ABSTRACT
Directors must be prepared for board meetings to continue for longer than anticipated if the directors feel they need more time to deal with all the agenda items. Before a board meeting can officially start its business and make decisions a 'quorum' needs to be present. Increasingly the board meeting package is being distributed electronically, but some boards and some individual directors prefer to receive copies in printed form. Questions on principles should really be raised at the board meeting so all directors can discuss the points made, but if the query is on a very major matter, it is wise to warn the Chair in advance. Regardless of the differences of opinion expressed in the board meeting, once a decision has been made, all directors should support the decisions when dealing with third parties, which is often referred to as 'cabinet responsibility'.
