Bylaw Notification House of Delegates ARTICLE X COUNCILS. Section 2 House of Delegates ARTICLE XIII. BYLAW AMENDMENTS. Section 2 House of Delegates

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1 Page 1 Author: Subject: Governance Standing Committee: Ann Blair Kennedy, Chair; Mary Beth Braun- Hanson, Ruth McDonough, Becky Schwoebel, Todd Simmons, Lee Stang, Chris Voltarel - members; and Mark Tyle, staff liaison. Bylaw Notification House of Delegates ARTICLE X COUNCILS. Section 2 House of Delegates ARTICLE XIII. BYLAW AMENDMENTS. Section 2 House of Delegates Motion: Whereas: In 2014, the House of Delegates (HOD) passed a recommendation proposed by the South Carolina chapter that recommends to the National Board of Directors that: convention registration, travel expense, 2 nights lodging and 2 days per diem expenses for Delegates to travel to National Convention to attend the HOD meeting should be paid from the National Convention Budget; This item was assigned to the Finance Standing Committee and in 2015 the committee determined more information was needed to be able to make recommendations to the board; In 2016, the Governance Standing Committee was charged in Motion 0116:73 to research the House of Delegates structure, function, and purpose and bring forward recommendations; The Governance Committee has taken the following steps to research, assess and understand the function and purpose of the House of Delegates: o Researched structures of other Associations (concluding that the AMTA HOD has unique responsibilities and structure); o Conducted surveys with members and volunteers; Members report low awareness of HOD or the HOD outputs and little communication with delegates; Volunteers report the HOD provides value for the association; o Facilitated delegate/alternate delegate discussion forums on the Volunteer Hub and face-to-face at the 2016 HOD meeting; o Detailed results are below in Background section; Consideration has been given to the structural, legal, and culture aspects of the HOD; Data (shown below in the Background section) concludes that the current process for positon statement and recommendation approval through the HOD is time consuming with a low rate of adoption; Addressing issues that impact the profession aligns with the AMTA mission statement to serve AMTA members while advancing the art, science and practice of massage therapy; A new format for this assembly with differing outputs could help maintain the value for chapters and volunteers and possibly increase the value for general membership; There is benefit in having group(s) of massage therapists (members) from different states discuss issues impacting the profession to help bring forward relevant areas of interest for the association to consider; Transforming the HOD into a body that operates like a think tank and revising their scope and end product(s) could have a significant impact on the association and the profession; A think tank is generally defined as a group of practitioners who come together to influence policy, advocate ideas, and inform and participate in strategic communication with decision makers; 1,2 Think tanks can have a profound impact on public policy and drive change; 2

2 Page 2 Research indicates that think tanks are most productive when smaller in size depending on the scope and staff support. 3,4 This provides all participants with greater opportunity to participate; This would require a reduction in the size of the HOD; Reduction in the size of the HOD could reduce national and chapter expenses; Based on the above, the Governance Standing Committee recommends restructuring and renaming of the HOD to the Assembly of Delegates (AoD) with responsibilities, size, timelines, and purpose, effective with the 2018 gathering at National Convention in Washington, DC; Concepts and topics agreed upon by the AoD would be brought directly to the national board for consideration; and, Financial impact to be determined by the National Finance Committee. Therefore, I, move that the AMTA Board of Directors approve the proposed changes to Bylaws, Article X Councils Section 2 House of Delegates, Article X Councils Section 2 Assembly of Delegates and Article XIII Bylaw Amendments Section 2 House of Delegates, to become effective at the close of the 2017 House of Delegates meeting. Guiding Principles: The Finance Committee will revisit the recommendation passed by the 2014 House of Delegates with an answer to be provided to chapters for their 2018 budgeting cycles. Communication about the structure, responsibilities, and election process will begin upon approval of the Bylaw change. The online forum on the Volunteer Hub will be used to gather input throughout the year on various topics relevant to the Association. AoD members will be surveyed throughout the year regarding topics. References: 1. Shaw SE, Russell J, Greenhalgh T, Korica M. Thinking about think tanks in health care: a call for a new research agenda. Sociol Health Illn. 2014;36(3): doi: / Pautz H. Revisiting the think-tank phenomenon. Public Policy Adm. 2011;26(4): doi: / Mendizabal E. For think tanks, big is not always better. On Think Tanks: Independent Research, Ideas and Advice. Published February 3, Accessed February 19, Struyk RJ. Managing Think Tanks: Practical Guidance for Maturing Organizations. Expanded 2nd ed. Budapest: Local Government and Public Service Initiative, Open Society Institute; ARTICLE X. COUNCILS Section 2. House of Delegates A. Purposes The House of Delegates is a representative body of the membership that: 1. Approves AMTA position statements as per policy;

