What is the role of the Chair during a meeting?

The role of the Chair during a meeting primarily involves leading discussions and maintaining order. This person is responsible for facilitating the meeting's agenda, ensuring that all participants have the opportunity to contribute, and keeping the discussion focused on the topics at hand. The Chair also helps to manage time effectively, ensuring that the meeting runs smoothly and that decisions can be made in an orderly fashion.

Leading discussions involves guiding the dialogue, prompting participants for input, and summarizing points made to keep everyone on the same page. The responsibility for keeping order is equally important, as it ensures that participants adhere to the rules of engagement and that the meeting environment remains respectful and productive. This thoughtful approach helps prevent disruptions or conflicts during discussions.

While taking minutes, representing the union, and evaluating motions are important tasks, these responsibilities may fall to other designated members or roles within the meeting structure, such as a secretary or an appointee for specific tasks. Hence, the defining duty of the Chair is to provide leadership and structure to the meeting process itself.