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TheBoatman

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Has to sit through yacht club committee meetings?

I've just done nearly 4 hours and for the life of me I'm not sure what we did?

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I know the feeling - but since being elected I've not allowed a meeting to last more than 2 hours. Too often people are allowed to go round in circles; let everyone have their say, vote on it and get to the next subject.

I'd be interest to hear how others do it; minutes of previous meeting have to be read, then back to the start to go through each topic again, then subcommittee reports then AOB, surely there must be an easier way!

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have you not played meeting bingo, each of you have a card with bizzness buzz words in a grid, ticking off each buzz term as you hear it. It will make the meeting fly past, most fun when half the table is waiting on one last term before shouting house......

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.employee-communication.com.au/articles/meetbuzz.html>Buzz word Bingo</A>

add your own terms such as "it's not rocket science" or "close of play" or "run it up the flag pole".



<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue> Julian </font color=blue>

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You have to have an effective Secretary.
The minutes of the previous meeting, and all the subcommittee reports should be posted to all the committee members at least a week before the meeting. Then it can be assumed that they have been read, and there is no need to waste time reading them aloud to the committee.
Agenda Item 1: "Proposed that the minutes of the previous meeting (as circulated to committe members) be accepted as a true record of that meeting"; gets it out of the way very quickly.
Subcommitte reports should explicitly list the items to be included on the agenda of the main meeting: discuss those items only, accept the rest of each report without reading it in.
It helps to have a fairly firm chairman to keep the discussions 'on topic'. It might also help to have a rule that there will be no refreshments until the conclusion of the essential business of the meeting.
I have been on a committee that replaced rambling & ineffective 4-hour meetings with very effective under-2-hour meetings, by changing to a secretary & chairman who used these methods.
Also, if there is anything contentious, offer to write the minutes yourself; with careful wording, you have a chance to (retrospectively) control the meeting.


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Easy - if you get the meeting agenda set out, put a time limit on each item, allowing for the right level of discussion for its importants. So you dont waste time with long dicussions on the simple yes no questions that dont have time for indepth discussions on the important matters of the clubs business (ie the Commadores parking space)
Then stick to it!

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Been there done that. Never ceases to amaze me that bunch of probably successful men and women in business etc etc can spend so much time waffling on about total rowlocks! Even nicer when you have a 2 hr drive at each end at it ends at midnight! Firm discipline by the chairman/secretary is the key. (Time discipline that is.) Cut off debate when its going round in circles. Dont get side tracked etc etc.

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Thankyou gents, you've just reinforced my reseve not to join a club. I was proposed to a club by a friend. Wasn't sure about it when I got the letter. Always looked upon them as officiuos little knowalls who know much about nothing. The picture you've painted in my mind makes me sure in the knowledge that I should carry on just getting out in the boat and enjoying it.

This is not a personal attack on anyone, just the viewpoint of me on a certain club that shall remain nameless.

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In my experience of these things this sounds true to form - when it comes to committee meetings at the end of a day, nobody is focused on working through the agenda properly. Going off subject and doing the entire content of the agenda while still going through the minutes of the last meeting seemed to be the most common way of handling things.

Still, the only way to change anything in a club is to be "on the inside" and try to keep the meeting on track. But don't expect change to take place quickly - it took me two years to convince my old club to change their membership year from Jan to Jan, to be based on the anniversary of joining.

Jeff.

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Be Autocratic

The best committee is a committee of one. Failing that strong chairmanship is the only method by which to conduct a meeting. The rest of the committee won't necessarly agree but stoping rabiting gets things done. Committee meetings no longer than two hours. AGM's max.one hour. Stick tightly to the agenda.

Jim

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Well folks it's nice to know that every "club" in the land suffers from the same things.
I have noted all your comments and to say that "i've been there, done that" would be an understatement.
We have an agenda thats timed.
We have a chairman that takes only comments on the subject, but then is accused of cutting short debate.
We discuss at length what colour ink should be used for the minutes or should we bollock the trot boat driver for turning up 1 minute late and all this from people that run multi-million pound companies for a living.

I give up?

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How many members on your Committes everyone?

If we get full attendance, we have 18 people. Our meetings are absolutely dire - unfocussed, rambling and ineffective.

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Re: How many members on your Committes everyone?

Neal
You beat me by 1, we have 17 if full attendance. Got antother one coming up this Wednesday. I'm wondering if I should go or stay in and watch THE MATCH.

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An awkward dilemma.....

I'd find it difficult to miss seeing such an amazing line up of true talent in action.

Commodore, Bosun, Moorings Officer, Secretary etc, OR Figo, Giggs, Becham, Raul, Zidane?

Take it whichever way you like!

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