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Constitution of the Greater Columbia Veterinary Association

Article I. Title
The association shall be known as the Greater Columbia Association of Veterinarians (G.C.A.V.).

Article II. Organization

Section 1 The association shall be operated as a not-for-profit organization.
Section 2 The term of the organization shall be perpetual. However, in the event of dissolution, property owned by the organization shall be dedicated to the Foundation of the South Carolina Association of Veterinarians.
Section 3 The association shall not be operated for profit and no part of the net earnings shall inure to the benefit of any member or private individual.
Section 4 The objectives of the G.C.V.A. shall be to advance veterinary medicine, to promote animal welfare and public health, and to encourage fellowship amongst local veterinary professionals.

Article III. Objectives

Section 1 The objectives of the association shall be to:
1) Advance the science and art of veterinary medicine, including its relationship to public health and agriculture.
2) Actively encourage and assist in continuing veterinary medical education.

Article IV. Membership

Section 1 Members in the association shall be graduates of colleges and schools of veterinary medicine and non-DVM veterinary professionals who meet the qualifications specified in the bylaws.
Section 2 Other Members: The bylaws may provide for and specify the qualifications for other members of the association.

Article V. Officers

Section 1 The officers of the association shall be the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Information Technology Officer. The officers shall perform such duties as prescribed in the bylaws.
Section 2 Each officer shall be elected at a regular fall meeting and serve for a term of one year, beginning January 1.

Article VI. Executive Committee

Section 1 The Executive Committee shall include the officers and the Immediate Past-President of the association and shall have charge of the property and financial affairs of the association and shall perform duties prescribed by the bylaws.

Article VII. Amendments

Section 1 The constitution may be amended at a regularly scheduled meeting by two-thirds majority of the votes cast, providing:
The proposed amendment(s) shall have been mailed/e-mailed to the membership at least sixty (30) days prior to the meeting at which action is requested.
Voting on the proposed amendment(s) will occur at a regularly scheduled meeting.

By-Laws of the Greater Columbia Association of Veterinarians

Article I. Membership

Section 1 Members shall have privileges of the Association, including participation in educational meetings, voting and holding office.

Section 2 Qualified persons (Article IV-Constitution) may become a member of the Association by:
A request for membership directed to the secretary of the association with payment of annual dues.

Section 3 Other members
The Executive Committee, after consideration to length of service and contribution to the veterinary profession, may elect life members from the membership to have all the privileges of membership without payment of due or the payment of assessed educational fees.
Section 4 Dues
1. Dues for members shall be payable by April 15th of each year.
2. Dues for DVM members shall be $150.00 per annum.
3. Non-DVM veterinary professionals and retired DVM members of the G.C.V.A. will pay a discounted fee of $75.00 per annum.
4. All new Veterinary graduates shall attend the G.C.V.A. meetings the remainder of the year at no charge.
5. Students that are performing an externship with a G.C.V.A. member may attend the meeting free of charge during that time period.
6. Nonmember veterinarians and veterinary professionals may attend a monthly G.C.V.A. meeting as long as they sign up in advance. The charge for each meeting and dinner is approximately $50 (*price may vary depending on location/speaker and will be included in the invitation).
Section 5 Delinquent Members
A member shall be delinquent when dues are not paid by April 15th of the calendar year for which they are payable.
Delinquent members are not entitled to the privileges of the association.
Section 6 Re-Instatement
A membership that has lapsed for failure to pay dues may be automatically reinstated upon receipt of all delinquent dues.

Article II. Officers

Section 1 Election of Officers

The executive committee shall act as nominating committee with the immediate past president as chairman.
The committee shall present, one month prior to the election meeting, a slate of at least one nominee from the voting membership for the offices of Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Information Technology Officer. Consent of the nominees shall be obtained prior to the submission of the slate to the membership.
Additionally, nominees are present and consent to serve.
Election of officers shall be held at the October meeting of the association.
The term of office for each officer shall be twelve (12) months, beginning January 1.
Each officer may serve a maximum of two (2) successive terms in any one office.
Vacancies in an office may be filled by special election as determined by the executive committee.

Section 2 The President shall:

Preside over all meetings of the association.
Administer the affairs of the association in accordance with the terms of the Constitution and by-laws.
Appoint members to committees and serve as ex-officio member of each committee.
Convene special meetings of the association as needed.
Preside over the executive committee except when it is in session as a nominating committee.
Transfer duties and knowledge pertaining to the position to his/her successor
Serve as a member of the executive committee
Be exempt from payment of annual membership dues while in office.

