C ALLING ALL MEMBERS Atl A ntA • Geor G i A

44th NAP Biennial Convention

September 6-10, 2023

Join NAP in A-Town

nAP’s journey FRoM GooD To GREAT is going through Atlanta!

The 44th Biennial Convention will take place September 6-10, 2023, at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel. Join hundreds of your fellow parliamentarians gathering there to learn, network, and conduct business (meetings).

This year’s event begins on Wednesday, September 6, with an in-person bylaws forum. The Opening Ceremony and first business meeting session kick off the afternoon, concluding with a welcome reception. See and experience parliamentary procedure in action as the business meetings continue on Thursday and Friday. There is no better place to gain experience and learn parliamentary procedure than by attending the NAP business meetings. Continue that education during Saturday’s workshops. With 20 sessions to choose from, you’ll be sure to find quality education that fits your needs.

See you in Atlanta!

Explore the Big Peach

Once you arrive at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel, you’ll be just steps away from some of the best dining, shopping, and entertainment Atlanta has to offer. The Battery Atlanta offers the perfect mix of boutique shopping, craft eateries for every palette, and a variety of entertainment options. In addition, The Battery is adjacent to Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves and the site of the NAPEF Fundraiser on Friday, September 8, 2023.

You’ll find a diverse arts and cultural scene closer to the city. The High Museum of Art features over 18,000 works of art from around the world. Visit the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park and peek inside the home where Dr. King was born or join Atlanta’s Black History and Civil Rights Tour to explore the city’s key neighborhoods, landmarks, and more.

Just a few blocks from the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park is downtown Atlanta. Here you’ll find shopping, dining, and entertainment for every taste. Speaking of taste, visit the tasting room at the World of Coca Cola and sample 100 different flavors. After that refreshing stop, take a tour of Centennial Olympic Park and enjoy the gardens, Fountain of Rings, and The Spectacular – the parks Olympic rings and the perfect selfie spot.

So come early and take advantage of all the capital of Georgia has to offer.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Practice makes perfect!

A Parliamentary Experience: Learning Labs for Presiding and Serving as Parliamentarian

Practice your skills Saturday, September 9, 2023, in the Parliamentary Learning Labs. Back by popular demand, these labs provide a safe space for beginner through advanced members to practice presiding and serving as parliamentarian and receive constructive feedback from experienced parliamentarians. These labs are available only to in-person attendees. There is an additional $25 fee to register which will be refunded upon verification of participation.

Sign up for A Parliamentary Experience when registering for convention. Already registered? Call NAP HQ and we’ll sign you up.

UPDATED Schedule at a Glance

2023 conVEnTion ScHEDUlE Schedule is subject to change. See napconvention.com for the latest information. Meal functions in blue are included in the registration fee.

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

The First-Timer’s Orientation and Bylaws Forum & Delegate Orientation will be held prior to Convention via Zoom. Date and time TBA.

Sunday, September 10, 2023

2023 PoST-conVEnTion EVEnTS nAP PRoFESSionAl DEVEloPMEnT EVEnTS

Schedule subject to change. See napconvention.com for the latest information.

Separate registration required.

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Monday, September 11, 2023

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Educational Sessions at the 44th Biennial Convention

This list is subject to change. Please check www.napconvention.com for an updated listing.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2023 committees Are crucial!

Carl Nohr, PRP

Committees play a crucial role in getting things done. Work can be divided up, discussion can be focussed, and stakeholders can be represented. To be effective, committees must be structured correctly within the authority of the organization. The role of the committee must be clear. The members must know their duties, and how to work effectively in a committee as a member or chair. In this workshop, we will cover the material in Domain 4, Leader Section of the NAP Body of Knowledge, and the Committees Section of the Registered Parliamentarians Performance Expectations. Whether you really enjoy or dislike committees, there will be something in this workshop for you!

“Help Me!” i Have a Question!

