A two-hour seminar — exploring the role parliamentary procedure plays in a well-functioning and effective organization. Gain practical "how-to" skills that can be put to work at and before your next meeting. Who will benefit from attending? Everyone . . . presidents, vice presidents, presidents elect, treasurers, secretaries, committee chairman and committee members and do not forget other involved members.  

A two-hour workshop that covers the planning for a meeting and meeting presiding skills.  Members are quick to sense the weakness of a presiding officer who is inexperienced and lacking in knowledge of how to conduct a meeting. Leaders should have the knowledge and skills to chair a meeting of an assembly or executive board.  Who will benefit from attending? The current president, president elect or a vice president or any member who anticipates he might be called upon to preside at a meeting or has plans to run for the organization’s leader positions.

A two-hour workshop — exploring the role of an organization’s officers with an emphasis on the secretary and preparing the meeting minutes.  The most requested workshop for secretaries is writing the minutes. This workshop will elaborate on what minutes should contain and the attendees will be challenged to take and write minutes from a mock meeting. However, it will also delve into the role of the secretary as an officer of an organization. Who will benefit from attending? The organization’s current officers, secretary or assistant secretary or anyone whose arm might be twisted to run for secretary in the coming year.

A two-hour workshop — on getting what you want to accomplish in a meeting utilizing the parliamentary motions.  This workshop is all about taking care of business utilizing the parliamentary motions and using each one effectively and at the appropriate time.  A main motion formally proposes that an organization take an action. Every member should have the knowledge and skills to make a main motion, that is to introduce business such as propose an action, to change a motion already made to make it more acceptable, and how to abide by the rules of debate and decorum. . . and more. Who will benefit from attending? Everyone . . . most importantly the members who decide what needs to be accomplished and the presiding officer who must handle each motion made by a member.

A two-hour workshop — Committees are the work horse of an organization – that is where the work gets done.  Are committees bound by the same parliamentary rules of order as the committee’s appointing body? It is important to understand that a committee is a group of one or more individuals, elected or appointed to consider, investigate, or even act on certain matters.  Who will benefit from attending? Everyone . . . any member who serves on a committee or is a committee chairman, the president who makes committee appointments and handles committee reports in a meeting, the secretary who needs to know what to put in the minutes relative to a committee report and whose duty it is to keep a file of written committee reports.

A two-hour workshop — exploring the governing documents that may be applicable to an organization whether a state or national organization or a local chapter thereof, or an independent society. Bylaws will be the focus of this workshop and will answer the question of why you should read the bylaws of your organization.  Learn why the rules in the bylaws must be followed and why officers and members should know what the bylaws say.  The workshop will also consider how bylaws are amended by random individual amendments or by a complete rewrite.  Who will benefit from attending? A leader should understand the form and function of bylaws and other governing documents and how to amend governing documents. Members should know how to read the rules of the organization and be able to demand enforcement of those rules. Everyone . . . interested in their organization and how it functions and how it may be possible to make changes to the governing documents.