ARTICLE IV
DELEGATES
Section 1. Meeting. The delegates of the Conference shall meet once every four years hereafter at a time and place as voted by the Board of Directors, (the “Session” or “Quadrennial Session”), such meeting falling within the first nine (9) months of the calendar year, or as called for more frequently (“Special Session”) to discuss the business of the Conference, including the electing of the members of the Board of Directors of the Conference, electing officers, reviewing the performance of departmental director/leaders of the various Conference departments, and the amending of the Conference’s Articles and Bylaws. (Note: A departmental director is not a member of the Board of Directors by virtue of being a departmental director and the terms are identifiable within their respective contexts of use. Generally, a “departmental director” shall be referred to as such.) The agenda for all sessions shall be set by the Board of Directors and accepted by a vote of the session delegates. The president of the Conference or his designate shall act as chairperson of all sessions, voting only in case of a tie vote.
Section 2. Composition. All delegates shall be in regular standing as members of a Seventh-day Adventist Church served by the Conference. The delegates to any Session or Special Session shall be:
a. Such delegates as shall be duly accredited by the churches served by the Conference on the following basis: one for each church regardless of size of membership, plus one additional delegate for each twenty (20) church members or major fraction thereof taken from the churches’ membership as of September 30 of the previous year of the Session or Special Session;
b. The members of the Board of Directors;
c. Officers of the General Conference, North American Division and North Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, or their designees, may be seated as delegates at any Session or Special Session, such seating not to exceed five percent (5%) of the total delegates;
d. All credentialed, commissioned, or licensed employees of the Conference.
e. Members of the Standing Articles and Bylaws Committee; and
f. The President and Vice President of Financial Affairs of the Pacific Press Publishing Association.
Section 3. Quorum. A majority of the duly elected delegates present at the opening of the Session or Special Session shall constitute a quorum.
Section 4. Time and Location of Meetings. The Conference shall hold its Sessions at such time and place as the Board of Directors shall designate.
Section 5. Notice of Meetings. Notice of all Quadrennial Sessions of the Conference shall be published in the North Pacific Union GLEANER at least three (3) weeks prior to such meetings. Notice of each Quadrennial Session shall be mailed to each church served by the Conference at least ninety (90) days prior to such Quadrennial Session. The call of the meeting and the agenda shall be mailed to the delegates at least twenty (20) days, but not more than sixty (60) days prior to the Session.
Section 6. Special Sessions. Special Sessions may be called by the Conference’s officers, or by a majority of the Board of Directors, or by the petition call of twenty percent (20%) of the local church members who were in regular standing as of September 30 of the previous year. Notice of Special Sessions shall be mailed to each church served by the Conference at least four (4) weeks, but not more than sixty (60) days prior to such meeting. Such notice shall identify the agenda items. A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the delegates present is required in order to consider additional items.
Section 7. Vote. Unless otherwise required herein or by the laws of the State of Idaho, in the deliberations of the Session or Special Session, motions shall be considered as approved with a majority vote of those present and voting. Voting shall be by voice, electronic voting devices, raising of hands, standing or by ballot vote as specified by the chair or as voted by the delegates.
Section 8. Rules of Order. The parliamentary authority shall be the current version of GENERAL CONFERENCE RULES OF ORDER, or such other parliamentary authority or proceedings as may be adopted by the delegates in the Session or Special Session by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote.