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Broadwater County

Training Board Members to Successfully Navigate Meetings

Published: 2019
By Allison Kosto
Public boards and community organizations are vital components of most rural communities. However, many board members are a part of their organization because of their expertise, knowledge or a passion for the board’s purpose or mission and may lack the skills or knowledge necessary to manage the legal aspects of boards, run meetings, or work cooperatively with board members and the public. In January, the Broadwater County Commissioners worked with MSU Extension to organize a County Board Training. The first half of the training was presented by Andy Hunthausen, Lewis & Clark County Commissioner, who discussed open meeting law and legal aspects of working with county boards. County boards are unique because they must follow Montana state statute, but most board members are not familiar with the law or code. For the second half of the workshop, MSU Extension Agent Allison Kosto presented "Committees That Work." The session was based on curriculum from the University of Minnesota Extension. The purpose was to help the group function more efficiently as a unit and improve skills in parliamentary procedure. It included lots of examples and resources that board members could utilize with their organization. As a result of the workshop, participants indicated they would be better prepared to follow Robert’s Rules of Order and coach other committee members to do so. Since that time, MSU Extension has received several more requests to assist the county or other organizations with Board Training.
Organizations such as 4-H help youth learn skills in parliamentary procedure and how to run a meeting.