Roles and Responsibilities of a Chairperson: The chairperson of a meeting holds a crucial position with several responsibilities:

1. Leadership: Providing leadership and direction during the meeting.
2. Agenda Management: Ensuring the meeting follows a predefined agenda.
3. Facilitation: Encouraging participation and keeping discussions focused.
4. Time Management: Keeping the meeting on schedule and ensuring efficient use of time.
5. Decision Making: Assisting in reaching consensus or making decisions when necessary.
6. Conflict Resolution: Resolving conflicts and maintaining a respectful atmosphere.
7. Documentation: Ensuring accurate minutes or records are kept.
8. Action Item Assignments: Assigning tasks or action items and following up on them.

Ideal Characteristics of a Strong Chairperson: A strong chairperson possesses the following characteristics:

1. Effective Communicator: Clear and articulate in speech, capable of conveying ideas concisely.
2. Leadership Skills: Able to lead and guide the meeting effectively.
3. Preparation: Thoroughly prepared with knowledge of the agenda and materials.
4. Impartiality: Remains neutral and impartial in discussions and decisions.
5. Problem Solver: Skilled in resolving conflicts and finding solutions.
6. Time Management: Keeps the meeting on schedule.
7. Inclusivity: Encourages participation from all attendees.

Setting and Distributing the Agenda: Creating and sharing the meeting agenda involves:

1. Agenda Creation: Compile a list of topics and their order of discussion.
2. Time Allocation: Assign time limits to each agenda item.
3. Distribution: Share the agenda with attendees in advance of the meeting.

Opening: To open a meeting effectively, the chairperson should:

1. Welcome: Greet attendees and make them feel comfortable.
2. Introduction: Introduce themselves and briefly state the meeting’s purpose.

Chairing & Facilitating: During the meeting, the chairperson should:

1. Facilitate Discussions: Encourage participation and ensure all voices are heard.

Controlling the Meeting and Keeping to the Agenda: To maintain control and stay on the agenda:

1. Enforce Agenda: Stick to the predefined agenda and manage time.

Time Management: For effective time management:

1. Timekeeping: Keep an eye on the clock and allocate time appropriately.

Making Decisions: When decisions are needed:

1. Consensus Building: Encourage discussion and consensus where possible.

Running a Review: To review meeting outcomes:

1. Summarise: Recap key points and decisions made.

Meeting Evaluations: After the meeting:

1. Collect Feedback: Seek feedback from attendees to improve future meetings.

In conclusion, the chairperson plays a pivotal role in conducting successful meetings by effectively managing various responsibilities, and possessing ideal characteristics can significantly contribute to the meeting’s success.