Chairing is an art and responsibility, not a right

NB: This is a reflection on some badly chaired sessions at BNTC (I think).

When a conference session is ‘chaired’, the convener has some responsibilities – orderly timing, introducing the speakers, speaking loudly and clearly, encouraging people to sit closer, etc…

I am a bit annoyed when chairs are chosen who are quiet, timid, and obviously uncomfortable with speaking in front of people.  Either they need to choose someone who is skilled in such things naturally or a society/conference needs to have some basic training.

For instance, Jimmy Dunn is a fantastic chair – very outgoing, loud (enough), and introduces speakers with style and respect.  At the end of a session, he is known to give a brief and succint summary of the discussion and thank the presenters in a way that feels just right.

Having a good chair also, I think, predisposes the audience to respect the presenters, as the chair is usually complementary and if she commands respect herself, some of this will be naturally granted to the presenters.

On the other hand, if the chair is unsure, awkward, and nervous, the session is off to a bad start.

If you will be chairing a session at SBL, please – be loud, confident (at least in who your presenters are, by learning their names, proper pronunciation), and cracking a joke once in a while is not a bad thing.