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    Running Successful Council Meetings

    Council meetings are necessary to plan successful events on campus. They may be the first glimpse of the council for your new members. Good meetings lead to successful events that then lead to more new members. Here are ways to make you council meetings a success.

    Keep Meetings Short and to the Point

    Start by doing most of the planning for events during a separate officers meeting or committee meeting.

    The more business you take care of at your officer and committee meetings, the less work you will have to do at general meetings.

    Prepare an agenda and stick to it. Having a printed agenda for all attendees will allow you to move quickly from point to point in your meeting. It will keep people from rambling off topic and maintain focus on the issues at hand and cover everything that needs to be discussed. Most general council meetings should be 30-45 minutes and never exceed an hour.

    Schedule an Event Immediately After a Meeting

    Members are more likely to come and sit through a meeting if they know there is a worthwhile event afterward. Post-meeting events will l also force you to end your meetings on time. Post-meeting events could include attending Mass, sharing a meal, going to a movie, playing a sport, or attending an already-scheduled campus event.

    Direct, Don't Dictate

    The grand knight's job during meetings is to provide direction and facilitate discussion. He should not dominate the conversation and should include his officers in all discussions. He should engage the entire council and call on officers to give reports of their activities. A successful grand knight does not micromanage the other officers, but instead, provides them with assistance as they perform their roles.

    Keep a Regular Meeting Schedule

    Meetings should be held regularly and at a consistent time and place. Send out a meeting schedule at the beginning of the semester to allow members to plan their other activities around the Knights' meeting times.

    If you Feed Them, They will Come

    Wherever free food exists, college students will congregate. Start providing food or snacks before or after your meetings. Nothing allows you to better sell your meetings to people than being able to say you always have free food.

    There are many ways you can improve your meetings and these are a few of the most effective. Remember: Less is more. Brief and to-the-point meetings will keep your members engaged and attentive. Good planning and preparations result in a quick, productive meeting and allows you to focus on the activities and programs that drew you to the Knights of Columbus in the first place.

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