Constitution and By-Laws
Of the
Tarrant County Veterinary Medical Association
Constitution
Article I-Name
This association shall be known as the Tarrant County Veterinary Medical Association.
Article II-Objectives
- To promote better relations within the profession as well as with the public.
- To improve professional standards and professional ethics.
- To promote continued improvement of hospitalization, care, and treatment of pets and domestic animals.
- To make the Association membership aware of its responsibility to the livestock industry, to public health, and to the nation’s welfare.
- To promote continued education for Tarrant County veterinarians through planned programs and scheduled seminars.
Article III-Membership
Section 1. Active membership is open to all veterinarians who are licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the State of Texas and who have graduated from a School or College of Veterinary Medicine approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Section 2. Associate Membership may be available to all other graduates of a School or College of Veterinary Medicine approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Associate members shall not be entitled to vote nor to hold office.
Section 3. Honorary membership, without voting privileges or dues paying obligation, may be conferred upon and individual whom it is felt should be recognized as having rendered the profession of Veterinary Medicine in Tarrant County and outstanding service deserving of public recognition. Nomination for an honorary membership shall require a recommendation from the Board of Directors. Final election to honorary membership shall require a favorable vote of at least two-thirds of the members present at the meeting during which the nomination is made. The Association President shall inform the awardee of the honor and invite him to the annual inaugural meeting where a suitable plaque may be presented. Honorary membership should not be awarded necessarily every year but only when a person truly deserving of the honor is placed in nomination.
Sections 4. Corporate and/or non-DVM membership is available for those parties interested in the advancement of the veterinary medical profession. That is a non-voting membership and may consist of, but not limited to: veterinary receptionist, pharmaceutical manufactures, and pharmaceutical distributors.
Article IV-Officers
Section 1. The officers of this Association shall be a President, a President elect, a Vice-President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.
Section 2. Any Association member in good standing is eligible for office holding.
Section 3. The term of office shall be for one year with the exception of Treasurer which shall be a term of two years. No officer shall succeed himself in the same office.
Section 4. Executive Secretary. Manage and direct activities of the Tarrant County Veterinary Medical Association as prescribed by the Board of Directors.
Article V-Board of Directors
Section 1. The Board of Directors of the Association shall consist of current officers and the immediate past president who shall serve for a three-year term.
Section 2. The President shall act as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Article VI-Ethics
The Code of Ethics, the State Board Code of Professional Conduct, adopted and published by the Texas Veterinary Medical Association, and the Golden Rule, shall be the governing code of this Association. A copy of the TVMA Code of Ethics attached hereto shall be considered a part of this article.
Article VII-Meetings
Section 1. Meetings shall be conducted in the evenings each third Thursday of every month, unless changed by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. A quorum shall constitute two-thirds of the members in good standing present at any regular or called meeting.
Section 3. All members shall be notified in writing of the time, place, and date of such meetings.
Article VIII-Amendments
Section 1. The Constitution may be amended by submitting the proposed changes in writing to the Board of Directors.
Section 2. Approval by the Board of Directors shall cause the proposed amendment to be circulated to each member on the Association rolls.
Section 3. Final passage will be two-thirds vote of the membership present at a regularly scheduled meeting.
By-Laws
Article I-Duties of Officers
Section 1. The term of office shall begin at the adjournment of the meeting at which the officers are installed.
Section 2. It shall be the duty of the President to preside at all meetings including the Board of Directors meetings; to appoint all Committees, and to serve as an ex-officio member of each; to approve payment of all bills that may be presented to the treasurer, if in his judgment such bills are due and correct; to act as official representative of the Association and to perform such other duties as his office implies.
Section 3. The President-elect shall be installed as President at the annual meeting next following the one at which he was elected. He shall be responsible to the President for all matters pertaining to membership and to attendance. He shall serve as member of the Board of Directors in order to acquaint himself with all duties and obligations of the President. He shall assume the remainder of term of President if the President is unable to carry out his duties as provided in the Constitution.
Section 4. The Vice-President shall preside at all meetings in absence of the President. He shall be Chairman of the Program Committee, and shall make arrangements for meeting places and any services required for meetings.
Section 5. The Secretary shall be responsible for the minutes, correspondences, and other records, such records to become property of the Association. He shall record minutes of each Board of Directors meeting. He shall send copies of all minutes and all correspondence to the President and to the President-elect.
