a facilitator, and situational meetings in the following paragraphs. CONSIDERATIONS When  planning  your  zone  meetings  you  should consider   several   factors.   You   must   decide   on   the frequency,  format,  and  meeting  place  and  time. Frequency of Meetings Most ZSs hold production and planning meetings monthly.   However,    if  your  zone  covers  a  large geographical area, you may need to meet less often. Format The  format  of  your  meeting  will  depend  on  the planned agenda. You can choose between a classroom lecture type of format or more of a round table, guided discussion  format. Place and Time The meeting place should be as convenient to all as possible. Pick a central site or try to rotate the location between  the  stations.  Look  around  for  appropriate facilities.  RINCs  usually  have  contacts  for  free  meeting sites they use for their DEP meetings. Schools, fraternal and   veterans’   organizations,   Reserve   centers,   and government  buildings  are  all  usually  more  than  happy to let you use their facilities. Set your meeting time to avoid getting recruiters on the road too early or keeping them on the road late at night. SET GROUND RULES You   should   establish   ground   rules   for   zone meetings  so  everyone  understands  your  policy  on attendance,   participation,   courtesies,   assignments, breaks,  and  interruptions. Attendance/Promptness There should be no question in the recruiters’ minds that  attendance  is  mandatory  at  these  meetings.  Have RINCs clear exceptions with you in advance. Make sure everyone  understands  promptness  is  important.  Delaying the meeting will eat up everyone’s time. Participation Encourage total participation of all assigned. Every RINC  and  recruiter  are  important  to  the  team  and should be urged to participate in planned training as well as impromptu quiet ones. Courtesies Explain   that ideas and solutions. Draw out the common  courtesies  cannot  be overlooked. The golden rule is in effect. Also remind personnel  of  the  sensibilities  of  others. Assignments Share  the  podium.  Assign  training  to  others  in  the zone, especially those RINCs who may be aspiring for increased responsibility. Recruiters who have proven successful in an area should be encouraged to share that knowledge  with  others.   Another  tactic  is  to  have someone train in areas in which they themselves may need  help.  They  will  be  forced  to  research  and  may concentrate long enough in their preparation to train themselves  in  the  process. Breaks If your meeting is going to be over an hour long, schedule breaks. They should be at least 10 minutes out of every hour. Interruptions Set a policy for interruptions. If you want them to feel  free  to  interrupt  you  during  the  training,  let  them know. On the other hand, if you would prefer to take questions  and  comments  only  at  the  end  of  your training, say that too. Under no circumstances should you  allow  zone  members  to  interrupt  each  other. SETTING AN AGENDA Well-planned  meetings  must  include  an  agenda. This  provides  you  with  a  set  plan  of  the  topics  you want to cover and the order in which you want to cover them. Figure 9-2 shows a sample agenda for a zone meeting.  This  meeting  will  start  with  an  awards presentation by the CO to get everyone motivated. The ZS then plans to lead the RINCs in a production review and  planning  session.  After  that,  three  topics  required by this month’s training plan will be covered-two by RINCs and the other by the ZS. A military entrance 9-6