MASSACHUSETTS VETERINARY TECHNICIANS ASSOCIATION BYLAWS

MASSACHUSETTS VETERINARY TECHNICIANS ASSOCIATION BYLAWS ARTICLE I ASSOCIATION YEAR An Association year will begin on January 1st of the calendar year and end December 31st of that same calendar year. The unit of the Association year shall be used for fiscal purposes, term of membership, terms of office of elected positions and such other purposes as are deemed appropriate by decision of the Executive Council. ARTICLE II BUSINESS MEETINGS OF THE ASSOCIATION A. Executive Council 1. The President shall call meetings of the Executive Council. 2. The Executive Council shall meet no less than six times per Association year at a time, date and place mutually agreeable to members of the council. 3. The Executive Council shall conduct the operational business of the Association by decision (see Constitution, Article IV, A, 2) except when a member of the Council shall request that a majority vote of the entire council be required for a specific item of business. In such a case, the vote of each officer shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. If officers are absent, the item shall be tabled until the next meeting. Each officer shall be informed that a vote of the entire council is required at the next meeting and officers unable to be present at the next meeting may record their vote by notifying the president in writing as to how their vote shall be recorded. 4. In the event that the President does not call such meetings as are necessary to conduct the business of the Association, a meeting of the Executive Council may be called by any three members of the Executive Council. B. General Membership 1. The president shall call business meetings of the general membership. 2. The general membership shall meet no less than one time per Association year. 3. Decisions of the general membership shall be determined by majority vote of those full members in good standing present at the meeting, except in such instances as apply to the Constitution, Article VI,1. 4. A voting member of the Association shall be a full member in good standing at the time the vote is taken. ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP A. Membership Classifications 1. Full: Individuals who pass the Veterinary Technician National Exam and fulfill one of the following criteria are eligible to apply for full membership status: a. graduate of a veterinary technician program accredited by the AVMA and recognized by the Executive Council of the MVTA. b. degree from a program in veterinary technology which is not accredited by the AVMA or a bachelors degree in animal or biological sciences and one year full time (minimum of 1500 hours) practical experience as a veterinary technician. c. associate degree in animal or biological sciences and 3 years full time (minimum of 4500 hours) practical experience as a veterinary technician. d. employed five years full time (minimum of 7500 hours) as a veterinary technician plus 18 semester hours (college credits) in animal or biological sciences. e. employed 8 years full time (minimum of 12000 hours) as a veterinary technician. 1

BYLAWS CONTINUED f. currently registered, certified or licensed as a veterinary technician in another state, providing criteria for such status meets or exceeds the criteria for such status in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 2. Associate: non-certified veterinary technicians or those individuals who are certified in another state. This also includes but is not limited to veterinarians, non-certified veterinary technicians, practice managers, receptionists, veterinary technician assistants and animal care technicians. 3. Student: a. Individuals currently enrolled in a veterinary technician program accredited by the AVMA and recognized by the Executive Council of the MVTA may apply for student membership status. b. Individuals currently enrolled in a veterinary technician assistant program recognized by the Executive Council of the MVTA may apply for student membership status B. Benefits and Privileges of Members: 1. Full: a. may nominate and vote for officers of the Association. b. eligible to serve as an officer of the Association after having completed one full Association year as a member in good standing. c. eligible to serve as a committee chairperson or member or to be appointed to non-elective position by the Executive Council. d. eligible to vote on motions brought before the general membership by the Executive Council. e. may propose items to be placed on the agenda of regularly scheduled meetings of the Executive Council and business meetings of the general membership. f. receive the Association newsletter. g. attend Association functions (seminars) at the reduced member rate. 2. Associate: a. may serve as members of committees. b. receive the Association newsletter. c. attend functions (seminars) of the Association at membership rate. 3. Student: a. may serve as members of committees. b. receive the Association newsletter. c. attend functions (seminars) of the Association at student rates. C. Term of Membership 1. The term of membership shall be the Association year, membership to be renewed annually. 2

