Loa Eblad+Final

7/30/2019 Loa Eblad+Final

1/19

S. Finisterre

L. Payne

J. Reid

WITH COMPANION WEBSITE


2/19

ontentsIntroduction iv

Section 1 ffice orientation 1hapter 1 ffice orientation (1) 2hapter 2 ffice orientation (2) 18

Section 2 ommunication 35hapter 3 Ways of communicating 36hapter 4 tationery and information sources 55hapter 5 elephone and other communication techniques 62hapter 6 raditional mail 73

Section 10 Procurement and inventory management 242hapter 17 Procurement and inventory management 243

Section 11 ales, marketing and customer service 257hapter 18 ales, marketing and customer service 258

Section 12 perations dispatch and transport services 272hapter 19 perations, dispatch and transport services 273

Section 9 Accounts and financial services 206hapter 15 Accounts and financial services (1) 207hapter 16 Accounts and financial services (2) 221

Section 3 Recruitment and orientation 84hapter 7 Recruitment and orientation 85

Section 4

Records and information management110

hapter 8 Records and information management (1) 111hapter 9 Records and information management (2) 130hapter 10 Records and information management (3) 140

Section 5 Reception and hospitality 146hapter 11 Reception and hospitality 147

Section 6 Meetings 160hapter 12 Meetings 161

Section 7 ravel arrangements 174hapter 13 ravel arrangements 175

Section 8 Human resource management 187hapter 14 Human resource management 188

chool-Based Assessment Guide 288xamination reminders 298Glossary 299Index 308

LOA Sec0 prelims 7p indd 3


3/19

iv

Introduction

Longman Office Administration for

CSEC 2nd

edition, written specificallyfor the Caribbean,has been updated tocomprehensively cover the new CSEC

Office Administration syllabus. New

features including a full-colour design,

extensive glossary of key terms, additional

practice test questions and a bank of

interactive CD-ROM content help students

to gain the knowledge and practical skills

required for success both in CSEC exams

and in the real world of office work.

Features of the bookThe textbook is divided into 12 Sections, which mirror th

syllabus and are easily identified with a Section opening

page listing related chapters.

Each chapter is constructed with user-friendly features help introduce, explain, summarise and test.

Learning objectives offer a clear

outline of statements from the

syllabus, explaining the new skills

and knowledge that the student will

acquire throughout the chapter.

Key terms highlighted throughout

the text are supported by

definitions in the glossary at the

back of the book.

A wealth of sample office

documents, diagrams, illustrations

and photos provide visual support

to crucial text-based concepts.

Case studies and activities assist

students with developing their skills

of application, investigating the world

of work via a practical approach.



4/19

Features of the D-RMA practical and engaging CD-ROM can be found

at the back of this book. It helps to reinforce crucial

concepts and offers additional exam preparation

material.

The CD-ROM offers support for the text and

contains:

G interactive multiple-choice and true/false

questions

G additional case studies

G teacher-guided step-by-step activities

G interactive crosswords

G interactive word matching exercises.

IRDU

End-of-chapter

exercises provide

more in-depth and

exam-focused

practice.

A comprehensive SBA

Guide helps both teachers

and students to tackle this

important aspect of the

syllabus.

Self-check questions allow

students to assess theirunderstanding at key points

and to gain confidence in

constructing responses.

Visit www. pearsoncaribbean/longmanofficeadmin to access additional

teaching and learning support material. Keep visiting this space to see what

material assets have been added, and let us know what you think!

WITH COMPANION WEBSITE



5/19

co 6

MsMsl

Terms associated with meetingsl Types of meetingsl Organising different types of meetingsl Legal requirements of Annual General Meetingsl Annual General Meetings (AGMs)

LOA Sec6 7p indd 160


6/19

1

Meetin

Chapter 12MeetingsAftercompletingthischapter,youwillbeableto: definetermsassociatedwithmeetings listthedifferenttypesofmeetings organisedifferenttypesofmeetings discussbasiclegalrequirementsofAnnualGeneralMeetings

outlinethefollow-upproceduresrelatedtodecisionsmadeatmeetings.

