Several years ago, when I was becoming more serious about parliamentary procedure, I decided to join the American Institute of Parliamentarians. Although similar to the National Association of Parliamentarians, AIP takes a broader perspective on parliamentary procedure, by encouraging the study of parliamentary authorities other than Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised. Specifically, The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure and Cannon’s Concise Guide to Rules of Order are both considered current.

Unfortunately, AIP was going through a serious crisis at the time, and as a new member I was treated with complete indifference by management. It was nearly a year before I received my membership card and welcome package, and I never experienced any significant benefits of membership. So, when it came time to renew my dues for the next year, I treated the renewal notice with complete indifference, and my membership lapsed.

With the passage of time, AIP has resolved many of its internal issues, and I’ve decided to rejoin as a member. I plan to pursue AIP’s Certified Parliamentarian, Certified Professional Parliamentarian, and Teacher of Parliamentary Procedure designations, and join the local chapter here in Toronto: the Parliamentary Society of Toronto.

The mark of a true professional is continual training and development, and I hope this new affiliation will help me in that regard. My next major milestone in this project will be writing the CP exam in the first week of June 2009, so I will need to set aside some time between now and then for studying and preparation. I will also need to make sure my required service points are fully documented and up-to-date; fortunately, my practice as a professional parliamentarian provides me with ample opportunity to earn those points.