Policies

These policies are designed to uphold the integrity of the Southern Weights and Measures Association, official business meetings, and to ensure that all voices can be heard in an organized and constructive manner. It shall be the policy of the Southern Weights and Measures Association that:

Annual Meeting Documents

• Anyone wishing to have meeting-related documents posted to the association's website shall submit the documents to the President and the applicable Chairperson for review. If approved, the documents will be forwarded to the Secretary for posting on the website. 
• • No meeting documents will be posted after 5 pm on the Friday before the meeting. 
  • Anyone wishing to have their documents presented at the annual meeting during open hearings or a separate, limited time slot shall:
  1. Register yourself or designate a representative, pay the applicable registration fee, and attend the open hearings in person;
  2. Have your presentation ready, in PowerPoint format, and on a USB storage device;
  3. Submit your presentation to the President no later than Sunday at 3:00 pm, allowing time to have your presentation loaded into the queue.
     
     

Annual Meeting Attendees

1. Only attendees who have registered in advance may attend the meeting and will be permitted entry into the main meeting room.  Guests are required to register in advance; however, guest access to meeting rooms is prohibited unless full registration has been paid.

2. Retiree registration is limited to individuals who are fully retired and are attending on their own behalf. An individual is not eligible to register or participate as a retiree if they are employed by, contracted with, consulting for, representing, or otherwise affiliated with a company, organization, or industry having an interest in weights and measures.

3. An individual will be considered affiliated with a company, organization, or industry if the individual:

• Is employed, contracted, retained, or engaged as a consultant or representative;
• Receives reimbursement or payment for travel, lodging, registration, or other meeting-related expenses from a company, organization, or industry; or
• Attends the meeting for the purpose of representing, expressing, or conveying the interests, positions, or opinions of a company, organization, or industry.

**Individuals meeting any of these criteria are not considered retirees for SWMA membership or meeting registration purposes and must register under the appropriate membership category, including payment of all applicable membership and meeting registration fees.

4. Membership Role: Any individual found to violate the established membership rules will have their comments deemed invalid, stricken from the record, and speaking privileges revoked on the specific item under discussion.

5. The Presiding Officer and/or Parliamentarian may rule the comments out of order and direct that they not be included in the official minutes

Meeting Cancellation Policy

Cancellations are subject to a 50% cancellation fee. No refunds will be given after the event has commenced. No refunds will be given unless specifically requested. In the case of a state-declared emergency and meeting cancellation, a full refund will be issued. Documentation of cancellations due to personal medical emergencies is required, and a full refund may be issued. Refunds will only be made on registration fees paid to SWMA.