Meetings 101

By: Elizabeth Smolinski

Are you always having trouble thinking about what to do at your next meeting? Is it a constant battle to keep you meetings organized and efficient? Following a few of these easy tips can help improve your meetings and keep your Key Clubbers coming back.

Before the meeting:  

Set an agenda.

It keeps your officers on task and allows the meeting to flow nicely. Consider making a sheet that can be a template of how your meeting will run. Start off right with an icebreaker. Include old service projects for your clubs to reflect on. (Perhaps have a member discuss a past project they attended.) As always, update your clubs about upcoming events.

Consider getting a guest speaker.

Guest speakers can help motivate members.

Remind your advisor and Kiwanis club.

                  Don’t forget to let your Kiwanians and dedicated advisors

know when club meetings are. Kiwanians are always looking to attend key club meetings. Reach out! Let me them see how great your club is!

Assign someone to greet new members.

                  Inform, get to know, and become friends with new members.

                  Pick someone new every week to greet!

      Stick to the regular day and time.

Make your meetings the same day and time so your members will always remember when the next meeting is. Don’t fret if this is not possible but try your best to have a system.

Don’t fear your advisor(s).

They are there to ADVISE you. Ask questions! Review your agenda with them and make sure everyone is on the same page.

At the meeting:

Officers should run the meeting.

Don’t rely on your advisors, let them sit back and relax. Key Club is a student led organization! Be that leading student.

Stay on track.

                  Keep your meetings moving and engaging.

Start out with a short icebreaker or quote.

It engages your members. It makes for a fun start to your meetings, and members can meet other members.

Host guest speakers.

Guest speakers can increase member attendance at meetings. They can also help motivate and encourage members to attend service projects.

Discuss upcoming projects.

Inform members by giving them time, place and what the project is doing for members of your community.           

Participate in a service projects.

Make cards for the elderly. Wrap presents for Toys for Tots. Make blankets for the homeless.

Evaluate your last project.

Reflection on projects can help find the needs of your members. They will express to you if they liked the project or if they want new projects. Listen to your members; they are the voice.

     Thank everyone for attending.

After the meeting:

Clean up.

Send greetings to members who could not attend.

Try your best to reach out to members that missed the meeting. Maybe they just forgot.

Ask members who did attend to let those that didn’t attend  know what happened.