OFFICER'S REPORTS
Laurie Guenther, ACP
WDALA Parliamentarian
Bylaw Amendment
A Bylaw amendment has been presented to the Board to add an emeritus membership category. Emeritus membership would be available for a WDALA member who is 55 years of age or older and no longer employed as a paralegal/legal assistant, or a WDALA member who becomes permanently disabled and stops working as a paralegal/legal assistant. This proposed amendment will be voted on by the voting members present at the WDALA Annual Meeting.
Standing Rule Amendments
Eliminate Seminar Fee Waiver for First Vice President
It has been proposed that the waiver of seminar fees for the First Vice President be eliminated. The fee waiver was implemented at a time when the First Vice President was planning the seminars alone and then still being required to pay the seminar fee. It was, at that time, viewed as unfair to the First Vice President. Because the First Vice President position is supposed to function (and has appropriately evolved) as a supervisory role over the Education Committee, it is proposed that the waiver be discontinued.
Board Expenses
It has been proposed (1) to expand the reimbursement allowed to Board members attending WDALA Board meetings and the annual membership meeting to allow for reimbursement of meals during Board meetings; and (2) to expand the reimbursement allowed for the President and NALA Liaison attending the NALA annual meeting to allow for reimbursement of lodging expenses no greater than the seminar hotel rate, instead of only half of the seminar hotel rate.
These Standing Rule amendments will be voted on by the Board at the WDALA Annual Meeting.
Membership Application
The membership application is being updated to make membership categories clearer and to add “paralegal” to conform to NALA’s membership application and WDALA’s Bylaws. These changes require approval of the membership and the NALA Affiliated Associations Director. The proposed changes will be voted on by the voting members present at the WDALA Annual Meeting in September. If approved, the application will then be forwarded to the NALA Affiliated Associations Director for approval.
The Board has been working on amendments to the Bylaws, Standing Rules, and Membership Application. All of these items will be voted on at the WDALA Annual Meeting in September 2016. A summary of the proposed changes are as follows.