Presidency Meetings

Presidency meetings need only be “regular” according to the handbook. The frequency of meetings is up to your presidency based on the needs in your area.

Here are some ideas that may help:
1) Schedule ahead. Be sure to plan your next meeting while you are at your current meeting. When it’s on your calendar a few weeks ahead of time, it’s much easier to plan around.

2) In extreme situations, you may consider a conference call, Skype, or email meeting. Even though I love email, I suggest you don’t use email too often in lieu of a meeting. Face to face is always better.

3) Consider having your presidency meetings on Sundays before or after church. Bring snacks for the kids, lock them in the gym or send them to the other ward’s Primary (when I was Relief Society president and my DH was traveling, and I couldn’t get a sitter, yes, I really did that — twice!).

4) Talk to your friends or visiting teachers about watching your kids when you attend a meeting. Most of them have been in your situation and understand the logistical issues. They are happy to help.

5) Are you in YW or RS? If you really *are* genuinely having trouble getting together — and I mean REAL, insurmountable issues that calendaring can’t solve — talk to your Bishop or Branch President to see if you can have presidency meetings once in a while during Sunday School. Don’t do this regularly, and certainly not every week, and get permission first.

6) And keep your meetings short. No meeting should extend past 1.5 hours, in my opinion. Most can be done in an hour or less with a well-written agenda. I used to ask my secretary to stop me at 1.5 hours, even if it was mid-sentence. If you’ve covered the essential things first, the stuff at the end of your meeting can be tabled until next time.