ABSTRACT
Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more fully than would be possible if the assembly itself were considering them. There are some very practical aspects as the chairperson of a group of people in a committee that one should remember. Firstly, at the start of the meeting, one has the chance to create a collegial, collaborative tone to the discussions by asking each person in turn to say who they are, where they are from and, where relevant, who they might be representing. This is known as the tour de table. Secondly, since one has carefully already arranged with the hosts specifically timed morning coffee and afternoon tea breaks, one should keep to the times set for these, not least as the hot drinks can cool off and become a disappointment to the members rather than a nice refuelling.