D. Procedure to Apply for Membership 1. An applicant shall complete the appropriate forms and submit to the MVTA with the appropriate application fee. 2. The MVTA shall, within a reasonable period of time: a. approve application of membership as requested, or b. approve application but designate a category of membership other than that requested, or c. request verification or clarification of information and subsequently approve or deny membership, or d. deny membership application and counsel shall inform applicant in writing of reason for denial. 3. The MVTA shall inform the applicant of the decision within a reasonable period of time. E. Right to Petition for Membership 1. An individual who believes that her/his qualifications are the equivalent to the criteria for membership may submit her/his case for membership to the Executive Council in writing. 2. The Executive Council shall approve or deny such an application for membership by decision and inform the applicant of the decision within a reasonable period of time. ARTICLE IV ELECTED OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION A. Procedure of Nominate and Elect Officers 1. The Recording Secretary shall prepare a list of full members in good standing eligible to run for elected office. 2. Each member in good standing shall receive a copy of the list of eligible nominees and a nomination form. The nomination form shall indicate the offices in which vacancies exist at the end of the Association year and the date of the close of nominations for those offices. 3. The Nomination and Election Committee shall meet as needed at the close of the period of nominations for the purpose of: a. verifying the eligibility of those nominated for office b. obtaining the written acceptance of nomination from each nominee c. preparing the ballot d. designating a date as the close of the period of voting e. providing each full member in good standing with a ballot at least two weeks before the close of voting f. counting the ballots and informing the membership of the results of the ballot g. conducting a run-off election in the event of a tie vote between two nominees for the same office h. informing each nominee and the Executive Council of the results of the ballot B. Installation of Officers 1. When informed of the results of the ballot, the President shall schedule a meeting of the Executive Council as soon as it is feasible after the start of the Association year, including all outgoing and incoming officers. 2. The purpose of the meeting will be for outgoing officers to inform incoming officers of the state of the Association and to hand over records and files to the appropriate officer. 3

3. The term of each newly elected officer begins at the end of this meeting. 4. During the first business meeting of the general membership of each Association year, the newly elected president shall introduce the officers to the general membership. C. Duties and Responsibilities of the Officers 1. The Past President shall: a. promote the professions of veterinary medicine and veterinary technology. b. in conjunction with the Executive Council, act as spokesperson for the MVTA to the general public c. assist the President in promoting the aims of the Association. d. serve as an advisor to the Executive Council and the general membership. e. serve as President in the temporary absence of the President. f. attend a minimum of 50% of all MVTA meetings. 2. The President shall: a. act as spokesperson for the Association in cooperation with the Past President and Executive Council. b. preside at meetings of the Executive Council and of the general membership. c. coordinate the agenda of meetings of the Executive Council and the general membership. d. assume the responsibility of maintaining communications between the Executive Council, committees of the Association and the general membership by means of the newsletter and reports at meetings. e. oversee the functioning of those appointed to positions within the Association. f. in cooperation with the treasurer, oversee the operation of the Association in a fiscally responsible manner. g. have the authority to sign checks drawn on the Association account. h. act as Past-President in the temporary absence of the Past-President i. act as treasurer in the temporary absence of the treasurer. i. attend a minimum of 50% of all MVTA meetings. 3. The Vice President shall: a. serve as chairperson of the Continuing Education/Program Committee. b. be in charge of and responsible for educational programs of the association. c. promote the educational activities of the Association particularly with regard to the general membership. d. act as president in the temporary absence of the President or the Past President. e. attend a minimum of 50% of all MVTA meetings. 4

