In this series of articles, we will give you our top tips and tricks for secretarial work before, during and after meetings.
In this first article, we will focus on preparation for meetings. The quote; “If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.” holds true for all aspects of meetings and minutes. The level of effort required to convene a meeting varies depending on what type of meeting is being held.
Establish what sort of meeting is being held
Meetings are an integral part of professional life, and taking minutes of every meeting is essential. The first step when preparing the meeting invite and relevant documentation is to consider what type of meeting is being held.
There are various types of meetings that may be held. Examples: board meetings (ad-hoc, monthly, or quarterly), Committee meetings (what type), AGMs, etc.
We will concentrate on meetings of the board of directors (the Board) for the purposes of this article.
Who needs to attend the meeting?
Once you have established what type of meeting is to be held and who is to attend, you will need to circulate invites and monitor responses. This will ensure that the relevant people are available to attend and that there will be a quorum present.
It may seem obvious that all board members should be invited to all board meetings. The company secretary and/or minute writer (who may be external) is another key invite. In addition, there are other key persons and subject matter experts who may be invited to some meetings. Attendance is largely driven by the purpose of the meeting and the agenda. Knowing what you want to get out of the meeting is the first step to knowing who to invite to it.
Quorum requirements
A quorum is the minimum number of directors that must be present at any of the meetings to make the proceedings of that meeting valid. Please note that a quorum must be present to convene a meeting.
So, how do we find this information?
Refer to the Articles of Association or the relevant statutory documents of the organisation. The information will generally be in the section entitled “Proceedings of Directors”, or something similar.
Meeting Arrangements
Remember to book a suitable venue. This is often the in-house boardroom, but could also be an external venue.
Due Notice and Agenda
The notice must be given (usually in writing) to the Board that a meeting is to be held, including the purpose of the meeting (consider the inclusion of the agenda), the date, time and location.
Board Pack and necessary papers
You will need to ensure that all the necessary paperwork is in hand. We will cover this area as well as personal preparation for the minute taker in separate articles.
Do you want more tips & tricks regarding corporate governance and company secretarial matters?
Visit our news & insights page on our website, where we regularly share news, insights and guidance in key areas such as corporate governance, minutes and secretarial practices. We hope that this will inspire new ideas that could benefit your business.
Courses and Training
Our team of qualified chartered secretaries and experienced individuals develop courses and training material that cover the statutory requirements (in Jersey, Guernsey, UK or the Cayman Islands) whilst also giving useful “Tips and Tricks” and guidance through your in-house policies, procedures and precedents.
Our courses are suitable for secretarial officers, governance administrators, and anyone who is responsible for coordinating meetings and taking minutes for companies or committees. We tailor the training plan to fit in with the skills level and experience of the attendees. The number of sessions and the length of sessions will depend on what you want the course to cover.
Complete the online form to provide the details we require to get started. The information will be used to prepare a proposed training plan, including a draft syllabus for your review and a fee proposal.
About Virteffic
Virteffic Limited is an independent, privately owned business in the Channel Islands that provides secretarial support and administration services. Our virtual assistants specialise in drafting minutes, preparing board packs, and day-to-day administration services. The team consist of experienced, qualified professionals with hard-to-find skills and long experience in the regulated financial industry. We pride ourselves on being flexible, efficient, diligent, knowledgeable and discrete.
Simply put, we help businesses and charities by doing tasks they don’t know how to do, are too busy to do, don’t want to do, or that would be better outsourced.
We have become a trusted support firm that assists businesses of all sizes, including many of the larger regulated firms (funds and trust companies, wealth advisors and insurance companies), non-profit organisations, and charities. Our clients are based in Jersey and Guernsey, the Cayman Islands, and the UK.
Find Out More
You can visit our website to find out more about Virteffic and to request a fee proposal. Get in Touch if you are interested in any of our services.
