Letter from the President
Dear TSAP Members and Friends,
Fashika Willis McClelland, PRP
TSAP President
TSAP 2024 – 2025 Board of Directors:
President, Fashika Willis McClelland, PRP
1st Vice President, Edwin K. Miles, PRP
2nd Vice President, Cherise Story, RP
3rd Vice President, Omar Jimenez
Recording Secretary, Monica Isgren, RP
Treasurer, Heather C. Diehl, RP
Parliamentarian, Ronald Stinson, PRP
Historian, David Perez Hurley
Newsletter Editor, Ramsey Cooper, RP
Committee Leaders:
Audit Committee, Gregory Short, RP
Nominations Committee, Elaine Vetter
Bylaws Committee, Lewis Vetter, PRP
Convention Chair, Pamela Harmon, PRP
Procedure Handbook, Frances Rizo, RP
Public Relations, Charles Bowles, RP
Strategic Plan, Bennyfer Bridgewater, PRP
Youth Committee, Delores L. Shaw, PRP
As we approach the close of another remarkable year, I am filled with gratitude for the commitment and enthusiasm that each of you have brought to the Texas State Association of Parliamentarians. Together, we have made tremendous strides in advancing parliamentary education, fostering leadership, and strengthening our community of professionals dedicated to order and efficiency in decision-making.
The winter season is a time of reflection and renewal. Reflecting on 2024, we have much to celebrate: successful workshops, engaging meetings, and the opportunity to connect with one another at events. These accomplishments were only possible because of your dedication and teamwork. Thank you for your unwavering support.
Texas Parliamentarian, Winter 2024
Letter from the President
As we look ahead to 2025, I encourage you to remain active participants in the TSAP community. Whether through attending our events, mentoring new members, or sharing your expertise, your involvement is vital to our mission of fostering excellence in parliamentary procedure. Be sure to mark your calendars for upcoming events and take advantage of every opportunity to deepen your knowledge and connections.
I encourage you to remain active participants in the TSAP community. Whether through attending our events, mentoring new members, or sharing your expertise…
I
May this holiday season bring you joy, peace, and renewed inspiration for the year ahead. Let us continue to uphold the principles of parliamentary procedure and work together to achieve even greater milestones.
Warm
Fashika Willis McClelland President, Texas State Association of Parliamentarians
CALL FOR OFFICER NOMINATIONS
By Elaine Vetter, CMP Nominating Committee Chairman
It’s time to consider whom you’d like to nominate for TSAP’s elected officers for 2025-2026. The nomination form is included in this newsletter, and it must be received by the Nominating Committee no later than January 1st, 2025!
The elective offices in TSAP are:
• President
• 1st Vice President
• 2nd Vice President
• 3rd Vice President
• Secretary
• Treasurer
Completed nomination forms (see page 5) for each applicable office must be postmarked BY January 1, 2025. The nomination form can be mailed to:
Nominating Committee Chairman
Elaine Vetter
3911 Forest Creek Street
San Antonio, Texas 78230
Or emailed to: elainevetter@gmail.com
The nomination form is included in this newsletter on page # and is posted on the TSAP website. The Nominating Committee will meet on January 11, 2025 by ZOOM to consider the 2025-2026 TSAP Nominees. The committee report will be included in the Official Call to Convention.
Please think of who would be the best candidate you know to lead our Texas organization and submit the paperwork.
TSAP needs YOU!
