Bylaws - Wyoming Veterinary Technician Association

*Wyoming Veterinary Technician Association*
CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
Article I - Title
The Association shall be known as the Wyoming Veterinary Technician Association, hereafter referred to as the Association.
	1. The definition of a Veterinary Technician herein refers to any person having graduated from an AVMA accredited Veterinary Technology Program.
	2. The terms Licensed, Certified, or Registered Veterinary Technician will be used to identify any such person that has passed national and/or state veterinary technician exams and holds a current license, certificate, or registration in the United States.
	3. The term veterinary support staff refers to any other member of the veterinary health care team such as a veterinary assistant, veterinary receptionist, veterinary office manager, kennel person, etc.
	4. The term DVM or Doctor of Veterinary Medicine refers to any person having completed a doctorate in veterinary medicine and is licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the state of Wyoming.
	5. Within this document the term Veterinary Technician will refer to all persons covered in items # 1 & 2 above.
Article II - Purpose/Objective
The purposes or objectives of the Association are as follows
	1. to promote the professional and educational advancement of Veterinary Technicians and Veterinary Support Staff,
	2. to enhance the knowledge and skills of the Veterinary Technician and the Veterinary Support Staff through continuing education programs and sponsored seminars,
	3. to promote the interests of Veterinary Technicians and Veterinary Support Staff through state, provincial, and federal legislation,
	4. to promote and maintain the professional image and high ethical standards of the Veterinary Technician and the Veterinary Profession,
	5. to promote the rights and privileges of Veterinary Technicians
	6. to promote progressive and humane medical care for all creatures,
	7. and, to promote and maintain a cooperative professional relationship with the veterinary medical profession
Article III - Membership
Section 1. Active Membership VT: Active members in this category shall be Veterinary Technicians (as described above) in good standing. All active members shall have voting privileges.
Section 2. Active Membership VA: Active Members in this category shall be veterinary assistants currently working in the veterinary profession. All active members shall have voting privileges. This includes students currently enrolled in an AVMA accredited Veterinary Technology program.
Section 3. Associate Membership: Associate members of the Association shall be those persons not described in the Active Membership category, but who are interested in supporting and promoting the Association. Associate members shall not be eligible to serve as officers of the Association, shall not vote in Association affairs, but may at the discretion of the Executive Board, serve on committees.
Section 4. Membership dues: Membership to the above categories may be obtained after formal application and payment of dues are given to the Association for approval. Annual Dues are due by the 15th of January of each year. Only active members in good standing may vote for officers or in other affairs of the Association. The fiscal year of the Association shall be January 1^st through December 31^st and dues paid at any time during the calendar year apply only to the year in which they were paid.
Section 5. Revocation of Membership: If, in the opinion of the Executive Board, a member of the Association (either active or associate) is believed to have participated in activities which grossly misrepresent or undermine the profession and/or the Association, said member shall be notified in writing of this belief and invited to a hearing of his/her views or rebuttal. The hearing shall be held by the Executive Board within a reasonable period of time following notification. A majority vote of members present by secret ballot will decide the revocation.
Article IV - Officers, Their Election and Duties
Section 1. The Officers of the Association: The elected officers of the Association are the President, Past-President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, NAVTA (National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America) State Representative, Member-at-Large, and Newsletter Editor. These officers shall comprise the Executive Board. Each shall have one vote in Executive Board Meetings, the president voting only to break a tie. If two positions are combined, this dual position shall have only one vote (i.e. Secretary/Editor)
Section 2. Election of Officers:
	A. Eligibility: Only active members in good standing with the Association may be nominated for elective offices.
		1. The elective offices are: President, Past-President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, NAVTA State Representative, and Member-at-large.
		2. The President must have served at least one year on the Executive Board in the year preceding election to the office of President and must be a Veterinary Technician.
		3. NAVTA State Representatives are also bound by the rules and regulations governing NAVTA as well as WyVTA.
		4. Other Executive Board positions may be held by veterinary assistants that are active members in good standing.
	B. Nominations and Elections: Nominations for officers will be submitted by the nominating committee to the Board for review and balloting. Ballots will be mailed to all voting members when an election run off is necessary
	C. Terms of Office and Installation: Newly elected officers will be installed at the end of the year preceding the year of their term. Officers must be re-elected each year to maintain the same or another board position. No term of office shall be held for more than three consecutive years. Executive Board positions should be filled with by residents of Wyoming.
	D. Vacancy: In the event of a vacancy the board shall nominate a person to fill the position, and upon acceptance, install said person for the remainder of the fiscal year.
	E. Resignation Procedures: Any member of the Executive Board who wishes to resign his/her position must notify the Board in writing of his/her intention and the date which the resignation will be effective.
	F. Duties of the Officers:
		.1. President--the President shall:
			a. preside at all meetings of the Executive Board and the general membership meetings,
			b. set the agenda,
			c. vote only to break a tie vote of the Executive Board
			d. represent the Association in all matters,
			e. appoint the chairpersons of any committees formed, outline their duties, and monitor their progress,
			f. promote increased membership through public speeches and etc.,
			g. oversee the budget with the treasurer,
			h. act as the spokesperson for the Association to the press, the public and related organizations,
			i. and promote the Veterinary Medical Profession, the Veterinary Technician, and the Veterinary Support Staff including their relationships to public health and agriculture.
		.2. Past President—the Past President shall:
			a. act as an advisor to the Executive Board,
			b. be available to sit on committees and speak on behalf of the association,
			c. and serve as the liaison to the Wyoming Veterinary Medical Association.
		3. Vice-President—the Vice-President shall:
			a. serve as the Continuing Education Committee Chairperson and oversee and be privy to all decisions, arrangements, etc. of this committee, and
			b. serve as acting President in case the elected President is unable to serve.
