The board chair should note that the board is meeting to discuss business. This simple statement establishes the meeting as formal and allows the board chair to discuss agenda items in a timely fashion.
The chair of the board will ensure that there is a quorum present prior to discussing any agenda item. This is accomplished by calling the names of everyone present and making sure the board is able to hold its official business.
The constant re-inventing of topics for discussion can eat up time and divert focus from the most important issues. The idea of having a “parking lot” at the end of your agenda where the group is able to agree to push random topics for discussion at a later time could aid in reducing this issue. Be sure to keep your word on your promise to revisit the parking area and determine if the topic should be further studied, added to the next board agenda, or delegated as a task.
Once the board has constituted the quorum and began discussing, it should hear any committee reports that were sent prior to the meeting. The board will then discuss the items and decide how to proceed. This may be a matter of voting on a motion or simply asking members to take a position on a specific issue. Be sure to note all discussions and actions in the minutes of the board. Using a tool like Boardable’s Minutes Maker ensures that the minutes of your board meetings are complete, well-organized and easy to be read by both attendees and non-attendees.