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I completely agree with the poster who emphasized using parliamentary procedure and sticking to an agenda to ensure the meeting runs efficiently. I generally wanted to get our business done and get on with other things. When chapter meetings started to approach the hour-long mark, sisters would always get antsy, so the pressure was on the chapter leaders to work through the agenda quickly! However, you can combine efficiency with a fun atmosphere in many ways.
We scheduled several 'theme' chapter business meetings throughout the semester. Near Halloween, we would all wear costumes to the meeting. After we officially adjourned business, we would have a Halloween costume contest! It was especially fun if 'families' of sisters (e.g. grandbig, big, little, grandlittle) coordinated their costumes into a central theme somehow.
At least once a semester we had a pajama party, where we wore jammies and/or carried a stuffed animal. I know this sounds juvenile and it was, but it was also really fun. Once a month, we had a giant cookie or cake to celebrate the sisters who had had birthdays that month. We often scheduled an informal outing for dinner or ice cream after chapter.
Some OPhiA chapters get a lot out of holding "For The Good Of The Chapter" sessions, either following a regular business meeting or scheduled separately. These are basically venting sessions in a structured way. Frankly, I don't get this concept, but my sisters in at least two different chapters swear that this helps clear the air and actually results in a tighter bond among the chapter. I'm more of a 'focus on the solution rather than the problem' person, but maybe I just need to see this type of thing in action to understand why they found it helpful....
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