3 Page 3 2. Makes recommendations to the National Board of Directors, as per policy, regarding: a. AMTA bylaws; b. AMTA s mission and goals; c. Matters internal to the HOD; d. Business of the Association in general; 3. Hears reports pertinent to the business of the HOD. B. Composition 1. Candidate(s) for Delegate(s) must be Professional Classification members in good standing, and may be a candidate for Delegate only in the chapter to which they are assigned. 2. Members of the National Board of Directors, National Standing Committee Chairs, and National Commission Chairs shall not be eligible to serve as members of the House of Delegates for their Chapters. 3. Delegates and alternates shall be elected at the Chapter Annual Meeting unless chapter elections are held by some other means specified in approved Chapter Standing Rules. a. Delegate(s) shall be elected to a two-year term of office, beginning at the same time as chapter officers terms. Chapters with more than one delegate shall stagger the election of delegates. Chapters with an odd number of delegates will elect the greater half of their Delegates in odd numbered years. b. Delegate(s) shall serve no more than three consecutive elected terms. c. Alternate(s) shall be elected to a term of one year, beginning at the same time as Chapter officers terms. d. In the case of resignation or for any other reason a Delegate is unable to complete their entire term, an Alternate, according to the order of votes received, shall assume the Delegate position for the remainder of the unexpired term. e. A candidate for Delegate and/or Alternate shall not have been removed from any Chapter or National office/position within the last twelve months. 4. The number of Delegates allotted each Chapter shall be determined each year according to policy. 5. A chapter may not have more than five (5) delegates. 6. The number of Alternate positions available for election shall be equal to or exceed the Chapter s number of allotted Delegate positions unless otherwise specified in approved Chapter Standing Rules. C. Duties 1. Delegates shall be responsible for supporting the purposes and performing responsibilities of the House of Delegates as described in Bylaws, Policy, and Delegate Position Description. 2. Alternates shall be responsible for supporting the purposes and performing responsibilities of the House of Delegates as described in Bylaws, Policy, and Delegate Position Description should they succeed to the position of Delegate. 3. Chapter boards may assign additional Chapter responsibilities to Delegates and Alternates. D. Meetings 1. The HOD shall convene annually at the National Convention.

4 Page 4 2. The Moderator of the HOD shall be appointed by the President. The duties of the Moderator shall be to conduct the meeting of the HOD while it is in official session at the National Convention. 3. Quorum and Voting a. A majority of delegate points when the HOD convenes shall constitute a quorum. i) If members withdraw, leaving less than a quorum, the HOD may continue to do business with the provision that any action taken is approved by at least a majority of that quorum. b. Each credentialed delegate shall be entitled to only one vote when voting on the business of the HOD. i) Each individual delegate vote shall be multiplied by the number of points assigned to that delegate. ii) The number of points assigned to a delegate is determined by dividing the number of professional classification members assigned to the chapter, according to the January 1 census, by the number of delegates per chapter. c. When considering AMTA position statements a two-thirds (2/3) majority is required. d. Each credentialed delegate shall be entitled to only one vote when considering parliamentary questions and in adopting the Agenda and the rules of the HOD. e. Direction on how to vote by the chapter board, chapter delegation or by vote of the membership shall not be binding upon the delegate. E. Rules The HOD shall adopt Rules of Procedure. Such rules are permanent as amended and may not be inconsistent with AMTA Bylaws or Policies. ARTICLE X COUNCILS Section 2. Assembly of Delegates (Assembly or AoD) A. Purposes 1. Provides input regarding items brought forward for discussion as it pertains to the potential impact within each state. 2. Selects and prioritizes AMTA position statement ideas to be sent to writing group(s). 3. Operates in accordance with AMTA Policy B. Composition 1. Candidate(s) for Delegate must be a Professional member in good standing, can only represent the chapter to which they are assigned, and must follow code of conduct, position description, and policy. 2. Each chapter is allotted a maximum of two (2) Delegates and must notify the National office by March 1 of each year if they will be sending 1 or 2 Delegates for each given year. 3. Members of the National Board of Directors, National Standing Committee Chairs, and National Commission Chairs shall not be eligible to serve as members of the Assembly of Delegates for their chapters. 4. Delegates shall be elected at the Chapter Annual Meeting unless chapter elections are held by some other means specified in approved Chapter Standing Rules.

