HOW TO WRITE RESOLUTIONS General Information Parts of a Resolution How and When to Send in Resolutions Format of Resolution Writing

General Information When SOMA members would like to set a point of view or action that they then believe should be acted upon by SOMA. A resolution is a written request to the House of Delegates (HOD) that asks SOMAs membership, through the HOD, to consider changing one of its policies. Every active member of SOMA has the right to compose and submit resolutions to the HOD. This course of action is a fundamental way in which the members of SOMA express their ownership of the association. Resolutions are of vital importance to SOMA because they form the policies in the official policy document which guides SOMA. The Board of Trustees uses the resolutions passed in the HOD from the previous year as a compass for the action they must take in the following year. Position papers and policy summaries are based on this official policy document. Your resolutions will play a major role in directing SOMA for years to come. Parts of a Resolution The format of a resolution is not complicated. Each resolution includes: 1. Title of resolution including topic covered. 2. Supporting information which includes any background information as to why the resolution is being proposed. These statements should represent a brief but persuasive argument as to why the members should approve your resolution. These statements are not printed in the official policy document. 3. Be it resolved or operative clause. This is the resolution proper, as it describes the proposed changes in the official policy document. This part of the resolution should specifically designate the actions that you wish to accomplish. 4. The names and school affiliations of the five Active member authors. How and When to Send in Resolutions Any students that are considering proposals are encouraged to take action and submit by the deadline established by the National Vice President. In order to facilitate the process of finding five Active members to author a resolution, we encourage even single students authoring resolutions to submit their ideas, and we will help find support from other chapters throughout the country. The BOT, NB members and regional trustees are available for members who have questions about writing resolutions. At the convention, the authors of resolutions can work to get their resolutions passed. Please refer to the Parliamentary Procedures guideline that explains Roberts Rules of Order Revised for debating the resolutions on the website. Format of Resolution Writing Resolution: (Number determined by National Vice President.) Subject: (List topic covered. One resolution is required for each topic.) Old Resolution or Amendment typed here if applicable 1. WHEREAS, (List the supporting information for your topic with the first letter of the 2. 3. first word being capitalized and all lines double-spaced); and 4. 5. WHEREAS, (Use as many Whereas paragraphs as necessary, limiting one idea per 6. 7. paragraph); now, therefore, be it 8. 9. RESOLVED, That (State your desired action as specifically as possible and 10. 11. reference specific sections of the Constitution and Bylaws to be amended if 12. 13. necessary.) (No handwritten resolutions will be accepted. Number all lines of the 14. 15. resolution text. Double space all lines in this part of the page.)

Submitted by: (List 5 SOMA members and the school they each attend.) Name #1 (School) Name #2 (School) Name #3 (School) Name #4 (School) Name #5 (School) Action Taken: (Adopted by two-thirds majority vote of the House of Delegates or Not Adopted.) Date: (Date submitted to National Vice President and the National Office.) Effective Time Period: (If this resolution represents a permanent change, declare "Ongoing." If the resolution is of a short-term nature, specify a date that this resolution could be removed from the Policies Section since the resolution would no longer be in effect.) How to Write Minutes What is the purpose of minutes? Minutes are written as an accurate record of a group's meetings, and a record decisions taken. They are useful because people can forget what was decided at a meeting if there is no written record of the proceedings. Minutes can also inform people who were not at the meeting about what took place. Who writes the minutes? It is normal practice for one person at each meeting to be given the task of writing the minutes. It may be the same person each meeting, or the task may be rotated. What do the minutes contain? Before each meeting an agenda should be drawn up, detailing the matters to be discussed at the meeting. A set of minutes should normally include the following information: time, date and place of meeting; list of people attending; list of absent members of the group; approval of the previous meeting's minutes, and any matters arising from those minutes (if applicable); for each item in the agenda, a record of the principal points discussed and decisions taken; time, date and place of next meeting; name of person taking the minutes. Tips Distribute (by email) the agenda before the meeting, so that members of the group have a chance to prepare for the meeting. Include an item AOB (Any Other Business) at the end of the agenda as a place to include last-minute items. Keep the minutes short and to the point. Don't waffle. If you want to record every word said, you might consider an audio recording to supplement the minutes. Where a member of the group is asked to perform a set task, record an Action point; this makes it easy to read through the minutes at the next meeting and tick off those points. Either write the minutes as the meeting happens (if the minutes secretary is a fast typist!), or immediately after the meeting. The sooner they are done, the more accurate they are. How to write the meeting minutes By Toby Beresford Being asked to write up the minutes from a meeting can sometimes seem a difficult task. However, if you follow our simple steps below youll write great meeting minutes and amaze your colleagues. 1. Go to the meeting, understand what is said, and take notes. You dont need to note every word. Just keep a record as follows: 1. Names of everyone who was there (and apologies from those who werent) 2. Key decisions made 3. Next steps and actions agreed. If you dont understand something then ask, if you dont understand what is being decided then its unlikely anyone else will.

