ROLE OF COMMUNICATION IN COMMITTEES, SYMPOSIA,

• Effective committees can be one of the most important working forces at the heart of an organization as well an extremely rewarding experience for those involved. This Factsheet outlines the why and how of committees, providing guidelines to help committees function well and achieve its goals.Although the purpose and objectives of a committee may be clear and concise, other factors can influence whether or not the committee will succeed in accomplishing its task.

• Why Establish a Committee• There are several basic reasons to establish a committee that are common to all

regardless of the tasks they are to complete. These include:• sharing responsibilities

• involving more members

• using the specialized skills of members

• providing a vehicle where:

– inexperienced members can gain confidence

– matters can be examined in more detail

• allowing the parent body to complete its business more efficiently by delegating work to committees.

• Types of Committees• There are two kinds:• Standing — created by the standing orders, rules, by-

laws or regulations of an organization. They exist and function more or less on a permanent basis, e.g., finance, education, nomination, etc.

• Ad Hoc — appointed for a particular purpose on a short-term basis.

• Both types of committees may form subcommittees if the work loads are heavy or complex.

Creating a Good CommitteeTwo key procedures to achieve the best committee are:Selection — Selecting members is a critical first step to creating an effective committee. Carefully consider skills and interest. Size is also important – five to nine members is best in most cases.

Orientation — Taking time to adequately orient members helps start the committee on the right track. Provide information and clearly define:

committee purpose and expectations

structure, reporting procedure, roles and responsibilities

individual member’s expectations.

• Signs of a Well Functioning Committee• Purpose of the committee is clear to all.

• Careful time control – length of meetings, as well as development of overall committee time path.

• Sensitivity within and to each other’s needs, good communication amongst members.

• An informal, relaxed atmosphere.

• Good preparation on the part of the Chair and members.

• Interested and committed members.

• Minutes are complete and concise.

• Periodic self assessment of committee’s performance.

• Contributions are recognized so members know their work is appreciated.

• The work of the committee is accepted and makes a valuable contribution to the organization.

• Advantages to having a committee system• ‐ Spreads out the responsibilities of a chapter• ‐ Cultivates new ideas• ‐ Opens up new lines of communication• ‐ Increases the self value of individual chapter

members• ‐ Creates an environment where new members

are acclimated easily• ‐ Chapter business is carried in a faster and more

effective manner

• List of commonly seen committees within chapters• 1. Executive committee/Executive board (highly

encouraged)• 2. Standards Board• 3. Risk Management/Safety• 4. Financial Review• 5. New Member Education• 6. Recruitment• 7. Scholarship• 8. By laws‐• 9. Social• 10. Public Relations

• Philanthropy• 12. Fund Raising• 13. Activities• 14. Technology Committee• 15. Ad Hoc• a. Common Ad Hoc• i. Petition• ii. Homecoming• iii. Greek Week• iv. Retreats• Committee size• Committees are not created equal, despite that importance of each committee to the organization

as a• whole, there is no need to have a set number of individuals on each committee. A chapter should

decide• on the number of individuals needed for each committee, depending on the amount of

responsibility• that the committee is expected to have.

• Responsibilities.• (a) Establish, monitor and review the Corporation’s communication policy,

inclusive of communications with shareholders, brokers and analysts, investment banks, and the public.

• (b) Identify target investor groups for the Corporation.• (c) Identify and recommend investment banks or other consultancy company to

assist management with promoting the Corporation to relevant investor groups.• (d) Assist management in executing the strategies and policies formulated by the

Committee.• (e) Other Responsibilities• (i) Regularly review and make recommendations to the Chairperson of the

Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee, about changes to the charter of the Committee.

• (ii) Obtain or perform an annual evaluation of the Committee’s performance and make applicable recommendations, and report results to the Chairperson of the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee.

• Authorization.• The Committee shall have authority to act on behalf of the Board in regards to:• (a) Formulate and approve press releases regarding publication of financial results, or other external communication. The annual report and

quarterly financial statements are to be approved by the Board.• (b) The Committee is allowed to delegate this authority to such officer(s) of the Corporation as the Committee deems appropriate.• (d) The Committee is authorized to formulate policies regarding communication with shareholders, investment banks, brokers, analysts and the

public.• (e) The Committee must have approval of the Board to employ or engage an investment bank, broker or consultancy firm to assist management in

promoting the Corporation to specific investor groups and other services. The Committee can terminate such engagement with an investment bank, broker or consultancy firm, or other experts, as it deems appropriate.

• (f) Any communications between the Committee and officers in the course of obtaining information for communication purposes will be considered confidential information of the Corporation and the Committee will take all necessary steps to preserve the confidential nature of those communications until a public disclosure, or as required by applicable laws.

• (g) The Committee may delegate authority to one or more designated members of the Committee or officer(s) of the Corporation as the Committee deems appropriate.

• The role of the Corporate Communication Committee (the “Committee”) is to formulate, monitor and review policies regarding:• (a) External communication, inclusive of communication to shareholders, brokers and investment banks, the public;• (b) Target investor groups, the Corporation consider desirable to be investors of the Corporation;• (c) Identify investment banks and or brokers to assists management in promoting the Corporation to relevant investor groups; and• (d) The investor relation function.• The Committee shall advise or assist management in the execution of these policies, hereunder assist management in formulating press releases and

prepare for meetings with analyst and shareholders.

• Role.• The role of the Corporate Communication Committee (the “Committee”)

is to formulate, monitor and review policies regarding:• (a) External communication, inclusive of communication to

shareholders, brokers and investment banks, the public;• (b) Target investor groups, the Corporation consider desirable to be

investors of the Corporation;• (c) Identify investment banks and or brokers to assists management in

promoting the Corporation to relevant investor groups; and• (d) The investor relation function.• The Committee shall advise or assist management in the execution of

these policies, hereunder assist management in formulating press releases and prepare for meetings with analyst and shareholders.