I have put together a request for an agenda item for tomorrow's meeting, and sent it to the BOD via the online form, and also put it in teh AATA forum as a response to Judy's thoughts and perspectives. Here it is as a whole:

I am requesting time during the All-member meeting to discuss strategies and policies to reinstitute a means of addressing and discussing with the board as a whole, issues and concerns that affect our membership.

While I recognize the Executive Director's position about Resolutions and the accompanying committee and its ineffectiveness, particularly as she has communicated this to me many times given my position as the Res Com chairperson, I feel that in eliminating this process we have lost the ability and opportunity to formally open a dialogue with the entire board of directors and open it for input and discussion amongst attending members.

By reducing our avenues of communication to merely direct connection to the President, or offering us the "opportunity" to communicate via email to any of the board directors directly, we lose the benefits of discourse and connection. Again, while I recognize that the Exec Director's position has been that the resolution committee and the process has been ineffective, there are many of us who remember when it indeed has been valuable, providing us a means to be heard.

I also recognize clearly the Exec Director's position that having all member meetings at the conference smacks of elitism because not all members attend the conference, as she indicated to me during the last meeting. While this is a flawed position for many reasons--and we should certainly discuss this as well--

I am requesting that we discuss at the next meeting that the AATA develop a process in which people can:

--submit formal concerns, talking points, and any considerations for changes in any policies, procedures, bylaws and statutes [similar to what were once resolutions but, given the ED's position on this, we could call it something else];

--that they get disseminated to the membership several days to a week prior to a town hall meeting established specifically to facilitate open dialogue with the membership [similar to what the business meetings at the conference were like, but we could do so virtually];

--that such town hall meetings be held at minimum quarterly-- 3 times virtually and one time at the conference; that an independent committee be established to determine the process and format of this process [similar to the RC];

--the entire BOD be expected to attend, and participate in this process;

--and that related motions put forte and determined by the BOD based on these requests be published and/or disseminated in a manner to indicate that such requests and concerns are being addressed, and potentially how [similar to how the BOD responses to resolutions used to be published in our quarterly newsletter].

This would go a long way to beginning the process of reestablishing trust with those we voted in.

Thank you and I look forward to the discussion.