Due to COVID-19 restrictions and concerns, the Texas State Association of Parliamentarians Annual Convention will be virtual. This year has been a challenge to all of us but we are overcoming. Just as the units have conducted business at a distance, so will the annual convention.
What does virtual mean for the conduct of business at the convention? The usual business will still happen. Business sessions with the most important items members typically attend to participate in and witness; bylaw amendments, election ofofficers, nominating committee elections, and installation of officers are in the program. We also have the pleasure of being joined by NAP Vice President, Wanda Sims, PRP, as the NAP Representative and NAP Parliamentarian, Tim Wynn, PRP, as a guest pre senter for the Friday afternoon workshop. There will be workshops on Saturday presented Kirk Overbey, PRP, Nancy Sylvester, PRP, CPP-T, Kay Crews, PRP, CPP-T, and Valoree Althoff, PRP, CP-T.
Convention Committee Chairman, Xiomara Thomas, RP, and the convention committee are planning an exciting convention. Fashika Willis, PRP, Cynthia A. Bell, RP, Charles Bowles, and the entire Public Relations Committee are employing the technology to conduct business easily, efficiently, and giving the delegates, members, and visitors the ability to meet, vote,participate, and enjoy the convention.
The nominating committee is presenting a slate of officers for year 2021-2022. Coming together and physically meeting is a strong testament to your dedication, commitment, and professionalism. This effort hasn’t gone unnoticed.
The units and the presidents held it together, you are tremendous leaders. The year started with a plan to provide technology to assist the units in conducting their meetings in the midst of the pandemic but, without a hitch, the presidents already had their unit’s meeting, studying, educating, credentialing, and receiving and testing new members. Flonnie Mae Larimer Parliamentary Unit held its 64th Anniversary Celebra- tion and Golden Gavel Registered Unit held its 42nd Anniversary Celebration. Two very successful symposiums, Flonnie Mae Larimer Parliamentary Unit’s Leadership Essen- tials Symposium and the Sounding Block Unit Parliamentary Law Symposium showed us how technology can work for us to teach parliamentary procedure in TSAP. Study groups for membership and RP examinations are too many to count, however, the Sounding BlockUnit’s study netted 39 regular members for TSAP.
Our members have demonstrated a love of parliamentary procedure and com- mitment to learning. Faith, strength, and support kept up the purpose of the study of parliamentary procedure. As demonstrated by the TSAP Board of Directors providing a solid crutch to lean on.
Thank you all for staying engaged as we built leaders, educated our members and the community. The association transformed into an electronic and physically present organization that will allow TSAP to sustain itself for years to come.