Cover Story
APA members will be voting this fall on an amendment to APA's bylaws. The proposed amendment would remove language that requires proposed bylaws amendments to be accompanied by pro and con statements unless two-thirds of the Council of Representatives vote that the statements are unnecessary.
The proposed new language, along with an Association Rules change approved by council, would require that all bylaw amendment ballots include an explanation of the proposed amendment, but eliminate pro/con statements altogether.
At its August meeting, the Council of Representatives approved the submission of the amendment to the membership and voted to send an accompanying pro/con statement.
The amendment ballot and pro/con statement will be sent to members with the Apportionment Ballot on Oct. 31. Below is the revised bylaws amendment; bracketed text would be deleted.
BYLAW ARTICLE XX, Amendments, Section 2
2. Amendments may be proposed (a) by Council, (b) by the Policy and Planning Board, (c) by the Board of Directors when approved by Council by a majority vote, or (d) by petition signed by four percent or more of the Members of the Association. A copy of each amendment proposed, with space appropriate for voting and such explanations of the amendments [are as deemed necessary], shall be mailed to the last recorded address of each Fellow, Member, and voting Associate member. [Pro and con statements shall accompany amendments unless two-thirds of the representatives present and voting consider such statements to be unnecessary.] Forty-five days after the date of mailing, the poll shall be closed and the votes counted by the Election Committee, which shall certify the result to Council at its next meeting, at which time the amendment, if passed by two-thirds of all the Members voting, shall take effect.
--D. SMITH BAILEY
