Society Representation and the TDA Process
Motion and Resolution
Triennial Delegate Assembly and Council Meeting
Dan Massey
| To: TDA delegates 9 July 1997 Cc: Society Presidents, General Council At the 1994 TDA, a resolution was approved and submitted to the General Council calling for the expansion of society representation in the government of the Fellowship. This subject was examined by a special committee and, eventually, a constitutional amendment was proposed and submitted to the 1996 annual meeting of the General Council for approval and to be brought forward at the 1997 TDA for final Society approval. As you know, the 1996 Council rejected the proposed amendment, so that Society participation in the government of the Fellowship continues unchanged. I am writing to you to point out an alternative path by which Societies can achieve significant ongoing contribution to and interaction with the Fellowship governing process. This approach, while it does not directly address the concerns of the 1994 TDA, can achieve many important results without the need for a constitutional amendment. In fact, this approach requires no more action than the simple passage of a resolution governing the operation of the current 1997 TDA. Traditionally the TDA has convened; received and discussed the reports of the officers and committee chairs; nominated and elected councilors; and received, debated, and passed a number of resolutions for action by the Council. At the end of this process, the TDA has adjourned permanently, making it impossible for the Society delegates at that TDA to formally influence Fellowship government for the next three years. Each successive TDA is a separate organizational entity and is not bound by actions of prior TDAs. No mechanism has existed for informing the TDA, as a body, of actions taken by the Council on TDA resolutions. As a result, while there is some direct Society participation and interest in Fellowship government during the weeks preceding the TDA, this largely disappears during the hiatus between successive TDAs. My proposal to the 1997 TDA is that, rather than formally adjourning at the conclusion of elections and resolutions to the 1997 Council, it should simply recess with an agreement to reconvene two days in advance of and at the place of the next annual meeting of the General Council. An approach to accomplishing this is presented in the attached motion and resolution (the motion regards the operation of the TDA while the resolution is to be passed and presented to the Council). By enacting this motion, the 1997 TDA will keep open the option, through its own initiative, of providing continuing input to the Council agenda and deliberative process. The result of this action will be that, when the 1998 meeting of the Council is scheduled, the date for the TDA to return from recess will be known. The delegates will assemble and resume their deliberations at the appointed place and time. They will be able to receive reports of work accomplished by the Council and the Executive Committee as a result of the previous summer's TDA resolutions, and to enact additional resolutions to communicate their concerns to the Council. In this manner, the 1997 TDA can conduct business on three separate annual occasions (1997, 1998, and 1999), continuing to provide Society interaction with the Fellowship governing process. For such a process to have value, there must, of course, be a spirit of cooperation between the Council and the continuing TDA, and between the TDA delegates and their societies. For this reason, I am distributing this suggestion in advance of the TDA to all current members of the Council. I encourage them to support the TDA in taking this action for the continuing growth and welfare of our movement. (to be presented to and discussed by the TDA prior to recessing for meetings of the Committee on Nominations and the Committee on Resolutions) MOTION TO THE 1997 TDA I move that at the completion of the business of the moment, the 1997 Triennial Delegate Assembly of the Fellowship shall not adjourn sine die, but shall recess to reconvene at a time and place to be announced, which shall be the same place as the 1998 annual meeting of the General Council and at a time 48 hours prior to the convening of said General Council meeting, or such other time as may be agreed in writing by a majority of the seated delegates. In support of this, the Committee on Resolutions of the 1997 Triennial Delegate Assembly, at the completion of the business of the moment, shall not adjourn, but shall recess to reconvene at the same time and place of the reconvening of the 1997 TDA. (To be presented to the Committee on Resolutions, approved, and passed on to the full TDA for approval and submission to the General Council) RESOLUTION TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL Whereas the 1997 Triennial Delegate Assembly of the Fellowship has been lawfully convened, pursuant to the Constitution of the Fellowship, for the election of members of the General Council and for the consideration of resolutions to guide the General Council in setting policy for Fellowship activities, and Whereas the 1997 TDA has declined to adjourn at this time and has extended its session at least until the 1998 annual meeting of the General Council, and Whereas the 1997 TDA has taken this action to enhance the support chartered Societies are able to supply, through their elected delegates, to the continuing work of the General Council, and Whereas the 1997 TDA wishes to communicate the import of these actions to the General Council, that the continuing growth and welfare of our movement may be served, Now therefore be it resolved that the 1997 TDA shall, upon returning from recess on various future occasions, invite reports from the General Council concerning the disposition of its resolutions, invite reports from the Executive Committee concerning the implementation of decisions of the Council in regard to those resolutions, and enact further resolutions for the continuing guidance of the General Council. Be it further resolved that the General Council shall provide and shall direct the Executive Committee to provide such reports to the continuing 1997 TDA in an accurate and timely manner to support the continuing activities of the 1997 TDA and its participation in the governing process of the Fellowship. Dan Massey massey@std.saic.com |