A committee is a small group of people representative of a larger group, assigned a particular task. Committee members are appointed, elected, or they may volunteer. An ideal size committee for most tasks is 3 to 5 persons since they, in turn, can delegate work to others. If the task is large enough, they may delegate work to the total membership of the entire group. The first person named to a committee is usually considered the chairperson, unless otherwise specified.
Some committees elect the chairperson.
There are two main kinds of committees. Standing committees handle certain tasks specified by the parent group. Examples are membership, finance, and program development. These will usually be specified in an organization's bylaws. Special committees are selected for a particular job for a specified time and should be officially dismissed with appreciation after the job is done.