How to Run a Virtual Meeting

How do we still do Scouting when we cannot get together? Remote/Virtual meetings may be the answer for you and your unit.
Corporations over the years have wrestled with a similar challenge.  Not for the same reason, of course, but to become efficient at supporting remote users and cutting the cost to travel.  Corporations have been using systems like Skype, WebEx and GoToMeeting. 
Skype is a very popular video conferencing tool used to connect families, classrooms, and businesses online. There is a free version that allows up to 10 guests on a video call, but there are interactive chats and you can record the video and share it later on social media. There are apps for both iOS and Android devices, and can be used on your Windows OS desktop computer. As the leader of the meeting, you’ll want to create a Skype Group meeting that you’ll invite people to via email, social media link, or text.

How Do you Set-Up a Skype Group Meeting?

  1. Launch your Skype app or desktop program and sign-in.
  2. You can change your online status by clicking on the colored circle next to your profile picture.
  3. Using the left-hand menu, click the “New Group Chat” icon.
  4. Add an image and chat name. Click Done.
  5. Add up to 10 attendees to your meeting OR create and share a link to your group meeting by clicking the icon at the top left that looks like a person with a plus sign.
If you need something similar to Skype but have more than 10 attendees, consider Zoom, which allows you to host up to 100 attendees. This would be great for a virtual Pack Meeting! Zoom also allows screen sharing, so you could have more than one leader in different locations running the meeting. Like Facebook Live and Skype, it’s free to use and allows for you to quickly and easily share a virtual meeting with your Scouts.

How Do I Use Zoom?

  1. Visit zoom.us and sign-in.
  2. Click the “Host a Meeting” button at the top of your screen, choosing to have video on or off.
  3. It will prompt you to join with computer audio, or you can click the check box to automatically join audio by computer when joining a meeting. You can also test your speaker and microphone.
  4. Click the “Invite” button at the bottom of your screen and send an email OR copy the URL using the buttons on the “Invite people to join” pop-up window. Make note of the meeting password.
  5. Share your invitation and get started!

Google Hangouts

Most of us have a Google account, so Hangouts is a great option for hosting a virtual meeting. Like Zoom, Hangouts allows you to connect to up to 100 people (in chat) and 10 in a video conference. There are fewer bells and whistles, but the trade-off is that it’s extremely easy to use and connects directly to your Google account, so there’s no need to upload a contacts list.

How Do I Use Google Hangouts?

  1. Visit hangouts.google.com and sign-in.
  2. Click “Video Call” on your home page.
  3. Invite specific people OR create and share a link to your group video.
  4. You can chat with your meeting members by clicking the chat icon.