Rules of order can help the president of a youth sports organization run board meetings more effectively and efficiently. These rules are a guide for attendees on how the meeting will be conducted and how certain actions are taken.

There are formal and informal approaches to board meetings, and the style will depend on the YSO. The most important feature of these “rules” is that everyone attending the meeting has a clear understanding of the proceedings. It is the president’s job to determine what level of formality to take given the members.

To begin a session, the president of the board of directors generally calls the meeting to order, and minutes begin to be recorded.

When a board member makes a motion, that member is suggesting that the board vote on a particular policy or action to be taken. In a more informal setting, an action can be voted upon without a motion having first been made; however, all board members must be clear what action is being addressed. Even without a motion, an official vote should always be taken.

Formally, a motion should be made to end a meeting. However, more informal boards of directors simply end a meeting when they have completed all of the items on the agenda.

For more tips on appropriate rules of order for your next YSO board meeting, see the downloadable article below.