ABSTRACT
Considering the frequency and importance of committee meetings, it is remarkable how little attention appears to have been given to training in this subject. Quite a number of organizations give instruction in the purely formal aspects of committee work, for example, on committee procedure, on drafting reports, and on the duties of a committee secretary. Some of the personal antagonisms, and interruptions, at the practice sessions are more outspoken than is usual at most committee meetings. Any trainee notices the overt signs of discord and learns how to deal with them. This helps him later to recognize signs of potential discord when covert and to take appropriate action in time to prevent the potential discord from developing and wrecking the committee. There can be no doubt in the minds of people who attend the practice committee sessions or a variety of real life committees that different Chairmen differ enormously in their skill in handling meetings.
