During the NCRA Annual Business meeting on Thursday, July 31, outgoing NCRA President Nancy Varallo announced a new initiative for promoting the profession, Students First. In addition, members had the chance to discuss the three proposed Constitution and Bylaws amendments that were put forward for voting. The bylaws amendments offered a clarification to the process of committee appointments; a clarification on who may be nominated as a Fellow for the Academy of Court Reporting; and permitted an increase in the number of people to serve on the committee on Professional Ethics. Based on the discussion of the members at the Annual Business Meeting, the second amendment, concerning the change to the nomination criteria for Fellows, was postponed indefinitely.
Online voting opened after the Annual Business Meeting adjourned and was open for 12 hours. 381 Members cast votes. To pass, bylaws amendments must receive at least two-thirds (2/3) affirmation by the Voting Members who are voting by electronic mail or other authorized means of electronic transmission.
The following Bylaws amendments were passed:
Article VI – Officers, Section 6, President-Elect and Vice President: 359 for; 22 against (94.2%).
Article XII – Structure, Section 2 – Committees, Councils and Task Forces, subsection b) Committee on Professional Ethics: 358 for; 23 against (94.0%).
In addition, during the Annual Business Meeting, attendees voted on an amendment to NCRA’s Certificate of Incorporation. A change in the language was needed in order to comply with recent changes to the District of Columbia nonprofit corporation law.