A meeting is a forum for communicating with, or among,people. The number of people attending may be betweentwo and thousands. Meetings are important aspects of theworkplace, as a lot of time is spent discussing and makingdecisions on issues that are regarded as important.

Meetings are usually:

l structured there is an agenda listing the specifictopics to be discussed

l designed to achieve outcomes or objectives

l planned in advance with those who are to attend.Attendees are informed of the venue and time. Thisinformation is provided in the notice of meeting.

l trms assocad whms

Various terms are associated with meetings, including:

ad hoc a meeting is ad hoc when it is convenedsuddenly for one specific purpose as in the case of theneed to make a decision on a pressing matter. In otherwords, it is not part of the normal cycle of regular

monthly meetings.adjourn stopping a meeting that is in progress. Anadjournment may be for a short break, or it may be simplythe end of the current meeting.

agenda a list or order of business to be discussed ata meeting.

by-laws written policies and procedures that indicatehow board meetings are to be conducted and how peopare elected.

casting vote if an item under discussion at a meetingis subject to a vote, and there are equal votes for andagainst, the person who is chairing the meeting will votso that a definite decision is made.

chairperson the person who presides over and controthe meeting. Often simply called the chair.

ex-officio a person who is not a member of acommittee that is meeting, but is invited to attendbecause they have a special contribution to makeor because they hold a particular position in theorganisation, e.g. the chairperson is often anex-officiomember of all sub-committees of that organisation.

motion is a formal step to introduce a matter for

consideration by the group that is meeting. It isproposeby an individual attending the meeting. When a motionpassedor carried, this means that it is agreed upon bythe majority of people attending the meeting. Action thtakes place after the meeting.

proposer a person who suggests a motion. Can alsobe called a nominatorif a person is being nominated foelection to serve on a committee or occupy a position.

proxy a proxy is a person authorised to act on behalfof another person at a meeting, i.e. when the personappointing the proxy is unable to attend.

quorum the minimum number of people required tobe in attendance at a meeting so that the meeting cango ahead. The number of people required for a quorumat a meeting will be stipulated in the by-laws or Articlesof Association of the company or the rules of theorganisation.

ratify to approve or express consent at a meeting, witregard to a motion that has been proposed.

rescind to annul, revoke or cancel a decision previousratified at a meeting.

seconder a person who supports a motion proposed

by another person. It is usual for someone to second amotion to prove that more than one person wishes themotion to be passed. Once a motion is seconded, it willthen be discussed by everyone at the meeting.

verbatim the use of the exact words as a directquotation from a source, e.g. from a written text or aspeaker at a meeting.



7/19

162

eCtiOn 6 Meeting

vote a vote is usually taken when a motion has beenproposed and seconded. If everyone present votes infavour then the motion is said to have been passednemcon. If a majority of those present vote in favour then themotion is passed.

lf-chck qusos1 The by-laws or rules of the association

states that ten persons are requiredto form a quorum. If six persons arepresent what action should be taken?

2 Give the meaning of the term verbatim

3 Use each of the following terms insentences to best convey their meanings:

a) ad hoc

b) ratifyc) verbatim.

4 Paul said that he is attending themeeting as an ex officio member.Explain Pauls statement.

5 At the meeting an equal number ofmembers voted for and against themotion to change working hours. Whataction must be taken by the chair toarrive at a decision?

l typs of ms

Formal msA formal meeting is a pre-planned event with specifictopics for discussion along with objectives to be achieved.The senior executive of a company usually presides overthe formal meeting. Those invited are given notice daysbefore, preferably through memos or notice of a meeting.

Other characteristics of formal meetings are that they are

held at specified times, places and duration, and follow aplanned agendaor programme.

Business meetings are grouped into two categories.The first is the organisational meeting that involvesshareholders, other examples are management meetingboard meetings and annual general meetings (AGM).

The second category is the operational meetingwhich includes the regular or ad hoc meetings withmanagement and employees, committee or workinggroup meetings, and departmental meetings; for exampsales and marketing department to plan strategies.

gral ad dparmal/saff mThese are meetings that may involve the members of aparticular department within an organisation, or a regumeeting of all the staff of an organisation. They are heldat regular intervals (e.g. once a week or once a month) atend to be fairly informal. They are designed to discussongoing issues within the department or company, i.e.

day-to-day affairs. These meetings are held for the benof staff to inform them of developments, to informthem of changes or for staff to express their concerns tmanagement.

