1. Consent Agenda - January 14, 2017
Stated Meeting Agenda
A list, plan, outline, or the like, of things to be done, matters to be acted or voted upon, etc.
In Freemasonry, an agenda is one way to ensure a well run meeting.
An agenda is an important part of a well-run Lodge meeting.
I’m sure most if not all of your Lodges us an agenda to map out your meeting.
Consent Agenda - January 14, 2017

2. Typical Stated Meeting Agenda
Typical Agenda for a Stated Meeting
Approximate Time Taken [Minutes]
Opening 10
Welcome to Brothers and Guests 3
Minutes and Treasurer’s Report
10 and it could be more
Bills
5-6
Correspondence
Grand Masters Message 5
Sickness and Distress
Petitions/Balloting
Committee Reports
20 and it could be more
Old Business 15
New Business
Closing
Approximate Total Time
[minutes]
Here is what a typical agenda for a stated meeting looks like.
I’m not going to go through this in detail…but I’m sure this looks familiar to many of you.
There is an easy way to reduce the amount of time on a typical stated meeting agenda.
Its called a “Consent Agenda”
Consent Agenda - January 14, 2017

3. Consent Agenda - January 14, 2017
A meeting practice which packages routine committee reports, meeting minutes, and other non-controversial items not requiring discussion or independent action as one agenda item.
Depending upon the material on the consent agenda, this can free up anywhere from a few minutes to a half hour for more.
Typical Items on a Consent Agenda . . .
Approval of the minutes
Normal and usual bills
Correspondence requiring no action
Reports provided for information only
Treasurer’s Report
Committee Reports
GO THROUGH THE DEFINITION OF A CONSENT AGENDA.
Using a consent agenda allows the Lodge to quickly move through the more ‘routine’ business and focus more on the things that Lodges, and Masons do.
Consent Agenda - January 14, 2017

4. What is on the Consent Agenda?
Typical agenda items that do not require action from the Lodge:
Minutes from previous communications
Communications that do not require action (i.e. Trestleboards, etc.).
Bills and Treasurer reports.
Trustee and Committee reports
Dates of future meetings and events
These are some of the items that can go on a consent agenda.
The key is, anything that does not require action from the Lodge. ACTION, meaning voting, discussion, making decsions, developing consensus, being required to be read in the Lodge, and so on.
Bills are what I get most questions on. Every Lodge should have a budget. If the bill being paid is a budgeted item, it can go on the consent agenda.
Same thing with the trustee and committee reports: if the report is informational only and there is no decision on behalf of the Lodge, it can go on the consent agenda.
A couple of examples of this:
If in the trustees report they are simply reporting on the status of the investments it can go on the consent agenda.
However if they are seeking approval from or making recommendations to the Lodge to spend, it can not.
If the Lodge does not need to discuss it, it can go on the Consent Agenda!
Consent Agenda - January 14, 2017

5. Consent Agenda - January 14, 2017
How is it used?
Collect the items and list them on the meeting agenda.
Provide copies of each item to the Members prior to the meeting.
Worshipful Master highlights items on the Consent Agenda.
Any member can have an item removed from the consent agenda.
Accept all items with a single motion and vote.
While it is the Master’s agenda, the best agendas are a collaboration between all the officers.
Providing a copy of each item to the Lodge ahead of the consent agenda being presented is a critical part.
It can be provided to each member prior to the opening of the Lodge and they will have time to review it prior to the opening.
If an item is not given to the members prior to the consent agenda being presented, it can not go on the consent agenda.
The Worshipful Master can just list each item on the consent agenda: “the consent agenda consists of the minutes from the last meeting, treasurers report, trustees report and our next meeting on February 3, 2017”
When the items are collected for the consent agenda, you can not always know who may want to explore a topic in more detail.
Once the consent agenda is presented and no items are removed from it, a Brother will need to make a motion to accept the consent agenda which would be seconded. Any questions for clarity or understanding can be asked after the motion is seconded. Be carful this is not discussion. After any questions, the vote is held in the traditional Masonic fashion.
Consent Agenda - January 14, 2017

6. Consent Agenda What if an items needs discussion?
During presentation, the member that wants to discuss an item asks for it to be removed.
Secretary makes note that an item was removed in the minutes.
The Lodge votes on the consent agenda without that item.
This scenario does not happen often. It is here to ensure members that we are not trying to “slip something past them”. It gives them to opportunity to provide input on a decision that may have been discussed at a previous meeting they were not present at, etc.
It is important to note that there is a difference between discussion and questions for understanding. Correcting a typo in the minutes or asking who a check was made out to is not discussion and that would not require an item to be removed from the consent agenda. But asking for the background behind the decision to donate $500 to a local youth group that was not in the budget is…the member may want to understand the rational behind the donation prior to accepting that portion of the consent agenda.
If an item is removed from the consent agenda, it is to be handled separately as it would have normally been handled if not on the consent agenda.
Any member can remove an item from the Consent Agenda!
Consent Agenda - January 14, 2017

7. Consent Agenda - January 14, 2017
How is it recorded it in the minutes?
List the items in the consent agenda.
Note any items that were removed from it.
Record who made the motion to accept it and who seconded it.
Record the result of the vote.
You list the items in the minutes just as they had been presented in the consent agenda.
You note any items that had been removed by the members.
Record the Brother that made the motion to accept and the Brother that seconded the motion.
Record and questions that come up from the members.
Record the result of the vote.
It’s that easy!
Consent Agenda - January 14, 2017

8. Example of an agenda with a Consent Agenda
Here is an example of what a consent agenda may look like in a typical stated communication agenda.
Consent Agenda - January 14, 2017

9. Typical Stated Meeting Agenda
Typical Agenda for a Stated Meeting
Traditional Time Taken [Minutes]
Revised Time Taken [Minutes]
Opening 10
Welcome to Brothers and Guests 3
Minutes and Treasurer’s Report
10 and it could be more
Bills
5-6
Correspondence
Grand Masters Message 5
Sickness and Distress
Petitions/Balloting
Committee Reports
20 and it could be more
Old Business 15
New Business
Closing
Approximate Total Time
[minutes]
60-68 [minutes] 10 3
30 seconds
2-3 5 5
This is the same chart as earlier in the presentation but I added the column on the right. The items in yellow would have become part of the consent agenda. You will notice that the use of a consent agenda can also shorten the time spent in old and new business.
We have been using a consent agenda in one of the Lodges I belong to, Lafayette Lodge #265, for a little over a year. Just for comparison, in November of last year we held a stated communication with:
Normal business
Voting on two plural petitions
Received two more plural petitions
Elected officers
Voted to adjust dues
Conferred a well done FC degree
In under 2 hours! 10
2 and it could be more
5-8
5-8 10
Consent Agenda - January 14, 2017

10. What to do with the extra time?
Masonic education!
Fellowship!
Conferring degrees!
Consent Agenda - January 14, 2017