If your board is composed of elected members, or is a non-profit or similar public entity, there may be laws in place that require an open meeting. These laws, often referred to as Sunshine Laws or Open Meetings Acts, require that board meetings be conducted in the public. The laws also allow non-members the right of attendance and, in certain cases even to speak.
The person who was the one to preside at the last meeting will “call the meeting into order” when the board is prepared. This usually means saying, ‘I call this meeting to call’ or something similar in a commanding voice. In most cases the next step is two taps on the givel to signal that the meeting has officially started.
Be sure to have a solid agenda in place before the board meeting gets underway. The agenda should be concise and clear that outlines the main issues and decisions that the board must take. Avoid putting too many topics on the agenda or using an agenda from a previous meeting.
Being distracted by new discussion topics can eat up time and distract your board from the items on your agenda. Consider putting a parking area at the end of your meeting agenda. This is where you can include issues that aren’t top of the line. You can also promise to revisit them later or to include them in the next meeting.
Request feedback from your board on how meetings have been going and what you can do to improve them. This will help your board members feel more involved and interested in the outcome of the meeting.