Schedule meetings at convenient times. Poll members to find times that work best for the majority. Consider some evening and some day meeting times to accommodate different family lifestyles.
Have a clear purpose for each meeting. Members want to feel that something significant was accomplished and their time was valued. Create an agenda for this purpose.
Facilitate effectively. As facilitator, your job is to start and end the meeting on time, and keep conversation focused on the meeting’s purpose. Be sure everyone feels welcomed and invited to participate. Use parliamentary procedure (Robert’s Rules of Order) to make sure everyone gets heard, no one dominates the conversation and ideas are fully explored before the majority rules through voting.
Engage participants. Incorporate activities that get people involved and generate discussion, and use visual aids to grab attention.
Ensure a quorum. A quorum is a minimum number of members who must be present to conduct business and vote at a meeting. This number is found in your PTA’s Bylaws. If a quorum is not met, then you may hold a meeting but a vote cannot be taken.
Take minutes. According to the IRS, minutes become part of the organization’s permanent file.
Plan for social time. Consider adding social time before or after the meeting so that those with busy
schedules feel their time is well-used, and those who want to socialize have time to network.
Materials to have on hand for reference at meetings:
- A copy of your bylaws
- A copy of your standing rules
- A copy of your EIN and PTA Unit ID Number, which are on the first page of your bylaws
- A copy of your school/district policies
- Minutes of previous meetings
- Treasurer’s reports
- A copy of the approved budget
- Directories
- Region and council information - copies for board members
- Roster of membership
- Calendars (school district, region, council, local school)
- Utah PTA handbook