HOD Procedures

Council members who are unable to attend one or both of the ADEA HOD meetings or a council meeting, or who serve in the ADEA HOD in two or more positions, may appoint alternates to represent them.

Delegates representing two or more councils in the ADEA HOD (e.g., as a member of the Council of Faculties and Council of Sections) must decide which council they wish to represent and then appoint an alternate(s) for the other council(s).

Assigning an Alternate Delegate:

If you need to assign an Alternate Delegate, please fill out the Alternate Delegate Form  prior to the Saturday Council Meetings at the Annual Session. Alternate Delegates must be ratified by the respective Council.

If there are any questions about assigning an Alternate Delegate, contact Cynthia Carson, Manager of Governance, at CarsonC@adea.org or (202) 238-3955.

All alternates must be ADEA Members. All Alternate Delegates must be present at their Council Meeting preceding the Opening Session of the ADEA HOD to be ratified.

Please check the schedule for your council meeting.

At registration, each delegate (or alternate) will receive three cards:

1. For admission to the Opening Session of the House.
2. For admission to the Closing Session.
3. For balloting for Chair-elect of the ADEA Board of Directors if an election is required.

Each delegate and alternate will surrender the signed, appropriate card when entering the floor for the Opening and Closing Sessions.

Any delegates or alternates who misplace their admission or voting cards should immediately report the loss to staff in the Association’s registration area. 

Delegates are seated by council affiliation, and each delegate is required to sit with his or her council. The council seating areas will be marked by signs.

All registered ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition participants are not only invited but encouraged to attend the ADEA House of Delegates sessions, as well as meetings of the Reference Committees. Visitor seating is available.

The Association’s Chair of the ADEA Board of Directors is the presiding officer of the House. In the absence of the Chair of the ADEA Board of Directors, the Chair-elect of the ADEA Board of Directors is the presiding officer.

The Chair may cast a vote in cases when his or her vote could alter the outcome, appoint tellers to assist in determining the result of any action taken by ballot and perform any other duties required by the rules of order.

A parliamentarian will be present during the sessions of the House of Delegates. 

The rules contained in the latest edition of the American Institute of Parliamentarians Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure govern the deliberations of the House in all cases where they are applicable and not in conflict with the Association’s Bylaws.

To avoid confusion, each type of motion is assigned a definite rank. The rank is based on the urgency of each motion. When a motion is before the House, any motion is in order if it has a higher precedence or rank than the immediately pending motion, but no motion having a lower precedence is in order. Motions are considered and decided in a reverse order to that of their proposal. For example, a motion to amend the main motion is dispensed with before the main motion, and a motion to amend an amendment is voted on before the original motion to amend.

After a motion to approve is made and seconded, the resolution is before the House for debate, amendment and final action. A motion to approve is a main motion, and a vote by the House disposes of the resolution. A motion to postpone to a certain time may be used to defer consideration of a resolution until some definite future time during this ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition. Resolutions may be referred to the ADEA Board of Directors, councils or sections for their recommendations. An amendment to the ADEA Bylaws is enacted if it receives an affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the delegates present and voting.