Additional Forms
Engagement/Retention/Growth
First Name Last Name Type Unit
Deborah Morris
Andrika Wills
Laura Prather
Judith Rawls
Joycelyn Franklin
Carolyn Phelan
Shaunice Starks
Pamela Franklin
Tiffany Taylor-Lee
Cherie Lee
Anita Jackson
Khalilah Marbury
Ja Rai Williams
Andrew Brown
Khang Ngo
Wanda Smith
Regular Member TX-The Sounding Block Unit
Regular Member TX-Texas Triangle Parliamentarians
Regular Member TX-The Sounding Block Unit
Regular Member TX-Bayshore
Regular Member MAL
Regular Member
TX-Flonnie Mae Larimer Parliamentary Unit
Regular Member MAL
Regular Member MAL
Regular Member TX-Texas Triangle Parliamentarians
Regular Member MAL
Will Hickman
Reed Bilz
Laura Doerre
Shawn Lemieux
Nicole Woods
Ann Johnson Brown
Audrey Anderson
Tanisha Artis
Regular Member TX-The Sounding Block Unit
Regular Member TX-Texas Triangle Parliamentarians
Regular Member
Renewal TX-Landmark Parliamentary Unit
Regular Member MAL
Student Renewal MAL
Regular Member TX-Texas Triangle Parliamentarians
Regular Member TX-Flonnie Mae Larimer Parliamentary Unit
Charisa Burkhead
Keyandra Ellis
Ashlee McGhee
Karen Horner
Donna Smith
Regular Member TX-Fort Worth
Regular Member MAL
Regular Member TX-Austin Parliamentarians
Regular Member MAL
Regular Member TX-Landmark Parliamentary Unit
Regular Member TX-The Sounding Block Unit
Regular Member TX-DFW Parliamentarians
Regular Member MAL
Regular Member MAL
Regular Member MAL
Regular Member MAL
Regular Member MAL
Education Endowment Fund
This year the committee provided grants to two units. The San Antonio unit received a $200 grant to support parliamentarian training for the Girl Scouts in August 2024. A grant in the amount of $500 was given to the Flonnie Mae Larimer Unit to assist them in their leadership symposium which took place on October 5, 2024.
Also as we gear up for 2025 we are looking for volunteers to assist the EEF committee in the area of fundraising. Our main fundraising event is at the annual TSAP convention. If interested in volunteering please contact the chair at the email address listed at the end of this message.
We appreciate everyone who made donations to the fund this year. As a reminder, donation and grant applications can be found on the TSAP website at https://texasparliamentarians.org/education-fund/. If you have any questions, please contact Michelyn Washington eefchair@texasparliamentarians.org. The Education Endowment Fund uses all funds raised to support parliamentary education activities and projects.
Michelyn Washington, PRP
EEF Trustee Chairman
Parliamentary Procedure Insights
Motions That Bring a Question Again Before the Assembly
By Fashika Willis McClelland, PRP , TSAP President
In parliamentary procedure, motions that bring a question again before the assembly allow an assembly to revisit matters previously decided, delegated, or left undecided. These motions, defined in Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR), include Reconsider, Rescind, Amend Something Previously Adopted, Take from the Table, and Discharge a Committee. They provide flexibility for assemblies to adapt to new information or reconsider previous decisions.
Types of Motions
1. Reconsider
o Purpose: Allows the assembly to revisit a motion already voted on, typically due to new information or changed circumstances.
o Key Points:
Must be made by a member who voted on the prevailing side of the original motion.
Requires a second and a majority vote to adopt.
Must be made on the same day or in the same session as the original vote.
2. Rescind
o Purpose: Cancels or annuls a previously adopted motion or action.
o Key Points:
Requires a two-thirds vote, a majority with previous notice, or a majority of the entire membership.
Cannot apply to actions that cannot be undone.
3. Amend Something Previously Adopted
o Purpose: Modifies the language or intent of a motion already adopted.
o Key Points:
The same voting requirements as rescind apply.
Commonly used to adjust specifics such as dates or amounts.
Parliamentary Procedure Insights
Motions That Bring a Question Again Before the Assembly …
Continued
4. Take from the Table
o Purpose: Brings back a motion that was laid on the table for future consideration.
o Key Points:
Requires a second and a majority vote.
Must occur within the same session or at the next session if the assembly meets quarterly.
5. Discharge a Committee
o Purpose: Removes a question or task from a committee’s control, returning it to the assembly.
o Key Points:
Requires a majority vote with previous notice, a two-thirds vote without notice, or a majority of the entire membership.
Useful if the committee is failing to act or if the assembly wishes to handle the matter directly.
Common Features
• Timing: These motions are generally limited to specific conditions or contexts.
• Debatability: Most of these motions, except for Take from the Table, are debatable, allowing members to discuss their implications.
• Restrictions: They cannot violate procedural rules or fairness.
Practical Application
These motions empower assemblies to correct errors, adapt to changing circumstances, and maintain control over their business. Whether recalling a delegated task through Discharge a Committee or revisiting a decision through Reconsider, these tools ensure flexibility while preserving procedural integrity.
Understanding and appropriately using these motions allows assemblies to navigate complex decisions effectively and responsibly.
