Hybrid Meetings ARE Different

While last year’s Annual Gathering was the second experience with a hybrid Annual Gathering, the Planning Committee can’t assume that those who were in attendance last year are the same persons in attendance this year. The majority of attendees for AG this year are in person, but that doesn’t mean that the quality of the virtual experience for those attending virtually is less important. The Planning Committee encourages everyone to read this information so everyone is clear on how the meeting will proceed, so that all feel included, whether in person or attending virtually.

Some Things to Keep In Mind

While the majority of attendees are in-person, it is even more important that those attending virtually feel fully included. The electronic platform we will use for those attending the meeting virtually is ZOOM; this is the platform most familiar to everyone. 

ZOOM etiquette is very important.

• Please enter the meeting and immediately use the mute function.

• You are encouraged to turn your camera on as it promotes a more inclusive meeting.

• Please enter your name on your screen and indicate if you are a delegate or visitor.

If you are sharing a screen and one person is a delegate and the other a visitor, please enter the name of the delegate and indicate delegate status for voting purposes.

Remember, there are a couple of ways to display your screen.

• In the upper right, you will find the GALLERY view that provides thumbnail views of several participants; the number depends on the size of your screen. Using the up and down arrows, you can go from screen to screen to see others who are also in the meeting. Your screen highlights the person speaking.

• Sometimes this can become distracting, so you might want to switch to SPEAKER View, where the person speaking is the primary person on your screen, and you have very small pictures of a few additional persons. This sometimes works best for major presentations. But it’s your choice, it’s your screen, and it’s totally in your control.

Using Chat

You are likely already familiar with the “CHAT feature”. It is found at the bottom of your screen, in the middle, you will find the CHAT feature. It looks like a little bubble. Feel free to use the chat feature when you enter and before the meeting is formally called to order, throughout worship, to comment and offer words of support. However, when AG begins a formal business session and the Moderator is requesting formal questions, please reserve the chat for formal questions. This is how the tech staff will know there is a person virtually who wishes to be recognized to speak. That process is reviewed below.

Discussions in Hybrid

The Annual Gathering Standing Rules will continue to guide the process for discussions. The only thing that will change is how the Moderator will ensure that both in-person attendees and virtual attendees are recognized in an orderly and consistent process. When a motion has been made and seconded (a second is not required if the motion comes from a committee) the Moderator will open the floor for discussion, and the process will proceed as follows:

● The Moderator will recognize (2 speakers; 2 minutes each) who are in-person attendees who wish to speak.

● Then the Moderator will recognize (2 speakers; 2 minutes each) who are attending virtually and who wish to speak.

This process will be repeated as long as there are questions or until the time allotted expires. 

Virtual Attendees who Wish to Speak

Indicate the desire to speak in the chat function.  We do not have the technology to unmute those online to project to the entire meeting.  Please share your comments or questions in the chat, which will be read aloud by a member of the AG tech team.  Alternatively, you can indicate in the chat that you would like to share verbally with Ellis, and they can then relay your comments.

Voting

Voting on routine items can be laborious even in the best of circumstances; it can be brutal in a virtual environment. Many meetings manage routine items more effectively as the Moderator simply asks if there are any objections to a given item; if there are none, the Moderator notes the item is adopted. This can be used to adopt the agenda, grant voice to guests, or other items that are likely to be non-controversial and routine in nature. This process will be used at the Annual Gathering.

When Actual Voting IS Required

There are actions for which the process described above is NOT appropriate; approval of minutes needs a formal vote, as do budgets, nominations, and the action on a resolution. If a motion comes from a committee, a second is not required. If it does not come from a committee, following a second, these are the steps:

The Moderator will indicate the action and the vote required to pass the action. Virtual

participants will use the ZOOM polling feature to vote; those attending in person will

vote by voice.

The Moderator will request that voting begin:

A“voting pop-up” will appear on the screen of ZOOM participants, and virtual delegates should begin voting as follows.

● Click on “yes” if you are in favor of the proposed action.

● Click “NO” if you are not in favor of the proposed action

● Click “Abstain” if you do not wish to vote or register an opinion on the proposed action.

While the delegates who are attending virtually are voting, the Moderator will call for a VOICE vote from in-person attendees. After the voice vote has been registered, the Moderator will ask the tech staff to show the results of the poll. When the results of the poll are shown, the Moderator will make the call about the passage or defeat of the motion.

As in all actions in all meetings (even when meetings are all in person), the Moderator has the responsibility to decide on the passage or failure of an action. The decision of the Moderator can be challenged. If that happens, a hand count of ZOOM participants will be taken, and a division of the house can be taken of in-person delegates as well.

No need to memorize this, we’ll review it at plenary!

From Your AG Planning Team and On-Site Tech Team:

Phil Jenkins, Member, University City United Church of Christ

Aidan Mitchell, Member, Live Oak United Church of Christ

Katy Hyman, Member, First Congregational Church of Long Beach

Patty Little, Member, Redlands United Church of Christ

Sam Pullen, AG Planning Team

Kyle Tade, AG Planning Team

Jude Johnson, Board Chair

Heather Branton, Vice Moderator

Ashley Hiestand, Moderator

Ellis Arnold, Associate Conference Minister

Rachael Pryor, Conference Minister