting errors, point of

information, point of order.

Discussion• Keep a list of those who want to speak, for & against the

motion.• Remind speakers to address the Chair.• Avoid side-chat; keep the discussion on topic.• Allow everyone to speak before anyone speaks again.

MotionsWhen all who wish to speak have done so, the Chair states the motion again and asks for the vote in the affirmative (“say aye, raise hand, etc.”); those opposed (“say no, raise hand, etc.”); do not call for abstentions (they are not counted).

Then Chair states the result and what will happen.

Vote Required Yes Votes

No Votes Presiding Officer -

Yes Vote

Presiding Officer -

No Vote

Majority 13 13 Affects results Doesn’t affect results

Majority 14 13 Doesn’t affect results

Affects results

Two thirds 9 5 Affects results Doesn’t affect results

Two thirds 10 5 Doesn’t affect results

Affects results

The Chair votes when it will affect the results or if the vote is by (secret) ballot. A tie is the same as a fail.

AGENDA ITEM

Reports of Boards or Committees

PROCEDURE

If a motion arises out of a committee report presented by the chair, no second is required as the committee members are assumed to have seconded the motion.

Note: Reports of Officers and Committees should be in the order listed in the Bylaws.

AGENDA ITEM

Unfinished business

PROCEDURE

Any motion that was pending when the previous meeting was adjourned; any motions that were unfinished business at the previous meeting.

Note: Not items that were discussed at a previous meeting but no motion was made; that would come under New Business.

AGENDA ITEM

New Business

PROCEDURE

Ask if there are any items of new business.

Any item may be introduced by motion unless it requires previous notice, such as changing bylaws or dues.

AGENDA ITEM

Announcements

Good of the Order

Open Forum or

Program

PROCEDURE

• Announcements of relevant events

• Congratulatory items• Informal suggestions to

improve the organization

Note: No motions allowed.

AGENDA ITEM

Adjournment

PROCEDUREBy general consent or motion

to adjourn

Typical Institute Board Agenda

ITEM TIME LEADER ATTACHMENT1. CALL TO ORDER (A) 4:00 President2. ROLL CALL (A) 4:01 Secretary

3. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS and WELCOME (I) 4:03 President4. MINUTES

Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes (A) 4:08 Secretary 4.15. ISSUES & RECOMMENDATIONS

CSI Finances (I) 4:09 TreasurerExecutive Director Report (I) 4:12 Exec. Director 5.2.a & 5.2.bApproval of the Annual Meeting Regulations (A) 4:20 Secretary 5.4Approval of Committee Appointments (A) 4:30 BCOC Chair5.5.a & 5.5.bStatus of Action Items in Minutes (D) 4:40 President 5.7

6. COMMITTEE REPORTSBoard Committee Reports

Operation Committee (R) 5:00 ChairCommittee Oversight Committee (R) 5:05 ChairPlanning Committee (R) 5:10 Chair

7. OPEN FORUM (D) 5:15 Board

8. ANNOUNCEMENTS (I) 5:28 President

9. ADJOURN 5:30

Taking Minutes

• Record what was done, not what was said, unless it is “reporting”.

• Record the maker of a motion, not who seconds it; a second just means that someone else thinks it is worthy of discussion.

• Record the results of the vote and what will happen, not how individuals voted.

• Note action items so the Board can keep track of progress.• Minutes may be published for the members to see; a summary

often works better.• Sensitive issues should be handled in executive session with

separate minutes that can only be read in a future executive session.

Delegating the Work

• Assign work that fits the person’s talents and interests.• Provide the resources they need to do their job well.• Recruit several people to do a task; don’t let there be

committees of one. • Assign a Board member to report on committee progress and

get the members help when they need it, not at the last minute.

• Remember that we’re all volunteers, with jobs and lives that also require attention.

• Encourage them to succeed; thank them for their efforts.• Make it fun!

Selected Possible Thoughts of Attila, King of Huns

• A wise chieftain never kills the Hun bearing bad news.• A chieftain who asks the wrong questions always hears the

wrong answers.• Huns should be taught to focus on opportunities rather than

problems.• Do not expect everyone to agree with you – even if you are

king.• Successful Huns learn to deal with adversity and to overcome

mistakes.• Every decision involves some risk.• Every Hun has value – even if only to serve as a bad example.

Bibliography for this Presentation

• Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, 11th Edition, and Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, In Brief, Henry M. Robert III, William J. Evans, Daniel H. Honemann, Thomas J. Balch

• Robert’s Rules in Plain English, Doris P. Zimmerman, PRP,Ret.• The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Robert’s Rules, Nancy Sylvester, PRP,

CPP-T • Robert’s Rules of Order, Modern Edition, Darwin Patnode, Ph.D.• Meeting Procedures, Parliamentary Law and Rules of Order for the 21st

Century, James Lochrie, CPP-T.• Pointers on Parliamentary Procedure, Louise Bereskin, PRP• “Meeting Magic”, Leona White, CPP-T• “Parliamentary Procedure for Attila the Hun (The authority of the presiding

officer)”, Scott M. Burns, PRP (presentation)• Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun, Wess Roberts, Ph.D.