A MAIL QUESTIONNAIRE WAS SENT TO 100 COUNTY EXTENSION CHAIRMEN IN NORTH CAROLINA TO DETERMINE THEIR PERCEPTION OF THE COUNTY ADVISORY BOARD'S ROLE IN PLANNING, IMPLEMENTING, AND EVALUATING COUNTY EXTENSION PROGRAMS, THEIR VIEWS ON WHO OUGHT TO HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SELECTED FUNCTIONS IN COUNTY PROGRAMING, ASSOCIATION OF SELECTED FACTORS WITH ROLE PERCEPTIONS, AND ELEMENTS OF ADVISORY BOARD ORGANIZATION CONSIDERED TO BE IMPORTANT IN FACILITATING COUNTY PROGRAMING. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT MOST FUNCTIONS OF COUNTY PROGRAMING WERE CONSIDERED THE RESPONSIBILITY EITHER OF THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF OR OF THE STAFF IN COOPERATION WITH THE BOARDS, BUT THERE WAS LITTLE CONSENSUS AS TO THE MAJOR RESPONSIBILITY FOR SPECIFIC TASKS. IN GENERAL, SELECTED FACTORS OF CHAIRMEN'S EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, TYPES OF EXPERIENCE WITH ADVISORY BOARDS, AND OTHER FACTORS RELATED TO THE EXTENSION ORGANIZATION, HAD LITTLE RELATIONSHIP TO THEIR ROLE PERCEPTIONS. IT WAS FELT THAT ADVISORY BOARDS NEED A DEFINED ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE TO FACILITATE THEIR ROLE IN COUNTY PROGRAMING. (THE DOCUMENT INCLUDES APPENDIXES, TABLES, REFERENCES, AND RELEVANT RESEARCH FINDINGS FROM OTHER STUDIES. THIS M.S. THESIS IS AVAILABLE FROM NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY, RALEIGH. 217 PAGES. (LY)