• Guiding the group to make sure it achieves its aims.

• Chairing meetings of the group and committee.

• Representing residents at meetings in the community.
 

The Chairperson needs to:

 

• Know about all of the activities carried out by the group.

• Ensure that other officers are carrying out their tasks.

• Make sure that everybody has a chance to take part in the

discussions at meetings.

• Prepare agendas for meetings with the Secretary.

• Make sure that decisions made are clearly recorded and

reported to the membership.
 

One of the main roles of the Chairperson is the chairing of meetings of the group.  Good chairing is the key to a successful meeting and a good meeting is one that achieves its purpose.  Meetings should be conducted in a calm, fair and friendly manner.

The golden rules for meetings are:

• Know what you are there for, have a clear agenda.
• Make sure the agenda is followed, decisions are made and a good atmosphere is maintained.
• Make them interesting.
• Make them accessible to everybody.

As chair you will:

• Introduce and summarise the purpose of the meeting.
• Introduce each agenda item with the necessary background information.
• Summarise the points made in discussions and encourage decision making
• Keep people to the point and stop them talking too long (but don’t become a bully!)
• Give people the opportunity to participate.

Here are some practical suggestions to help achieve success:

• Start your meetings on time
• Keep to the agenda
• Be positive and look for solutions to problems
• Make sure items to be discussed are prepared properly; do you have all the information you need?
• Make sure decisions are clearly taken and agreed
• Make sure everybody has an opportunity to put their views across
• Don’t let a few people dominate
• Move the discussion on if people are repeating themselves
• Be polite and encouraging
• Don’t put people down
• Don’t allow people to make personal criticisms of each other