Unit 9 Solutions: Assembly, Meeting, Conference & Seminar
Answers to the Unit 9 exercises. Each answer is as long as its marks call for: a sentence or two for 1 mark, four explained points for 4 marks, and a complete model minute, laid out like the specimen in the unit, for the 8-mark drafting question.
A. Very Short Answer Questions (1 Mark Each)
1. Define a meeting in one sentence.
A meeting is a formal gathering of two or more authorized members of a committee, board or organization at a pre-notified date, time and venue to discuss a specific agenda and pass binding resolutions.
2. What is meant by Agenda and Quorum of a meeting?
An agenda is the ordered list of topics or proposals to be discussed and decided in a meeting, sent out with the notice, and a quorum is the minimum number or percentage of eligible members (usually more than 50%) who must be present before the meeting can legally begin and pass valid resolutions.
3. Differentiate between an Assembly and a Seminar in two sentences.
An assembly is a large formal gathering of all general members, shareholders, citizens or students to hear announcements, elect representatives or approve broad policies, such as a school morning assembly or the general assembly of a cooperative. A seminar is an academic or professional gathering where subject experts present working papers on one specific topic, followed by discussion and conclusions.
4. When is an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) convened?
An EGM is convened by the Board of Directors, or on the written requisition of a specified percentage of shareholders, between two Annual General Meetings to decide urgent special business such as amending the Memorandum or Articles of Association, issuing bonus or right shares, or merging the company.
5. What is meant by Minute of a meeting?
A minute is the official, concise and chronological written record of the attendance, discussions and decisions (resolutions) of a formal meeting, kept in a bound Minute Book and signed by the Chairperson and the attending members.
B. Short Answer Questions (4 Marks Each)
1. Explain any four types of meetings held in organizations.
- Regular (committee or periodic) meeting: This meeting is held at fixed, pre-scheduled intervals, such as weekly, monthly or quarterly, as the rules of the organization require. It reviews ongoing work and approves routine expenditure, as in the monthly meeting of a School Management Committee.
- Urgent (emergency) meeting: This meeting is called at very short notice when an unexpected crisis, natural disaster or urgent policy matter arises that cannot wait until the next regular meeting, for example after a flood damages school buildings.
- Board (executive committee) meeting: This meeting is held by the elected Board of Directors of a company or the Executive Committee of an institution. It formulates strategies, appoints senior staff and approves budgets.
- Annual General Meeting (AGM): This statutory meeting is held once every fiscal year by a joint stock company, cooperative or registered association, and all shareholders or members can take part. It approves the annual financial statements and auditor’s report, declares dividends, elects the Board of Directors and appoints the auditor for the next year.
Other types are the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), unilateral, bilateral and multilateral meetings, and secret (in-camera) meetings.
2. Differentiate between an Annual General Meeting (AGM) and an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).
| Basis | Annual General Meeting (AGM) | Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The statutory general meeting of all shareholders or members held every year | A special general meeting called between two AGMs for urgent special business |
| Frequency | Held once every fiscal year | Held whenever special business arises; there may be none in a year, or more than one |
| Nature | Compulsory by law | Not a fixed yearly requirement; held only when needed |
| Convened by | The Board of Directors | The Board of Directors, or on the written requisition of a specified percentage of shareholders |
| Business transacted | Ordinary business: approving the annual financial statements and auditor’s report, declaring dividends, electing directors, and appointing the auditor and fixing his or her remuneration | Special business: amending the Memorandum or Articles of Association, issuing bonus or right shares, or merging the company |
| Example | A company’s yearly meeting to approve its accounts and declare a dividend | A meeting called in the middle of the year to approve a merger with another company |
3. What is a Minute? Explain the importance of maintaining minutes of a meeting.
A minute is the official, concise and chronological written record of the attendance, discussions and final decisions (resolutions) of a formal meeting. It is recorded in a bound Minute Book and signed by the Chairperson and all attending members.
Importance of maintaining minutes:
- Permanent record of decisions: Members cannot remember every decision for long. Minutes keep an exact, permanent record of who attended and what was decided at each meeting.
- Legal evidence: Signed minutes are accepted as proof of the decisions of a meeting. Auditors, government bodies and courts can check them, for example to see whether a purchase was properly approved.
- Basis for implementation and follow-up: Minutes state each decision and the person responsible for carrying it out. At the next meeting, members can check the progress made on each decision.
- Reference for the future: New members and later committees can read past minutes to understand earlier decisions, which keeps policies consistent and avoids repeating the same discussions.
Minutes also inform absent members of what was decided, and reading and confirming them at the next meeting (endorsement) prevents later disputes.
