Page 9 - OPTA September 2018

APTA House of Delegates
Student Usher Recap
Melinda “MeMe” Earnest, SPT – University of Cincinnati
Wow! As I write this, it has been over two weeks since I returned to Ohio following the APTA House of Delegates in Orlando and reflecting on my experience still makes me smile from ear-to-ear. Who knew that a few days of Robert’s Rule of Orders, being eternally cold in an auditorium, and running (literally, full stride) in front of 400+ professionals in unflattering khakis would make me incredibly proud of our professional association and inspire me to be an engaged member for life?
My experience began on June 23 when I met one of our delegates, Dr. Nancy Durban, in the airport. We began talking about the upcoming House, and I realized I had A LOT
of research left to do. My understanding of the House of Delegates was basic enough: a number of membership-based representatives from each state get together and vote on stuff. What was “stuff” though? I was in for a treat: this year, the House had fifty-seven motions to vote on.
A main motion can be proposed by voting chapter delegates or non-voting delegates from sections, the assembly, the PTA Caucus, and the Board of Directors (which includes President Dr. Sharron Dunn and Directors like Ohio’s own Dr. Susan Appling and Dr. Anthony DiFlippo). When a delegate wants
to submit a motion, they spend an entire year preparing the motion and working with the Reference Committee to create the perfect language in their proposal. When the House opens, the WORD LIST of motions is gone through, and with each motion, the proposer and other delegates can comment or
try to amend the motion. Some motions are passed quickly, and some are amended and discussed for a long time. Ohio proposed two motions. One was about professional well-being and the other concerned the researched benefits of residencies and fellowships. I won’t spoil the fun and say if they passed or not, but instead I’ll suggest checking out the APTA website and getting a recap of the entire House.
In addition to being a student usher for the Ohio Delegation, I was lucky and had an additional role at the House; I was the Special Assistant to the Secretary, Roger Herr. Working with him was a pleasure! The majority of my job as the assistant was to run onto the dais and pass messages regarding the running of the House and motions between Roger and any other delegates or committee members.
One of my favorite parts of the House was getting to know our delegation. Thirteen voting members strong and accompanied by a handful of other leaders, we are lucky
to have outstanding professionals and caring clinicians representing Ohio. Thank you, OPTA, for the opportunity to attend the House of Delegates and learn about our profession on an entirely new level, and thanks especially to each member of our delegation, not only for your dedication and leadership, but also for your guidance before and during
the House!
OPTA student scholarship winner, Melinda Earnest, SPT (right), showing off her Ohio pride at the 2018 House of Delegates as our Student Usher.
Annual Conference 2019 Save the Date: April 5-6, 2019
OPTA | September 2018 | 9