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This is probably not going to be a popular answer but the reality is, a business chapter meeting is primarily a time to get business done and is not necessarily supposed to be fun. Chapter meetings are where I learned my skills for work meetings and believe me, they are not fun. Chapter meetings should be run efficiently and according to Roberts Rules of Order. They aren't a time to have a gripe session. If meetings are run according to an agenda in an efficient manner, they are short and sweet and don't seem like a huge burden.
If there is massive negativity, then discussions should be held in the following way:
Allow 1 pro, then 1 con, then 1 pro, then 1 con. If they start repeating the pros or cons, then the discussion ends. If you cannot get another pro expressed, then another con is also not expressed and a vote is held.
At one point, my chapter did "Roses and Thorns" at the end of meetings and, during a particularly negative point in the chapter's history, the Thorns (negatives) far outweighed the Roses(positives). It became a real downer and made meetings miserable. We then made it ONLY Roses and things improved a lot. Negativity breeds negativity.
If there are serious sisterhood/brotherhood issues in your chapter, then programming meetings where you work on team building and sisterhood/brotherhood .. or even a retreat to work on these things, is in order, but it should be the weekly thing in chapter meetings. During meetings, you should be following an agenda, having a time keeper, limiting discussion to the essential points and it will go more smoothly. If you can get a meeting done in an efficient manner and have time for some kind of fun game at the end, great.. that can be motivating. Most of the "work" should be done prior to the meetings in committees also.
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