Section 6. The Treasurer shall collect all dues and monies payable to the Association through the Executive Secretary. He shall send statements of dues by January 30. He shall deposit all monies of the Association in a Tarrant County Bank that is affiliated with the FDIC, where both he and the President shall sign a signature card. He shall pay all bills by check duly authorized by the President. He shall make a current financial statement of the Association at each meeting of the Board of Directors. He shall present the annual budget as recommended by the Board of Directors prior to the February meeting each year.
Article-II-Duties of the Board of Directors
Section 1. The Board of Directors shall approve or disapprove of all matters presented to it by the President.
Section 2. It shall make policy recommendations to the membership for approval, and shall maintain, in the Secretary and the President’s files, a record of policies not covered in the By-Laws.
Section 3. The Board shall construct and recommend an annual budget to the membership at the January meeting each year. The Treasurer shall present this annual budget to the membership at the January meeting for final approval.
Section 4. The Board of Directors shall evaluate proposals and recommendations from the membership or other interested persons, and act upon the same.
Section 5. The Board shall appoint a person or persons to fill unexpired terms of offices of members of Board of Directors until regularly scheduled elections are conducted.
Section 6. The Board of Directors shall be vested with authority to hear and report on all complaints filed before it in writing, of improper or unprofessional conduct of any member of the Association, and shall, if thought advisable, summon the members charged to appear before it at the next regular meeting and the Board to answer the charge and make defense, or refer said complaint to the Texas State Veterinary Medical Examiners for their deposition. If the Board, after a fair and impartial hearing, at said regular Board meeting, finds the defendant guilty of all or part of the offense, said Board shall report to the Association a summary of the charges and evidence submitted by both sides, together with such recommendations as may be deemed appropriate by the Board. Should the hearing concern a member of the Board of Directors, no member of that Board shall be eligible to serve as a committee member at said hearing if he appears as a witness, or if connected directly or indirectly in the prosecution or defense; if such be the case, the President shall appoint a special committee to conduct such hearing.
Section 7. All Board of Director’s meetings shall be open to the membership of this Association.
Section 8. Board of Directors shall meet semi-annually or more as deemed necessary by the President.
Article III-Elections
Section 1. The Nominating Committee shall nominate one candidate for each elective office.
Section 2. The Committee will make its nominations report to the Association by the July meeting.
Section 3. Nominations of qualified members may be made from the floor or by mail.
Section 4. Election of officers may be by voice vote, or by any other expeditious means following report of Committee.
Section 5. Installation of officers shall be at the December meeting each year.
Article IV-Committees
Section 1. At least ninety(90) days prior to the election of officers, the President shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of three members in good standing of this Association, one of which will be a member of the Board of Directors. No more than one member of the Board of Directors may serve on this Committee.
Section 2. The President may appoint such other Committees which he considers necessary for the efficient operation of the Association.
Article V-Dues
Section 1. Membership dues shall be $75.00 a year. Corporate or non/DVM dues shall be $40.00 a year.
Section 2. The dues may be changed on the recommendation of the Board of Directors, pending a final approval by two-thirds vote of the membership present at two successive meetings. The Treasurer shall notify the membership in writing of the change in dues within thirty (30) days following the change.
Section 3. Nonpayment of dues within ninety (90) days of the date payable shall result in the suspension of the member’s benefits. Membership benefits may be reinstated by payment of dues. No member shall be permitted to exercise any privilege of membership while dues are delinquent.
Section 4. Members dropped because of delinquency in payment of dues may be reinstated upon payment in full of all unpaid dues.
Article VI-Amendments
Section 1. The By-Laws may be amended by submitting the proposed change in writing to the Board of Directors.
Section 2. Upon approval by the Board of Directors of the change, the Board may recommend the approval of such amendments to the membership at the next regular monthly meeting of the Association. Final passage of the amendment will be by a two-thirds vote of the membership present at said meeting.
Section 3. The Secretary shall inform the membership in writing of any amendment to the By-Laws.
Article VII-Rules
This Association shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order in all cases not covered by the Constitution and By-Laws of this Association.
Article VIII-Order of Business
- Call to order
- Reading of minutes
- Report of Treasurer
- Report of Board of Directors
- Report of Committees
- Unfinished Business
- New Business
- Program
- Adjournment
Amendments to the TCVMA By-Laws effective June 20, 2002
Amendments recommended by the TCVMA Board of Directors and passed by a vote of the membership on May 16, 2002 and June 20, 2002 in accordance with the by-laws.
Article I Section 1. The term of office shall be January 1 through December 31 of the year for which the Officers are installed.
Article III Section 5. Installation of officers shall be held during the last calendar quarter of the year.
Article V Section 1. Membership dues shall be $135.00 per year. Corporate or non/DVM dues will be $65.00 per year.