Structure the Monthly Club Meeting

BetterInvesting studies confirm that clubs holding well-run, organized meetings consistently enjoy superior investment results.

Despite all your well-intentioned efforts to conduct the club as a lean, mean, money-making machine, it’s not always going to work that way. People are people.

Organization begins with the meeting agenda. You can view a sample meeting agenda and customize it to fit your needs. It should be e-mailed or faxed to each member prior to the meeting, along with an official invitation and the minutes of the previous meeting. This allows members to hit the ground running when the meeting begins. It also ensures that the meeting will be run according to a plan, and instills in each member a sense of professionalism akin to what they find in their job.

The meeting itself should run as long as necessary to thoroughly cover all essential business. One to two hours is typical. The president sets the tone by beginning the meeting on time. Latecomers should get the message. After welcoming members, collecting dues and contribution checks, we recommend distributing hard copies of materials to be used in the meeting. Following that, the meeting is called to order.

The president will make any announcements (“housekeeping”), read the agenda and turn the floor over to the club secretary. After that, you’re off and running. The secretary needs to take minutes of the meeting and should do so using a standard format each time. You can view sample meeting minutes and customize the format to fit your needs.

For over sixty eight years BetterInvesting has provided support to investment clubs and has learned a great deal from club members during that time. Our organization is a community of like-minded investors who have gained from the experiences of others and have it in them to share their experiences with you. With their input and our experience, we’ve put together some tips to running a more successful club meeting based on what we’ve heard and learned over this time. Download the document and share with your fellow club members.