Delegates, Alternates, Credentials Forms
Article XIV of the BVA National Bylaws specifies that all regional
groups intending to send a delegate to Miami Beach must also hold
a meeting to elect and instruct the individual.
Groups must inform all of their members in good standing, in
writing, of the date, time, location, and purpose of the meeting,
which must be held no later than 40 days before the convention
(July 7, 2005). Notice of the meeting must be distributed to the
regional group members no less than 10 days before it is to be
held.
A copy of the notice must be forwarded to BVA National Headquarters
(Attn: Administrative Director) at the same time the notice
is distributed to the members. Failure to do so will render the
group’s delegation unable to receive seating at the convention.
A set of official BVA credentials forms, mailed in triplicate
on lilac paper to all regional group officers on March 22, must
also be completed in triplicate, dated according to the date of
the meeting, signed by the regional group president, and authenticated
by the regional group secretary. One copy should be provided to
the elected delegate. A second copy must be mailed to BVA National
Headquarters (Attn: Administrative Director) and postmarked
no later than 21 days before the opening of the national convention
(July 26, 2005). A third copy should be placed in the regional
group files.
Regional groups must also elect specific alternate delegates
to the national convention at the same meeting. It is a violation
of the BVA National Bylaws to designate "any other members
attending the national convention," or words to that effect,
in the space provided for the alternate delegate on the official
credentials form.
Each regional group to be represented at the national convention
should elect a representative to the Bylaws and Resolutions Committee.
The representative’s name should be placed in the appropriate
blank at the bottom of the second page of the credentials form.
Rules Governing Proxy Voting
The proxy voting system was established primarily for blinded
veterans who live in an area that does not have a regional group
and who are not planning to attend the national convention in
a given year.
Consequently, if a BVA member is also a member of a regional
group, and the regional group to which he/she belongs is sending
a delegate to the convention, there is no need for the member
to request or send in a completed proxy form. The regional group
delegate will be responsible to cast the individual’s vote.
Only current BVA members, paid up and in good standing, are eligible
to vote, to submit proxies, or to be proxies.
In past years, the Administrative Director had no other choice
but to declare a number of proxy forms "spoiled" because
individuals submitting them had evidently misunderstood the proxy
voting system.
The following guidelines, if followed, will eliminate such problems:
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Designate your proxy by name and address, insuring that the
proxy is eligible to vote your vote, and that the individual
will be attending the convention.
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Do not designate yourself, an unspecified delegate, a regional
group delegate, or the regional group as a whole as your proxy.
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Do not photocopy a proxy form and then submit it.
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Do not include irrelevant or superfluous information on
the proxy form.
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Do not tear the proxy form in half
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Insure that the proxy form is signed and dated.
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Include your name and complete return address on the envelope
in which you mail your proxy form to BVA National Headquarters.
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