American Institute of Parliamentarians upcoming events

AIP September 2026 Learning Series (09/21/2026)

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT

AIP Learning Series
Monday, September 21, 2026

Virtual Workshop - 8:00 PM EDT

The Logic of Parliamentary Law:
Discovering the reason behind the rules

Steven D. Cook, CP-T, PRP

Is there any logic behind the motions in Parliamentary Law? The short answer is yes, absolutely!

This interactive 75- to 90-minute workshop provides an in-depth understanding of the rationale behind parliamentary rules and how to approach familiarizing yourself with and applying parliamentary procedure from a different perspective.

Why are parliamentary rules designed the way that they are?
How can you use parliamentary law to solve procedural meeting problems?
How can you handle confusion, unfairness, delay, or distrust in meetings?
Who says common sense and reasoning cannot be used when based on a few key principles?
Why are amendments needed?
Why do some motions require a second?
Why are vote thresholds such as a two-thirds vote called for in specific instances?
How can the words used by the presiding officer shape a meeting?
What are the philosophical differences between the way AIPSC and RONR handle motions?
Why is parliamentary procedure a valid system for fair decision-making?

Questions and answers will be taken both during and at the end of the workshop.

This workshop is approved for 1.5 CEUs on behalf of the National Association of Parliamentarians for NAP credential renewal

About the Speaker:

Steven D. Cook has been a member of AIP since 2012, holds the credential of Certified Parliamentarian-Teacher (CP-T) with AIP, and is a Professional Registered Parliamentarian (PRP) in NAP. He has served as a member of the Audit and Bylaws Committee of AIP and is the NAP District Three Director; he serves on the NAP Board of Directors as a Director Representative,

Throughout his membership in both NAP and AIP, Steven has contributed to several committees at both the national and local levels. He has supported numerous regional and national organizations as a parliamentarian and as a bylaws reviewer. Additionally, he continues to provide membership training and specialized instruction on parliamentary procedure to organizations across the United States.

Steven retired from the Department of Defense in 2021 after a distinguished 42-year career with the National Security Agency (NSA). Following his retirement, the NSA invited him to return to help build partnerships with universities in North Carolina, reflecting his passion for mentoring the next generation of scientists, researchers, and entrepreneurs. He finally retired for the second and final time in March 2025 to focus more on Parliamentary Law and Procedure.

Steven resides in Clayton, North Carolina, with his wife, Sandra, who is also a PRP and serves as a Commissioner on NAP's Commission of Credentialing. Together, they remain active members of NAP and AIP, enthusiastically promoting the principles of parliamentary procedure and the democratic process.

To Register:

This is a free workshop for AIP members. Register by clicking the link below.

In order to attend, you must log in and register. To receive NAP CEU credit, you must supply your NAP member number when registering and leave your camera on when attending live.

To join the workshop, you will be set up to attend the course through the AIP Learning Center, You will be sent out a reminder the day of the seminar.

Registrants will get the recording and any handouts approximately one week following the workshop in the Learning Series Course on the AIP Learning Center.

Certified Professional Parliamentarian(TM) Exam Application (January 2027) (01/14/2027)

Thu, 14 Jan 2027 08:00:00 GMT

Winter Practicum

Certified Professional Parliamentarian(TM) Application

Application Deadline	Examination Window
October 9, 2026	January 14-16, 2027 (at Winter Practicum, Las Vegas, NV)

The AIP Accrediting Department Policies for Oral Examinations for Certified Professional Parliamentarian (click here);

An application for this examination and payment information, available by clicking Register; and

An activity points calculation form, for submission with the examination application. The activity points form is viewable within the registration process and can also be found here.

Congratulations! Your decision to seek certification is important.

To help you, AIP has compiled this package. It includes the following:

Certification requires more than achieving a passing score on the examination. It also requires obtaining 30 hours of activities in three categories within the parliamentary profession. All atrctivities must be fully documented. For example, activity as an instructor will be documented with a printed program or other supporting material verifying the activity, dates, and content. If you pass the examination and have documented your 30 activity points to the satisfaction of the Accrediting Department, you will be officially notified of your certification.

The Accrediting Department determines whether the requirements for certification have been met. You may not use the “Certified Professional Parliamentarian(TM)" or “CPP” designations until you have been officially notified that the credential has been awarded.

Thank you again for your interest in parliamentary certification. If you need further assistance, contact the AIP Accrediting Department at accrediting@aipparl.org.

Certified Parliamentarian(TM) Exam Application (January 2027) (01/17/2027)

Mon, 18 Jan 2027 05:00:00 GMT

2027 Certified Parliamentarian(TM) Application, Examination and Certification

Examination Window	Application Deadline
January 18-29, 2027	November 6, 2026

Congratulations! Your decision to seek certification is important.

To help you, AIP has prepared this registration process. It includes the following:

Accrediting Department Policies for Written Examinations for CERTIFIED PARLIAMENTARIAN(TM) credential, available for review here.
An application for this examination and payment information, available by clicking Register
An activity points calculation form, for submission with the examination application. The activity points form is viewable within the registration process and can also be found here.

*Please be aware that the date and time proposed for the exam, and monitor's name and contact information will be required for registration.

Activity points must be turned in one week prior to the opening of the Examination Date or the examination will be cancelled and fees will be forfeited. Questions about these policies may be addressed to accrediting@aipparl.org.

The written examination consists of three parts:

Multiple-choice questions
Short-answer questions
Narrative scripting exercise (you are given a series of actions/activities and must demonstrate your knowledge of the correct language to achieve the result requested)

Important information:

Each part is taken separately. Once completed, you cannot return to a prior part of the exam.
A short break of up to 15 minutes is permitted between parts.
The exam must be taken in one sitting.
There is a one-hour time limit for each section.
Retakes of individual sections are not permitted.
Activity points are reviewed by the Accrediting Department; additional documentation may be required.

The Accrediting Department determines whether the requirements for certification have been met. You may not use the “CERTIFIED PARLIAMENTARIAN(TM) ” or “CP” designations until you have been officially notified of your certification.

Thank you again for you interest in parliamentary certification. If you need further assistance, contact the AIP Accrediting Department at accrediting@aipparl.org.