Bylaws
American Association of Swine Veterinarians
Last revision: October 2022
| ARTICLE I: NAME | |
|---|---|
| SECTION 1. | The name of this Association shall be the AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SWINE VETERINARIANS (herinafter the “Association” or “AASV). |
| SECTION 2. | The Association shall be INCORPORATED under the laws of the State of Illinois as a non-profit educational corporation. |
| SECTION 3. | THE PRINCIPAL OFFICE of the Association shall be the office of its Executive Director. |
| ARTICLE II: OBJECTIVES | |
| The objectives of this Association shall be: | |
| SECTION 1. | To endeavor to do all things necessary to promote the interests, to improve the public stature, and increase the knowledge of veterinarians in the field of swine practice. |
| SECTION 2. | To elevate standards and ethics of swine veterinary medicine. |
| SECTION 3. | To promote the relationship between the veterinary profession, swine practitioners, the swine industry, and the public. |
| SECTION 4. | To promote understanding and goodwill among its members. |
| SECTION 5. | To cooperate with veterinary and agricultural organizations and regulatory agencies. |
| SECTION 6. | ALL POWER CLAUSE: To do everything and anything reasonable and lawfully necessary, proper, suitable, or convenient for the achievement of the purposes above stated, or for any of them, or for the furtherance of the said purposes. |
| ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP | |
| SECTION 1. | There shall be SEVEN CLASSES OF MEMBERSHIP in this Association: ACTIVE, ASSOCIATE, INACTIVE, LIFE, STUDENT, HONORARY, and AFFILIATE. |
| 1a. ACTIVE MEMBERS shall be veterinarians engaged in, or shall have an abiding interest in, the field of swine medicine and shall reside in a recognized district of AASV. Active members shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of the Association. | |
| 1b. ASSOCIATE MEMBERS shall be those veterinarians whose interests are compatible with the AASV who do not reside within a recognized district of AASV. They shall not have voting power nor hold office. | |
| 1c. INACTIVE MEMBERS shall be veterinarians granted reduced dues status for the following: | |
| (1) A member who has completed ten (10) continuous years as an active member of the Association, has retired from veterinary activity, and who requests reduced dues status. | |
| (2) A member who the Board of Directors determines should be granted reduced dues status because of physical activity, illness or extenuating circumstances | |
| 1d. LIFE MEMBERS shall be veterinarians who have reached the age of seventy (70) years and have maintained continuous membership in the Association for a period of twenty-five (25) years, who upon application and approval by the Board of Directors, are granted life membership and pay no annual dues. | |
| 1e. STUDENT MEMBERS shall be enrolled in an accredited School or College of Veterinary Medicine recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association. They shall not have voting power nor hold office. | |
| 1f. HONORARY MEMBERS shall be those persons who have made noteworthy and outstanding contributions to swine medicine. Unanimous approval of the board of directors is required for candidates for this category. Honorary members shall have the privilege of attending all meetings of the Association but shall not vote, hold office, or pay dues. | |
| 1g. AFFILIATE MEMBERS shall be non-veterinarians, actively working in the swine industry. These members shall have made noteworthy and outstanding contributions to the practice of veterinary medicine and/or research. Applicants must be nominated by two ACTIVE MEMBERS, and be approved by the Executive Committee. These members shall pay dues but shall not vote or hold office. | |
| SECTION 2. | CANDIDATES FOR MEMBERSHIP in this Association shall make application on an official form. The dues for the current year shall accompany the completed application submitted to the Executive Director. |
| SECTION 3. | DUES AND ASSESSMENTS of the Association shall be evaluated annually by the Board of Directors. |
| 3a. Changes in dues shall be recommended by the Budget Committee and approved by the Board of Directors. | |
| 3b. A member shall be DELINQUENT if dues are not received by May 1st of the calendar year. | |
| SECTION 4. | THE FISCAL YEAR of this Association shall be the calendar year. |
| SECTION 5. | TERMINATION, SUSPENSION OR DENIAL OF MEMBERSHIP A member may be expelled or suspended, and a membership may be denied, terminated, or suspended only under a procedure that is fair and reasonable and carried out in good faith, as provided by law. Membership may be denied, terminated or suspended for the following reasons: |
