ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS RESOURCES

Trade and Industrial Objective: 1.01

CONDUCTING A BUSINESS MEETING

The class studies how to conduct a business meeting. As part of the study the students discuss the types of organizations and the use of parliamentary procedure to conduct orderly business meetings. They also read about and study basic parliamentary procedures. The class visits the legislature in session and each student has to visit one organization's business meeting. To increase students' understanding of parliamentary procedure each student is asked to write a script for a group of ten students to conduct a mock business meeting. Each student is given a sample script. Four of the ten student parts will be officers (president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer) and the other six students will be members of the organization. The scripted business meeting will include the following items.

1. Opening of meeting

2. Presentation of the secretary's report - minutes of last meeting

3. Processing an amendment to the minutes

4. Presentation of treasurers financial report

5. Processing an amendment to the financial report

6. Old business

7. Processing a main motion

8. Debating a motion

9. Amending a motion

10. New business

11. Tabling a motion

12. Setup up a committee

13. Three other actions of the student's choice

After writing the scripts, groups of students will conduct a business meeting using the scripts. After conducting each meeting they will discuss positive and negative points of the script and correct any errors.

Connections
The scenario allows the student to use the parliamentary procedures they have studied and involves them on several levels. It gives the student the experience of planning, organizing, and participating in a business meeting. Each student develops writing and speaking communication skills. The student will get a sense of accomplishment and develop confidence in his/her ability to participate in public meetings.

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