Aual ral ms (AgMs)

Annual general meetings are held once a year. Thecompany chairman or managing director gives theshareholders who are the owners of a company a progrreport on the companys performance. Such meetingsare usually held in compliance with the Memorandumand Articles of Association of the company the

document which incorporates or creates the company.Such meetings are held subject to the Companies Act othe country and therefore formal procedures must befollowed.

exraordary ral ms (egMs)

An extraordinary general meeting of a company can becalled at any time by the directors or by the shareholdeExtraordinary general meetings may be convened todiscuss and act on emergency situations, e.g. the boardof directors may be accused of incompetence, or thecompany may be facing a financial crisis.



8/19

1

Meetin

emrcy msSuch meetings are often arranged with very little noticeAttendance is mandatory as the meeting takes precedenover any other planned meetings. Key persons will beinformed at short notice.

PrsaosIn a presentation one or more people speak and afacilitator may act as chair for the proceedings. Thepurpose of the meeting is to inform rather than to makdecisions. For example, in a manufacturing company wha new product is being announced to staff, a presentatiis made. The presentation is usually very graphic in natumaking extensive use of multi-media technologies.Participants usually have an opportunity to ask questioat a specified time.

Covos ad cofrcsConventions or conferences are similar to presentations.The overall topic or theme of the conference will usuallybe one that impacts the organisation or the sector withinwhich the company operates. Participants contribute bygiving presentations to all the delegates who may visit frall parts of the country, or even abroad. Smaller meetingsmay also be convened during the conference to discussspecific topics. For example, if a company has offices inmany locations within a country, a conference will be agood opportunity to gather the managers of those officein order to make important decisions. Ad hoc meetings

within the conference setting will be arranged. Conferenmay be organised to last one day or for several days.

Board msMost large corporations operate with a board of directorswho make strategic decisions. The frequency and howthese meetings are to be conducted will be determinedby the by-laws or constitution of the organisation.Their function is to guide and determine policy for theorganisation. The chairperson of the board conducts themeeting and adheres to strict meeting protocols thatrequire the agenda to be distributed before the meeting.

Comm msCommittees are small groups set up to make decisionsabout particular projects or policies. These typesof meetings tend to be cross-departmental, i.e. thecommittee is set up to draw on the expertise of peoplefrom different parts of the company. Persons may beinvited because of their expertise as ex-officiomembersto serve on these committees. When the projects areimplemented the committee is disbanded.

Ad hoc msAn ad hoc meeting may be set up at short notice toresolve one particular problem, challenge or issue. Thoseattending the meeting may be from one departmentor many, depending on the purpose of the meeting.The meeting is ad hoc because it is not expected to beconvened again with the same people, i.e. it may simplybe felt necessary to convene the meeting because aparticular situation has arisen and needs to be addressed.

Fur 12.1A comm m prorss



9/19

164

eCtiOn 6 Meeting

marsSeminars are meetings that are intended as a learningexercise for their participants, i.e. they are much like aclassroom setting, and are not a decision-making forum.They are usually led by people with expertise in the subjectmatter under discussion with the objective of educatingthe attendees.

iformal msInformal meetings may be unplanned until quite closeto the date and are likely to have a small group of peoplepresent. Additionally, members could be notified by atelephone call or e-mail. An informal meeting may takeplace in neutral surroundings, for example in a restaurantor a managers office rather than in a boardroom.

lf-chck qusos1 State one circumstance in which a company

may need to convene an extraordinarygeneral meeting (EGM).

2 What is usually the main purpose of meetingsof the Board of Directors of a company?

3 What are the key differences betweenpresentations and conferences?

4 Carol said that the monthly staff meetingat school is a formal meeting because all theteachers sit and listen to the Principal. Write

two other justifications.

5 Name three types of meetings conducted atschools other than general staff meetings.

l Oras dffr ypsof ms

th mporac of ms ad h

purposMeetings are called for a variety of purposes. Managemmay, through meetings, obtain feedback information onnew procedure or strategy from staff. Some other reasofor meetings are to:

l present information

l explain new procedures

l evaluate performance and provide feedback

l make decisions

l inspire and motivate employees

l discuss re-organisation.

