To help you prepare for your department convention, we are sharing tips on what to do before, during, and after to get the most out of your business meeting. 
 
After we get through the cold winter months, spring and summer will signal convention season for the American Legion Auxiliary. Governing documents play a lead role at convention, so we’ve come up with a quick checklist to help you prepare, conduct, and close the governance business of your 2025 department convention. 

Prior to department convention:
• Review your governing documents and identify any areas that need to be updated (check state statutes, nonprofit laws, and corporate and solicitation of donations). Be sure to check the Constitution & Bylaws section at www.ALAforVeterans.org for a list of changes to the national Constitution & Bylaws and Standing Rules since December 2024.

• Set reasonable due dates and expectations from the date of the convention meeting for submission and review to prepare the materials. Prepare a communication plan. 

• Provide a template to draft proposed changes on a three-column amendment form (found on the C&B page of the national website), including detailed rationale (reasons) for the proposed change.

• Have a leadership group review the packet materials before distribution to ensure the agenda and documents align with the order of business. 

• Host a virtual Q&A for members to ask clarifying questions prior to the vote at department convention. This will help prepare to present clarification points.

• Distribute proposed amendments to membership in preparation of the department convention vote per the required date in your governing documents.

During department convention:
• Have copies of proposed amendments on hand for members to review.

• Consider options for “live editing” on your convention screens. This allows members to see any changes made to the proposed amendments in real time.

• Utilizing electronic voting on-site? The chair should announce the outcome of each vote in true numbers, not percentages. For example, the chair would announce that the vote was “60 in favor and 40 opposed.”

• When a voice vote is close and a member does not agree with how the chair calls it, the member can say “Division,” and the chair is required to do a visual vote (standing or hands raised). If a member wants a counted vote, they must make a motion to do a counted vote. The motion does require a second and is not debatable. 

• Be sure to include the voting totals in the department convention meeting minutes.

After department convention:
• Make all necessary updates to the governing documents following the convention votes.

• Communicate the outcome — adopted, opposed, or tabled — of the governing document amendments to all members.

• If your unit/department has a website, consider posting a list of all amendments to the governing documents and an updated version of the full document to the unit/department website so members can download the most up-to-date version.

• Have a Minutes Review Committee edit and approve the convention minutes in a timely manner. Make the finalized convention minutes available to members via the website or other reliable communication methods.
 
Do you have questions about the ALA’s Constitution & Bylaws program? Email ConstitutionBylaws@ALAforVeterans.org for answers!