ABOUT MAKING MEETINGS MATTER


The beginning of the posting below is at the bottom. Click on each page to enlarge. See the percentage adjustment box in the lower right corner. The paper is about principles for humanizing an organization (fifteen in all) and the balance lists a series of actions or processes for shared decision making. The document is a transcript of a presentation made to people attending a session on making meetings matter for staff, students, parents and other agency people associated with Designated Community Schools in Alberta. Debbie Dureault, from Bon Accord Community School in Bon Accord, Alberta, transcribed the tape of the presentation. Thank you Debbie! Bon Accord was an exemplary community school in Alberta.

In re-reading the transcript, I found it amusing that some of the realities have changed since the presentation, some fifteen years ago. There is reference to washing all the ash trays, putting a Kleenex in each and filling it with wrapped chocolates. Participants were told they could choose between getting lung cancer or diabetes! It just ‘shows to go you’ that change is possible. Smoking in public places was still accepted in those days.

My sense is that real democracy cannot function until we use its processes in everyday life. That includes in meetings, but also in the home, our work places, our educational institutions and so on. Further, we all need to be inventive of everyday democratic processes in our day to day lives. My hope is that readers might find at least one of the ideas as very useful on a continuing basis. You will need to go to the bottom of the screen and click on “2007” in the archives list to show the full Making Meetings Matter posting.