A community can only thrive when its members come together on a common platform. This collaboration is even more critical in a gated community where people must work to decide on different issues. Housing society meetings provide the framework for members to meet and discuss key issues, devise policies, gather consensus, and discuss and plan for different contingencies and events. 

Types of meetings in a housing society

Cooperative housing societies can call three types of meetings – Annual General Meetings (AGM), General Committee Meetings, and Special General Meetings (SGM). An AGM is held once a year to decide on key issues like the appointment of the Management Committee, and discussing financial matters.

On the other hand, SGM is held for a specific subject or agenda. These agendas can include elections, infrastructure development, or serious misconduct. Housing society meetings are constituted and held as per the constitution or the bye-laws of the society. 

Ensuring maximum participation

Just holding a meeting is not enough. Participation of members is equally important. A minimum of two-fifth of members must participate to hold an AGM or SGM. The MC must aim at maximum participation to ensure that all concerns are discussed and addressed. But despite their importance, many people tend to ignore committee meetings.

Here are a few steps that can help in increasing member participation:

Stay responsive: No one will be eager to join a meeting if they think the committee members do not care. The MC should appear responsive to resident concerns and problems. Residents are more likely to participate if they see that their issues are discussed and given due weightage. 

Ask for suggestions: How can MCs know resident issues? ApnaComplex offers them a platform to gather suggestions and opinions from residents. The MC can open up a special forum for residents to submit their most pressing concerns and suggestions.

Gather consensus: In case of contentious decisions, it is always advisable to gather consent from residents. MCs can gauge public opinions through polls and surveys on ApnaComplex. Gathering consensus also ensures that people have a stake in the decisions taken in housing society meetings. 

Keep others informed: All members should be informed about the time, date, and location of the meeting well in advance. This should be pinned as a notice on ApnaComplex. It should also include a proper agenda. The advance notice allows people enough time to arrange their schedules and prepare for the meeting. Thus, it also encourages more participation. Every member should receive the minutes of the meeting. These can be published on ApnaComplex for easy access. 

Create a positive environment: The venue should be comfortable and conducive to a normal discussion. It should be large enough to house everyone. Members should be free to discuss the topics as per the agenda of the meeting. It is important that members be encouraged to speak freely and without repercussions. 

If you want to know more about ApnaComplex modules that can facilitate housing society meetings,