ACNM Business Meeting Procedures

The following procedures apply to all business meetings conducted by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

I. Registration: All members and guests must be registered prior to attending sessions, and identification badges must be worn at all times. ACNM members who wish to attend only the business meetings may register at the ACNM registration desk with photo identification.


II. Seating: Voting (all active) members will sit in reserved sections; associate members and student members will occupy separate, reserved seating sections. Guests may attend business meetings except when members vote to hold an executive session. All meetings shall begin on time and doors shall be closed when the meeting begins, but doors may be opened by direction of the President.

III. Discussion: When addressing the President, a member shall go to a microphone and give his or her name and state. Members shall not speak more than twice on the same subject, and shall be limited to two minutes each time. No person shall speak a second time until everyone who wishes to speak for the first time has been recognized. In debate, active members shall be recognized first, followed by associate and student members. Student members will be allowed to speak at the microphone in proportion to their representation, related to representation of active members. Reports shall be limited to 10 minutes. A timekeeper shall signal the speaker when allotted time has expired.


IV. Motions: Motions proposing new business shall be presented in the proper format and in the order in which they have been filed with the parliamentarian. Should a proponent of a motion not be available when the motion is presented, the motion will be placed last. Official forms used to propose motions will be available in the Program Committee office.

V. Announcements: Due to time constraints, announcements can only be made from the platform and must relate to the ACNM education sessions, meetings where ACNM business is being conducted, or the overall business of ACNM. All other announcements should be posted on the message board.

VI. Authority: Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised govern the proceedings of the business meetings in all cases not covered by ACNM bylaws or these procedures.

VII. Smoking: Smoking is prohibited at all Annual Meeting functions.

VIII. Infants: Infants under 6 months are allowed in the business meetings as long as they remain quiet. Pages are instructed to ask parents with noisy children to leave the meeting. Due to local fire marshal regulations, the use of strollers in meeting rooms is prohibited.

IX. Recording: Audio or video recording of business meetings is not permitted unless authorized by the President.

X. Computers: Due to hazards caused by use of extension cords, only battery-powered laptop computers may be used during sessions.