Meetings therefore serve to:

l formalise decision-making processes in a business oorganisation.

l bring individuals together to have their sayabout issues.

Meetings also help to foster a spirit of co-operation andteamwork in an organisation.

Rqurms bfor, dur ad af

msThere may be numerous occasions when you may berequired to help organise a meeting. For example, youmay be called upon to assist with a meeting of memberof your class to plan a social activity, or at a sports club other type of organisation.

In a formal sense, it is necessary to make preparations fall types of meetings.

Activities will include duties to be performed before themeeting, during the meeting and after the meeting hasbeen completed. In an office setting, the clerical staff w

become involved in many of these activities because thare regarded as important tasks to be performed as parttheir job requirements.



10/19

1

Meetin

BeFORe tHe Meeting

Acvs Dals Ys/no

(/)

Obtain names, designations, addresses of persons to be invited

Reserve meeting room and facilities

Prepare notice of meeting

Prepare meeting agenda

Send out notice and agenda

Prepare list of equipment, stationery and other requirements; ensureextra quantities

Order refreshments; ensure extra quantities

Prepare handout material; ensure extra copies

Perform other related activities e.g. reservations, confirmationsM room

Chck h follow:

Electricity: location of outlets, availability of extension cords

Multimedia equipment e.g. projector, computer, speakers, screen

Seating arrangements: seating plan

Name tags: on person/table

Water: pitcher, glasses, ice, napkins

Stationery: writing paper, pens/pencils

th M Day

Final check on meeting room, food and equipment set-up

Dur h m

Distribute material as instructed/requested

Respond to requests

Afr h m

Ensure that the room is restored to its original condition

Prepare minutes and have them approved by the Chairperson

Prepare follow-up correspondence as instructed

Any persons who were not present but who were given duties orassignments at the meeting should be notified

Distribute/send out copies of the minutes

Fur 12.2 Chckls of acvs o b prformd - bfor, dur ad afr h m



11/19

166

eCtiOn 6 Meeting

M Proocol1 Whatever the circumstances, there are some

essential elements that must be planned carefully,with attention being paid to every detail. Firstly, allparticipants must have information regarding thedate of the meeting, and the time and the placewhere the meeting will be held. It is useful to find outin advance whether a certain date and time will suitall participants, or at least most of them.

2 Once a date and time have been agreed and a meetinglocation selected, participants must be advised. This isoften done by e-mail or by sending a hard copy,i.e. the agenda and notice of the meeting. The agendais sent to all participants ahead of time to helpthem prepare to participate. Along with the agendashould be sent any printed materials and supportingmaterials in advance of the meeting, to include alist of participants and their contact details. This isimportant so that participants will come prepared toparticipate in, and make contributions to the meeting.

3 The meeting room must be arranged so that peoplewill be comfortable and will be able to see and heareach other without difficulty. It may be necessaryto arrange the seating in a manner that will bestserve the type of meeting and the number of personsexpected. The meeting room must have sufficientlighting so that participants can read withoutdifficulty. The ventilation must also be appropriatefor the size of the meeting room and the number of

participants that will be accommodated.4 Depending on the purpose of the meeting, theorganisers may need access to specialised equipmentsuch as computers, flipcharts, audio-visual projectors,screens, easels and their related stationery supplies.

5 Part of the preparation for the meeting includesensuring that refreshments have been organised. Ifthe meeting is a short one, it may only be necessaryto have water available for the key speakers andparticipants. It is a good idea to develop a checklist ofrequirements to support your planning and follow-up activities. An example of a checklist is shown in

Figure 12.2 on page 165.

