American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries

The American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries (ASLCS) was founded in 1943 to improve legislative administration, and to establish better communication between clerks and secretaries throughout the United States and its territories. In 1974, ASLCS joined with several state legislative groups to form the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). The society includes an active membership of more than four hundred principal clerks, secretaries, and legislative support staff.^[1]

Purposes and functions

ASLCS was created to provide an effective forum for solving professional problems common to legislative clerical officers and their staffs. Legislative clerks and secretaries and their staff members work in a unique environment for which little formal training is available. ASLCS works to fulfill these training needs. ASLCS training programs concentrate on:

• Improving the administrative and parliamentary effectiveness of state legislatures;
• Developing procedures for enhancing the lawmaking function;
• Improving the skills and professionalism of employees in the offices of clerks and secretaries;
• Increasing understanding of the roles and relationships among different staff activities and responsibilities; and
• Providing a forum in which clerks and secretaries can meet and learn from one another.

One major accomplishment of the Society is the revision of the Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure. At the invitation of NCSL, a special commission of ASLCS was established in 1984. The 1989 edition of Mason's is the most widely used manual of parliamentary procedure in state legislatures. The commission continues within the Society. Another revised publication is planned at the end of the decade, based upon changes in case law and parliamentary practice.^[2]

Membership and operations

The Society's membership is made up of the elected or appointed legislative clerks and secretaries in the 50 states and the possessions and territories of the U.S.A. Associate members are legislative employees designated by the principal clerks and secretaries from the personnel in their offices. Any former member may maintain an associate level membership. Associates make up the largest segment of the Society's membership. The Society's operations are governed by its bylaws and standing orders under the guidance of the Executive Committee, and most of the work of the Society is done in committees. The Society convenes three times a year, at the Spring Business Meeting, NCSL Legislative Summit and Fall Professional Development Seminar.^[3]

Publications and standards

ASLCS publishes several reference and resource books, including The Legislative Administrator, Professional Journal, Roster and Reference Guide, International Directory, Mason's Manual and Inside the Legislative Process.

The Society's publications are governed by standards approved by the Executive Committee of ASLCS. The publication standards are policies adopted by the ASLCS Executive Committee that are continuing in nature. Publication Standards remain in effect unless amended by the Executive Committee.

Legislative Administrator

The Legislative Administrator is the official newsletter of the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries.

Professional Journal

"The Journal" provides a forum to share experiences, expertise and opinions on a variety of subjects influencing our daily working environment.

International Directory

The International Directory is a booklet that provides a resource in English, Spanish and French of the objectives and goals of the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries (ASLCS), Association of Chief Clerks of Mexico's State Legislatures and the Federal District of Mexico (ANOMAC), Association of Central American Legislative Clerks (ATELCA), the Canadian Clerks-at-the Table, South African Legislative Secretaries Association (SALSA), and the Australian Clerks. The booklet also contains the names, phone numbers, fax numbers and e-mail addresses of the Executive Committee members of the respective organizations.

Inside the Legislative Process

Inside the Legislative Process is a research tool, providing information on state legislative processes and procedures. The ASLCS committee on Inside the Legislative Process is responsible for reviewing and producing this publication. The committee works closely with NCSL staff to develop survey questions and record the responses in a format that is easily usable by all legislative units and reflects current legislative processes.^[4]

Mason's manual commission

The original Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure was authored by Paul Mason in 1935, and he subsequently updated it six times. Now, NCSL holds the book's copyright, and it follows Mason's tradition of updating and reprinting the book approximately every 10 years. With assistance from the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries (ASLCS), the Mason's Manual Commission was created to oversee the revisions of Mason's Manual.^[5]

International relations

ASLCS has supportive working relations with its counterparts in:^[6]

• Canada: Association of Clerks-at-the-Table in Canada (CATT)
• Mexico: Association of Chief Clerks of Mexico's State Legislatures and the Federal District of Mexico (ANOMAC)
• Central America: Association of Central American Legislative Clerks (ATELCA), which includes Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama
• Australia and New Zealand: Australia and New Zealand Association of Clerks-at-the-Table (ANZACATT)^[7]
• South Africa: Secretaries' Association of the Legislatures of South Africa (SALSA)

Additionally, the Joint Canadian-American Clerks' Conference is held biennially in odd-numbered years. It is hosted alternately between Canada and the United States Unlike other Society meetings, participation in this conference is limited to principal clerks and secretaries or to the principal assistant if the clerk or secretary is unable to attend. The meeting typically occurs in August or September. The location is determined by joint recommendation of the ASLCS Canadian/American Relations Committee and the Canadian Association of Clerks-at-the-Table.

References