House of Delegates / National Elections
GENERAL INFORMATION
The HOD is truly where AMSA's members take ownership of the Association. As AMSA's official policy-making body, the HOD is a delegation of AMSA members from each local medical chapter who meet once a year at the Annual Convention to vote on AMSA's policies and to elect our national officers. The HOD is open to all members of AMSA to speak and vote. You, the members, debate the issues, make the amendments and cast the votes that shape AMSA's policies. Most importantly, any member of AMSA has the ability to write and submit resolutions to the HOD. We encourage everyone to submit and debate resolutions.
AMSA's policies and principles are changed only by the HOD. This body is the sole force that determines AMSA's official views on all issues. The Board of Trustees (BOT) spends its year implementing policies originated in the House. Because the HOD is similar to Congress, AMSA's policies are set when members submit resolutions to the House. Similar to bills in Congress, a resolution is a call for AMSA to endorse a certain principle, change its internal structure or even eliminate a past policy that is no longer the view of the membership. These resolutions are sent to the chapters at least a month in advance of the convention. Each chapter designates an official delegate, whose responsibilities include helping the local president coordinate a local chapter discussion of the resolutions. Local chapters should then read, discuss and vote on each resolution prior to convention, thus instructing their delegate how to vote. Premedical chapter members may, discuss and debate in the HOD as ex-officio participants. Resolutions are also available online.
On Thursday at the annual convention, the chapters discuss the resolutions in their regional meeting. Afterwards the reference committees, comprised of AMSA members, begin their open session. During the open sessions, members can give their testimony and opinions about the resolutions, alone, or as a representative for their region. The reference committees then report out present recommendations about the resolutions, according to the testimony they have received, to the full HOD (i.e. like congressional subcommittees).
The HOD is in session on Friday and Saturday. Following a relaxed Robert's Rules of Order, the House debates the resolutions submitted by the members. The HOD is chaired by the vice president for internal affairs with assistance from the secretary and a second vice chair. During business sessions, the delegates from each chartered medical chapter listen to the reference committees' recommendations about each resolution, debate their opinions and vote on the resolutions. Those resolutions that the House adopts are then included in AMSA's Preamble, Purposes and Principles (or PPP, AMSA's official policy document). These new policies can then be acted upon by the BOT and AMSA staff members.