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Agenda Planning

Documentation in progress

This page is being expanded with detailed instructions. Check back soon for complete content!

Overview

Agenda planning allows you to structure your meeting with segments, timing, and role assignments. A well-planned agenda keeps meetings on track and ensures all participants know what to expect.

How to Access

  1. Navigate to the meeting you want to plan
  2. Go to the Agenda tab
  3. Add, modify, or reorder agenda items

Agenda tab showing agenda items and timing

Speech & Role Sign Up grid (paged view)

The Speech & Role Sign Up tab on the club's Meetings page surfaces a windowed grid where you can assign roles across multiple upcoming meetings at once — a different surface from the per-meeting Agenda tab above. The grid pages through meetings five at a time on desktop (fewer on tablet and mobile). On initial load the leftmost column is the next upcoming meeting, with empty placeholder columns trailing on the right when fewer than the window size remain. Paging backward or using Jump to date shifts that anchor, so the leftmost column then reflects whatever range you've navigated to (see "Viewing past meetings" below).

Speech & Role Sign Up grid — paged window with toolbar

  1. Previous — slide the window back one meeting. Disabled at the first loaded meeting.
  2. Date range label — the dates of the leftmost and rightmost visible meeting; updates as you page or jump.
  3. Next — slide the window forward one meeting. Disabled once the last meeting is the rightmost real cell.
  4. Jump to date — opens a date picker to anchor the window on the first meeting on or after a given date. The picker has a Today reset.
  5. Status caption — a screen-reader-friendly summary of what's currently visible: "Showing N of M upcoming meetings", with past- meeting counts when you've paged back.
  6. Meeting header — date and theme. Clicking the header opens the meeting's detail page.
  7. Role row — each row is a meeting role; cells are the per-meeting assignment.
  8. Assignment combobox — type or pick a member to assign. Names that don't fit on a single line wrap up to two lines instead of truncating to ellipsis.

Viewing past meetings

Paging backward exposes past meetings as read-only columns. Their cells are muted, the date header carries a PAST pill, and there are no assignment controls — click the meeting header to open the past meeting's detail page where the full agenda and attendance live.

Speech & Role Sign Up grid — past meeting column

  1. Past meeting column — muted background; visible only when paging back or via Jump to date.
  2. PAST pill — appears next to the date.
  3. Read-only role cell — shows who took the role; no edit controls.

Building an Agenda

Adding Segments

Common meeting segments include:

  1. Opening - Call to order, welcome, announcements
  2. Functionary Introductions - Timer, Grammarian, etc.
  3. Prepared Speeches - Individual speech slots
  4. Table Topics - Impromptu speaking segment
  5. Evaluations - Feedback on prepared speeches
  6. General Evaluator Report - Overall meeting feedback
  7. Awards/Voting - Best speaker announcements
  8. Closing - Closing remarks, next meeting info

To add a new segment:

  1. Scroll to the bottom of the agenda
  2. Click Add New Agenda Item
  3. Use the agenda item's actions menu for Advanced Edit to set the role and event name

Add New Agenda Item button

Setting Timing

For each segment, set:

  • Minimum time - Green light on timer
  • Target time - Yellow light
  • Maximum time - Red light
  • Buffer time - Extra time beyond the Red mark (useful for applause and transitions)

Buffer Time (Advanced Edit)

Buffer time adds extra time after the Red mark. This extra time is included in the agenda's calculated start times and total meeting duration.

To set buffer time:

  1. Open the agenda item's actions menu (⋮)
  2. Select Advanced Edit
  3. In Time Marks, set Buffer Time

Advanced Edit dialog showing buffer time and total duration

In the dialog:

  1. Red - The timer's maximum time for this segment
  2. Buffer Time - Extra time beyond Red (included in agenda timing calculations)
  3. Total Duration - Automatically calculated (Red + Buffer Time)

Reordering Segments

Drag and drop segments to change the order, or use up/down controls.

Drag handle used to reorder agenda items

Agenda Item Actions Menu

Use the agenda item's actions menu (⋮) to:

  1. Advanced Edit - Change the role, event name, and other settings
  2. Add agenda item below - Insert a new item under the current one
  3. Delete - Remove the item (you will be asked to confirm)

Agenda item actions menu

Speech Slots

Adding Speech Slots

  1. Add a "Prepared Speech" segment
  2. Configure timing based on project requirements
  3. Assign a speaker (or leave open for signup)

For club-wide speech scheduling across multiple upcoming meetings, use Schedule Speeches.

Edit a speech title

ToastHost stores the speech title as the agenda event title. Officers can edit the same title from either the Agenda tab or the Role Signup tab. When you update it in one place, the other view shows the same title.

Method 1: Edit it from the Agenda tab

Use this as the primary workflow when you are already planning the agenda.

  1. Open the meeting
  2. Go to Agenda
  3. Find the Speaker row you want to update
  4. Edit the inline Enter event description field
  5. Press Enter or click away to save

Agenda tab with the inline Enter event description field on Speaker 1 highlighted

  1. Use the inline Enter event description field on the speaker row to edit the speech title.

Method 2: Edit it from Role Signup

Use this as a shortcut after a speaker has already been assigned.

  1. Open the meeting
  2. Go to Role Signup
  3. In Speech Assignments, find the assigned speaker row
  4. Click the speech title text or the Add speech title placeholder
  5. Type the title
  6. Press Enter or click away to save

Role Signup tab with the clickable speech title text in Speech Assignments highlighted

  1. Click the speech title text in Speech Assignments to edit the same agenda title from Role Signup.

Project-Specific Timing

Different Pathways projects have different time requirements:

  • Ice Breaker: 4-6 minutes
  • Standard speeches: 5-7 minutes
  • Advanced speeches: varies by project

Tips

  • Build in buffer time between segments
  • Keep timing realistic
  • Review agenda before each meeting
  • Adjust based on expected attendance

Common Questions

How long should a meeting be?

Most club meetings are 60-90 minutes. Adjust your agenda accordingly.

Can I save an agenda as a template?

Yes, save a well-crafted agenda as a template for future use.

What if we run over time?

The timer helps keep track, but be prepared to adjust. Use Buffer Time in Advanced Edit to add planned slack for transitions or segments that often run long.