This handbook provides instructions to help communities form county rural development (CRD) committees. Guidelines are applicable to committee work in general and to community involvement in identifying and discussing local problems, determining community needs, setting goals, identifying available resources, securing adequate leadership, and coordinating local program efforts. The handbook is used as a reference book for community volunteers and U.S. Department of Agriculture agency employees who work with county Rural Development Committees in Alabama. Topics include description of CRD committee structure and relationships with local, state, and federal agencies and organizations; guidelines for committee membership, size, election of officers, composition and duties of subcommittees; suggestions for conduct of meetings and bylaws; and a program development outline describing planning, implementation, evaluation, and reporting processes. Appendices offer guidelines for working effectively with committees, requirements for good committee work, suggestions for planning and conducting committee and business meetings, instructions for use of parliamentary procedure, sample meeting agenda, checklist of steps to more effective meetings, and a plan of action guide. (LFL)