[GCARC] New ZOOM guidelines for General Membership Meetings

[Jon Pearce]

Below are the procedures for participating in the GCARC General Membership meetings over Zoom. Based on last Wednesday's meeting some points apparently need to be highlighted.

First, cameras should be OFF once the meeting has begun. Generally, the focus of most attendees is on the meeting presentation, not on other attendees, and turning off cameras will also avoid the unfortunate and inappropriate displays such as the one from Wednesday night. The AV team may also turn off cameras from the master console if believed necessary.

If you have trouble hearing or viewing the session please use the chat link in Zoom. The AV team monitors that link and will make adjustments as needed.

Also, if a Zoom viewer has a comment or question, please use the "Raise your hand" function in Zoom, which will place an indicator on your icon in the AV team's display. Simply raising your own hand doesn't work - it's not obvious to the AV team when scanning more than a dozen viewer icons.  After that please monitor the Chat function because you'll be asked what you want to say, which will determine when in the meeting you'll be recognized. If you have a comment on current discussion you'll be recognized during that discussion; however if you want to make an unrelated point you'll be recognized at an appropriate time later in the meeting just as a "live" attendee would.

Once you've responded to the AV team, put your Zoom hand down! If you leave it up we won't know if you have an additional question or if you simply forgot about it. If your hand stays up it after connecting with the AV team it will be ignored.

Having Zoom capabilities greatly enhances our club's ability to reach out to a broader group of hams, so consistent use of this resource is necessary to allow Zoom users to get the greatest benefit from this capability. Please follow the guidelines to enhance everyone's GCARC meeting experience.

73 de Jon WB2MNF


________________________________
From: Jon Pearce <jonathanwpearce at outlook.com>
Sent: Monday, February 3, 2025 3:27 PM
To: GCARC Mail List <gcarc at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: New ZOOM guidelines for General Membership Meetings

To enhance the experience for everyone attending the General Meeting, whether in person or via Zoom, the Board has established some guidelines for Zoom participants. These guidelines are designed to ensure that everyone can focus on the meeting while also allowing Zoom participants to interact before the meeting starts. Here are the guidelines:
Before the Meeting:

  *
Zoom participants are welcome to keep their cameras and microphones on to chat among themselves before the meeting begins. During this time, the Zoom audio will not be broadcast to the general audience, and local audio will not be connected to the Zoom meeting.

During the Meeting:

  *
Just before the Pledge of Allegiance, a reminder will be posted for Zoom participants to mute their microphones and turn off their cameras. This ensures that all Zoom participants will see the meeting camera instead of another Zoom participant's camera. Participants in the room never see the cameras of the Zoom participants.
  *
Zoom participants can use the "raise your hand" button to ask questions or make comments at appropriate times during the meeting. The Zoom operator will notify the moderator, who will recognize the comment or question at the right time.

After the Business Meeting:

  *
The Zoom audio will be muted immediately after the business meeting concludes to prevent any disruptions to the in-person audience from the PA speakers.

Please adhere to these guidelines to ensure a smooth and enjoyable meeting experience for everyone. Following these protocols will help us maintain an inclusive and focused environment for both in-person and remote attendees. Thank you for your cooperation!
73 de Jon WB2MNF