To bring you up to date, a sort of "mix-n-mingle", if you will, was provided by the Nat'l. and sponsored by the host Local (318), complete with live music (a band), good food, and you know it could not have been a mailhandler function without the "refreshments" (beer, liquor, & sodas). After having a continental breakfast (which will also be provided each morning by the Natl. Union) , we got underway at approximately 10:00 a.m. (EST). Before this Convention, or any NPMHU Convention for that matter can officially begin, a report from the Credentials Committee has to be adopted by the body. This report gives the total number of Delegates accredited, any protests and their dispositions, and the number of Delegates each Local was allowed to send. Our Local was allowed 114 Delegates but it was determined that we would only bring 20. Again, for the record, those 20 included, Local President D.T. Taylor, Local Vice President Larry Gipson, Local Treasurer Ron Shepard, Roxie Olds-Pride, and Alton Issacs, all from the Dallas P&DC. State Executive Board Member Linda Lewis, Branch President Harry Kimbrough, Sharon Prelow, and Peter Vargas, all from the Dallas BMC. Local Recording Secretary Eileen Mills, Sharon Ephraim, and Carol Barnes from the North Texas P&DC. Branch President Art Bunton and John Campos, San Antonio P&DC. Jose Garza, Ft. Worth P&DC. Branch President Charles Charleston, North Houston P&DC. Branch President Larry Guerrero, Linda Saenz, Nathan Braziel and Yours Truly (b.shep.) from the Houston P&DC. I know some of you may be thinking that 20 out of 114 is a small number, but when you take into consideration the cost factor, for a Local to be financially able to send 20 says a lot. The Local Presidents of some of Locals are the only ones in attendance. With this in mind, the rules are set up in such a way as to make sure no matter how many Delegates a Local chooses to send, the entire number of delegate votes for the Local will be cast/counted. For instance, Local 000 is allowed 100 delegates but chooses to send only 2. When those 2 Delegates cast a vote, each of their vote will count as 50 votes and together their Local will have cast a total of 100 votes.
O.K., back to the ceremonies. We first viewed a short video of events that had occurred since the 2004 Convention in Boston, MA., leading up to this Convention. Then we had the introduction of the Local Presidents and Nat'l. Executive Board (NEB) like players are introduced for an NBA All-Star game or the Super Bowl. Next was the posting of the colors, Invocation, and the singing of our national anthem. To our credit, the invocation and national anthem was done once again , just like the 2004 Convention, by mother and daughter, Sister Sharon & Ashante Ephraim. Sister Sharon, as I stated earlier, is a member of our Local 311 Delegation. I'm not kidding nor am I ashamed to say that I teared up during her performance; it was that good! After that, we had opening remarks from Nat'l. President Hegarty. Next was welcoming remarks from Nick Mosezar, Local 318 President for Florida, the host Local. A representative from the Orange County Mayor's office then read and presented a proclamation to the body. President Hegarty then made a presentation to special convention guests Hardy Williams and Efraim Daniels, both retired NEB Members. President Hegarty then introduced Mr. Gaut Ragsdale as our Parliamentarian and Mr. Bruce Lerner as our General Counsel. It was at that moment that President Hegarty raised the gavel and officially called the 2008 NPMHU to order! Next was Reports from the Rules (which included Sister Lewis) and Elections Committees. We ended the session with nominations for the Nat'l. Officer Election. Our own Sister Roxie Old-Pride was nominated by Brother John Campos to serve as a judge. The day adjourned at approx. 1:15 p.m. for the conducting of the election. the results will be announced at the beginning of tomorrows session, hopefully Roxie will be elected. That's it for today! Let me hear from you :-)
