For PTA Presidents: Parliamentary Pointers or "How do I get my meetings to run more smoothly?"

1. Have an agenda prepared before the meeting, with the appropriate number of copies available for members. Having an agenda gives everyone a clear idea of what will be covered at the meeting and will keep you organized and on track when conducting the meeting.

2. Make sure your Parliamentarian is sitting next to you and has a copy of your bylaws and the latest edition of Roberts Rules of Order on hand. Your Parliamentarian is there to advise you when you need help, will remind you of what items require a vote and, when asked by you, will offer advice on parliamentary procedure.

3. Set the ground rules for debate at the beginning of the meeting. In order to be fair to any member who wishes to speak, it is a good idea to set the rules of debate at the beginning of the meeting. A good rule of thumb is to allow each member to speak on any issue twice, and for no longer than three minutes each time. Your parliamentarian is a good person to use as a timekeeper.

4. Do not allow members to stray from the agenda items. Oftentimes members will want to bring up subjects that are clearly not items on the agenda and have nothing to do with PTA business. A good way to handle this is to ask that person to discuss those issues with you after the meeting. The other members will appreciate sticking to business and not having the meeting drag on unnecessarily.

5. Only allow paid PTA members to engage in debate or to make motions. This is standard operating procedure and should be made clear at the beginning of each meeting. Your meetings are business meetings and only those people who have paid to join your PTA are allowed to participate in the business of your PTA.

6. Handle disruptions immediately. Occasionally there will be a member who tries to take over your meeting and cause a disturbance. If the person does not cease the disruption upon being asked to do so, you will probably need to call a brief recess in order to regain order. If the person persists in trying to cause trouble, you will need to take proper steps to see that the person is removed.