Google Meet is another option for chapter meetings, board calls, and virtual events, and some chapters prefer it to Zoom. This article covers how chapters manage their own Google Meet access, how to set it up with a role-specific email, and what to know about account limits and alternatives.
Chapters Manage Their Own Google Meet Access
ASSP does not provide a society-supported Google Workspace or Google Meet account for chapters, and does not store, share, or reset Google account passwords. Each chapter is responsible for setting up and maintaining its own Google account for Meet if one is desired.
If your chapter’s Google account is tied to a role-specific email address (for example, secretary@[chaptername].assp.org), ASSP IT can help with access to that email account — for example, if an officer changes and the new officer needs access to the inbox. IT cannot reset or access the Google account itself; you’ll need to use Google’s own account recovery (at g.co/recover) once you’re back into the email account.
Setting Up a Free Google Account with a Role-Specific Email
Using a role-specific email address (like secretary@yourchapter.assp.org or programs@yourchapter.assp.org) instead of a personal or work email is strongly recommended. This keeps the account with the role, not the person — so when officers change, the next volunteer can take over Google Meet along with the email inbox, instead of scheduled meetings and settings leaving with the outgoing volunteer.
Unlike Zoom, hosting a Google Meet requires a full Google Account (not just a plain email address), so the setup has one extra step:
- Go to accounts.google.com/signup.
- Choose the option to use an existing email address instead of creating a new @gmail.com address.
- Enter the chapter’s role-specific email address and verify it through that inbox.
- Complete the Google Account setup (recovery info, etc.).
- Go to meet.google.com to schedule or start meetings, or set them up directly from Google Calendar if you also use it for the chapter.
Free Plan Limits to Know
A personal Google Account gives you Google Meet for free, indefinitely, but with real limits worth planning around:
- 60-minute cap on group meetings (3 or more participants). One-on-one meetings can run up to 24 hours. If your board or committee meetings tend to run long, this is the limit that will bite — though it’s 20 minutes more generous than Zoom’s free 40-minute cap.
- Up to 100 participants per meeting.
- No native recording on a free personal account — recording is only available on paid Google Workspace plans.
- No breakout rooms, attendance tracking, or noise cancellation on the free tier — these are Workspace-only features.
If your chapter regularly hits the 60-minute wall, options include rejoining the same meeting link for another session, splitting long meetings into two shorter sessions, or having the chapter (not ASSP) decide whether to fund a paid Google Workspace plan.
Alternative: Using a Volunteer’s Existing Account
Some chapters instead use a volunteer’s personal Gmail account or an employer-provided Google Workspace account (which often has no 60-minute cap) to host chapter meetings. This can work well in the short term, but it’s worth flagging the tradeoff for your leadership team:
- Meeting links, calendar events, and any recordings live with that individual’s account, not the chapter.
- If that volunteer changes roles, leaves the chapter, or loses access to their employer’s account, meeting continuity is disrupted and links may need to be re-shared.
- A role-specific-email account avoids this by staying with the chapter regardless of who is filling the role.
Other Things to Keep in Mind
- Guests don’t need an account: Anyone can join a Google Meet from a link without a Google Account of their own — only the host needs one. This makes Meet easy for members joining from work or shared email addresses.
- Security basics: Google Meet meeting codes are complex by default, and hosts can enable a “knock to join” request for anyone not on the invite, similar to Zoom’s waiting room. Turn this on for recurring meetings with a reused link.
- Document the setup: Keep a simple note (in your chapter’s officer transition documentation) of which email the Google account is tied to, and who currently has access to that inbox.
- Calendar integration: If your chapter also uses Google Calendar for the role-specific account, Meet links can be generated automatically when scheduling events, which is a convenient way to keep meeting invites and agendas together.
- Two-factor authentication: DO NOT enable 2FA via a phone number on the Google Account itself as it can lockout users if the phone number of a volunteer is added and not removed before changes in office are made in the future.
For general Google Meet how-to questions (joining a meeting, screen sharing, scheduling), Google’s own Meet Help Center is a good first stop.