The Agenda For A Meeting

The word “agenda” in Latin, means “the things to be done” and an agenda-paper is a sheet of paper on which the items of business to be dealt with at the meeting are set out in the order in which it is proposed that they should be dealt with.

It is virtually impossible to conduct a meeting in an orderly manner without an agenda-paper. Unless the meeting has been convened to deal with one item of special business only, in such a case there will be no need for an agenda-paper to be drawn up, since everyone present will know the nature of the business to be dealt with. This will have been set out in the notice of the meeting.

Every private meeting should have a definite agenda-paper and it will be the duty of the secretary, after consultation with the chairperson, to prepare a proper agenda-paper and to arrange for the production of a sufficient number of copies for distribution among the members.

Where the chairperson is inexperienced and the proceedings are largely formal, as in the case of an annual general meeting or a meeting convened to consider one item of special business only, it is a good practice for the Secretary to prepare a special chairperson's copy, on which each motion that is to be moved at the meeting is set out with the appropriate wording, which the chairperson will use when putting the motion to the meeting.

It is always practical to supply all those attending with a copy of the agenda-paper.

In the case of a private meeting, it is a useful practice, unless the agenda is too long, for it to be included in the notice of the meeting. This not only informs recipients of particulars of the business to be dealt with at the meeting, but also effect a saving in stationery and postage. A further advantage of the practice of including the agenda in the notice of the meeting is that time is saved at the meeting, since everyone present will have received a notice including a copy of the agenda-paper.

Usual order of items in the agenda-paper

Items of business are usually arranged in the agenda-paper in the following order:

• The appointment of the chairperson , unless there is a regular chairperson .
• Verification of the correctness of the minutes of the last meeting.
• Finance and the Treasurer’s report regarding the present financial position of the organisation.
• Reports of any committee that has been appointed.
• Correspondence.
• Items of business individually specified.
• General, that is, any other business that is within the scope of the notice and may therefore be dealt with at the meeting.

The above-mentioned order in which items are set out in the agenda-paper is only a suggestion and if the chairperson thinks that this order should be varied for some reason, this may be done, provided that the meeting agrees to the variation. This approval is important if subsequent disputes regarding the manner in which the meeting was conducted are to be avoided.

It sometimes happens that an agenda-paper omits an item of business that should have been included, but that was left out owing to an oversight. In such a case it is important to ensure that the matter is covered by the notice of the meeting. If it is so covered, the approval of the meeting to its inclusion should be obtained by the chairperson in order to forestall any possibility of a dispute at a later stage. If the item is not covered by the notice, it can only be added to the agenda if all the members of the organisation are present and so agree.