Felt’s Parliamentary Procedure/Committees

by Orson B. Felt

Layout 2

COMMITTEES.

54. A committee is a miniature assembly appointed or elected to consider some special subject, to transact some special business, or perform certain duties and report to the assembly.

Ordinary committees are of two kinds, standing or permanent committees and special or temporary committees, and in making reports they rank in the order named.

Standing committees are those appointed or elected at the beginning of the session or the year to take charge of such matters as appropriately come under their jurisdiction during the whole session or year.

Special committees are such as are appointed, or elected for a specific purpose, or to take charge of some special subject.

Most fraternal organizations have a standing committee known as an executive committee or council of administration whose duty is to attend to pressing matters of the organization between its annual meetings.

55. Where there are two or more bodies auxiliary to each other it is customary to have appointed a committee consisting of an equal number from each body known as a conference committee (which ranks with standing committees) to which is referred all matters concerning both or all the bodies. This committee meets to discuss the business referred to them and after agreement report to their respective assemblies. In such assemblies courtesy to the auxiliary body requires that precedence be given to the report of the conference committee. In order for a conference report to be valid it must be agreed to by a majority of those from each body on this committee and the report is not binding upon either body until agreed to by all the bodies.

56. In small assemblies, especially those in which but little business is transacted, there is not much use for standing committees; but in large or legislative assemblies, or in permanent organizations which have to deal with important and difficult questions, committees are of the utmost importance in saving time, also in preventing hasty or unwise action.

In nine cases out of ten when such committees are properly selected their action or recommendations as embodied in their reports decides that of the assembly. It is the work of such committees to prepare matters to be acted upon, to digest and put into proper form for the action of the assembly all matters relating to the subject of which they are in control, and to report their recommendations to the assembly for its modification, adoption or rejection. The assembly acts only on the report of the committee (63).

57. When an assembly has such committees all matters are on their first presentation usually referred without reading to the proper committees, because the reading of all such communications would consume too large a portion of the session, leaving but little time for action. If the committee is one for action, it should be small and consist of only those in favor of the proposed action, since if any member of the committee is hostile to the measure he cannot be expected to assist in perfecting it. When the committee is one for deliberation, or investigation, it should be larger and represent all parties, so that the fullest debate may be had in committee, and its opinion and recommendations, as contained in its report, carry as great weight as possible, because if any important faction is not represented the usefulness of the committee may be greatly impaired, and the chance of unpleasant debate in the assembly increased. In either case it is well to have a committee consist of an uneven number, in order to avoid a tie vote.

58. The number of a committee, and also how it shall be appointed, are usually decided without the formality of a motion, by the chairman asking, “Of how many shall the committee assist?” or, “How shall the committee be appointed?” If only one number is suggested he announces that the committee will consist of that number. If several numbers are suggested he states the different number suggested and takes a vote, as in filling blanks (133), until one number receives votes sufficient to adopt it. After the committee has been formed the presiding officer has no power to change it—even though he appointed the committee. Usually committees are appointed by the chair, in which case he names the members of the committee, and no vote is taken on them; or the committee may be nominated by the chair, or by the members of the assembly, and the assembly vote on the appointment. If more names are nominated than the number of the committee a separate vote should be taken on each name until the committee is filled.

59. The first person named on the committee acts as its chairman or presiding officer in the preliminary steps of arranging for the meeting of the committee and of calling the committee to order, and by common consent he is usually permitted to so act through the whole proceedings of the committee; this, however, is understood to be by courtesy only, for (unless the chairman is designated by the assembly) every committee has a right to elect its own chairman to preside over it and report its proceedings to the assembly.

60. The custom in many societies of the presiding officer appointing as chairman of the committee the member making the motions for its appointment is objectionable and has no good precedent or warrant in parliamentary procedure; he is no more entitled to be chairman, or even to be one of the committee, than any other member is; moreover, such an appointment often leads to a very embarrassing condition of affairs, since the mover may be the most incompetent member for the position; furthermore, the custom bars all the members but one from being chairman of such committee. The presiding officer of an assembly will generally succeed best who makes it a rule never to appoint as chairman of a committee the person who made the motion, but such members, who from interest in the matter or from general ability, are best fitted to do its particular work. Then, if the mover of the motion be one of the committee, and the members do desire, they can upon their first calling together elect him chairman.

61. In many societies the presiding officer of the assembly is regarded as ex-officio a member of all communities; there is, however, no good authority for this, since only those persons regularly placed on a committee should be regarded as members thereof, neither does it follows that if he is a member of a committee, as, unless it is so ordered by the assembly, the committee cannot be deprived of its right to elect its own chairman. When the presiding officer is by rule of the society an ex-officio member of a committee he may, or may not, attend the committee meetings, and his presence or absence should not affect the question of quorum.

62. The authority of a committee extends only so far as authorized by common parliamentary law, or as instructed by the assembly at the time of its appointment; therefore, when a committee is instructed it must follow instructions, and has authority only over the business referred to it. The committee may, however, be further instructed by the assembly while in the exercise of its duty as such committee. A committee may submit a part of its work to a sub-committee, but such sub-committee should report to the committee creating it, and not to the assembly, it cannot alter the text of such paper by amendment, addition or erasure. The original paper should be returned to the assembly intact, with the committee's amendments, if any, written on a separate sheet, to be submitted to the assembly for its adoption or rejection. The committee may, however, alter or amend any paper which originates with said committee. (See also note to section 143).

After the committee has finished its business some member should move that “the committee rise and report” (which is equivalent to adjournment) and, if carried, the chairman or some member previously selected for the purpose reports to the assembly.