Daniel Jackson, PRP

Have you ever sat in a totally ineffective and disorganized meeting? You have a question, want to make a recommendation, and you have concerns about the presiding officer. You want to ask questions and give input, but you don’t know how to do it and are fearful that you will not be recognized. What do you do? Do you sit back and endure the “pain” or do you make a parliamentary inquiry, point of information, or even a point of order? Each motion has a specific purpose and a strategy for its use. Come and explore how to use each. Don’t forget to bring your Robert’s Rules of Order. The training will be fun and fast-paced. new Delegate orientation

David Jackson, PRP Participants should be able to: Understand the needs of new delegates & Identify components of a New Delegate Orientation.

Bringing closure: The Qualified, Debatable Motion to Adjourn

Finos Johnson, PRP

A case study on using the debatable motion to adjourn as an effective means to identify the will of the majority, to protect the rights of the minority, and to avoid any appearance of heavy-handedness in maneuvering a high-profile meeting to a successful and satisfactory conclusion.

What Parliamentarians need to Know about Homeowner & condominium Associations

Jim Slaughter, PRP

Thinking about serving as parliamentarian to a homeowner or condominium association? What you don’t know could hurt you (and your client)! Join attorney and PRP Jim Slaughter for a discussion of how community associations (HOAs/ condos) are different than other types of organizations, including governing documents, statutes, and danger areas to avoid.

Suspending the Rules: When You need To Do What They Say can’t Be Done

Adam Hathaway, PRP

When it is desired that the assembly take up a question or do something that would be in violation of a rule that applies, it can be proposed in some cases to Suspend the Rules to permit accomplishment of the desired purpose. This session will explain the Standard Descriptive Characteristics of the incidental motion to Suspend the Rules. It will also cover the rules that cannot be suspended as well as best practices for processing the motion. Real world examples will be used to help illustrate the lesson.

Serving as a Floor Parliamentarian

C.J. Cavin, PRP

Many of us understand the general role of the parliamentarian, which is to advise the presiding officer and the organization to make the best decision. But do we understand what the role of the floor parliamentarian is? This workshop will discuss what a floor parliamentarian is, how the job is different from the “traditional” parliamentarian, what expectations exist with the client, and professional responsibility considerations.

Author’s corner

Jim Slaughter, PRP, Nancy Sylvester, PRP, and Moderator, Kay Crews, PRP

Join us as NAP presents Authors’ Corner with a once in a lifetime opportunity to take part in a roundtable discussion with Nancy Sylvester, MA, PRP, CPP-T and Jim Slaughter, PRP, CPP-T, JD. The nationally known authors will share their thoughts on such subjects as why they began writing, who their target audiences are, tips on how to get published, how their works may be used in preparing for credentialing, and advice for aspiring authors. Attendees get an opportunity to purchase signed copy of their parliamentary educational materials that include:

Works by Jim Slaughter, PRP, CPP-T, JD.

• The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Parliamentary Procedure Fast Track

• Notes and Comments on Robert’s Rules, Fourth Edition

• Robert’s Rules of order Fast track: the Brief and Easy Guide to Parliamentary Procedure for the Modern Meeting

• Notes and Comments on Robert’s Rules, Fifth Edition

Works by Nancy Sylvester, MA, PRP, CPP-T

• The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Robert’s Rules

• Guerrilla’s Guide to Robert’s Rules

incidental not Accidental

Johnine Clark, PRP

This workshop will be an overview of the incidental motions and how, when and when not to best use them.

How to Have a Successful PRP Business.

Kirby Glad, PRP

This presentation covers the ins-and-outs of actually making money as a PRP. We will discuss marketing, price setting, customer service, getting repeat business and referrals. How to turn your hobby into a business. If you already have a successful PRP practice, please come and share the benefit of your experience.

Parliamentarian v. lawyer: Presenting the case for when an organization needs a lawyer rather than a parliamentarian. American College of Parliamentary Lawyers

RONR Applications in Small Boards

John Berg, PRP

Practical application of RONR rules for small board and for committees allow for more time-efficient and fair meetings.