2. Write up the minutes You can either do this in Microsoft Word, or use a simple tool likewww.pailz.com, to type up the minutes. Tools like Pailz help you by prompting you to enter in all the right information that you need in a good minutes document (names, apologies, date, the location and so on) 3. Review the minutes Once youve written them, you need to send them to someone else who was there to check them. It might not be necessary but its often worth confirming with the chair (the person who ran the meeting) that youve got an accurate reflection of the meeting. 4. Circulate the minutes Send a copy of the minutes to everyone who was there. If your minutes are on Google Docs then you just need to click the Share button, otherwise attach them to an email. I advise sending meeting minutes as soon as you possibly can. Within a day is ideal. Within fifteen minutes would be best! This means that everyone keeps what was discussed and agreed to in mind. It also means they are more likely to do what they promised. 5. Make sure everyone knows their actions Many people turn up to a meeting, agree to something, and then promptly forget about it. As a good meeting minutes writer you should send a copy of their actions to each person individually. This is because the purpose of most meetings is to coordinate action, by letting each person know what they are meant to be doing you help them to get one step closer to actually doing it. Again a tool, like Pailz.com, can help with sending out and chasing up actions. When used for meeting actions, it provides each meeting participant with a list of actions in their to do list (or pail!) which helps them to then check them off, notifying you the meeting minutes writer when they are done. How to Draft an Ordinance Proposal Local governments and counties issue ordinances to communicate orders or laws. The presentation, weight and meaning of ordinances' content matters to provide the appropriate impact to the persons the ordinances intend to address. Instructions 1. o 1 Establish a genuine reason for an ordinance proposal, and meet with an official of the local council to discuss the contents of a proposal letter. Obtain the appropriate address, name and title of the person to whom you are writing by calling the number 1-800-FED-INFO or 1-800-333-4636 and ask for an appropriate government office, department and address. 2 Ask the government official from the appropriate office what the best method is for getting a law enacted. For example, getting a certain number of signatures can help. Contact importance people in the society, such as politicians and business people, and ask for more advice and support from both the supporters and critics of the draft. Sponsored Links Registration & Opposition Trademark, design patent copyright. Intellectual property. Free advice! GlobalIPR.org 3 Consult with an attorney who is knowledgeable in government and local council acts to help you understand the points to consider for or against the local laws. Ensure the letter addresses a particular issue pertaining to the society and conforms to the standard of the law. 4 Draft your proposal in polite official language, stating who you are and your professional credentials, date, full address and the purpose of the letter. Provide detailed facts, examples and evidence. Avoid general information, blasphemy or threats. 5 Arrange and number your facts and points in each section. Quote the number and section of the bill if necessary when making references to the acts or laws, and provide a well researched solution to the problem in brief statements. 6 Acknowledge past support and avoid unnecessary words. Conclude the letter by thanking the government office concerned. Have every participant in the drafting sign and date the letter. 7 Submit the letter to the authorities concerned, and wait for a reply. Follow up by visiting the local government offices if there is an extended delay, and request an audience with the concerned official to confirm the receipt of the letter.

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