5 Page 5 a. Delegate(s) shall be elected to a two-year term of office, beginning at the same time as chapter officers terms and shall be elected in alternating years. b. Delegate(s) shall serve no more than three consecutive elected terms. c. In the case of resignation or for any other reason a Delegate is unable to complete their entire term; the chapter board shall appoint an eligible volunteer to assume the Delegate position for the remainder of the unexpired term. d. A candidate for Delegate shall not have been removed from any Chapter or National office/position within the last twelve months. C. Duties 1. Delegates shall be responsible for supporting the purposes and performing responsibilities of the Assembly as described in Bylaws, Policy, and Delegate Position Description. D. Meetings 1. The Assembly shall convene annually at the National Convention. 2. The Moderator of the Assembly of Delegates shall be appointed by the National President. The duties of the Moderator shall be: a. To facilitate and host the meeting of the Assembly while it is in official session at the National Convention and; b. To manage the online Forum for education and discussion. 3. Quorum and Voting a. A simple majority of Delegates when the Assembly convenes shall constitute a quorum. b. Each Delegate shall be entitled to only one vote when voting on the business of the Assembly. c. Direction on how to vote by the chapter board or the membership shall not be binding upon the Delegate. ARTICLE XIII. BYLAW AMENDMENTS Section 2. House of Delegates Bylaw amendments may be proposed by the House of Delegates, upon proper submittal in accordance with AMTA Policy. Background Data and Discussion In order to thoroughly understand and assess the role of the House of Delegates, the Governance Committee conducted extensive research resulting in the following: Current financial impact estimates: o National: $35,000 o Chapters: $69,000 o Total between: $110,000-$120,000; o This is what is what is readily identifiable in the General Ledger;

6 Page 6 o This does not necessarily reflect actual levels of reimbursement related to volunteers who are in multiple volunteer positions; Comparison to other Association practices: Research revealed there was no consistent way in which associations structured and utilized Houses of Delegates; however, some associations publish their position statements in scientific literature; Challenges: The following challenges were identified through survey results and during the on-site discussion at the 2016 HOD meeting in Milwaukee. Position Statements Position statements must go through a rigorous process to be brought to the House o The process can discourage authors o The number of position statements brought forward has decreased in the past several years Recommendations Recommendations are not thoroughly vetted using the same rigorous process as position statements; o Current process for bringing forward recommendations to the House of Delegates does not require any research, discussion with staff, surveying of chapters, or evidence from the chapter which proposes the recommendation; Delegates Many chapters use the delegate position to recruit new volunteers and treat the position as entry-level for volunteering. This creates the potential for an inexperienced volunteer to become a delegate without clear understanding of the role which can lead to a poor volunteer experience; Training for delegates is inconsistent and at times delegates do not feel prepared to fulfill their duties; Delegates may not have the training/knowledge/education to adequately evaluate and approve position statements; Data Results from past submittals presented to the House of Delegates Position Statements Time Frame: individual position statements covering 19 topics were voted on in the House of Delegates; o 15 were passed and adopted by the association; o 23% passed on the first presentation o 29% passed on the first or second presentation; Recommendations Time Frame: recommendations were considered by the House of Delegates; o 8 did not pass; o 15 passed and were sent to the National Board of Directors for consideration; 7 recommendations that passed did not go forward;

7 Page 7 o The recommendation was already in process at the national level, The recommendation was not financially viable, The recommendation conflicted with the AMTA strategic plan; 5 of the recommendations were implemented; 3 are currently in review and pending; Recommendation topics: Ten (10) pertaining to chapters Five (5) pertaining to House of Delegates or Delegates Three (3) pertaining to education Two (2) pertaining to position statements Two (2) pertaining to outside organizations/collaboration One (1) pertaining to staff Surveys Member Survey: 3,000 members, not including current volunteers, were surveyed twice; 4.5% and 4% response rate respectively 258 total responses; Results: 61% were not aware of the existence of the House of Delegates; 90% indicated they have never been contacted by their chapter delegates about position statements or recommendations 84% have not responded to any communication (newsletter, social media, website) regarding position statements or recommendations. Only a total of 5 individuals (2%) indicated that they remembered using a position statement passed by the House of Delegates Volunteer Survey 560 were surveyed 33.2% response rate Results: 67% have served as a delegate or alternate delegate 78% feel the House of Delegates provides value to the association 47% of the volunteers indicate that they have ever used a position statement. 52% (Slightly or Completely agree) feel that the only way for the chapter s voice to be heard is through the House of Delegates 62% (Slightly or Completely agree) feel that the House of Delegates provides a way for average member s voice to be heard by the National Board of Directors 70% (Slightly or Completely agree) feel that the House of Delegates is the voice of the members. 46% (Slightly or Completely agree) feel that the ONLY way for a members voice to be heard is through the House of Delegates 49%(Slightly or Completely agree) feel that the only way for the National Board of Directors to consider recommendations from chapters is through the House of Delegates Qualitative Research obtained through discussion on the Delegate Forum on the Volunteer Hub and during the 2016 House of Delegates meeting o Multiple topics were discussed and identified. In addition to the challenges mentioned previously, the delegates spoke of: The value gained from being a delegate

