[Dealing with time during meetings]
Meetings
Making decisions democratically and collectively by consensus is essential to Food Not Bombs philosophy. The easiest, most common way of making this happen is to have a weekly meeting open to all, where people discuss how the group is going and how it should be going. You may find you don't need to meet that often. The key, nevertheless, is to be consistent.
Meetings can be made to run more smoothly if participants are familiar with the group's general meeting process. Don't hesitate to communicate it freely with new volunteers before a meeting starts.
It is best to start off by agreeing on meeting process, rather than falling into bad habits right off the bat. You might want to have a regular agenda for meetings, with some items being consistent and others being brought up as need be.
Dealing with time during meetings
People have been known to get frustrated when discussion about some topic becomes noting but endless banter back and forth, without real dialogue or resolution. Every topic (especially the larger, more visionary ones) need not have an immediate resolution, but if one topic seems to be dominating the meeting, perhaps tabling the issue until the following meeting would help people mull over their opinions and encourage fresh, new thinking.
Note: When someone brings up an item for the agenda (in the check-in), have them suggest a time limit for that topic. When the timekeeper signals that time is up for that topic, the group decides collectively if they want to continue discussing that topic (set another time limit), bring up a proposal based on the discussion to that point, or table the issue.
Here are some parts to a Food Not Bombs meeting, somewhat in order:
* Check-in: Everyone introduces himself or herself,
expresses how they are doing and feeling, and adds any topics they want
to discuss to the agenda.
* Three principles: Spend one minute going over what the FNB principles
of nonviolence, vegetarianism and consensus mean. Have a new person speak
up every week. This step helps
reaffirm the principles in people's minds, and isn't insignificant.
* Intro to volunteering: If there are new volunteers in attendance,
spend five minutes going over any questions they may have, and explaining
how your FNB process works. Everyone should be made to feel comfortable
explaining things to new people.
* Announcements: What's happening in the near future of general
concern to us, events that we're not cooking for but that people might
be interested in going to/being part of other-
wise.
* Days (or Report-backs): Everyone recounts interesting or important
events from the previous week of operation. Problems and concerns can
be addressed as well, though if they're major they can be talked about
as a larger agenda item.
* Supplies: Check if the cookhouses have enough of what they need
for the coming week(s) Make arrangements to secure enough of what is lacking.
* Solidarity: Discuss any events outside of regular meals that
the group is cooking for or supporting in some way. Logistics can be worked
out here.
* The Agenda: Talk about the things people brought up in their
check-in.
* Scheduling: Decide who does what for the upcoming week. Perhaps
make a chart with each day's steps laid out, and have people sign up for
things. If, after the signup sheet has gone around once, there are holes,
find out if people in attendance are able to fill those holes. If not,
start calling people on your phone list.
* Checkout: Everyone relates their feelings about the meeting,
about themselves, about each other, etc. Say your name, and perhaps what
you've taken responsibility for over the next week.
* Clean up: Don't leave the meeting space a mess - put your hands
where your anarchy is!
