It
used to be that General Convention conducted all of its legislative business on
paper – approximately 1.2 million pieces of paper in 2012. No more. For the
second convention running, when each deputy, alternate deputy and bishop
arrives in Austin, Texas, for the 79th General Convention, they will
get a loaner iPad to use as their “Virtual Binder.”
Replacing
each actual binder with the digital system will save the cost of those
estimated 2,400 reams of paper, which amounted to about six tons, plus the copying
costs. Tracking the progress of resolutions was impossible for people who did
not attend convention.
The
Virtual Binder is an app that runs on the bishops’ and deputies’ iPads, and can
be accessed online. Those without a General Convention iPad can access the online version here. That
latter version mirrors the app running on the iPads and changes along with it
in real time.
No
matter how it is accessed, the Virtual Binder enables users to track the
progress of convention resolutions. It also includes each house’s daily
agendas, calendars, and reports. It contains tabs for checking on current
action and floor amendments in each house.
A
free General Convention app is available for anyone using a smartphone or
tablet running Android 4.4 or IOS 8.0 or later. The app contains General
Convention schedules, maps, vendor information, daily orders of worship
services and other useful materials.