Roberts Rules of Order

The meeting may follow procedures agreed by theparticipants or it may follow the rules of ParliamentaryProcedure, which are also known as Roberts Rules ofOrder, since they were established by Henry M. Robert the early 20th century. Parliamentary Procedure is a setof norms for conduct at meetings that allows everyone be heard and for decisions to be made without confusioThese norms usually follow the order:

1 The reading of the minutes of the previous meeting

2 Reports of officers and boards

3 Reports of standing committees

4 Reports of special (select) committees

5 New business

6 Other business

7 Adjournment date of next meeting.

The chairperson uses the agenda to help guide themeeting and to ensure that all planned business isdiscussed. The secretary or the chairperson of the meetiwill usually contact all members to ascertain whetherthere are any points they wish to discuss at the meetingTowards the end of the agenda there is usually an itemheaded Any other business during which members maraise points of concern.

Procdurs dur a mMost meetings follow an established procedure. Annualgeneral meetings begin by asking participants to sign thnames on a register. In some organisations or committea quorum may need to be present in order for the meetto be considered valid. Depending on the organisationor company, the number of people required to attendthe meeting before it can be consideredquorate willvary. A meeting is usually said to be quorate if a majoritof members are present. Thus, if a committee has ninemembers, five members would constitute a quorum. If aquorum is not present at the time that the meeting shobegin, the chairperson may wait a little while to see ifany further members arrive. If not, the meeting will beadjourned.



12/19

1

Meetin

Fur 12How o ru a succssful m

1 Haveanagenda

Besurethatallparticipantsareclearonthestatedpurposeforthemeeting.Decidehowyouwillmeasure

success.Aclearlyestablishedorderofbusinessshould

becirculatedinadvance,forexample:

2 SampleagendaAmeetingoftheBoardofDirectorsofSmart

Solutionswillbeheldon17January2005inthe

companysBoardroomat16:30hrs.

1 Apologiesforabsence

2 Minutesofpreviousmeeting

3 Mattersarising

4 Chairmansreport

5 FinanceCommitteesreport

6 InvestmentCommitteesreport

7 BoardDevelopmentCommitteereport

8 Anyotherbusiness

9 Dateofnextmeeting

3 Beprepared

Makethenecessaryarrangementsbeforethe

meetingtoensureeveryonesattendance.Haveall

thenecessaryphysicalmaterialsready,suchasspare

copiesofminutes,agendaandanyotherdocumentsthatmaybereferredtointhecourseofthemeeting.

4 Beontime

Showhowseriousyouareaboutyourresponsibilities

atthemeetingbyturningupforitpromptly.Ifyou

arechairingthemeeting,setlimitsforeachagenda

item.Ifyouhaveatwo-hourmeetingschedule,and

tenitemstogetthrough,estimatehowmuchtime

youwillneedforeachofthoseitems,andtrytostick

toit.

5 Greetingsandintroductions

Provideanopportunityforpersonstomeeteachotherorintroducethemselvesiftheyhaventmet

before.Youcould,forexample,goclockwiseround

thetableandaskindividualstostatetheirnames,job

titlesandroleswithintheorganisation.

6 Maintainfocus

Givepeoplesomethingtolookataswellasto

listento.Forexample,whenmakingapresentation

individualsmayliketheirowncopyoftheinformation

youareshowingonscreen,sothattheyfollowthe

presentation.

7 Actionoutcomes

Whenmotionsaremoved,decideclearlywhowill

dowhatandbywhatdate.Responsibilitiescanthen

berecorded,tracked,andreviewedateachmeeting.

Itmaybenecessarytoconvenefurthermeetings

sothatindividuals,teamsanddepartmentswithin

theorganisationcanactonthedecisionstaken

atthemeeting.Cruciallythough,theultimate

responsibilityformakingsurethattasksarecarried

outwillbethatofthepersonwhoattendedthe

originaldecision-makingmeeting,andhadthetask

designatedtothematthatmeeting.

Howtorunasuccessfulmeeting



13/19

168

eCtiOn 6 Meeting

After apologies for absence have been noted, the nextitem on the agenda is usually to read the minutes of theprevious meeting and for them to be signed and dated bythe chairperson as a true record of the proceedings. Anymatters arising from the minutes are discussed next.

During the meeting it may be necessary for speakers tointroduce themselves when they stand to speak if they arenot known to all present. When a member wishes to speakor to make a point he or she should stand up and addressthe chair by his or her official title, e.g. Mr Chairman orMadam President.

