THE WOMAN "CHAIR"

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 104, 3 May 1924, Page 15

THE WOMAN "CHAIR"

A FEW HINTS. A recent 'writer sends along some quite good hints to women who may be called upon to take the chair at a meeting, , and mentions one essential point specially, and that is the fact that the chair is not supposed to do most of the talking. Not so long' ago a society, the members of which are mostly women, held a conference, and. put one of the few men present in the chair. Unfortunately, this gentleman thought it a good opportunity to teach those present their duty in life in ever so many directions, with the result that he occupied' most of the time.with his remarks, no matter what subject was brought forward for discussion. Therefore, the following is of special interest: Many women nowadays are occasionally called upon to lake the chair at a meeting. -And as the chairman, more than anyone else, can make or mar a meeting, it's really important to know just what your duties are -

The chairman really serves a double purpose. First to introduce the speaker of the evening, second^ to keep the meeting running smoothly and harmoniously to the satisfaction of evervono ■ Men think, of course, that' they can teach us women a great deal about running a meeting; but there's just one point we realise far better than they do, and that is a fundamental one—that it is not the chairman's business to do all the talking. Go to a men's meeting, and in nine cases out of ten the presiding'.fuiictionary will weary the audience before the .real speaker yets a chance. \He will indulge in many personalities, generally not nearly as amusing as he thinks they are, about the speaker He will tell how they were at school together 30 years ago, and inanv anec dotes which have nothing whatever to do with the subject. And the audience gets more and more bored with the proceedings. . Women are supposed to love the sound of their own voices, yet they do not often make this mistake. It has been aptly said that a man rarely opens a meeting in less than ten minutes, whereas a woman never takes more than five. When taking the chair, make up your nund.not to exceed that allowance You can, of course, take as much less'as you like Remember that you are introducing the speaker. If you were introducing two people in your own house you would not make'long speeches about them to each other, Voukl you? In the same- way, if you just briefly present the speaker to thn audience, addmg a few words about her subject and her cpecial knowledge of it every-! one will be grateful and like your chairmanship. .

The chairman should not tell .stories, however iimuoinp, unlens they are very nluu-t and extremely to the point-which does not olten happen