We live in a time of change. The seasons. The pandemic. The government (at least here in the United States). But some of the most significant changes are happening in the world of parliamentary procedure. Practicing parliamentarians are dealing with the challenges of meeting remotely, quite unexpectedly, and without clear guidance on what may be required. We must answer questions that only a few of us had ever previously speculated. These times of change also present an opportunity.

Informed readers and AIP members will be aware that an authorship team for the next edition of the American Institute of Parliamentarians Standard Code (AIPSC) has formed. The authorship team, appointed by the Board of Directors of AIP, refers to the work they are preparing as AIPSC2. The team is diligently working on making updates to the manual. Informed readers will also know that in recent months, several parliamentary authorities have been updated and released. The two most notable new editions are Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised Twelfth Edition and Mason’s Manual of Legislative Process 2020 edition. Both manuals are updated about once a decade and so it seems is the fate of AIPSC.

Some might say that AIPSC is at a disadvantage by being the last major authority to be updated. I beg to differ. The authorship team of AIPSC2 has a distinct upper hand when compared to these other works. There are several reasons for this belief, but the number one, in my opinion, is that most of the other books were written and finalized before the pandemic. The authors of AIPSC2 have the experience of working and adapting to this environment. Additionally, now that other major authorities have been released and analyzed, it is possible to see any areas that could be further explained.

This is not to say that AIPSC2 will be relying solely on the innovations in other authorities. AIPSC and The Standard Code before it had a notable philosophical goal. That goal can be characterized using the following phrase: Keep it Simple, Stupid. Simplicity and practical approach have long been the bedrock of Alice Sturgis and her affiliated works. That approach is not changing here, and, significantly, the authors continue to attempt to make the manual even easier to understand.

To that end, the authorship team does not want to operate in a vacuum. In short, we need your input. The authorship team has developed a few opportunities to get feedback and advice on what should be in the next edition of AIPSC. People providing feedback do not have to be members of AIP or even use AIPSC. We want good ideas regardless of where they originate.

The first way to provide feedback to the authorship team is through the manual’s newly developed website. More information will be coming to the website soon, but, for now, there is a feedback form to accept feedback. You can access the website at www.AIPSC2.com.

The second way to provide feedback and interact with the authorship team is a special online forum right before the West Coast Practicum. The specific date is January 14, 2021. You can get more information and sign up for these special forums by visiting this link: https://aipparl.wildapricot.org/event-4009505.

If you have questions or concerns about AIPSC2 revision, the special forum, or the AIPCS2 website, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our email is AIPSC2@aipparl.org.