Day 3 - Work gets done plus lots of Fun

This Sunday started out with much work to be done on the agenda proposals concerning rewording of the Preamble to the Constitution of GSUSA and length of terms and size of the Board and officers. We began the day with yoga and a dance presentation from Radial Dance, a dance company of people in wheel chairs. Inspiring! Ann Curry of NBC Today Show and News also spoke. Fortunately all voting was by electronic ballots, the "Padgett gadgets," so my job was relatively easy, though we were prepared for standing counts or paper ballots for all voting. I believe the delegates did not know how much easier and faster the voting was because paper ballots were not used.

The debate on amending the Preamble was long and filled with amendments to the main motion.
The debate mechanisms may seem cumbersome and convoluted by rules from the the chair, the standing rules and Robert's Rules but they are pretty straight forward and do ensure fairness. It is hard to turn a large ocean-going vessel as some of the new delegates found out. Many of the comments and active debate was from girl delegates to whom the session deferred many times. I know they were frustrated that their particular voices did not seem to be heard but the lesson is that much is done in advance of the session and much must be organized if one or more want launch opposition to a Board-sponsored proposal. Unfortunately, there was a lot of preparation by some councils to specific wording in the proposed new Preamble that didn't get to be heard. Delegates got tired of insubstantial commenting in place of true debate and often the only way to move action along was by moving the previous question and then proceeding directly to the vote on the main motion.

We will have to live with the new Preamble as rewritten until it is changed again. A review of past wordings of the Preamble which states the foundation of the organization and basic precepts did show that it has changed to reflect cultural views of women, race and class.

The day ended with the final address by Cynthia Thompson, President 2003-2005. She gave a moving and spirited speech.

As a final note of celebration, there were two large banquet events, one for girls and one for adults. My daughter Alex and I attended the adult event with a floor show and elegant food and wine. a rousing good time. We sat at a table with Angel Rodriguez, new GSUSA Board member (nice young man with new family - with Pepsi Cola). At the end of the dinner I stopped by Sandy Thomas' table and gave her regards from the Appalachian Council.

We even made it back to north Atlanta on the train before 11 PM. I had heard that there were some delegates who did not get back to their hotel rooms before we got home because the buses were so full and there were lines to board.

We had made the last rounds of the Exhibit Hall before it closed and got whole sleeves of the new cookies from Little Brownie Bakers - yum and said hello to friend Patty McGrew of Zink the Zebra. Special convention T-shirts and memorabilia was sold out. There were more exhibits than ever this year.

One of the efforts to enlist commentary from attendees were the Strategy Cafes. I hope that many people were able to take advantage of these opportunities. I was not, however, and will mail my thoughts on topics of realignment, program and governance to GSUSA. The duties of volunteer Teller required all scheduled time. I can see how a convention of this magnitude requires many hands, heads and hearts.