1. Where As:

The value of membership and participation in activities of the
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) is
becoming more and more of a question to the smaller State
Societies in both the East and the West, and,

2. Where As:

At the meeting of the Board of Directors in Rapid City, (July
1997) The National Society transferred their responsibility for
compensation for travel for each States National Director to
the State, and compensation for the Regional Vice President
to the Region and,

3. Where As:

State Societies and Regions are now forced to reach a
decision as to whether their National Director, and Regional
Vice President is funded by limited State and Regional
Resources or whether they ask their representative to pay for
his travel at his own expense, ( The concern over this issue
is broad based as evidenced by the (4) resolutions on travel
presented at the meeting in Tulsa, all of which were soundly
defeated) State Societies either participate at their expense,
or let others make the decision for them without a voice in the
process) and

4. Where As:

This policy further strains and alienates the State / National
relationship, and results in NSPE potentially becoming an
organization of "Elitist Corporations and Individuals to which
costs for travel are not important" and further removes us
from our "grass roots" heritage and,

5. Where As:

The cost for travel to attend a meeting of the Board of
Directors is less than 25% of the total cost incurred by a
State Society or individual to attend the meeting
(Registration, Hotel, meals, etc.) and is at "Noise Level" in
the overall budget of NSPE.

Therefore be it resolved that:

1. The Executive Board of NSPE recommend the Budget
Committee of NSPE to accurately estimate the costs for
travel to the next meeting of the Board of Directors in
Spokane based upon the attendance of one National
Director from each State, the Treasurer, the Past President,
the Past, Past President and the Regional Vice President
from each Region, and to include that cost within the budget
presented to the National Directors for Consideration at
Spokane. (Not show it as adding to a "deficit" budget as was
done in Tulsa at no fault of the Budget Committee.)

2. That the National Board of Directors at Spokane, ( based
upon cost estimates established fairly and objectively by the
Budget Committee) authorize compensation by NSPE for
travel expenses incurred by one National Director from each
State, the Treasurer, the Past President, the Past, Past
President and the Regional Vice President , to all of the
Meetings of the National Board of Directors.