8 Page 8 Discussion/Summary Great onsite experience Local meetings Recruit new talent; The concept that the HOD is the voice of the membership; The House of Delegates being the vehicle that drives the member driven portion part of our association; The HOD is there to provide checks and balances to actions of the National Board of Directors; Possibility of using the HOD for helping with legislation and government relations purposes in the future and to help in the position statement development process; Thorough review of the qualitative and quantitative data obtained and shown above helped shape the work of the Governance committee and guide their recommendation for a change in the structure and purpose of this volunteer body. The association guides decisions by using data gained through research done quantitatively through surveys; however, a qualitative filter is also useful and necessary; Having quantitative data allows us to understand how much but does not answer the what, how, why or context in which the how much is understood; therefore, Qualitative data is introduced and allows for; o Understanding meaning o Understanding context o Identifying unanticipated phenomenon or influences o Understanding process rather outcomes o Collaboration The level of data collected for this assignment provided both qualitative and quantitative information from both members and volunteers/delegates. The Governance Committee took this information and has summarized it as follows: House of Delegates: Purpose and Value The volunteer/delegate belief that the HoD serves as the voice of the members is inconsistent with the member survey data indicating that the members are rarely contacted for comment on items brought before the HoD; Nearly 80% of the volunteers who answered the survey feel that the House of Delegates provides value for the association; however, those same viewpoints are not mirrored in the data provided by the members (non-volunteers); The Association embodies the term member driven by obtaining member input through surveys and other means; o The information obtained is used by the national board to guide the Association the support member needs; Recommendation: Repurpose and rename the HoD to the Assembly of Delegates (AoD) The Assembly of Delegates will discuss, select and prioritize position statement ideas to be sent to writing group(s);

9 Page 9 There is value in having groups of massage therapists from different states discuss issues impacting the profession as it can help to triangulate, validate, and give context to our quantitative data; The AoD will act as a think tank to discuss topics coming from the Board of Directors and other interested groups that are of potential value to the association and the profession. Position Statements: Use and Awareness While AMTA uses approved position statements and citations supporting position statements in a variety of consumer, massage therapy profession, government relations and health care industry communications; the survey results indicate that few the members or the volunteers appear to use the position statements in their current format; Changes in the production, dissemination, and approval of position statements could make them more relevant to the association, the members, and the profession; Recommendation: Change the process for creating and disseminating position statements. AoD will approve and prioritize position statement topics; Process will be housed in policy and/or procedure and may include, but not be limited to: o Position statement ideas could be generated by any member or by the board and then brought to the AoD; o Writing groups will be created to take the proposed position statement ideas, survey the scientific literature, and create manuscripts that can then be published in the scientific literature; o Publishing the position statements in the scientific literature can increase the visibility of the Association and improve the impact of our position statements; Recommendations: Purpose In the current format, recommendations do not have to go through any rigorous process to be presented to the HoD which may be one reason for the lack of action by the Board of Directors; Other methods exist for the chapters to bring ideas to the Board of Directors including contacting board members, contacting committee chairs, and contacting staff; however, the process and procedure for this can be better communicated to the volunteers and general membership; While the House of Delegates is valued and cherished by the volunteers, in its current format, with the current output/products, structure, function, and purpose does not appear to benefit the general membership; Recommendation: Investigate new formats and communication/awareness methods for the process of bringing recommendation to the national board; Investigating new formats for this assembly with differing outputs could help maintain the value for chapters and volunteers and possibly increase the value for general membership; Conclusions: Costs

10 Page 10 A reasonable estimate of saving can be based on the proportionate reduction in size of the House; That savings would be approximately $18,000 for chapters overall and approximately $10,000 for National; The Governance Committee is recommending the following: Rename the HoD: Assembly of Delegates. Repurpose the HoD: Discuss, select, and prioritize position statement ideas/topics/concepts. See separate Bylaw notification which discusses the repurposing/decommissioning of the Position Statement Review Commission with writing groups to research and write position statements for publication in scientific literature and journals. Writing groups will be populated with subject matter experts in the area/topic chosen.