Section 3 The Vice-President shall:

Succeed the President
Be chairman of the Membership Committee
Be an ex-officio member of the presidentially appointed committees
Be program chairman
Perform the duties of the president in the absence of the president
Transfer duties and knowledge pertaining to the position to his/her successor
Serve as a member of the executive committee
Be exempt from payment of annual membership dues while in office

Section 4 The Immediate Past-President

Serve as a member of the executive committee
Serve as chairman of the executive committee when it is meeting as a nominating committee
Transfer duties and knowledge pertaining to the position to his/her successor
Serve as the association parliamentarian.

Section 5 The Secretary shall:

Maintain the general record of the association
Attend all business meetings of the association and executive committee and report the business transactions
Maintain a roster of all members of the association
Supervise the tabulation of votes cast in elections
Ensure that members who have not paid their dues within the first quarter are notified.
Notify delinquent members after nine (9) months that they are being dropped from the membership roster.
Transfer duties and knowledge pertaining to the position to their successor.
Serve as a member of the Executive Committee.
Conduct the correspondence of the association.
Notify all members of the date, time, and location of each meeting.
Be exempt from payment of annual membership dues while in office.
Ensure attendance logs of education meetings are maintained and provided to the CE licensing entity for proper recording of CE credit.
Maintain continuing education credit approval with the State of South Carolina Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.

Section 6 The Treasurer shall:

Ensure all financial records of the association are properly maintained.
Ensure records of payment of dues and assessments are properly maintained.
Act as custodian of the association assets and ensure that all accounts receivable and payable are properly handled and that association funds are maintained in a federally insured bank.
Ensure financial disclosure of the association’s assets and liabilities are reported to the membership upon request.
Serve as a member of the Executive Committee.
Transfer all fund, properties, and records to their successor.
Be exempt from payment of annual membership dues while in office.

Section 7 The Information Technology Officer shall:

Ensure the Association’s website and social media platforms are maintained and updated to include timely announcements and other resources applicable to veterinary medicine.
Serve as a member of the Executive Committee.
Transfer duties and knowledge pertaining to the position to their successor.
Be exempt from payment of annual membership dues while in office.

Article III. Executive Committee

Section 1 The Executive Committee shall:
1) Consist of the officers of the association and the immediate past-president.
2) Serve as the administrative body of the association with the duty and responsibility to administer the association in accordance with the wishes of the membership.
3) Serve as Nominating Committee in preparing a slate of officers for the association.
4) Ensure membership questions and other queries directed to the Association are handled appropriately.
5) Authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents to enter into any contract or execute or deliver any instrument in the name of or on behalf of the Association, and such authority may be general or confined to special instances.
Section 2 Three members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
Section 3 The Executive Committee shall meet at least quarterly or as needed to conduct all business transactions and develop plans and agendas for association meetings and programs.
Section 4 Indemnification: Every director, officer, employee of the association and such others as specified from time to time by the Executive Committee, shall be indemnified by the association against all expenses and liabilities, including legal fees, reasonably incurred or imposed upon them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made a party, or in which they may become involved, by reason of being or having been a director, officer or employee of the association, or any settlement thereof, whether the person is a director, officer or employee at the time such expenses are incurred, except in such cases wherein the director, officer or employee is adjudged guilty of negligence, willful misfeasance or malfeasance in the performance of duties. The foregoing right of indemnification shall be in addition to and not exclusive of all other rights to which the indemnified person may be entitled.

Article IV. Meetings

Section 1 G.C.V.A. meetings shall be held monthly on the 4th Tuesday evening of each month except for June and November. Considering the holidays, the December meeting is held the 1st Tuesday evening of the month. Each location is designated by the vice president.
Section 2 Business may be conducted at each meeting, as needed, with election of officers to be held in the fall of each year.
Section 3 The number of voting members present shall constitute a quorum.
Section 4 Business meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order.
Section 5 Special meetings of the G.C.V.A. may be called by the president when, in their opinion, the necessity exits. No business other than that specified for the special meeting shall be conducted.
Section 6 Continuing Education
1) The G.C.V. A. shall provide a minimum of 9 hours of continuing education to occur during the monthly meetings, except June and November.
2) Additional continuing education programs (beyond 9 hours) may be provided by the G.C.V. A. as desired by the membership with additional fees applicable if deemed necessary to defray costs.

Article V. Committees

Section 1 The association shall establish committees as deemed necessary by the president.
Section 2 Committee Membership
1) Any active member may serve on a standing committee. The president shall appoint all committee members.
2) At least one (1) member of the Executive Committee shall serve on each committee.

Article VI. Amendments

Section 1 The by-laws may be amended as prescribed in Article VII of the constitution.