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Formal meetings are most often held by using the Parliamentary Procedures. Without a set of commonly recognized rules and procedures, meetings would run the risk of becoming nothing more than many voices drowning each other out amidst a sea of utter confusion.
Many clubs and organizations who hold regular meetings adapt these procedures in order to suit their own needs, but the basics remain the same.
The first step in the Parliamentary Procedure is for the president or leader to call the meeting to order. It is at this time that all of the members of the meeting are expected to quiet down and direct their attention to the front of the room. The board, staff, or leaders of the meeting are usually seated at a table there.
The second step is the roll call. The secretary or other person responsible for keeping track of the attendance of the club or organization usually performs this function. As each member's name is called, each member responds with a simple, "Here" or "Present" to verify their attendance.
The third step is for the secretary to read the minutes of the last meeting out loud to the assembly. After the minutes have been read, it is customary for the president or the leader to state that if there is no objection, then the minutes will stand as read. He or she will wait a few seconds to see if there are any objections from the assembly. After the minutes are cleared, the meeting then continues on.
If there are objections to the minutes, then the member who objects must properly express his or her concerns. The acceptable way to do this is to first, wait until everyone has finished speaking. Then, rise from your seat and address the president or leader of the assembly. He or she will respond by saying something to the effect of,"The floor recognizes (your name)." You must wait until you are recognized before you begin speaking. This is your queue to verbalize your objection. Let's say, for example, that the minutes state that the annual party will be funded by the organization, but it was decided at the last meeting that each member would pay their own way. You would state this, and then finish by saying that you move that the minutes be changed in order to correct them. Now that you have made the first motion, you must wait for someone to second the motion. If no one does, the leader will call for a second motion. If someone seconds the motion, then the leader will state that is has been moved and seconded that we (do whatever.) In a simple case like the example given, the leader would then put the motion up for a vote by the memberhship.He or she would do this by simply stating a phrase like, "All in favor of (doing whatever), say yay. And, then, he or she would wait a few seconds and add a phrase like, "All against the motion, say nay." If, however, the motion is not seconded, then no action is taken in regards to it. In this case, the minutes would remain unchanged. Usually, in the case of a more complex matter, rather than the correctness of the minutes, a discussion period is allowed by the leader or president. Afterwards, he or she will ask the assembly if they are prepared to vote.
The officers and then the committees, if there are any, then read their respective reports. They also need to be approved by the members. Next, the old business and then the new business is discussed.
Finally, the announcements are made, if there are any, and then the leader adjourns the meeting.
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