CONNECTICUT VETERINARY TECHNICIAN ASSOCIATION BYLAWS

ARTICLE I – TITLE

The association shall be known as the Connecticut Veterinary Technician Association, or CTVTA.

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

The purpose of this organization is to provide a means of communication among the membership in order to advance and improve the expertise of Veterinary Technicians; to create and maintain a professional image of Veterinary Technicians and his/her relationship to the veterinary medical community; to enlarge the Technician's knowledge of the necessary skills through continuing education programs, sponsored seminars and association newsletters; to raise the standards of integrity, courtesy and honesty and to foster high ethical standards within our profession.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

Membership to the following categories may be obtained after formal application and payment of dues are mailed to the CTVTA for approval. Membership renewal requires 12 hours of CE annually. Annual dues shall be established by the CTVTA Board. The membership year of the CTVTA shall be January 1st through December 31st. Only Credentialed Members in good standing (i.e., dues of current year paid, and completed 12 hours CE) may vote for officers or in other affairs of the CTVTA.

The Executive Board of the CTVTA will act as the credentialing body. All certification matters will be forwarded to said group for review and approval.

1. Credentialed Member:

Credentialed Members in this category shall be Veterinary Technicians who pass the VTNE, with a score of 425 or higher, and fulfill one of the following criteria:
a. Be a graduate of a veterinary technician program accredited by the AVMA and recognized by the CTVTA Board of Directors.

b. Hold a 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. Hold an associate degree in animal or biological sciences and 3 years full time (minimum of 4500 hours) practical experience as a Veterinary Technician.

d. Be employed four years full time (minimum of 6000 hours) as a Veterinary Technician plus 18 semester hours (college credits) in animal or biological sciences.

e. Be employed 5 years full time (minimum of 12000 hours) as a Veterinary Technician.

f. Individuals who are currently registered, certified or licensed as a Veterinary Technician another state, providing criteria for such status meets or exceeds the criteria of the CTVTA.

All Credential Members shall have voting privileges.

2. Associate Member:

Associate members of the CTVTA shall be those persons not described in the Credentialed Membership category including veterinary assistants, veterinarians, receptionists, office managers and all other persons who are interested in supporting and promoting the CTVTA employed in the veterinary medical community. Associate members shall not be eligible to serve as officers of the CTVTA, shall not vote in CTVTA affairs, but may at the discretion of the CTVTA Board, serve on committees.

3. Student Member:

Individuals currently enrolled in a veterinary technician program accredited by the AVMA and recognized by the CTVTA Board may apply for student membership status. Student members shall not be eligible to serve as officers of the CTVTA Board, shall not vote in CTVTA affairs, but may at the discretion of the CTVTA Board, serve on committees.

ARTICLE IV – REVOCATION OF MEMBERSHIP

If in the opinion of the CTVTA Board of Directors, a member of the CTVTA (either credentialed, associate, or student) is believed to have participated in activities which misrepresent or undermine the profession and/or the CTVTA, said member shall be notified in writing of this belief and invited to a hearing of his views or rebuttal. The hearing shall be held by the CTVTA Board within a reasonable period of time following notification. After such a hearing, a written poll will be taken of the CTVTA Board regarding whether to revoke the membership of the individual in question. A majority vote of those present is necessary to initiate revocation of membership. If the individual in question is unable to appear at the time designated for the initial hearing, a second hearing shall be arranged for not sooner than two weeks and at the convenience of both the member in question and the CTVTA Board.

All members whose dues are more than three months in arrears will be considered as non-members. Such members may be reinstated upon payment of their dues as new members.

ARTICLE V – ELECTION OF CTVTA BOARD MEMBERS

SECTION 1: Nominations

The President will appoint a nominating committee of voting members. All members in good standings are eligible to be nominated for board positions. Nominations for CVTA President are limited to current credentialed members in good standing who have served no less than one term on the CTVTA executive board in another capacity.  Refer to Article VII Section 1. Nominations must be sent to the committee chairman no later than the date established by the nominating committee. Only voting members in good standing may hold office.

SECTION 2: Ballots

Ballots will be sent to voting members by the nomination committee. Ballots will be accepted until date set forth by nomination committee. The nomination committee will count the votes and inform the current elected board, in writing, of the results. The new officers will be present at the annual meeting.

SECTION 3: Term of Office

Each officer will serve a term of two years at the end of the annual meeting. If a vacancy in a position should develop between the elections, the CTVTA Board will appoint an individual to fill the vacancy until the annual meeting of the election year or until a special election can be held.

The President, Past President, Recording Secretary, Organizational Advisor and Membership Chairperson shall hold elections during the even years. The Vice President, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, and Member-at-Large shall hold elections during the odd years. This is to prevent turnover of an entire board at the same time.

ARTICLE VI – ELECTED BOARD OF THE CTVTA AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The elected board shall consist of the officers of the organization, namely the immediate Past President, President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Membership Chairperson, and Member At Large. The elected board shall advise and assist the President. A minimum attendance of at least 75% is required at all board meetings including: General Membership meetings and CTVTA Board meetings.

3. Vice President: The Vice-President shall;
Serve as chairperson of the Continuing Education/Program Committee.
Be in charge of and responsible for educational programs of the association.
Promote the educational activities of the CTVTA particularly with regard to the general membership.
Act as President in the temporary absence of the President or the Past President.
Attend a minimum of 75% of all CTVTA meetings.