Mov moos

If a member wishes to put forward a proposal that aspecific action be taken, it will be listed on the agenda.When invited to speak the member will explain hisproposal move a motion. If the motion is approved

it will usually involve individuals being responsible forundertaking certain tasks after the meeting.

The member moving the motion says I move that . . ..When a member moves a motion, another member whoagrees with the motion, indicates agreement by secondingthat motion, says Chair, I second that motion.

It is important to note that in many organisations theformalities mentioned above are not necessarily followed.For example, individuals may address each other byname rather than addressing the Chair first. Similarly,when motions are moved, they may be done in a lessformal manner an individual may simply propose that

something be done, without the need for a seconder. Thisproposal can then be discussed by all attendees at themeeting before being agreed or not.

th rol of h scrary

The secretary to the meeting should have copies ofminutes of the previous meeting at hand for easyreference, and extra copies of the agenda, in case anyattendees neglects to bring along their copy. Once themeeting is under way, the secretary to the meetingwill make notes of the proceedings, indicating whatdecisions were taken. Although nearly all secretaries makehandwritten notes, some use digital recording systemsto record what is said for a more detailed account. This isthen used along with the handwritten notes to create asummary of what transpired at the meeting.

The information recorded by the secretary may include;

l the type of meeting

l the date and venue of the meeting

l the persons present

l that the minutes of the previous meeting were

reviewed, to check that the actions shown in thoseminutes have been acted upon

l the main motions that were presented at the meetiand by whom

l whether those motions were passed, what action presulted, and who will be responsible for those actio

l any other activities that transpired during themeeting (usually called any other business).

Before the adjournment of the meeting the chairpersonshould summarise the decisions taken, and the allocatioof responsibilities, so that it is clear to all what action

follows next, and who will be responsible for that actionThe action should be reviewed, to ascertain that no onehas an unfair allocation of responsibilities.

Afr a m

Wr ad crcula h mus

After the meeting the secretary or administrativeassistant is responsible for ensuring that the meetingroom has been cleared of all stationery, cups etc and thequipment and reference material have been returnedto the appropriate place. This does not mean that one

person must physically do these chores, but rather muscoordinate and oversee that these chores have beenperformed and that the room is left in as pleasing andusable condition as before the meeting.

The secretary is responsible for writing up the minutes,ensuring that these are clearly presented usingappropriate grammar and that the record is a truereflection of what took place. Minutes should be preparwhile they are fresh in the memory. They should includeclear notes of the actions to be taken before the nextmeeting, by whom, and what the deadlines for thoseactions are.

Sometimes it is deemed necessary to prepare a separateaction sheet, expanding on the points of action that wedecided at the meeting.



14/19

1

Meetin

Fur 12Mus of a m

ABCCompany

Minutes of the meeting of the Board of Directors held on 18 October 2011 in the Boardroom.

Board Members present:

Sandy Leoteaud (Chairperson), Jason Thames, Aurea Casmir, Douglas Jenkins, Elizabeth Leslie, ReneyCharles, Faye Marshall and Terry Adrian

Others present:

Dwayne Martial, Consulting Accountant

Jen Kier, Secretary.

The meeting was called to order at 3.30 p.m. by the Chairperson, Sandy Leoteaud

1 Apologies were received from: Charles Latoya.

2 The minutes of the previous meeting were reviewed and signed as a true record. No further actionsresulted from the review.

3 Chairpersons report

Key elements of this report (previously circulated to Board members) were read out by theChairperson. It recommends new investment in our strongest product lines, especially the softwareproduct. The Board approved the report unanimously, and agreed to meet again within one month in

order to decide on specific action related to the software product.

4 Finance report

This report was presented by Dwayne Martial. The report stated that the companys accountingpractices and procedures were found to be satisfactory, and it realised an overall profit of $US655 000in 2011. The Board therefore unanimously approved the companys accounts for the year ended30 September 2011.

Elizabeth Leslie suggested we must ensure that our salary scales are on a par with others in theindustry. Since our company finances are in good health, she proposed that a salary review processshould be undertaken for all employees. This motion was approved by a majority of the Board.Ms Leslie will undertake the salary reviews, reporting to the Board within three months.

