MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2014 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Representatives Zuber, Aldridge, Baria, Brown (20th), Chism, Crawford, DeLano, Guice, Gunn, Holloway, Hood, Huddleston (15th), Martinson, Read, Rogers (14th)
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING THE MISSISSIPPI ASSOCIATION OF PARLIAMENTARIANS ON THE OCCASION OF ITS FIFTH ANNIVERSARY AS A CHARTERED DIVISION OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PARLIAMENTARIANS, AND TO DESIGNATE THE MONTH OF APRIL 2014 AS NATIONAL PARLIAMENTARY LAW MONTH IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.
WHEREAS, October 31, 2014, marks the fifth anniversary of the Mississippi Association of Parliamentarians' receipt of its charter as an official association and member of the National Association of Parliamentarians (NAP); and
WHEREAS, on Saturday, May 23, 2009, members of the Mississippi Association of Parliamentarians were contacted by then NAP District Three Director Gladys Reid to attend a meeting in Jackson, Mississippi, at which seven of the 15 NAP members residing in Mississippi attended; and
WHEREAS, having lost its original charter some time between 1949 and the late 1980s/early 1990s for failure to maintain the requisite number of members to retain its charter, the district director's purpose for meeting the association's members was to encourage the group to consider formally organizing and applying to become a NAP chartered association; and
WHEREAS, upon the conclusion of an engaging and productive meeting a new state chairman was appointed, and upon the chairman's request to file the documentation stating the intent to organize and charter, such request and the responsibilities related thereto were accomplished within a few days; and
WHEREAS, the summer of 2009 saw the transmission of many email messages around the state, and on a Saturday in July, current State Chairman Becky Rutz and past State Chairmen Judith Breland and Mary Ann Hess gathered in Laurel, Mississippi, to draft bylaws which, upon completion, were emailed or mailed to every NAP member in Mississippi; and
WHEREAS, after revisions from feedback received, a final draft was sent to NAP Bylaws Committee Chairman Maurice Henderson in September 2009, during NAP's Biennial Convention in San Francisco, California; and
WHEREAS, after Mr. Henderson's timely response and suggestions of a few minor revisions, Mississippi's charter bylaws were approved, and on October 31, 2009, NAP President Ron Stinson of Texas and Mrs. Reid of Georgia traveled to Jackson to present the new charter and install the association's charter officers: President Becky Rutz, Vice President Robert Dunnam, Secretary Sharon Reed, and Treasurer Judith Breland; and
WHEREAS, over the course of the next three years members of the Mississippi Association of Parliamentarians served their communities in a myriad of capacities, including: serving as judges for parliamentary contests; mentoring and coaching parliamentary teams; providing seminars and workshops to schools and community organizations; and providing information and suggestions from improving meetings to amending or revising bylaws; and
WHEREAS, since 2010, Mississippi Association of Parliamentarians members have attended NAP leadership conferences and biennial conventions as well as district and state conventions, and have established a record of success among its members, two of which have become Professional Registered Parliamentarians (PRP) and several others have become PRPs and encouraged others to become members of NAP; and
WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to recognize and commend the diligence and exceptional fortitude of groups such as the members of the Mississippi Association of Parliamentarians for their steadfastness to the call of their service:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend and congratulate the Mississippi Association of Parliamentarians on the occasion of its fifth anniversary as a chartered division of the National Association of Parliamentarians and extend best wishes for continued success in all of its future endeavors.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this Legislature does hereby proclaim and designate the month of April 2014 as National Parliamentary Law Month in the State of Mississippi, and encourage all of its citizens to acknowledge its observance.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the State Chairman of the Mississippi Association of Parliamentarians, the President of the National Association of Parliamentarians and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.