How to Open a Board Meeting

If your board is composed of elected members, or is a non-profit organization or similar public entity, there may be laws in place that require an open meeting. These laws, also known as Sunshine Laws or Open Meetings Acts, require that board business be conducted in a public setting. The laws also allow non-members the right to attend and, in some cases, comment.

When the board is ready for the start of the member who was the one who facilitated the previous meeting should “call the meeting to begin”. This is usually done by saying “I call this meeting to order” or something similar with an authoritative voice. Then, usually, there are two taps of the gavel, which signifies that the meeting has officially started.

Be sure to have a well-organized agenda before the meeting begins. The agenda should be concise and clear that outlines the main issues and the major decisions the board will need to take. Avoid putting too many topics on the agenda, or using an agenda from More Help a previous meeting.

Getting sidetracked with new discussion topics can take up your time and divert your board from the items on your agenda. Consider adding a parking space to the end of your agenda so that you can discuss topics that are not high priority and promise to revisit them later or include them in the next meeting.

Ask for feedback from your board members on how the meetings have been going and what you can do to improve the quality of your meetings. This will ensure that your board members are more invested in the outcome and more engaged.