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64 59. The first person named on the committee acts as its chairman or presiding officer in the preliminary steps of arranging for the meeting of the committee and of calling the committee to order, and by common consent he is usually permitted to so act through the whole proceedings of the committee; this, however, is understood to be by courtesy only, for (unless the chairman is designated by the assembly) every committee has a right to elect its own chairman to preside over it and report its proceedings to the assembly.

60. The custom in many societies of the presiding officer appointing as chairman of the committee the member making the motions for its appointment is objectionable and has no good precedent or warrant in parliamentary procedure; he is no more entitled to be chairman, or even to be one of the committee, than any other member is; moreover, such an appointment often leads to a very embarrassing condition of affairs, since the mover may be the most incompetent member for the position; furthermore, the custom bars all the members but one