Ku‘ikahi Offers Free Zoom Talk on Robert’s Rules for Better Boards

Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center held a free Zoom presentation on January 15 aimed at helping local boards, committees, and nonprofit leaders make meetings more effective and inclusive. The session, part of Ku‘ikahi’s “Finding Solutions, Growing Peace” Brown Bag Lunch Series, focused on applying Robert’s Rules of Order to everyday board procedures and governance challenges.

The monthly Brown Bag series meets on Third Thursdays from 12 noon to 1 pm via Zoom and is free and open to the public. This installment featured Jon Henricks, who framed the session around practical improvements to meeting flow and decision-making. “It’s not good enough to just survive board meetings. We can do better,” says Henricks. “Let’s explore how the basic fundamentals of Robert’s Rules of Order will simplify and streamline your board meetings, rather than bog them down in arcane and stuffy procedure.”

Organizers described the hour-long gathering as a lively, interactive discussion that demonstrated how time-tested procedures can foster structure, efficiency, and dignity in meetings that matter. The online format allowed participants from across the island to join without travel, reflecting how community governance has adapted to hybrid and virtual settings.

For Big Island boards — from neighborhood associations to nonprofit governing bodies and advisory panels that feed into county decision-making — the session addressed a recurring operational concern: how to manage debate, motions, and voting so that meetings are productive and transparent. Clear procedures reduce the chance that meetings stall on procedural disputes, and they help ensure that votes reflect orderly deliberation rather than confusion or uneven participation.

The event also underscored civic engagement implications. When meeting rules are accessible and consistently applied, residents and stakeholders are more likely to participate, monitor public deliberation, and hold boards accountable. Efficient meetings can free volunteer leaders to focus on policy and services rather than procedural wrangling, a practical benefit for small organizations operating on limited staff and budgets.

Ku‘ikahi provided straightforward access information for those who want to join future sessions or obtain materials: contact Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center at (808) 935-7844 or visit hawaiimediation.org for the Zoom link and program details. The Brown Bag Lunch Series continues on Third Thursdays, offering a recurring opportunity for board members and residents across the island to sharpen governance skills.

For local officials and civic volunteers, the talk reinforced a simple message: procedural clarity is not arcane formality but a tool for better decisions, fairer debate, and stronger community participation.