See Step 2: Choosing members to serve on a Committee.
A Committee has two primary missions:
- Regularly publish Proclamations articulating rights and identifying when they are violated.
- Keep neighboring Committees updated on its activities.
A Committee should fulfill these goals at formal, regularly held meetings. Follow this guide. Also see Roles and Rules.
- Secretary alerts Committee members of the meeting. In advance of each meeting, the Secretary should alert the Committee members of the time, location, duration, and agenda of the meeting.
- Is there a quorum?. At the meeting, if a majority of the Committee is present, then there is a quorum. If there is not a quorum, then the meeting cannot be held and the Secretary notifies Committee members of this fact.
- Call to order. The Chairman calls the meeting to order.
- Introducing a Motion. A Committee Member introduces a Motion. For example, “I move to invite the people of the neighboring city of Springfield to elect patriots to a Committee of Correspondence to link our two cities together.”
- Seconding a Motion. A Motion must be seconded by a different Member to be considered by the Committee. If it is not seconded, the Motion is ignored and any Member may introduce another Motion. A Member does not have to agree with the Motion to second it—seconding it only means the Member thinks it is worthy of further discussion. Example, “I second the motion.”
- Discussion. The Committee then discusses the pros and cons of the Motion.
- Voting. The Chairman conducts a simple majority vote on the Motion. Example: “All in favor? All opposed?”
- More Business. A Member can then introduce a new Motion, for example, “I move that a subcommittee be formed to draft the invitation to the patriots of Springfield before next week’s meeting.” And so on.
- Meeting is Adjourned. The Chairman announces the meeting is adjourned when the prescribed time is reached or Members have no more business to discuss.
- Secretary disseminates meeting minutes. Throughout the meeting, the secretary records who introduced motions, who seconded them, and if they were passed (but does not identify who voted for or against them). This document also includes the time, place, and agenda for the next meeting.