2022 USAWA NATIONAL MEETING AGENDA ITEMS: No. 4

By Dan Wagman

(this is one in a series of proposals submitted by Dan Wagman for discussion at our national meeting)

Send queries to Wagman2022Agenda@icloud.com

  1. INCREASE EASE OF NATIONAL MEETING PARTICIPATION

Discussions on USAWA’s Forum have revealed that the participation rate in our National Meeting is “dismal.” Some Forum participants admitted to skipping the meeting after a meet. Increasing the ease by which members can participate in the National Meeting is a huge benefit to the organization and can itself be achieved with great ease. The following steps are recommended and put to the Membership for a vote:

  1. Establish a deadline by which the National Meeting Agenda Items must be submitted to the Secretary or other responsible individual(s)—perhaps 30 days prior to the meeting;
  2. Publish the Agenda Items on USAWA’s website and/or Facebook page by a second deadline—perhaps 15 days prior to the meeting;
  3. Use Skype, Zoom, Google Meet, etc., and even smartphones multi-conferencing service that would allow a member to call in to the meeting and participate, even if he/she is on the way back home after competing.
  4. Eliminate the following sentences from the Bylaws:

7.H. Membership votes at the Annual National Meeting are done by the membership present. No absentee or proxy votes are allowed.

The purpose of this is to allow those who cannot attend the National Meeting, for any number of reasons, to nevertheless cast a vote by being present electronically. Moreover, providing for proxy votes also increases representation of the membership.