Google classroom for Parliamentary Procedure

Lucy Anderson, PRP

The workshop demonstrates how Google Classroom is used as a platform for teaching and mentoring members who are studying to attain a parliamentary credential.

Professional Standards Update

Professional Standards Committee

The Minutes Say What?

Tamara Harris, PRP commission on credentialing Update

Minutes are not He say, She say! Minutes are the official record of the meeting. The minutes record what was “done” and not what was said. The accuracy of the minutes are essential for all organizations and this workshop provides an instructional lesson of what to and not to include in the minutes.

Commission on Credentialing navigating the Bylaws Maze: Application, interpretation, and Suspension

Donald Garrett, PRP

Unlock the secrets of effective governance!

Discover how to decipher and apply the different sections of bylaws, explore proven strategies for interpretation, and learn the rules for when suspending bylaws is allowed. Engaging examples will empower you to confidently navigate the complexities of bylaws, ensuring organizational success and impactful decision-making.

Beyond the Book

Eli Mina, PRP increasing Your RONR Ranking Expertise

As professionals in the field of meeting management, we can make the difference that our clients desperately need and deserve, but only if we use as our motto a phrase imbedded in RONR paragraph 47:6: “… any presiding officer will do well to bear in mind that no rules can take the place of tact and common sense on the part of the chairman.” Guided by this phrase, we must resist the temptation to respond to a client’s question by automatically looking for a book-based answer. Instead, we must identify the precise problem that a client is facing, and only then consult a parliamentary manual. All of us love RONR, but we also need pragmatic tool boxes that may go beyond the book.

Jennifer Nickel, RP

Survey of common resources and search terms to help parliamentarians discover where RONR may be outranked in determining commonly relevant bodies of law applicable in your state. Reviews relevant distinctions between different types of organizations using parliamentarians and common methods that can be used at no cost to discover discrepancies.

Getting Down to Business:

Forming a limited liability company for Your Parliamentary Enterprise

Susan Eads Role, PRP

This workshop equips attendees with information needed to start up an LLC and covers other considerations, including business licenses, home occupation permits, professional liability insurance, financial institution services, and taxation.

How to Register

Choose one of these convenient secure options to sign up early for the 44th Biennial Convention:

• Register online at napconvention.com

• Register by mail or fax using the accompanying registration form

• Register by calling 816.833.3892

Whichever method you use, be sure to register early and save!

Registration & Activity Fees in-PERSon MEMBERS non-MEMBERS STUDEnTS

Convention registration fees include admission to all business and educational sessions, including the Closing Ceremony Sunday; Welcome Reception Wednesday; buffet breakfasts on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; Past-President’s Luncheon Thursday; Awards Luncheon Friday; and the Installation of Officers Dinner Saturday, and the Breakfast and Closing Ceremony Sunday. As an added bonus, registrants will have online access to any supporting materials for educational sessions and free access to recordings of all educational sessions for up to 90 days after posting.

Saturday-only registration includes meals offered that day.

c A nc E ll AT ion P olic Y

Registration refund requests must be received in writing by NAP Headquarters no later than August 24, 2023. A $75 cancellation fee will apply. No refunds will be issued for no-shows or cancellations received after August 24, 2023. A $30 handling fee will be assessed for all returned checks.

Where to Stay & How to Get There

The 2023 Convention will be held at the upscale Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. The hotel is located near the Cobb Galleria Centre, The Battery Atlanta, and Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves.

The 2023 Convention rate is $144 (plus taxes) for king or double rooms.

Register by going to https://tinyurl.com/2t3bytsr, by calling the hotel directly at 888.391.8724 or by scanning the QR code with your smart device. The convention rate is effective for stays beginning Saturday, September 2, through Tuesday, September 12. Be sure to reserve your room early!

Reservation deadline is August 16, 2023.

Transportation to and from the Airport

The Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel is about 23 miles from the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The best way to get to the hotel from the airport is by taxi, Uber, or Lyft.

