How to Change the ASFA Constitution
Changing the ASFA Constitution and By-Laws is governed by Article XI (Amendments). The process is deliberately different from changing the Running Rules: there is no REC pipeline and no regional rules conference. Instead, an amendment travels from one of three origins directly to a Convention of Delegates, where it needs a two-thirds majority of the delegates present and voting.
Article XI §1 recognizes three ways an amendment can be proposed:
- By the Board of Directors
- By a special committee appointed by a Convention of Delegates for that purpose
- By a written petition to the Corresponding Secretary signed by the club liaisons of one-third of the member clubs in good standing
Whichever way it starts, the proposed text must be mailed to every club liaison at least 30 days before the convention that votes on it (Art. XI §2).
Board of Directors
The Board may propose an amendment on its own initiative (Art. XI §1). Board-originated amendments are drafted as motions under the Procedure for Rule Change Proposals and Constitution Changes: quote the full Article and every affected Section, strike through deletions, underline or use red text for additions, note any renumbering, and include a Rationale and a Financial Impact statement. All documents must be in Microsoft Word format, accompanied by Policies A-RUL04 and A-BOD24.
Convention-Appointed Special Committee
A Convention of Delegates may appoint a special committee for the purpose of proposing amendments (Art. XI §1). This is the route typically used for a broader constitutional review: the convention creates the committee, the committee drafts, and its proposals come back to a convention for the two-thirds vote — subject to the same 30-day mailing requirement.
Petition of the Member Clubs
Member PathMember clubs can force an amendment onto the agenda without the Board's initiative. A written petition addressed to the Corresponding Secretary, signed by the club liaisons of one-third of the member clubs in good standing, proposes the amendment directly (Art. XI §1).
The Board must promptly consider a petitioned amendment and must submit it, with the Board's recommendations, for a vote — either at the next ACoD held at least 45 days after receipt of the petition, or at a Special Convention of Club Delegates (SCoD) properly requested by the petitioners. The Board cannot bury a valid petition; its role is to add recommendations, not to gatekeep.
Using an SCoD — Watch the Signature Rules
Constitutional amendments are expressly proper business for a Special Convention of Club Delegates — both Art. XI §1 and §2 name the SCoD as a voting venue. But calling one has its own requirements (Art. IV §4): the petition to the Corresponding Secretary must be signed by the club delegates of one-third of the member clubs in good standing, must state a date at least 45 days after the petition date, a location, and the purpose — and no other Association business may be transacted there. Written notice goes out at least 30 days prior, and the quorum is a majority of the member clubs.
Note the trap: the amendment petition under Art. XI §1 is signed by club liaisons; the SCoD petition under Art. IV §4 is signed by club delegates. A drive that needs both must collect the right signatures on each document. And the 30-day mailing of the amendment text to every liaison (Art. XI §2) still applies at an SCoD.
Process Flow Diagram
All three origins converge on the 30-day mailing to club liaisons, then a two-thirds vote at a Convention of Delegates.
Board of Directors
Proposes on its own initiative — Art. XI §1
Special Committee
Appointed by a Convention for this purpose — Art. XI §1
Petition of Member Clubs
Club liaisons of 1/3 of member clubs in good standing — Art. XI §1
Drafted as a motion ↓
Full text redlined; Rationale + Financial Impact
Committee drafts ↓
Reports back to a Convention
Corresponding Secretary → Board
Board promptly considers; must submit with its recommendations for a vote
≥45 days after receipt
by petitioners
Mailed to Every Club Liaison
Proposed amendment text sent ≥30 days before the convention — Art. XI §2
Convention of Delegates
ACoD or SCoD · Adoption requires a two-thirds majority of delegates present and voting — Art. XI §2
Fails
Amendment is not adopted; may be reworked and proposed again through any Art. XI §1 origin
Passes (2/3)
Posted on the website, published in the Communiqué, sent to each liaison. Effective August 1 following ratification — never sooner than 120 days — Art. XI §3
How This Differs From a Running Rules Change
A Running Rules proposal runs the regional-conference-and-REC pipeline and passes at the ACoD by a simple up-or-down vote; a constitutional amendment skips the REC entirely but faces a higher bar. The amendment threshold is a two-thirds majority of delegates present and voting, and an SCoD is a valid venue for the vote — something the Running Rules procedure never provides. The effective-date rule also differs: both take effect the August 1 following ratification, but an amendment can never take effect sooner than 120 days after ratification, and the approving ACoD may set a different effective date (Art. XI §3).
Drafting formalities are shared: both use the Procedure for Rule Change Proposals and Constitution Changes — full quoted sections, strikethrough for deletions, underline or red text for additions, renumbering noted, Rationale and Financial Impact included, Word format, with Policies A-RUL04 and A-BOD24 attached.
Official References
For the complete provisions, refer to the following official documents:
ASFA Constitution and By-Laws
Article XI (Amendments), Sections 1–3 · Article IV, Section 4 (Special Convention of Club Delegates)
asfa.org/rule/index.htmProcedure for Rule Change Proposals and Constitution Changes
Board Electronic Meeting Procedures (rev 08/22) — formatting and submission requirements, incl. Policies A-RUL04 and A-BOD24
asfa.org/rule/index.htm