BY JOHN MARGOWSKI

Thank you to all the committee chairs and Convention delegates who proposed, debated, and adopted the resolutions. A very special thanks to Sharon Hodge, VVA Staff Resolutions Committee Liaison, for her years of work throughout the entire process.

The most important resolution passed was GA-23, making VVA a last-person-standing organization. A complete list of the resolutions adopted at the 20th Convention will be available on the VVA website.

At VVA’s 2023 National Convention, changes on reporting out proposed, retired, and not-adopted Convention resolutions submitted for consideration to the delegates by VVA committees will be instituted. This should enable delegates to follow the process in a more timely and professional manner.

Lastly, I would like to remind future delegates that the individuals on the dais are there to help guide you throughout the resolutions process. It is very hard to hear and see the individuals from the stage. Mistakes in the process happen, but are easily resolved. However, tempers, anger, and lashing out at the presenters is uncalled for and frankly unbecoming of us as adults.

Have a successful two years on behalf of VVA.

BY RICHARD LINDBECK

The National Convention in Greensboro, North Carolina, is now in the books. I want to thank everyone in the National Office for the work they did to make the Convention a success. And I want to congratulate all the delegates who pre-registered.

The National Office reported that 733 delegates pre-registered. I set up the Convention hall for that number, and I believe that for the first time, we did not have to rearrange the hall daily.

There were only a few hiccups with registration, and they were corrected with a minimum of problems.

Day One: 526 delegates attended the Opening Ceremony.

Day Two had 680 delegates.

Day Three had 702 delegates. That was the final count for the Convention.

A few who had pre-registered did not attend due to COVID restrictions, and that was to be expected.

Thanks to all the delegates who pre-registered and made my job and the national staff’s job much easier. The staff is to be commended for the hard work they did prior to and during the Convention.

President McManus has asked me to continue on as the Credentials Committee Chair. With all of your help, it makes the position worth the time.

See you in Orlando in 2023.

BY LESLIE DeLONG, CHAIR

Ten proposed constitutional amendments were reported out of the Constitution Committee. Six were presented to the delegates at the 2021 National Convention. The four proposed amendments (02, 03, 08, and 10) not considered by the delegates dealt with authorizing online meetings on each level of the organization, and were not considered after the delegates adopted proposed amendment 01.

The results of the votes and the significance of each amendment follow:

Proposed Constitutional Amendment – 01, ADOPTED

Section Affected:

Article 4 General Provisions
New Section, Section 3
Proposed Change: Add a new section and re-number the sections following

Section 3 – Electronic Meetings
A. Meetings on all levels of the Corporation may be conducted through use of an Internet platform. The platform must include visible displays that:

1. Identify those members participating.
2. Identify those seeking recognition to speak.
3. Show the text of pending motions.
4. Show the result of votes.

B. The Internet platform must support anonymous voting. An anonymous vote conducted through the Internet platform shall be deemed a ballot vote, fulfilling the requirement that a vote be conducted by ballot.

Significance:

Welcome to the electronic age. This amendment authorizes Internet meetings on every level of VVA: national, state council, and chapter. However, be aware that this authorization has the restrictions listed above. This means that an Internet platform such as Zoom, Teams, or GoToMeeting must be used. Meetings cannot be conducted by email or conference calls or any other non-Internet means.

In addition, paragraph B stipulates that any vote taken by ballot, such as elections, must be done using an anonymous voting program such as Survey Monkey. These programs are not included in any of the Internet platforms we researched at this time and have to be purchased. Members may also vote to cast ballots for motions such as disciplinary procedures, financial matters, and other motions of a sensitive nature. Chapters and state councils will have to have in-person meetings to conduct these votes if they do not have access to one of the anonymous voting programs.

The 2022 National Leadership Conference will include presentations related to Internet meetings and how to run them. Every chapter and state council should make sure to send someone to these sessions.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment – 04, ADOPTED

Section Affected:

Article 1 National Provisions
Section 5, Paragraph F
Proposed Change: Strike the words indicated by the strike through and insert the bold underlined words.

F. The secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the national board and of the national Conventions in one or more books provided for that purpose or in electronic files that are appropriately backed-up; ensure that all notices are given in accordance with this Constitution or required by law; be custodian of the corporate records and of the seal of the Corporation and ensure that the seal of the Corporation is affixed to all documents, the execution of which has been authorized by the national board, or otherwise in accordance with this Constitution; and, in general, perform all the duties incident to the office of secretary and such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by the president or the national board. The secretary shall also ensure the amended National Constitution is available on vva.org and distributed electronically to state councils and chapters timely reproduction and distribution of the amended National Constitution to each chapter within sixty days of each national convention.

Significance:

This amendment officially brings VVA record keeping into the electronic age.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment – 05, ADOPTED

Section Affected:

Article 1 National Provisions
Section 6, Paragraph A
Proposed Change: Strike the number indicated by the strike through and insert the bold underlined number.

A. The Corporation shall hold a national biennial Convention in odd-numbered years at such times, dates, and places as may be designated by the national board. The national Convention shall be the highest authority of the Corporation. Except as otherwise provided in Section 6 5 of this article, the president shall preside as the chair of the Convention.

Significance:

None. This corrected an error that had gone unnoticed for many years.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment – 06, ADOPTED

Section Affected:

Article 1 National Provisions
Section 6, paragraph A
Proposed Change: Insert the bold underlined words.

A. The Corporation shall hold a national biennial Convention in odd-numbered years, unless otherwise ordered by the national board, at such times, dates, and places as may be designated by the national board. The national Convention shall be the highest authority of the Corporation. Except as otherwise provided in Section 6 of this article; the president shall preside as the chair of the Convention.

Significance:

According to the 12th edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised (56:33), this wording authorizes the National Board to change the date of the National Convention in an unusual circumstance, such as a pandemic, but only for that Convention in that particular circumstance. We hope we will never need to use this, but if VVA had not been able to change the date of the 2021 Convention to another date in 2021 and instead had to change it to 2022 or beyond, the organization would have been in violation of its own Constitution.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment – 07, FAILED

Section Affected:

Article 1 National Provisions
Section 7, Paragraph A, subparagraph 1 a
Proposed Change: Strike the words indicated by the strike through.

1. The Elections Committee shall generally supervise the election process, to include receiving nominations, distributing the names and qualifications of candidates to the delegates, chairing the National Convention during the election process, and certifying the results of said elections.

a. The Elections Committee shall set a date, not less than thirty days prior to the commencement of a national Convention, by which date all candidates must file with the committee an announcement of their candidacy. Additional candidates may be placed in nomination at the national convention by submission of a written petition naming the candidate and signed by twentyfive percent of the delegates, and by his or her showing compliance with the rules, requirements, and procedures of the elections committee, prior to the close of nominations at the national convention.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment – 09, ADOPTED

Section Affected:

Article 3 Chapter Provisions
Section 1
Proposed Change: Strike the words indicated by the strike through and insert the bold underlined words.

Twenty-five Fifteen members in good standing may petition for a charter. Upon receipt of the petition, the Corporation and the appropriate state council shall determine if the petitioning members have adopted the standards and policies of the Corporation as set forth in this document and state council bylaws.

Significance:

Twenty-five members are no longer needed to petition for a chapter charter. However, this does not change any other rules based on the number of members in a chapter, such as the number needed to have representation at the National Convention.

2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016
2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012
2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008
2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004
2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000