If driving to the hotel, the hotel offers discounted self-parking for $6.

Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel & convention center

2450 Galleria Parkway Atlanta, GA 30339

888.391.8724

[ree-pôrtz´] (n)

Here’s a quick quiz to start you off and challenge you about what to do with a report .

For each of these challenges use this key to answer the repeated question:

A. Accept it

B. Adopt it

C. Approve it

D. Ratify it

E. Receive it

1 . A treasurer’s report has just been read at your regular meeting . What do you do now?

2 . A financial review committee has just read its end-of-year report at your annual meeting . What do you do now?

3 . A nominating committee has just read its report of officer nominations . What do you do now?

4 . A special committee to plan the end-of-year party has just read its final report . What do you do now?

5 . A bylaws committee has just read a report that includes notice of a bylaw amendment . What do you do now?

6 . A secretary has just read the minutes from the prior meeting . What do you do now?

What do you do in each case (1-6)? The same action in each? No action needed at all?

We all know that you never “approve” or “adopt” a regular treasurer’s report (#1), but what do you do with it after having heard it read? And what about the other reports mentioned above? Let’s delve into these five terms (A-B-C-D-E) as explained in RONR and discover their meanings and uses [as cited in the 12th edition] .

Looking up the term “accept” (A) in the 12th edition index only leads the reader to: “See adopt” (B) . So no help there . We’d then better go to “adopt” in the index, and now we have some guidance . RONR uses this term to indicate the action of an assembly to “carry” or “adopt” or “agree to” what any motion proposes [4:3, 4:43(2) and 4:49] . This term is also used in RONR to “adopt” recommendations from a committee report [10:5] or an officer’s report [10:52] or “adopt” an entire report [51:13], which has the effect of an assembly endorsing the entire report word-for-word, as with an auditor’s report [48:25] . But back to “accept” (A) . Although not in the index, RONR does use the term in the text as a stand-alone in such matters as when the treasurer’s individual reports are referred for financial review, in which case, “it is the auditors’ report which the assembly accepts . ” [48:24]

Let’s keep going . Does RONR mention “approving” (C) a report? Again, going to the 12th edition index, the reader may find an entry for approval of minutes with the referral to “See: minutes, reading and approval of . ” But “approval” of minutes is a different process from the “approval” of a report, especially a treasurer’s report . So, keep looking . The index has a stand-alone entry for “approve” which says: “See “ratify . ” So, let’s do that . “Ratify” (D) (also called “confirm” [10:54]) has a number of uses in RONR such as validating (a word that does not itself appear in RONR) some action taken when no quorum was present [40:9], an action taken outside the scope of notice of a special meeting [9:15] or a variety of other actions [10:54-57] . But “ratifying” a committee report is not one of them .

So that leaves us with exploring “receive” (E) . Might this be the action you would take to move on from a treasurer’s report or a report from a nominating committee? Let’s look at it in the 12th edition index . Nope; “receive” is not there as a stand-alone; but fortunately, under the heading of “Reports,” we do find “receive,” and that’s all we need to know . But before we go to those references, just remember that no motion to “receive” a report after it has been read is in order [3:27] . But “when the assembly hears the report thus read or orally rendered, it receives the report,” which requires no action [51:9] . It is an error “to move that a report ‘be received’ after it has been read—apparently on the supposition that such a motion is necessary in order for the report to be taken under consideration or to be recorded as having been made . ” [51:15]

So after all of these explanations of actions A through E, what are the answers to the 6 quiz questions? After you’ve read about each possible term, you may want to try the quiz again . Ready for the answers? Sorry, but you won’t find an unmistakable answer key in RONR . The following is a possible answer sheet filled out by the author based on his understanding of these challenging terms . How do you think he did? These may be correct in the eyes of RONR—or they may not if the author got them wrong . You may agree or disagree with him . If the former, hopefully you’ve learned something about the terms . If the latter, feel free to challenge the author and we’ll both learn something more!

Answers on page 34.