Kinda interesting

[aj]

Page 14 and 15 of the last Shorthorn country.......the delegates for the annual meeting are listed. I didn't realize that Canada has 17 votes and one delegate. Texas has 189 votes. Indiana has 221 votes. Arkansas and Oregon together has 29 votes with 2 delegates and no delegates elected. What determines.....or what is the difference of the votes and delegates each group is given? Is it kinda like the U.S. congress with so many delegates per state and so many for registration numbers. Do all delegates vote one way or do they all have to vote the same? If a delegate is a no show do they loose votes? Do they have red states and blue states. I know this is a discussion board and we are not supposed to discuss stuff but its interesting to me.

 

[justintime]

The number of votes is determined  by the membership in each state. The delegates from each state do not have to all vote the same, but I have seen many issues where there is a lot of lobbying both between delegates in a state, and with delegates from different states to try to have a unified vote. Sometimes this has not happened, and I think that is they way it should be. I have never really understood why Canada has a delegate, but I have been told by several executive secretary's going back to the Pete Swaffer days that Canada has always had a delegate to the ASA. I was a delegate to the ASA back in the late 70s and 80s and also sat on a few special committees of the ASA. I was surprised this year when I received a letter from the ASA that informed me that I was the delegate from Canada again, so I will be heading to Kansas City in early December. I should also add that all delegates attend the annual meeting at their own expense and there is no compensation of any kind. Again, that is the way it should be. The delegates to each state and Canada are determined by votes of members in each of these. If a delegate cannot attend, I believe they can still send in a proxy vote but it is seldom used. I am not a big fan of proxy votes, as I believe decisions should be determined by delegates in attendance.