The American has approved overwhelmingly the fourteen bylaws amendments voted on by the membership last fall. Only two faced more than negligible opposition.
Analysts trained at United States IPA institutes may now be granted membership in The American, by virtue of an amendment revising the bylaw providing membership to analysts trained in IPA institutes abroad. The amendment passed by a vote of 434 to 76. Decisions on individual applicants will be made by the Board on Professional Standards.
In accordance with an amendment approved 442 to 72, the category of Senior Member will replace that of Life Member. Senior Members are Active Members who have reached the age of seventy or have been Active Members for thirty years. Their dues will be phased out over a six-year period, whereas formerly Life Members became exempt immediately upon attaining that status. The amendment, which will not affect those attaining Life Member status prior to January 1, 1996, was proposed because of the growing number of older members who remain in active practice. Application may still be made for a full exemption from dues, or a reduction, by those who are either retired or semiretired.
The other twelve amendments all passed at a better than 20 to 1 ratio. Two amendments were passed to statutorily recognize the Coordinating Committee of BOPS and the Executive Council's Steering Committee. The Coordinating Committee, which already existed in practice, consists of the BOPS chair, chair-elect, and secretary, the four officers of The American, and the chairs of standing BOPS committees. The Steering Committee, a newly formed body, consists of the four officers of The American, the BOPS chair, chair-elect, and secretary, and five presidential appointees from chairs of standing committees of Council.
An amendment was passed also to formalize the tradition that the chair of BOPS, not the president, appoints the chairs of Board committees. The amendment clarifies appointments of chairs of joint committees and empowers Council and Board to establish and dissolve committees.
Other amendments establish a procedure for succession to chair of BOPS in the event the chair is unable to serve; change the order of business at the Meeting of Members; revise the procedure for proxy voting at that meeting; introduce the use of weighted (Australian) balloting in electing officers; redefine the duties of president and president-elect, who will no longer serve as vice-chair of BOPS; and clarify the election procedure for councilors-at-large.