4. The Recording Secretary shall: a. record the minutes of all meetings of the Executive Council. b. record the minutes of meetings of the general membership. c. serve as the Chairperson of the Nomination/Election Committee d. maintain files of minutes of the Executive Council meetings, general membership meetings and committee meetings for not less than five years. e. act as the Corresponding Secretary in the temporary absence of the Corresponding Secretary. f. attend a minimum of 50% of all MVTA meetings. 5. The Corresponding Secretary shall: a. conduct the general correspondence of the Association in cooperation with the members of the Executive Council. b. maintain a file of external and internal correspondence of the Association for a period of not less than five years. (email and voice mail) c. ensure that each member of the Association receives a membership card, and has access to a list of the current officers and a copy of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Association. d. serve as Chairperson of the Membership Committee e. act as Recording Secretary in the temporary absence of the Recording Secretary. f. attend a minimum of 50% of all MVTA meetings. 6. The Treasurer shall: a. keep an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements for the period of office. b. submit all books of account for audit annually to be completed at the end of the Association year. c. supervise and work closely with the Executive Council in any financial matter of the Association. d. receive and have charge of all funds of the Association, deposit such funds in a bank designated by the Executive Council and provide for the expenditure of such funds according to the decisions of the Executive Council. e. inform the Executive Council of the financial status of the Association at the regularly scheduled meetings. f. inform the general membership of the financial status of the Association during the first business meeting of the general membership of an Association year. g. cooperate with the Recording and Corresponding Secretaries in maintaining an accurate file of members. h. at the end of each Association year, prepare a projected budget for the coming year and submit it to the Executive Council. i. attend a minimum of 50% of all MVTA meetings. E. Resignation from Office Any officer may resign his/her position at any time by delivering his/her resignation to the Executive Council. Such resignation shall become effective at the time of notification or at the time of the condition specified in the letter of resignation. F. Vacancy in Office Due to Non-fulfillment of Duties If, by a recorded vote, the Executive Council reaches a decision that an elected officer is not fulfilling the duties of the office to the detriment of the Association the following procedure shall be initiated: 1. A designated member of the Council shall make three attempts to notify said officer of the intent to declare the office vacant. Such 5

notification shall be in writing and sent by registered mail, return receipt requested. Two weeks shall be allowed between each attempt at notification. 2. If said officer has not responded by two weeks following the third notification, the office is declared vacant. 3. If said officer responds to any one of the notifications by submitting a resignation in writing, the office is declared vacant. 4. If said officers respond to any one of the notifications by indicating in writing the intention to maintain the elected position, the Executive Council shall initiate the procedure for appeal. G. Procedure In the Event of Vacancy In the event that an office becomes vacant, the Executive Council shall have the authority to: a. initiate an agreed upon procedure for a special election to fill the vacancy, or b. appoint a full member in good standing to the office for the remainder of the term, or c. distribute the duties of the vacant office to the other members of the Executive Council for the remainder of the term. The vote of each member of the Executive Council in such a decision shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. ARTICLE V COMMITTEES OF THE ASSOCIATION A. Each chairperson of a MVTA committee will serve as a member of the MVTA Executive Council B. Standing committees of the MVTA shall include but not be limited to: 1. Membership Committee: a. Chairperson: Corresponding Secretary b. Purpose: (1) To plan and implement membership drives and to assist in maintaining records of the Association pertinent to membership files. (2) To oversee registration and certification of veterinary technicians in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and to maintain such records as are necessary with regard to registration and certification of individuals. 2. Continuing Education/Program Committee: a. Chairpersons: Vice President b. Purpose: To plan, organize and run educational programs and seminars offered by the MVTA and to maintain records as necessary to document Continuing Education Units earned by those attending such meetings. 3. Newsletter Committee: a. Chairperson: Editor of the Newsletter: A full member in good standing of the MVTA appointed by decision of the Executive Council. b. Purpose: To produce and distribute a newsletter at regularly scheduled intervals for the membership of the MVTA. 4. Website Committee a. Chairperson: A full member in good standing of the MVTA appointed by decision of the Executive Council. b. Purpose: To oversees and maintain the MVTA website. 6