5 Other business

Terry Adrian raised the issue of the new software and hardware requirements for the Accountingand Human Resource functions, suggesting that the budget for these departments needed to beincreased by $US24 000 respectively, in order to pay for the resources. Mr Adrian moved a motion tothat effect. The motion was approved by a majority of the Board.

Meeting adjourned at 5:30 p.m.

Minutes submitted by the Secretary, Jen Kier.

Fl ad dx musIt is important that minutes of meetings are kept in aseparate file in chronological order. It will be up tothe records management supervisor or administrativeassistant to determine how best to organise the system.This system will allow for tracing the history of any actionor decisions made at the meetings of the organisation.

Figure 12.4 is an example of the minutes of a meeting othe Board of Directors of a company. Notice in particulahow they clearly state who will be responsible for theactions that will be taken after the meeting.



15/19


16/19

1

Meetin

th purpos of aual ralms AgMsAnnual general meetings are announced by letter toshareholders and often by public notice in the media.This notice describes the matters to be acted upon during

the meeting. Annual general meetings usually consist ofagenda items such as:

l approving the annual accounts of the company

l appointing new directors to the Board

l appointing the company auditors (the independentaccountants who annually check that the companyaccounts are in good order).

Ms/vo proxsShareholders who are unable to attend an AGM are ableto send their votes on issues on the agenda by proxy.

A proxy is an authorisation for someone else to vote onyour behalf, or a pre-written statement of your votingintentions.

Corpora rcordsWe have already seen that minutes are an importantrecord of what took place in a meeting, and particularlywhat action is to be taken after the meeting. As a resultminutes of an AGM can be regarded as corporate record

Minutes of large meetings such as AGMs are of particulimportance to companies because there may be questioto be answered sometime in the future, and these canhave legal implications. Minutes therefore form part ofthe companys records, along with other documents sucas sales invoices and statements of accounts.

It is therefore the responsibility of the secretary oradministrative assistant at the AGM to take very clearnotes of the proceedings, especially the motions that wapproved. A draft of the minutes will later be presentedto the chairperson or presiding officer for approval asbeing an accurate record of what took place. It will be t

responsibility of the chairperson to make the necessarycorrections of the facts. The corrected minutes can thenbe sent to members. The secretary will keep at least onesigned copy for the records of the organisation.

Acvy 12.11 Write a letter to shareholders of Dynamo

Energy Company inviting them to theAnnual General Meeting on Tuesday12 November 2011. Give the name andaddress of the venue, and the time the

meeting will take place.2 Create a proxy voting form for

completion by shareholders.

3 Obtain a copy of the Companies Actapplicable in your country visit yourpublic library or research it on theInternet.

4 What are the main provisions and rulesin the Act for the establishment ofprivate companies?

5 What rules are there for how thecompany should be managed?

Fur 12Aual ral m pror



17/19

172

eCtiOn 6 Meeting

Fur 12Aual m pro

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING PROXY

PLACE AN X ON THE LINE NEXT TO THE CANDIDATES OF YOUR CHOICE

The undersigned has executed this directed proxy:

Name:

Address:

Signature:

This is to be returned by: {date}

To: {company office}

I hereby constitute and appoint the person named below as my proxy to act on my behalf

at the Annual General Meeting of

My proxy shall have full authority to vote upon all matters that may be presented at the

named meeting.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned hereby directs the said proxy holder to

vote as indicated herein below on the following matters:

Yes to the appointment of Telesa Ramdeen as Chairperson of the company.

Ryan Joseph

21 PayntersSquare

Yukli Jones

22 BonanzaPark

Joan Brisbane

61 Rock Road



18/19

1

Meetin

END OF CHAPTER EERCISES Questions15havefourpossibleanswers.Readeachquestionanddecidewhichanswerisbest.

