In a committee, which officer is described as next in authority to the chairman?

In a committee, which officer is described as next in authority to the chairman?

• A. Vice Chairman
• B. Vice President
• C. Secretary
• D. Treasurer

Answer: (A)

In parliamentary procedure, the officer who is next in authority to the chairman is the vice chairman. This role serves as the chair’s assistant and presides in the chair’s absence, ensuring meetings continue smoothly and that motions and rules are handled properly when the chair can’t act. The secretary and treasurer have essential administrative duties—record-keeping and financial management, respectively—but they do not preside or stand in for the chair, so they aren’t the next in line. In some groups the same function is called vice president, but the core idea is the same: a second-in-command who steps in when the chair isn’t available.

In parliamentary procedure, the officer who is next in authority to the chairman is the vice chairman. This role serves as the chair’s assistant and presides in the chair’s absence, ensuring meetings continue smoothly and that motions and rules are handled properly when the chair can’t act. The secretary and treasurer have essential administrative duties—record-keeping and financial management, respectively—but they do not preside or stand in for the chair, so they aren’t the next in line. In some groups the same function is called vice president, but the core idea is the same: a second-in-command who steps in when the chair isn’t available.