By overwhelming votes Board and Council have provided the membership another opportunity to vote on the issue of delinking membership and certification.
Last year a bylaws change that would have accomplished this separation was submitted to the membership. Approved by more than 59% of those voting, it failed to pass as all bylaws and amendments require two-thirds majority for passage.
At the December 1991 meeting of the Board a bylaws amendment, drawn up in a collaborative effort between the sponsoring Committee to Strengthen Membership and leaders of the opposition to last year's unsuccessful amendment, represented especially by Sander Abend, was offered to the Board for its consideration.
The newly drawn amendment delinks membership from certification and allows voting but noncertified members to participate in all activities except (1) voting on bylaws amendments, (2) serving s Fellows on the Board on Professional Standards and Executive Councilors, (3) holding national offices of The American, and (4) serving as training and supervising analysts.
An alternative amendment was placed before the Board by Lawrence Chalfin. This amendment would have required a two-thirds vote of the Board on Professional Standards before any bylaws change could be offered to the membership for its vote. Chalfin argued that this additional protection is necessary to assure that educational standards are maintained. Those supporting the first amendment countered that the interests of the Board will be amply protected by restricting voting on bylaws amendments to certified members. The Committee to Strengthen Membership agreed to the compromise when it surveyed recent bylaws amendments and concluded that all of them affected Board concerns. The compromise will therefore have the same effect in real terms as last year's amendment would have had. Membership privileges will be virtually the same as those provided under last year's amendment, while those concerned with maintaining standards can be reassured that their concerns are being attended to.
After some debate, the two proposals were voted against each other, to develop a clear decision between them. The initial, or compromise, amendment was approved by a vote of 44 to 6, with 3 abstentions. The next day the Council, by a 98% vote, confirmed the Board's decision. The amendment next will be submitted to the membership for approval and should be received in the near future.
How members will be certified in future is the next major item to be considered. A report delivered by Donald Burnham, detailing the Committee on Certification's current thinking, was widely appreciated and spurred debate. It was agreed to explore the possibility of collaborating on this matter with other IPA/U.S.A. groups and other organizations in the field. The newly developed certification process, if it should come into being, could complement or replace the procedures of the Committee on Certification. Board and Council will receive progress reports at their next meetings.
Finally, a new institute has been approved. After years of applied effort, hampered by bad luck and some unfortunate decisions, but rescued by a powerful thrust of creative energy, the Atlanta Institute (Emory University) has been granted the status of a free-standing institute. Ethel Person and Don Meyers were singled out for their efforts at the sponsoring Columbia University Institute, and Robert Roughton was specially honored for his leadership at Emory. The Board applauded the event.
News items from the Board and Council meetings:
This past year saw no applicants for waivers for the CORST program. What has happened to potential research candidates?
At the Council meeting, President Allison declared that the nature of the working relationship between Chairman of the Board and President has changed from optimal tension to different functions. This reconceptualization emerged from discussions of the roles of Board and Council, as worked out by Board Chair Marvin Margolis and George Allison, President of The American.
Moves are underway to expand the functions of the Central Office. It will soon serve as the center of networks of libraries, newsletters, bulletins, and so forth being operated by local societies. Formation of a foundation, in order to facilitate fund raising, is also being discussed.
The Committee on Certification is directing its procedures toward determining the current capabilities of applicants, with focus on their more recent work.
In a lighter vein, while the names of newly certified members were being read out, the Waldorf's sound system suddenly blared out the music to “Here She Comes, Miss America.” This provided several moments of simultaneous annoyance and humor. Had someone deliberately played the song at that moment? Or do you still believe in coincidences?