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officers would have to go through the same process as the previous year's officers. With a two-year term, the chairmen and the officers will be placed in a better working situation as they have a longer time to gain experience and get prepared for work.
Another felt that, "The new two-year term gives a chance for the MAC officers to build up a good relationship with the residents. It also gives them a chance for the MAC to build up good connections with the officers of other MACs."
Many officers felt that the one-year term was simply not long enough to accomplish anything. "In my committee, the election business takes two to three months. After all that, there are a few months left of an officer's term. How can he do his work?” As explained in a previous section, the procedure for electing a slate of MAC officers requires some months to complete. It is not surprising that many officers were pleased not to hold "complicated and troublesome" elections (as one described them) every year. "It [the two-year term] saves time in arranging for the elections annually and moreover, it simplifies the election procedures. Less time and energy is needed, compared with the one-year programme, and I think that the change was made for these reasons."
Subcommittees
During earlier research into the Mutual Aid Committees, I quickly realized that much more elaborate committees were found in the public housing estates (as opposed to those found in private housing blocks) where the larger population necessitated more complicated organization. Numerous subcommittees were added according to the desires of the residents and the particular needs of the building. The committees I visited at that time most often contained welfare, recreation, sanitation, women's section, and security subcommittees, while a few had added investigation, public relations, and general business subcommittees.
What are the duties of these subcommittees? As originally described for 1977:
The recreation subcommittee takes charge of the social activities provided by the M.A.C. It plans outings, making
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officers would have to go through the same process as the previous year's officers. With a two-year term, the chairmen and the officers will be placed in a better working situation as they have a longer time to gain experience and get prepared for work.
Another felt that, "The new two-year term gives a chance for the MAC officers to build up a good relationship with the residents. It also gives them a chance for the MAC to build up good con- nections with the officers of other MACs."
Many officers felt that the one-year term was simply not long enough to accomplish anything. "In my committee, the election business takes two to three months. After all that, there are a few months left of an officer's term. How can he do his work?” As explained in a previous section, the procedure for electing a slate of MAC officers requires some months to complete. It is not surprising that many officers were pleased not to hold "com- plicated and troublesome" elections (as one described them) every year. "It [the two-year term] saves time in arranging for the elections annually and moreover, it simplifies the election procedures. Less time and energy is needed, compared with the one-year programme, and I think that the change was made for these reasons."
Subcommittees
During earlier research into the Mutual Aid Committees, I quickly realized that much more elaborate committees were found in the public housing estates (as opposed to those found in private housing blocks) where the larger population necessitated more complicated organization. Numerous subcommittees were added according to the desires of the residents and the particular needs of the building. The committees I visited at that time most often contained welfare, recreation, sanitation, womens' section, and security subcommittees, while a few had added investigation, public relations, and general business subcommittees.
What are the duties of these subcommittees? As originally described for 1977:
The recreation subcommittee takes charge of the social activities provided by the M.A.C. It plans outings, making
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