Meeting Discussion Format

I enjoyed tonight’s zoom based member meeting and I have a few ideas for discussion for future meetings. I like how zoom handles discussion, and even when things return to a state of normal, i think in in-person meetings a zoom meetings chat function can be useful to allow discussion, and fact checking without interrupting a speaker.

This is a discussion, not a formal proposal, to see what others think and maybe later on it’ll become a formal proposal.

For proposals to be discussed I think that the proposal should have the following.

  • A question gathering period at the begging of the meeting for people to ask to clarify particular matters of the proposal.

    • Should be worded to not take a side on the matter, purely for clarification.
    • The zoom meeting and google docs makes these easy, so people can comment on the doc for their question to be added, and in the zoom chat
  • The person proposing the voting matter is given;
    -Proposer should do these segments in order.
    -During the Proposal reading, and addressing questions sections, the meeting chairmen can redirect the speaker if they go off topic.
    -The speaker cannot be interrupted during their debate segment and shall be given their 3 minute of debate without interruption.
    -The proposer’s debate segment is considered the first “For” debate segment.

    • 3 minutes to give reading of the proposal…
      • simply a reading of the proposal, the actions it is calling for. This should not be an argument for why it should be done, simply a stating of the actions it is calling for…
    • 3 minutes to specifically address questions.
      • a chance to clarify questions that were written, this is intended to be a short answer, just enough to answer the question. Proposer should not be making the case during this segment.
    • 3 minutes to debate their case for the proposal.
      • This is where they can make their case, as the first speaker of the debate.
  • The proposal is then followed by alternating “For” and “against” debate segment.

    • The proposer is considered the first “For” debate, so the following will be an “against” speaker.
    • These 3 minute debate segment shall not be interrupted during their segment even for fact correction.
      • The zoom chat can be used for discussion and fact checking during their segment, but the speakers audio should not be interrupted.
    • There should not be discussion or correction by the board or others between the segment. this is addressed in the chat, or by the following speaker.
    • There should be a plan to limit the discussion to 8 speakers, (proposer counting as the first one)
      • This is because this will already be a half hour of discussion, minimum, not counting time between speaking segments.
      • If there are not enough people speaking for one side to continue alternating, then the unfilled stance is skipped, until the number of speakers is reached.
      • There can always be a motion to extend the discussion if needed, once the speaker limit is reached.
  • If there is no notion to extend debate, the proposer can make a closing 3 minute statement.