| 5a. The individual no longer qualifies as an active member under Article I, Section 1; | |
| 5b. The individual fails to comply with these bylaws or the AASV’s rules, protocols, procedures, programs, adopted from time to time by the Board of Directors, or any lawful rule, policy, practice, or decision adopted by the AASV staff with respect thereto; | |
| 5c. The individual acts in a manner that is or may be prejudicial to the interest of the AASV; | |
| 5d. The individual makes any material misstatements in or omissions in connection with his/her application for membership or any other document provided to the AASV at any time; | |
| 5e. The individual fails to pay his/her membership fee or assessment; | |
| 5f. The individual directly or indirectly disrupts any AASV event; or | |
| 5g. The individual misuses or improperly disseminates any “members only” information or documentation of the AASV, including its confidential membership directory. | |
| Termination of membership pursuant to this Article III, Section 5, shall be automatic and immediate. An individual who is denied membership or whose membership is terminated or suspended will be provided, with at least 15 days written notice, the opportunity to appeal in writing to the full Board of Directors, with a final vote to be taken by the Board of Directors on any appeal. | |
| Upon termination or revocation of an individual’s membership in the AASV, the former member may not hold herself/himself out as a member of AASV, attend any AASV meeting or other event nor otherwise enjoy any member benefit of the AASV. | |
| ARTICLE IV: BOARD OF DIRECTORS | |
| SECTION 1. | The Association shall be governed by a Board of Directors. Representation on the Board of Directors shall be determined by districts. The North American continent shall consist of 11 districts divided geographically to represent all active members. There shall be nine (9) U.S., one (1) Canadian, and one (1) Mexican districts. |
| 1a. No state shall be divided into more than one district. | |
| 1b. Each district shall be represented on the Board of Directors by one director. | |
| 1c. Existing districts may be changed as deemed necessary by the Board of Directors but no more frequently than once every six years. | |
| SECTION 2. | NOMINATIONS |
| 2a. A district director shall be elected for a term of three (3) years by members of their district. The Board shall devise a plan whereby not more than forty percent (40%) of such directors will retire in any one year. No director may serve more than two (2) consecutive three-year terms. | |
| 2b. Nomination will be conducted by mail and/or electronic ballot. The Executive Director shall distribute nomination forms before the annual meeting to the districts in which the members’ terms expire. | |
| 2c. A candidate for a district director shall be a member of the Association and reside in the district to be represented. | |
| 2d. Nominations must be returned to the Executive Director. The two nominees receiving the highest number of nominations will be placed on the ballot, subject to their consent to serve. | |
| SECTION 3. | ELECTIONS |
| 3a. Elections will be conducted by mail and/or electronic ballot. | |
| 3b. All elective offices shall be filled by active members of the Association. | |
| 3c. The Executive Director shall distribute a ballot listing nominations prior to the annual meeting. | |
| 3d. All ballots for director will be counted by the Executive Director one week prior to the annual meeting. The candidate receiving the most votes will be declared the winner. | |
| ARTICLE V: OFFICERS | |
| SECTION 1. | The OFFICERS of this Association shall be members of the Board of Directors and shall be a president, immediate past president, president-elect, vice president, and executive director. No officer may be a candidate for the Board of Directors. |
| 1a. PRESIDENT shall preside at all meetings and have all such powers as may be reasonably construed as belonging to the office. | |
| 1b. IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT shall assist the officers in the administration of the Association and shall preside at meetings in the absence of the president. | |
| 1c. PRESIDENT-ELECT shall be prepared to accept the duties and responsibilities of the president and shall preside at meetings in the absence of the president and the immediate past president. The president-elect shall act as or appoint a program chairman for all scientific meetings. | |
| 1d. VICE PRESIDENT shall assist the president and president-elect, and shall be a member of the program committee for all scientific meetings. | |
| 1e. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR shall be the executive officer of the Association, and shall conduct its business affairs under the direction of the Board of Directors. The Executive Director shall not be a voting member of the Board of Directors. | |
