Online club meetings
Meeting online is a great way to stay connected when meeting in person isn't feasible or convenient. Clubs can still provide service and fellowship in virtual settings. Clubs all around the world are embracing the flexibility that comes with meeting online. Find tips, resources, and best practices below.
Best Practices for Conducting Online Meetings
As the organizer:
- Choose the best technology for your needs. Some free services limit the number of participants or the length of your meeting.
- Use video but provide an audio dial-in option. Seeing and interacting with fellow participants via technology – like Zoom, GoToMeeting, Google Hangouts, LINE, Skype, WhatsApp, Tencent, and Microsoft Teams – helps keep everyone connected and engaged. However, not everyone will be able to join your meeting via video. Provide an audio option and consider recording the meeting and sharing it later.
- Stick to meeting basics. Use an agenda, set meeting ground rules, and clearly outline next steps at the end of the meeting. If background information is required, be sure to share it with all participants beforehand.
- Rethink your meeting for an online format. If some parts of an in-person meeting don't work well online, adjust your meeting content to maximize your online format.
- Keep it engaging. Minimize presentation length and maximize discussion. Include polls, open Q&A, best practice sharing—anything that focuses the participants' attention on the content and each other.
- Ask for support: Building a team allows people to contribute to the success of your meeting. Ask others to monitor chat boxes, answer questions during the call, and troubleshoot technical issues.
- Be prepared. Practice with any presenters so they know how to request control and share their screens. Log on early to test your audio and make sure all presenters are on.
Best Practices for Participating in Online Meetings
Encourage participants to:
- Download and test the technology ahead of the meeting. Get comfortable with its features. Some good questions to ask are:
- Is my audio working? Will I be able to hear the other participants and will they be able to hear me?
- Is my camera working? Is my face visible?
- Have I eliminated background distractions to the best of my ability? (Rotary backgrounds available in the Brand Center for Zoom meetings)
- Is my lighting appropriate?
- Optimize the audio. All participants should mute themselves when they are not speaking. For best sound quality, use a headset or headphones. This will also help minimize background noise.
- Participate! The key to a successful online meeting is engaged, active members.
(Adapted in part from "What it Takes to Run a Great Virtual Meeting". Bob Frisch and Cary Greene.)
Tips for Engaging Members in Virtual Settings
Your club provides your members with a feeling of belonging and opportunities for personal growth. Beyond holding online meetings, you can continue to engage them even in a virtual setting by:
- Having virtual social gatherings where you set up video chats to connect on a personal level and recognize members for their efforts, such as online game nights or happy hours
- Seeking opportunities to have a guest speaker or multi-club meetings to make meetings more insightful
- Conducting new member orientations via webinar and online tools
- Encouraging members to take online courses on Rotary's Learning Center to grow professional skills
- Establishing a mentor program where members are paired to share ideas and experiences and offer support
- Hold online fundraisers or service projects that can be done remotely (see examples of Covid-19 related projects)
- Post your activities on social media so your community can see that your club is active
- Contact another club and ask if you and some of your members can attend as guests to share ideas
Resources & reference
- Meeting Online Learning Topic – Share tips and resources with other members for meeting online
- Club meetings (PDF)
- Club flexibility FAQ