GOVERNANCE & LEADERSHIP
Standing Committees
Committees do most of an association's real work. Here's how standing committees typically work in a membership association, plus a guide to each one — its mission, duties and ideas for what to do.
Modeled on the standing committees in the bylaws of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS), adapted for any state or national association.
HOW COMMITTEES WORK
Common rules for every standing committee
- The president appoints a chair and vice chair for each committee
- Members are usually drawn from each region or chapter — often one Army and one Air Guard member — so every part of the association has a voice
- Committee members must be members in good standing
- The president serves as an ex-officio member of every committee except Nominations
- Committee chairs meet quarterly with the vice president before each board meeting
- Every committee gives an annual report at the conference
- Each chair submits an annual budget request to the president by a set date
BEST PRACTICES
Make committees effective
- Write a charter for each committee: purpose, members, duties, what it can decide on its own, meeting schedule and how it reports
- Set a yearly work plan with goals and deadlines
- Use an agenda for every meeting, and stick to it
- Keep minutes of decisions and action items
- Report to the board regularly, so everyone stays informed
- Keep committees staffed so the work doesn't fall on one person
- Review charters every year, and retire committees that no longer have a purpose
Governance
Finance & Revenue
Members
Advocacy
Army National Guard
Represents Army Guard members and works with senior Army enlisted leaders.
Air National Guard
Represents Air Guard members and works with senior Air enlisted leaders.
Conferences
CONFERENCE COMMITTEES
Committees that serve only at the conference
Some committees exist only for the annual conference. The most common is Credentials and Rules — a small group of board members, appointed by the president, who verify each delegate's credentials, make sure voting delegates are properly identified, and report the list of voting members, ex-officio members and any special rules for the conference to adopt.
Need help organizing your committees?
We can help write committee charters, standing rules and work plans that fit your association.