		4. Secretary—the Secretary shall:
			a. record minutes of meetings,
			b. assist the President in keeping accurate files of all state/provincial/national technician associations,
			c. be responsible for any correspondence unless otherwise delegated, and
			d. publish an annual WISH list and sponsor requests as directed by the Executive Board.
		5. Treasurer—the Treasurer shall
			a. assist the President in keeping accurate records of membership,
			b. keep an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements for a period of not less than 5 years, and
			c. receive and have charge of all funds of the Association, deposit such funds in a bank designated by the Executive Board and provide for expenditure of such funds as directed by the Board.
		6. NAVTA State Representative—the Representative to the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America shall:
			a. Be a member of NAVTA and act as a liaison to NAVTA
			b. provide NAVTA with quarterly reports regarding the WyVTA and the state of veterinary medicine in the Wyoming
			c. provide WyVTA with any pertinent information of a national interest
			d. and it is highly recommended that the NAVTA Representative attend all NAVTA State Representative meetings (usually held at CVC in August) if at all possible without compensation of the association, unless voted to do so by a majority of the Executive Board.
		7. Member-at-Large--the Member-at-Large shall:
			attend all Board Meetings,
			be able to accept chairmanships of committees,
			not be limited to one person.
Article V - Amendments
	Section 1. Presentation:
	a. Amendments may be proposed by written petition signed by 5 active members of the Association.
	b. A proposed amendment shall be submitted to the Executive Board at least thirty days before a general meeting.
	c. Copies of amendment proposals shall be distributed to the voting members of the Association at least 14 days prior to a general meeting.
	Section 2. Passage: The Constitution and By-Laws may be amended at any general meeting by a two-thirds vote of the active members of the voting body present and voting.
	Section 3. Adoption: Approved amendments will be formerly adopted at the meeting at which they were passed, and will become effective at the close of said meeting unless otherwise stipulated in the amendment.
Article VI - By-Laws
	Section 1. The By-Laws of the Association shall appear following the last Article of the Constitution and shall be proposed, passed, amended, and adopted as stated in Article V, Sections 1-3 of the Constitution of the Association.
	BY-LAWS - Article I
		Section 1. Purposes of the Standing committees of the Association.
		A. CONTINUING EDUCATION -The purposes of this committee are:
			1. to organize the annual continuing education program for the Association,
			2. and to serve in an advisory capacity to continuing education programs for Veterinary Technicians and Veterinary Support Staff
		B. MEMBERSHIP - The purposes of this committee are:
			1. to promote membership in the Association,
			2. and to assist the Treasurer as needed in maintaining the membership lists.
		C. NEWSLETTER/PUBLIC RELATIONS – The purposes of this committee are:
			1. to provide the Association Membership with a newsletter/publication at an interval established by the Executive Board,
			2. and to formulate press releases for public events, registration forms for continuing education, announcements of events, and any other associated literature necessary for the continuing education of the members of the association and the general public as deemed necessary by the Executive Board.
		D. EASTERN WYOMING COLLEGE VETERINARY TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM STUDENT CHAPTER – The purpose of this Chapter is:
			1. to include all EWC VT Program students currently enrolled a group membership to WyVTA. This group will then represent the only AVMA accredited VT program in the state of Wyoming and provide the students with an opportunity to hold a representative position on the WyVTA Executive Board and foster future veterinary technicians involvement in an organization that represents their careers.
			2. A representative will be elected from each class (freshman and sophomore) and these people will act as voting liaison for their respective class. Each representative will have one vote.
			3. The Annual Dues for the Student Chapter will be set at $50 for the entire chapter.
			4. Should an individual student wish to maintain his/her own voting privileges, he/she may choose to become a student member of WyVTA for $15 Annual Dues. Students will receive their newsletters and communication via email.
		E. NOMINATING COMMITTEE – The purposes of this committee are:
			1. to verify membership status and to nominate individuals to serve as members of the Executive Board, including taking recommendations from the association membership.
			2. The nominated individuals will be presented to the association membership and voted upon as stated under Article IV, Section 2B of these bylaws.
		F. CERTIFICATION COMMITTEE – The purposes of this committee are:
			1. maintain records of Veterinary Technicians certified in Wyoming by the Wyoming Veterinary Technician Association
			2. evaluate applicants for certification status using the following criteria:
				a. Have graduated from an AVMA accredited program;
				b. Successfully passed the VTNE;
				c. Be a member in good standing of the WyVTA;
				d. Provide proof of ten hours of continuing education every two years;
				e. Abide by the Certification Standards and Code of Ethics;
				f. On-the-job-trained technicians will be 'grandfathered' for two years (through January 2006 per agreement with NAVTA providing they pass the VTNE exam as stated in the association by-laws section 1G.
		G. VTNE (Veterinary Technician National Exam) COMMITTEE – The purposes of this committee are:
			1. verify completion of graduation requirements from an AVMA accredited Veterinary Tehcnician Program for eligibilty to sit for the VTNE
			2. verify completion of the VTNE application and payment
			3. maintain communication with the VTNE administration service in acquiring, administering, and returning exams per the services contract
			4. acquire facilities and proctors to administer the VTNE semiannually per requirements set forth by the VTNE administration service
			5. verify on-the-job-trained technicians applications to take the VTNE under the 'grandfather' process for two years (through January 2006 per agreement with NAVTA) including:
				a. Proof of a high school diploma or GED;
				b. Verifiable proof of having worked in the capacity of a full-time veterinary technician for three years;
				c. Three letters of recommendation from veterinary professionals and/or co-workers;
				d. Five hours of continuing education in the last five years; and
				e. College transcripts if available.