NM Freemason
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Task guide

Define a committee

Set the charge, deliverables, timeline, cadence, and governing references before a committee starts drifting or guessing.

Use this when a Master, Secretary, or chair has been asked to stand up a committee and wants expectations to be clear from the start.

Start here

Keep the whole thing small. Do the next few steps in order, then move into the deeper path only if it actually helps.

Why this next: A committee drifts when nobody knows what authorizes it, what it owes the lodge, or when its work is supposed to end.

What it opens: Once the governing basis is clear, the committee tool can turn the idea into a real charge with members, cadence, and deadlines.

Study governance first

Account status

You can start this in public, but you will need an account to complete the full path here.

Create account

Member workflow

Once signed in, the member workflow should move into the right lodge and then into its committee tools and guided committee-definition flow.

Why this next: Committee work only becomes real inside the specific lodge that owns the charge and the reporting line.

What it opens: It opens the right lodge context, the committee-definition wizard, and later reports tied to the actual committee record.

Preparing the right next step...

The first few steps

  1. 1. Learn

    Learn what governs the committee

    Know whether the committee exists by bylaws, by standing rule, by appointment, or by joint action before you define anything else.

    Study governance
  2. 2. Plan

    Write the charge in plain language

    State why the committee exists, what decision or deliverable it owes the lodge, and when that work should be done.

  3. 3. Plan

    Set the cadence and reporting shape

    Decide how often the committee meets, how often it reports, and what a successful close actually looks like.

  4. 4. Do

    Name members and deadlines

    Once the charge is clear, attach real brothers, deadlines, and the reporting rhythm that keeps the work from evaporating.

  5. 5. Use

    Use the Committee Definition Wizard

    The wizard turns the charge, deliverables, cadence, and references into a real committee record inside the lodge tools.

    Open lodge committees

    Needs an account to complete here

First lesson

Landmarks, Constitutions, and the Grand Lodge

Landmarks, constitutions, and authority are the right first frame before you define a working committee.

Open the lesson

Deeper study path

Understand Lodge law and governance

Governance is the study base for any committee that has to operate inside real lodge law.

Open the path

Guided tool

Committee Definition Wizard

The wizard lives inside the lodge committee tools once the charge is ready.

Open the wizard

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