C. Long Practical / Drafting Questions (8 Marks Each)
1. Draft a complete Minute of an imaginary meeting held at your school (or a local youth club) regarding the organization of the Annual Sports Week and Cultural Program, clearly showing the Preamble, Attendance, Agendas, and Decisions.
All names, dates and figures in this model minute are imaginary.
MINUTE OF THE STAFF MEETING OF SHREE JANA JAGRITI SECONDARY SCHOOL
Today, on 2082 Bhadra 15, Sunday, at 2:00 P.M., a staff meeting of Shree Jana Jagriti Secondary School, Bharatpur-11, Chitwan was held in the school meeting hall under the chairpersonship of Principal Mr. Dipak Raj Subedi to plan the Annual Sports Week and Cultural Program of 2082. The President of the Student Council attended the meeting as an invitee.
1. Attendance:
S.N. Name of the Member Designation Signature 1. Mr. Dipak Raj Subedi Principal & Chairperson D.R. Subedi 2. Mrs. Sarita Khanal Vice-Principal S. Khanal 3. Mr. Ramesh Chaudhary Sports Teacher & Member-Secretary R. Chaudhary 4. Mrs. Laxmi Shrestha Music and Arts Teacher L. Shrestha 5. Mr. Bikash Tamang Science Teacher B. Tamang 6. Ms. Anita Poudel Basic Level Teacher A. Poudel 7. Mr. Suresh Mahato Accountant S. Mahato 8. Ms. Pratiksha Bhattarai President, Student Council (Invitee) P. Bhattarai 2. Agendas for Discussion:
- Agenda No. 1: Regarding the dates, venue and events of the Annual Sports Week 2082.
- Agenda No. 2: Regarding the Cultural Program and Prize Distribution Ceremony.
- Agenda No. 3: Regarding the formation of sub-committees and the assignment of responsibilities.
- Agenda No. 4: Regarding the budget and sources of funds.
- Agenda No. 5: Miscellaneous.
3. Decisions / Resolutions Passed:
- Decision No. 1: After detailed discussion on Agenda No. 1, it was unanimously decided to hold the Annual Sports Week from 2082 Mangsir 8 to Mangsir 13 in the school ground. All students of Grades 1 to 10 will take part through four houses: Sagarmatha, Kanchenjunga, Makalu and Annapurna. The events for Grades 6 to 10 will be athletics (100 m, 200 m and 400 m races, relay race, long jump and high jump), football, volleyball, table tennis and chess, and the events for Grades 1 to 5 will be the sack race, the spoon-and-marble race and musical chairs.
- Decision No. 2: Regarding Agenda No. 2, it was decided to hold the Cultural Program and Prize Distribution Ceremony on the last day of the Sports Week, 2082 Mangsir 13, from 1:00 P.M. The program will include folk and classical dances, songs, a short drama on road safety and poem recitation by students of each house. The Chairperson of Ward No. 11 of Bharatpur Metropolitan City will be invited as the Chief Guest, and all guardians will be invited by letter. Medals and certificates will be given to the first, second and third place winners of each event, and a running shield to the house with the highest total points.
- Decision No. 3: Regarding Agenda No. 3, it was decided to form the following sub-committees, each of which will report its progress to the Member-Secretary by 2082 Kartik 25:
- Sports Management Sub-committee: Mr. Ramesh Chaudhary (Coordinator) and Mr. Bikash Tamang, to prepare the event schedule, the ground and the equipment, and to arrange referees and judges.
- Cultural Program Sub-committee: Mrs. Laxmi Shrestha (Coordinator) and Ms. Pratiksha Bhattarai, to select and rehearse the items and to manage the stage and sound system.
- Discipline, First Aid and Refreshment Sub-committee: Mrs. Sarita Khanal (Coordinator) and Ms. Anita Poudel, to maintain discipline, arrange first aid with the help of the local health post, and provide drinking water and refreshments.
- Finance and Purchase Sub-committee: Mr. Suresh Mahato (Coordinator), to purchase medals, certificates and sports equipment and to keep the accounts of all income and expenses.
- Decision No. 4: Regarding Agenda No. 4, it was decided to approve a total budget of Rs. 1,50,000 for the Sports Week and Cultural Program, to be met from the school sports fund (Rs. 80,000), a grant from the Ward Office (Rs. 40,000) and sponsorship from local businesses (Rs. 30,000). The Principal will write to the Ward Office requesting the grant. All purchases will be made by inviting quotations, and the accounts will be presented at the first staff meeting after the program.
- Decision No. 5: As there were no other matters under Miscellaneous, the Chairperson thanked all attending members and declared the meeting adjourned at 4:00 P.M.
Signatures Confirming the Decisions:
(Signed by the Chairperson and all members present)