Oh..now I get it!
Our meeting once used a timer as a reminder of our group's policy to be mindful that sharing includes sharing the time. When the chair reads their report they state that we suggest that each member limits their sharing to 5 minutes so that others can have the opportunity to share. When our meeting was large, the timer came in handy. Although we only had to cut someone off a couple of times, the timer reminds members of how long they've been sharing.