Every great meeting starts with a game plan. And having a solid layout of your booster club meeting minutes is like maintaining a coach’s playbook. It sets the tone and keeps things moving. With that in mind, here are the steps you can take to create an agenda that keeps your club meetings focused and productive:

Start With the Basics

Your agenda always needs to address basics like the date and time. List who will be attending and then work your way toward specific topics. Outline all of the key discussion points, such as fundraising ideas and upcoming events. 

Budget Your Time Wisely

It’s a good idea to set a time limit for each topic to ensure the meeting stays on track. For example, you could allocate 10 minutes to provide updates on recent fundraisers and 15 minutes to discuss upcoming events. Keeping to a schedule also helps prevent the meeting from dragging on and keeps everyone focused on key priorities. 

When budgeting your time, it’s crucial to plan a little more time than you think you might need for each topic. This margin will undoubtedly save you plenty of frustration when some discussions inevitably go long.

Create Open Lines of Communication

Make sure that everyone understands how the meeting works and when they can share their points of view. Maintaining open lines of communication will ensure everyone feels heard, and it can help avoid friction between members. 

Consider assigning a specific time for member feedback or questions. This can help ensure that comments are constructive and that everyone feels they’ve had an opportunity to speak. A designated open-floor time toward the end of the meeting will help you gather last-minute feedback without disrupting the flow of the agenda. 

Avoid Any Technical Fouls 

Everyone in your club is passionate about helping student-athletes, so it’s only natural for things to get heated sometimes. Nevertheless, you need to do your best to keep the meeting focused. A good agenda can help the club leadership get the meeting back on track and minimize arguments. 

If a discussion becomes too lengthy or off-topic, use the agenda to redirect attention back to the priorities. If you find yourself refereeing any topics that are becoming particularly heated, consider tabling the discussion until the board can address it in more detail. Then, report back at the next meeting.

Draft Those Minutes 

Once you’ve called the meeting, make sure that someone drafts the minutes. These notes are like a recap of the game. They’ll cover any major events that happened, what was discussed, the outcome of any votes, and who is responsible for each task. Adding deadlines for specific actions is also beneficial. This holds members accountable and ensures follow-through on club goals.

Most clubs quickly cover the previous meeting’s minutes at the start of each gathering. In doing so, everyone is brought back up to speed regarding what was covered during the previous meeting. You might also consider sharing the minutes ahead of time. This way, members can review decisions or action items before the meeting. 

Whether you share them during the meeting or before, make sure you share the minutes with all members — not just the ones who are present at the meeting. If some members are unable to attend, they can quickly get caught up to speed and stay informed. 

Book That Next Meeting

Now that you know how to create a solid agenda, it’s time to book your next club meeting and start fundraising. With a sound agenda, your club will always be ready to hit the ground running!