Join the 2009 Representative Assembly
The spring RA officially opened yesterday, and role call is continuing. For those of you AOTA members who have never attended the RA at conference, this is a real opportunity to "see" and "hear" your elected reps in action. The meeting is being held on OT Connections, the national association's online network. There is a link to it on the AOTA home page at www.aota.org.
For a thumbnail of what the assembly will consider in this session, just go to the cover story in our digital edition on our homepage. Online meetings "move" more slowly than face-to-face meetings because they still happen in real time. Delegates are given 24 to 48 hours or more to read pertinent reports and information, including member response to the issues and the recommendations of the task groups (groups of elected delegates, resource people and supporters of the motion that meet to have a micro-discussion about the motion before it goes to the full assembly. Task group discussions went on last week online about the various motions and action items.) Reps will then have another few days to file their online votes.
Motions may have come from members, from AOTA officers or RA commissions, or from representatives themselves. If a task group recommends defeat of a particular motion, it does not mean that the issue won't make it to the assembly floor. The task group often formulates substitute motions that it feels will address the concerns of the assembly a little better and still carry on the purpose of the original motion. Online right now in the assembly meeting you will see that several items that were defeated in task group are now part of the "consent agenda." This is a group of minor actions the RA believes it can vote on without discussion. If the consent agenda passes, those original motions will be defeated, allowing the task group to present its substitute motions at the proper time for discussion and vote. This is merely a time-saver and accommodates the virtual environment. Representatives may, however, request that an item be taken off the consent agenda so that the original motion is discussed by the whole assembly, despite the task group's recommendation.
We'll keep you up to date on what is happening as is happens. "Meanwhile, there is also a public discussion group (on OT Connections under Groups) where people outside the RA are discussing what the reps are talking about. Reps can access that group also, so unlike the face-to-face assembly, you can be a participant in the action by voicing your thoughts there. "Stop by" the RA and "listen in" for awhile. Find out where your profession is going.