From the President

Assembly: View From the Podium

By Terry Mizrahi, MSW, Ph.D.

The Delegate Assembly this past August was my fifth, but it was my first time presiding over the body whose deliberations shape NASW's direction. Armed with the latest Robert's Rules of Order and a nervous smile, I looked out over almost 400 leaders, including all the chapter executives and national staff, and wondered how the process would unfold.

This is a time of significant change for NASW — and its governance structure is no exception. The Delegate Assembly was created to ensure that members have a voice in governing their association. They do so by electing representatives to make decisions about NASW policies, priorities and bylaws.

Yet, dissatisfaction with the Delegate Assembly's structure and cost have surfaced over the years. The 1999 assembly mandated the creation of a task force to consider ways to make Delegate Assemblies more effective and efficient. That began a three-year process to gather input from a variety of constituencies and make recommendations to the 2002 body.

There had been several attempts to restructure the Delegate Assembly before — all of which failed. Why did they fail? It's hard to change yourself, and NASW bylaws mandate that only the Delegate Assembly can change the Delegate Assembly. Also, in the past there had been too much distrust and division — between geographic regions, between staff and volunteer leadership, between chapters and national staff and between the Delegate Assembly and the Board of Directors — to achieve consensus.

Would the first Delegate Assembly of the 21st century repeat the disappointments of the past? Or would all parties be committed to changing the negative culture as well as the structure?

Gaining consensus, building good will and promoting the common well-being are necessities to ensure a successful outcome, but they are not easy or automatic. A climate of trust had to be created and conveyed to the delegates.

Still, more was needed. National staff, under the leadership of our executive director, had to demonstrate competence. Information and solid data were as essential as openness and honesty to building trust. The Board of Directors had to provide its own sound recommendations for reconfiguring itself and the National Committee on Nominations and Leadership Identification. The delegates had to be adequately informed and involved in the process.

A diverse group of delegates marched into the hall on Aug. 14, decked out in regional garb and colorful paraphernalia. Thus began four days of deliberation and debate, bonding and solidarity building.

An event honoring the five national social work award winners helped instill unity and inspiration [September NASW News]. They were praised for their devotion and professional competence on behalf of vulnerable constituencies.

Reports from me and Executive Director Betsy Clark conveyed confidence by those at NASW's helm.

The delegates also demonstrated commitment and dedication. A combination of passion and participation was the key to why I believe the 2002 Delegate Assembly was successful in its process and its outcomes. Almost all of the delegates contributed to the policymaking and priority-setting processes before or during the assembly. Such involvement creates investment.

The result? The delegates reconfigured the assembly — for the first time ever reducing its size by one-third, including the national Board of Directors as voting members and giving floor privileges to the chapter executive directors.

The need for Delegate Assembly streamlining and cohesion won out.

The delegates left the assembly with a social-action assignment. This served as a reminder of the need to connect our policies and priorities to the real world of legislative policy that affects social workers and their constituencies. They were asked to call their senators in Congress and urge them to pass a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families reauthorization bill that promotes a way out of poverty and a professional, well-funded infrastructure.

Perfection no, but progress, yes. A well-deserved congratulations and thanks to everyone involved.

To contact Terry Mizrahi: president@naswdc.org