5. NAVTA State Representative/Professional Publications Committee a. Chairperson: A full member in good standing of the MVTA appointed by decision of the Executive Council. b. Purpose: To oversee updates of the MVTA to the NAVTA Journal and other veterinary professional publications. 6. Veterinary Technician/Assistant Educational Committee a. Chairperson: A full member in good standing of the MVTA appointed by decision of the Executive Council. b. Purpose: To act as the liaison for the veterinary technician assistant program within the state of Massachusetts. 7. Finance Committee a. Chairperson: MVTA Treasurer and a full member in good standing of the MVTA appointed by decision of the Executive Council b. Purpose: To oversee the financial health of the MVTA.. C. Ad hoc committees of the association shall include but not be limited to: 1. Nomination and Election Committee: a. Purpose: To implement procedures to nominate and elect officers of the MVTA in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws in a timely fashion and to maintain such records as are pertinent to the purpose of the committee. b. Chairpersons: The Recording Secretary and a full member in good standing. 2. Appeal Committee: a. Purpose: To hear appeals against decisions of the Executive Council. b. Chairperson: To be decided by recorded vote of the committee when it convenes. 3. Legislative Committee a. Purpose: To oversee all legislative activity of the MVTA. b. Chairperson: A full member in good standing of the MVTA appointed by decision of the Executive Council. D. Members of Committees Unless specified otherwise, members shall be appointed by decision of the Executive Council. E. Responsibilities of the Committees 1. To perform such duties as are necessary and appropriate to the purposes of the committee. 2. To maintain records of the committee meetings and to file copies of records with the Recording Secretary. 3. To inform the Executive Council and the general membership of the work of the committee via reports at council meetings as requested, reports at general membership business meetings and the newsletter of the MVTA 4. To conduct the business of the committee in a fiscally responsible manner 7

ARTICLE VI PROCEDURE TO APPEAL DECISIONS Only full members in good standing may appeal decisions of the Executive Council except in such instances where it is specified otherwise in the Bylaws. To appeal decisions of the Executive Council: A. The applicant shall submit, in writing, a request for a hearing of the appeal to the president. B. The President shall appoint an ad hoc Appeal Committee to consist of the President and two other members of the Executive Council and four full members in good standing. C. The President shall call a meeting of the Appeal Committee for the purpose of hearing the appeal at a feasible time, date and place, but not more than six weeks after receipt of the appeal. D. The applicant may, during the meeting of the Appeal Committee, submit any written material desired for consideration and have any full members in good standing of the Association appear on her/his behalf. E. After consideration, the Appeal Committee shall approve or deny the appeal. The vote of each member of the Appeal Committee shall be recorded in the minutes of the Appeal Committee Meeting and the applicant shall be informed in writing of the decision of the Appeal Committee within two weeks of the hearing. ARTICLE VII DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION If, by decision of the Executive Council, the MVTA is no longer viable with regard to the feasibility of fulfilling the purposes of the Association, the Executive Council may initiate procedures to dissolve the association. A. Decision of the Executive Council: 1. The decision of the Executive Council shall be determined by recording the vote of each member of the Executive Council. 2. If the decision is against dissolution of the Association, the council shall undertake such measures as are appropriate to revitalize the Association. 3. If the decision is for dissolution of the Association, the council shall initiate procedures to determine the decision of the general membership B. Decision of the General Membership 1. Each full member in good standing shall be notified in writing of the decision of the Executive Council. At least two attempts shall be made to notify each full member in good standing, the attempts to be made two weeks apart. 2. The Executive Council shall schedule a business meeting at least two weeks but not more than six weeks after the second notification for the purpose of determining the decision of the general membership regarding dissolution. 3. At such a meeting, the decision of the membership shall be determined by written ballot. A decision for dissolution requires a two thirds vote of those full members in good standing present at the meeting. 4. If the decision is against dissolution, the general membership in cooperation with the Executive Council shall undertake such measures as are appropriate to revitalize the Association. 5. If the decision is for dissolution, the Executive Council is directed to take such measures as are necessary and appropriate to dissolve the Association in a timely manner. 8

C. Distribution of Association Funds In the event of a decision to dissolve the Association being approved by the general membership, the Executive Council shall take suggestions from the floor with regard to appropriate charities and the general membership shall vote to designate a charity to receive the funds of the Association. Before the end of the meeting the full members present shall determine by written ballot the charity to receive the remaining funds of the Association. After payment of all debts of the Association, the treasurer shall donate any remaining funds to the designated charity in the name of the Association. The above bylaws were approved by a majority vote of the MVTA Executive Council on 9