1 Thedocumentwhichliststheitemsthatwillbedealtwithatameetingiscalled:

a) theactionnotesb) theagendac) theminutesd) theAGM

2 WhentheAnnualGeneralMeetingofacompanyisquorate:a) therearetoomanyshareholdersinthe

room,requiringthatthemeetingbecancelledduetotheconfusionthatmaybecausedbytheexcesscrowd.

b) amajorityofshareholdersarenotpresentatthemeeting.Therefore,motionspassedatthemeetingcannotbeconsideredrepresentativeoftheownersofthecompany.

c) onememberoftheBoardofDirectorsisnotyetinattendanceatthemeeting,thereforethemeetingcannotproceeduntilthatpersonarrives.

d) amajorityofshareholdersarepresentatthemeeting.Therefore,motionspassedatthemeetingcanbeconsideredrepresentativeoftheownersofthecompany.

3 Torescindisto:a) cancelameetinguntilalaterdate.b) approveamotionatameeting.c) cancelamotionpreviouslyapproved.d) voteatameeting.

4 Apubliclimitedcompany:a) canonlybeownedbythegovernmenton

behalfofthegeneralpublic.b) canbeownedbyjustafewprivate

individualsoroneprivateindividual.c) canbeownedbymembersofthepublic,

whoarecalledshareholders.d) cannotbeownedbymembersofthepublic.

5 ThepurposeoftheAnnualGeneralMeetingofacompanyisusuallyto:a) presenttheresultsofthecompany,and

attendtootherkeybusinesssuchastheappointmentofauditorsandmembersoftheBoardofDirectors.

b) allowtheshareholderstodeterminethefinerdetailsofthecompanysstrategy,e.g.whatproductsshouldbedevelopedinthecomingyear.

c) usethemeetingasameansofgettingthecompanysmessageacrosstothegeneralpublic,viathepresenceofthemediasuchasradio,televisionandnewspaperreporters.

d) bringmembersoftheBoardtoaccountfortheirallegedincompetence.

6 Describethreecharacteristicsofmeetingsthatdistinguishthemfromordinarycommunicationsituationsintheoffice.

7 Whatisaproxyvote?

8 Whenwouldacastingvotebeusedinameeting,andwhowouldnormallycastit?

9 Listthreedifferenttypesofmeetings,showingthedifferencesintheapproachanddesiredoutcomesforthosemeetings.

10 YouhavebeenaskedtoassistintheplanningofameetingbetweentheHRandSalesdepartments.Developachecklistofthestepstakentopreparetheagenda.

11 MakeachecklistofThingstoDoduringandafterthemeetinginquestion11.

12 Whatisamotionandwhymustitusuallybeseconded?

13 OutlineinlistformthekeyinformationthatasecretarywouldincludeintheMinutesofa

meeting.

14 Whenwouldanactionsheetbeusedasanadditiontotheminutesofameeting?



19/19

Sylma Finisterrehas 30 years tea

experience at Secondary and College level

of which were in Office Procedures and Of

Administration. She has been an Examiner

Chief Examiner for the subject.

Lynette Payne lectures in Busines

Management at a university in Trinidad an

She has specialised in Office Administratio

25 years and has been both an Examiner a

Examiner for the subject.

Judy Reidhas over 20 years teachin

experience in secondary schools in Barbad

has been involved in Adult Education for m

years and has tutored in several business d

at the Open Campus, UWI. Judy has been

Examiner in Office Administration for mor

10 years.

Longman Offi ce Administration for CSEC 2nd edition

Revised and updated by an experienced Caribbean author team to

comprehensively match the 2012 CSEC syllabus

This new full-colour edition of a trusted, popular text will help studentsto gain the knowledge and practical skills required for success both inCSECexams and in the real world of office work. Key terms highlighted throughout and a comprehensive glossary

help to increase students use and understanding of relatedvocabulary.

Clear outlines of syllabus statements explain the new skills andknowledge students will acquire to help focus learning whilst anexpanded SBA Guide supports teachers and students in this integralpart of the assessment.

Numerous opportunities for practice (through in-text questions,case study analysis and end-of-chapter exercises) aid with exampreparation and testing of knowledge.

GO DIGITAL!The accompanying CD-ROM and website present invaluable additionalmaterials for further practice and revision. Log on now!www.pearsoncaribbean.com/officeadministration

CSEC is a registered trade mark of the Caribbean Examinations

Council (CXC). Longman Office Administration for CSEC is an

independent publication and has not been authorised, sponsored, or

otherwise approved by CXC.

Documents

Loa Eblad+Final