2015 RID Business Meeting Part I

(View the live microblogging of the Business Meeting Part I here.)

• RID President Dawn Whitcher opened
• 1,209 people in attendance at National Conference.
• 336 Certified members, 32 Associate members present
• Quorum was certified
• Standing rules for meeting approved.

Resolutions A-L

• thanked committees, task forces, volunteers, etc., for service this year
• thanked everyone involved in support and execution of 2015 conference
• Passed as a group, no discussion

Board Reports

President’s report

Summary of state of RID committees

• praised progress made since RID Conference in 2013.
• past two years = challenges & successes,
• collaboration/hard work from volunteers on committees, task forces, & board.
• many changes on the way
• as the world changes, RID will change with it.
• RID needs member involvement in organization & committees.

Treasurer’s report

• members asking: is our money safe? Has it been spent appropriately?
• 21 findings from 2013 Audit Committee have all been addressed
• RID Bookstore to be inventoried and have its inventory protected
• database old & needs updating.
• cheers to RID HQ staff for getting new database running.
• Main $$ to RID related to revenue stream.
• timing of expenditures v. income from member dues = cash flow problems
• to ensure future financial strength, RID will adopt three new principals:

1. a zero-balance budget philosophy
2. delivering frequent financial updates to membership
3. reconciling budget to values-based programs

Questions for the Treasurer:

Q:  Can you address budget allotment for RID Board? Members concerned by $$ compensation received by board

A: Loss of Work stipend of $35,000-37,000 is budgeted for the board over the next 2 years.

• Includes travel budget & stipends
• stipend ($2,000 for the President and $600 for the Treasurer) to help compensate for board members’ time.
• If the membership dissatisfied with stipend amounts or budgeting, decision to change that lies with membership.

Q: How can RID make up for lost revenue when certification is on hold?

A: time to start thinking out of the box for alternative resources

• professional development,
• relationships with Affiliate Chapters,
• Publications, etc.

Q: values-based spending means what?

A: aligning spending with the goals, values, objectives, and mission of RID

Q: How can RID claim use of values-based spending when certification testing has been put on hold?

A: Member reply: the impact of the credentialing moratorium on revenue considered, but that core value is on certification quality not on its associated revenue.

A: Treasurer:

• credentialing on hold, not eliminated,
• board to reexamine credentials offered.
• financially, moratorium cannot last forever
• RID needs to examine funding streams more fully.

Q: Why is there a $600,000 drop in revenue between fiscal year budgets?

• There is speculation decrease is due to staff turnover
• and potential legal issues

A: Need to look at actual books. Willing to do on request.

• Funds used for capital expenditures (i.e. fixing roof on HQ)
• Consulting fees to protect RID

Motions

Motions filed with RID Headquarters prior to the national conference.

The content and authorship of each of the filed motions and responses from RID Board & HQ staff, can be viewed here.

Motion A

• establish ASL as official language of regional and national RID conferences
• beginning @2016 regional conferences
• ASL interpretation provided in all workshops and presentations that focus on spoken language.

Supported by:

• Council of Elders
• Deaf Advisory Council
• Deaf Caucus
• Interpreters with Deaf Parents Member Section

Member: motion calls for an official language, not an exclusive language

• English will remain welcome at conferences.

Member: suggested reframed discussion

• from ASL v. English  to L1/L2 issue and that
• people should not be forced to choose.

Motion A carried with 249 of 368 total votes.

Motion B

Withdrawn prior national conference

Motion C

Appointment of New Committee Members dateline change to 45 days before National convention

• Membership passed Motion C.

Part II of the Business Meeting

(View the live microblogging of the Business Meeting Part II here.)

• Floor movement floor to reconsider Motion C.
• Vote to reconsider.
• Associates informed can’t vote in error.
• Not a certification issue, should be able to vote.
• Moot point. Reconsideration did not pass.

Motion H

• “Rollover CEUs”

  • Withdrawn after determination = moot point

Motion I

• Power and Privilege CEU Requirement

• 1.0 in 8.0 of required CEUs in certification cycle = training in power and privilege.

  • Substitute Motion submitted.

  • 1.0 of 6.0 Professional CEUs per cycle training related to power, privilege, and oppression

• Professional Development Council work with various councils to build workshops for this purpose
• Before discussion starts motion from floor to defer to PDC
• Quorum count called and confirmed with 314 voting members present
• Motion to refer to PDC failed.
• The amended motion proposed (1.0 out of 6.0 CEUs in power, privilege, and oppression) substituted for Motion I.
• Certification issue therefore Associate Members not permitted to vote.
• ⅔ majority of Certified members required.
• Motion impacts Certified only, so Associate members not permitted to vote.
• Motion I narrowly carried
• 188 voting in favor, 89 opposed, and 15 abstentions.
• threshold for 2/3 majority was 186 Certified members.

Motion J

Establishment ad hoc committee to explore requiring 20 pro bono hours for certified members per CMP cycle

• recognize pro bono work and create an incentive for community support
• Board position to refer the motion to the PDC was ignored.
• The PDC supports spirit of pro bono work but opposed based on logistics of including a requirement in the CMP
• An amended motion substituted for Motion J:
• change: ad hoc committee to include members still undecided about pro bono requirement.
• Motion J was passed by membership.

Motions and Resolutions from the Floor

Motion K

All Open sessions of RID Board of Directors be recorded in video format & published on www.rid.org.

• Submitted after May 10, 2015 deadline. Board has not discussed.
• $$ impact unknown.
• Only meeting minutes published in ASL.
• NAD does not video record their meetings.
• Motion to Defer to committee.
• Motion to defer passed.

Motion L

Motion L was raised by the Deaf Caucus and moved that RID Views and the Journal of Interpreting be published in bilingual format – ASL and written English – beginning with the first digital copy of RID Views and the next issue of JOI.

• precedent set by Street Leverage and by Gallaudet University’s digital journal, Deaf Studies.
• concerns were raised over fiscal impact
• contributing authors responsible for submitting their work in both languages
• The motion carried: 188 support and 56 opposed
• A simple majority of 163 votes was required to pass.

Resolution

Officially thank Matthew O’Hara for years of service

• Majority vote count abstained and resolution failed.

Motion M

RID conduct a cost-benefit analysis of filming workshops at future RID conferences for online for post-conference viewing.

• The motion failed.

Motion N

Veto RID Board decision to “sunset” the OTC & add program to testing moratorium.

President confirmed that Article 3, Section 3d of RID bylaws states that any board decision can be overturned by a 2/3 majority of the voting membership.

• Move to table the vote failed,
• Move to table discussion also failed.
• The motion drew extensive discussion.
• A 2/3 majority of 168 votes was required to carry the motion.
• Board decision to sunset OTC vetoed by membership
• 210 in support, 56 opposed, 21 abstaining.

Motion O

Investigate the logistical and fiscal feasibility of establishing a secure online voting system

• Motion O passed unanimously save for approximately 5 abstentions.

Adjournment

• A motion to adjourn
• 125 in support, 95 opposed, and 5 abstaining.
• The meeting was adjourned with several motions left unaddressed

More RID coverage here.