4. Recording Secretary: The Recording Secretary shall;
Record the minutes of all meetings of the CTVTA Board.
Record the minutes of meetings of the general membership.
Maintain files of minutes of the CTVTA Board meetings, general membership meetings and committee meetings for not less than five years.
Act as the Corresponding Secretary in the temporary absence of the Corresponding Secretary.
Aid the Membership Chairperson in maintaining membership files and membership packets.
Attend a minimum of 75% of all CTVTA meetings.

5. Corresponding Secretary: The Corresponding Secretary shall;
Conduct the general correspondence of the CTVTA in cooperation with the members of the CTVTA Board.
Maintain a file of external and internal correspondence of the CTVTA for a period of not less than five years (email and voice mail).
Has access to a list of the current officers and a copy of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Association.
Act as Recording Secretary in the temporary absence of the Recording Secretary.
Aid the Membership Chairperson in maintaining membership files and membership packets.
Attend a minimum of 75% of all CTVTA meetings.

5. Treasurer: The treasurer shall:
Keep an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements for the period of office.
Submit all books of account for audit annually to be completed at the end of the CTVTA year.
Supervise and work closely with the CTVTA Board in any financial matter of the CTVTA.
Receive and have charge of all funds of the CTVTA, deposit such funds in a bank designated by the CTVTA Board and provide for the expenditure of such funds according to the decisions of the CTVTA Board.
Inform the CTVTA Board of the financial status of the CTVTA at the regularly scheduled meetings.
Cooperate with the Membership Chairperson in maintaining an accurate file of members.
At the end of each Association year, prepare a projected budget for the coming year and submit it to the CTVTA Board.
Attend a minimum of 75% of all CTVTA meetings.

8. Membership Chairperson: The Membership Chairperson shall:
Help CTVTA Board with CTVTA business.
Ensure that each member of the CTVTA receives a membership card.
Oversee outreach and recruitment of new members and work on all membership issues.
Correspond with the Treasurer to keep membership dues current.
Maintain current membership files, lists and membership packets.
Update Board of Directors on accurate membership lists at each meeting
Attend a minimum of 75% of all CTVTA meetings.

10. Member-at-Large: The Member-at-Large shall:
Attend at least 75% of CTVTA Board meetings.
Be able to accept chairmanships of committees
Not be limited to one person.
Assist the Treasurer as needed.

ARTICLE VII – REMOVAL FROM THE CTVTA ELECTED BOARD

If in the opinion of other members of the CTVTA, an officer is believed to be unable to continue in an office due to poor health, nonattendance and/or malperformance of duties, said officer shall be notified by the CTVTA Board in writing of this belief and invited to a hearing of his views or rebuttal. The hearing shall be held by the CTVTA Board within two weeks following written notification. After such a hearing, a written poll will be taken of the CTVTA Board regarding whether to request the resignation of the officer in question. The hearing date and time will be handled by the CTVTA President, if directed to do so by the CTVTA Board, and the officer in question. A majority vote of those present is necessary to request resignation. If resignation is requested, an officer must resign. If the officer in question is unable to participate at the time designated for the initial hearing, a second hearing shall be arranged. That hearing must take place within two weeks after the initial hearing and at the convenience of both the CTVTA Board and the officer in question. If an officer is asked to resign, he/she may not run for or hold office for the next two terms after the resignation.

ARTICLE VIII – MEETINGS

Section 1. Annual Meetings:
The Association shall hold an annual meeting at such time and place as determined by the CTVTA Board.

Section 2. Members Meetings
In addition to the annual meeting the CTVTA will hold three additional meetings open to all members of the CTVTA.

Section 3. CTVTA Board Meetings:
CVTVA Board meetings shall be held at the discretion of the President or may be called at the request of the CTVTA Board members. CTVTA Board members will be notified in a reasonable amount of time prior to the meeting.

Section 4. Notification of Meetings:
All appropriate parties shall be notified in a reasonable amount of time prior to the meeting. Notification shall include: date, time and place of the meeting, in addition to the business to be transacted at that time. Each member of the CTVTA Board shall inform the CTVTA President of his intent to attend the meeting as notified. Annual meeting notification shall appear in the
Association's official publication prior to such annual meetings.

ARTICLE IX – COMMITTEES

Section 1.
At least ninety (90) days prior to the annual meeting of the membership, the
President shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of three members in good standing of
this Association.. The Nominating Committee shall submit to the membership its recommendation for candidates to fill upcoming officer and Board of Director vacancies.

Section 2.
The Program Committee will be chaired by the Vice-President. This Committee
is charged with organizing four instructional lectures per year. The membership should include at least two additional CTVTA Board members. The Committee should continually seek out input from the
CTVTA membership to help determine future speakers and locations.

Section 3.
The President may appoint such other Committees that they consider necessary
for the efficient operation of the CTVTA.

ARTICLE X – AMMENDMENTS

All amendments to the constitution will be presented to the CTVTA Board. These amendments will be presented in ballot form, voted on and sent back to the Secretary. A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the returned ballots of CTVTA Board members will be required to pass any amendment.