Section Thirteen

The First Meeting: The Event

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Introduction

When the day of the meeting finally arrives, you will want to have firm ideas in mind about the way it is to be run. The first meeting should not be as much a formal presentation as it should be a chance for people to meet each other, generate enthus iasm, and discuss activities your new chapter might want to pursue. Below are some tips that will save you some frustration and problems with your group.

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Agenda

An important tool for staying on track at meetings is a written agenda prepared beforehand. This prevents two undesirable, possible outcomes: A meeting rambling on without end; or a meeting cut too short with important topics left out. In it, you sh ould include a numbered list of topics you want to cover.

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Running Time

When you write out your agenda, you may want to put in about how long each part will take to discuss. Once you have written out the time estimates for each topic, add them up and see how long your meeting runs. A good running time is 30-45 minutes. If it runs much more than that, people will become disinterested and bored.

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Attracting People to the Meeting

When you set up your meeting site and your agenda, it is good consider how to make it attractive to those who attend. A good idea is to have soda pop and chips or other snacks available after the meeting is over, to encourage potential members to sta y after the meeting and talk. You may want to have them during the meeting itself. Another good way to get people to come is to have a movie or other form of entertainment. Make sure there is enough seating for a large number of people.

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Running the Meeting

To start off with, you should introduce yourself and the other members of the group present. Give a short presentation about SEDS and SEDS-USA, perhaps about the personal reasons you have for starting the chapter. You will find that many people at t he meeting will share your feelings and enthusiasm. As soon as possible, start getting the attendees involved in the conversation. Ask them what they think the goals of the chapter should be, what activities it could undertake, and so on. Ask what type s of speakers and films they want to sponsor. When the meeting is moving along, pass a sign-up sheet around the room and collect everyone's name, address, phone number, major, and class year for future planning and communication.

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Plans For The Next Meeting

It is crucial that, before the meeting breaks up, you have those key individuals who will take on the responsibilities - in essence, the chapter's future leaders and officers. They may be the same group that gathered in the beginning, or they may be a totally different set of people. To do this, ask for a show of hands from those people who would like to help in organizing the next meeting. Ask those interested to list the roles they might like to fill in the group. Decide on the date, time and to pic for the next meeting. Adjourn the meeting to the refreshments, but don't cut the meeting short - you may find your most supportive members among those who are willing to stay after the meeting and talk.

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After the Meeting

There are many ideas and options you and your fledgling chapter may wish to consider to keep up the enthusiasm after the first meeting. You may want to utilize some of the resources listed in the next few sections to generate a foundation for your ch apter's success. There is no need to "re-invent the wheel" while trying to develop your chapter, so don't hesitate to utilize these resources. At the same time, don't let the ideas here contain you: come up with some of your own original ideas or even modify those listed here to something more suited to your chapter's environment.