Delegates in August voted down a bylaws amendment proposal that sought to dissolve the NASW Delegate Assembly structure and assign its functions to committees and the NASW board of directors.

Delegates voted down the amendment with 89 against and 73 in favor during its triennial meeting on Aug. 2. There were 224 delegates in attendance.

For the third time since 2008, delegates used a specially designed website and the telephone for discussion and voting procedures.

Over the past year, members and delegates posted and exchanged comments on 22 automatically referred social work policy statements via NASW’s Delegate Assembly section of the website.

The policy statements are guides for the association when considering positions on certain issues and for practitioners to address their concerns.

Delegates approved revisions to the automatically referred policies online in July. The revisions will be compiled and published in the next edition of “Social Work Speaks.”

Policy statements are scheduled for automatic consideration after not being updated for six years. Future policy statement revisions for automatic review will be conducted via the Delegate Assembly website on an annual basis.

The majority of delegates approved the following program priority goals, which will be in effect July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2018.

• Association viability: Sustain and strengthen NASW’s leadership position in the U.S. and promote the social work profession globally.
• Membership experience: Provide the highest level of service to NASW members to ensure their engagement, satisfaction and retention.
• Leadership for the profession: Expand leadership within the profession through networking and mentoring opportunities that include experienced and aspiring social workers.
• Public policy: Lead, support and increase awareness and effectiveness of NASW’s advocacy of public policies that promote social and economic justice and protect the profession.
• Social welfare: Promote social work practice, research and evaluation, education, and training that advance human and community well-being.

The Delegate Assembly is the representative, decision-making body — comprising 277 elected delegates — through which NASW members set broad organizational policy, establish program priorities, and develop a collective stance on public and professional issues. Article V of the National Bylaws addresses Delegate Assembly. The Delegate Assembly meets once every three years. As stated in the National Bylaws, “The membership shall act through the Delegate Assembly in all matters except as otherwise provided in the Bylaws.”