The American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters Governance Team supports everything from basic Constitution & Bylaws inquiries to formal appeals presented to the National Executive Committee — but we do not do this work alone. We rely on three key professional resources, each with a distinct area of expertise.
 
For legal matters, we partner with The American Legion’s national judge advocate, Mark Seavey. For governance interpretation and complex procedural guidance, we work with Professional Registered Parliamentarian Chris Dickey. We are also pleased to introduce our newest resource, Joy Freeland, who serves as our annually appointed national volunteer parliamentarian. In this role, Freeland is an excellent resource for questions related to general parliamentary procedure and for assistance using Robert’s Rules of Order at the department and unit levels.
 
From a young age, Freeland knew she was interested in a career with structure and the ability to learn about and enforce rules. In high school, she was a member of the Independence, Mo., Police Department Explorer Post. After high school, she joined the U.S. Army and served as a military police officer. 
 
After Freeland’s military service, she went back to school and earned her Registered Paralegal credentials and eventually retired as a paralegal. Through her career, she continued to feel the pull toward studying parliamentary procedure. After her sons left home and she had more time to study, it was a natural progression to become a credentialed parliamentarian. Freeland enjoys helping other people understand and follow the rules.
 
Freeland received her Professional Registered Parliamentarian credentials through the National Association of Parliamentarians (NAP) in 2010. She has served numerous local parliamentary units as president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and historian. She is currently in her fourth term as president of the Missouri State Association of Parliamentarians (MSAP) and has served MSAP in various other positions. Freeland served NAP as a member and later as chair of the Educational Resources Committee. Her passion is introducing youth and adults to parliamentary procedure and helping members advance in their parliamentary studies. She has volunteered hundreds of hours conducting workshops, teaching parliamentary procedure, and facilitating study groups for members.
 
As a Professional Registered Parliamentarian, Freeland serves local, state, and national clients by serving as a meeting parliamentarian, assisting with bylaws amendments, conducting workshops, and consulting on organizational issues. She also volunteers for various nonprofit and political organizations.
 
Freeland is a graduate of St. Leo University, and is a retired Registered Paralegal and  veteran of the United States Army Military Police Corps. She has been a member of the American Legion Auxiliary for 22 years.
 
Do you have a governance question for Professional Registered Parliamentarian Joy Freeland? Emailing ConstitutionBylaws@ALAforVeterans.org is your first step. While we are fortunate to have access to highly skilled professional resources, these individuals serve as national resources and are engaged through the ALA National Headquarters Governance Team.