How to have meetings that aren't 8-hour long debates about nothing
CAMP tends to have lots of meetings, meetings about meetings even. It can all start to blend together after a while, to point that this place has occasionally been dubbed the "Community Arts and Meeting Project." Some tips we've learned along the way...
1. No meetings longer than 2 hours, and bring food if the meeting will be long. Human nature will not allow long meetings w/o food.
2. Propose a simple agenda at the start of meeting, and keep to it to avoid tangential discussions. You won't be able to sort everything out during one meeting, so don't try to.
3. Elect a facilitator to ensure everyone has a say, and possibly a timekeeper so no one monopolizes the meeting. If it is a contentious meeting, try to maintain a stack.
4. Record minutes for an email list to keep those in the loop who couldn't attend. Regular meeting are always a challenge if folks must juggle multiple commitments.
5. Be wary of your privileges if the meeting attendance is quite diverse. Not everyone shares your point of view.
On a related noted, you might check out this essay from the Feminist movement in the 70's, titled the "Tyranny of Structurelessness." It basically boils down to letting those with competency of whichever flavor do their thing, and not let the ideal of absolute egalitarianism hinder members of your collective from contributing in the way they best can.
http://www.bopsecrets.org/CF/structurelessness.htm
long meetings
while i understand the need for communication,(i lived in community for 25 years),i question the model of communication . For years , i could not understand why i could not feel apart of meetings in progressive groups. About 4 years ago i began work on a book to look at the cultural aspects of class.i grew up in the clinton peabody projects aand was often homeless in the 50's . It appears to me that long meetings are a model of one class and relationships,such as a buddy downtown who can fix your bike , are another model. poor folks network differently because of lack of time and growing up with another model. One model is not bad or good ,just different. another issue that blocks participation is language. we use different words and phrases depending on age, gender and class.Again ,not good or bad , just different.If we really want that vision of anti oppression ,we may have to examine our own models.