| 1f. There shall be an EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE of the Board of Directors composed of the president, immediate past president, president-elect, and vice president. This committee shall have all of the powers of the board of directors to transact business which must be addressed during the period between board meetings. The Executive Committee may recommend action on other association business for approval by the Board of Directors. | |
| 1g. The TERM OF OFFICE of the president, immediate past president, president-elect and vice president shall be one (1) year beginning at the close of the annual business meeting. | |
| SECTION 2. | NOMINATIONS |
| 2a. The Board of Directors shall prepare a slate of candidates for the office of president-elect and vice president. | |
| 2b. All candidates for president-elect and vice president shall have been a member of the Association for at least one (1) year and given their consent to serve. | |
| 2c. All candidates for president-elect and vice president shall be individually approved by a plurality of the Board of Directors. | |
| 2d. The president-elect will ascend to the presidency immediately after the expiration or early termination of the term of the then president. | |
| SECTION 3. | ELECTION |
| 3a. The Executive Director shall distribute a ballot listing candidates for offices to be filled by the membership prior to the annual meeting. | |
| 3b. All ballots for officers will be counted by the Executive Director one week prior to the annual meeting. Candidates receiving the most votes will be declared the winners. | |
| SECTION 4. | OTHER OFFICIALS |
| 4a. An EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR may be appointed by the Board of Directors and shall serve for such term as shall suit the pleasure of the board. | |
| 4b. An AVMA ALTERNATE DELEGATE shall be appointed by the Board of Directors every three (3) years, and then will serve as the DELEGATE for a three (3) year term. | |
| 4c. Compensation of officers shall be determined by the Board of Directors. | |
| ARTICLE VI: COMMITTEES | |
| SECTION 1. | COMMITTEES shall be chosen by the president with the assistance of the Board of Directors and shall serve until the next annual meeting of the Association or until their successors have been chosen. |
| SECTION 2. | STANDING COMMITTEES shall consist of the following: |
| 2a. PROGRAM COMMITTEE shall assist the president elect, or the president-elect’s designated program chairman, in planning and executing meetings of the Association. | |
| 2b. BUDGET COMMITTEE shall be chaired by the president-elect and include the vice president. The Committee shall present an annual budget to the Board of Directors prior to the beginning of the fiscal year. | |
| 2c. OTHER COMMITTEES may be established by the Board of Directors as deemed necessary. | |
| ARTICLE VII: MEETINGS | |
| SECTION 1. | The REGULAR ANNUAL MEETING of this Association shall be held at a time and place to be designated by the Board of Directors. SPECIAL MEETINGS may be called by the president upon the recommendation of a majority of the Board of Directors. Such meetings shall be announced to the membership not less than thirty (30) days prior to the stated time of the meeting. |
| SECTION 2. | A QUORUM for the transaction of business at a duly called meeting shall consist of 50 members present and eligible to vote. |
| A QUORUM of Board of Directors shall consist of a majority exclusive of the president. | |
| ARTICLE VIII: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY | |
| SECTION 1. | ROBERTS’S RULES OF ORDER, REVISED, shall govern the conduct of meetings when not covered by the bylaws or a higher law. |
| SECTION 2. | A RULE OF PROCEDURE may be suspended at any meeting by a majority vote of those members eligible to vote. |
| ARTICLE IX: DISSOLUTION | |
| SECTION 1. | The Association may be DISSOLVED on thirty (30) days’ notice by two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors at a meeting or by letter ballot. Such dissolution shall be effective ninety (90) days after such vote is taken, provided all outstanding obligations of the Association have been satisified. |
| SECTION 2. | In case of DISSOLUTION of this Association, its assets shall be dedicated to the American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation. In the event the American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation no longer exists, the assets shall be dedicated to the American Veterinary Medical Association Foundation. |
| ARTICLE X: TO AMEND BYLAWS | |
| SECTION 1. | 1a. These bylaws may be AMENDED by the Board of Directors. |
| 1b. Notification of change shall be sent to the members. |