Financial Report
Heather Diehl, RP
TSAP
Treasurer
990N, the Unit Treasurer, and an Invitation
By Heather C. Diehl, RP, 2024-2025 TSAP Treasurer
Congratulations! You are now a unit treasurer. Now what? Being a treasurer of an organized society is an awesome responsibility. RONR (12th ed.) 47:38 states, “The treasurer of an organization is the officer entrusted with the custody of its funds” and “the treasurer is required to make a full financial report annually or as the bylaws may prescribe, and to make such interim reports of the assembly or the executive board may direct.” Dues collection and other financial transactions are part of the treasurer’s duties. Sample reports and information to be provided can be found in RONR (12th ed.) 48:22-26. I invite current and future unit treasurers to a Zoom call on Thursday, January 30 at 7:00 p.m. to discuss best practices as you learn your duties. Please contact treasurer@texasparliamentarians.org to confirm your interest. An email will be sent later with the Zoom link.
Check your unit’s bylaws to ensure you understand and follow the treasurer’s duties and also see if your unit has a retention policy that states how long you need to keep your financial records. Most organizations keep records for 3-7 years.
The Form 990-N is due every year by the 15th day of the 5th month after the close of the tax year. You cannot file the e-Postcard until after your tax year ends. For TSAP and its units, this means that your 990N is due April 15. All chartered associations and units are required to adopt the same fiscal year as NAP (NAP Bylaws, Article IV, Section 5, D.5)
Any amended bylaws (TSAP and unit) must be submitted to NAP.
To change the fiscal year, contact the IRS Tax Exempt and Government Entities Customer Account Services at 877-829-5500 to enquire about changing the fiscal year on your account.
990N, the Unit Treasurer, and an Invitation - continued
Here are some guidelines from the IRS for filing the 990N.
Sign in/create an account with Login.gov or ID.me: The IRS requires a Login.gov or an ID.me account to submit Form 900-N. Form 990-N filers should use the same email address associated with their IRS account.
Review the IRS Form 990-N Electronic Filing System (e-Postcard) User Guide for step-by-step instructions on how to submit electronic Form 990N (e-Postcard). Most common problems can be avoided by following the User Guide.
Small tax-exempt organizations generally are eligible to file Form 990-N to satisfy their annual reporting requirement if their annual gross receipts are normally $50,000 or less.
• Gross receipts are the total amounts the organization received from all sources during its annual accounting period, without subtracting any costs or expenses.
• Gross receipts are considered to be normally $50,000 or less if the organization:
o Has been in existence for 1 year or less and received, or donors have pledged to give, $75,000 or less during its first tax year;
o Has been in existence between 1 and 3 years and averaged $60,000 or less in gross receipts during each of its first two tax years; and
o Is at least 3 years old and averaged $50,000 or less in gross receipts for the immediately preceding 3 tax years (including the year for which calculations are being made).
990N, the Unit Treasurer, and an Invitation -
continued
Form 990-N is easy to complete. You'll need only eight items of basic information about your organization.
• Employer identification number (EIN), also known as a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)
• Tax year (calendar or fiscal filer)
• Legal name and mailing address
• Any other names the organization uses
• Name and address of a principal officer
• Website address if the organization has one
• Confirmation that the organization's annual gross receipts are $50,000 or less
• If applicable, a statement that the organization has terminated or is terminating (going out of business)
For more information about these items, see Form 990-N: Information Reported.
While there is no penalty assessment for filing Form 990-N late, organizations that fail to file required Forms 990, 990-EZ or 990-N for three consecutive years will automatically lose their tax-exempt status.
Revocation of the organization's tax-exempt status will happen on the filing due date of the third consecutively missed year.
For more information, please go to:
https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/annual-electronic-filingrequirement-for-small-exempt-organizations-form-990-n-e-postcard
https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/annual-electronic-notice-form990-n-frequently-asked-questions-and-answers
Click here to register
Click here to submit payment for registration
Holiday Countdown: Rules of Order Edition
Find these phrases, counting down as in “The 12 Days of Christmas”: Five Golden Rules, Four Calls To Order, Three Friendly Amendments, Two Tabled Debates, (and) A Parliamentary Inquiry
Answers for last quarter’s word search
Bring Back Motions
Find the following: TAKE FROM THE TABLE, RESCIND, RECONSIDER, AMEND SOMETHING PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED, and DISCHARGE A COMMITTEE
Parli-Jokes
Why did the elves move to postpone indefinitely? They wanted to sleigh the motion forever
What is wrong with my bylaw amendment? It doesn't reference the right Claus
editor@texasparliamentarians.org
Deadline for the next edition: 2/15/2025
