Western Association of Veterans Education
Specialists Bylaws
Amended April 2004
Article I - Names
This Organization shall be named the Western Association of Veterans
Education Specialists (W. A. V. E. S. ) hereafter referred to in
these bylaws as the Association.
Article II - Purpose
The purpose of the Association shall be to:
Section 1. Promote high professional standards, policies, and
ethical practices among members.
Section 2. Serve the needs and interests of veterans, faculties, and
administrators in the member institutions.
Section 3. Represent the mutual interests of the membership on
matters coming before the membership.
Section 4. Provide a forum to facilitate the interchange of ideas
and information.
Section 5. Foster communication and cooperation between all
concerned and interested institutions and agencies on matters
affecting the education of veterans and other eligible persons.
Section 6. Provide advisory, liaison, and coordinating services
regarding educational programs affecting in-service military
personnel.
Article III - Authority
The Association shall have, subject to limitation as contained
herein these By-Laws.
Article IV - Membership
Section 1. Membership shall be limited to educational institutions
of higher learning and those offering non-college degree programs
engaged in the administration of veterans education benefits within
the geographic areas served by the Muskogee Regional Processing
Office.
Section 2. Authorized representatives from institutions of higher
learning and non- college degree schools shall be eligible for
membership.
Section 3. Each designated institution or school having full
membership in good standing shall be entitled to cast one vote.
Section 4. Annual dues for membership shall be established by the
Executive Board during the annual conference. (Set $25.00 to run
July 1 - June 30)
Section 5. Full membership status in good standing shall be
acknowledged when the dues are received and receipted by the
Association treasurer.
Section 6. Only certifying officials of members in good standing
shall be entitled to hold office in the Association.
Article V - Officers
Section 1. The officers of the Association shall consist of a
President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary,
Treasurer, two Members-at-Large, one from an institution of higher
learning and one from a non-college degree school and the immediate
Past President.
Section 2. The term of appointment for all elected officers shall be
for a period of two years or until their successors are elected.
Their term of office shall begin at the close of the annual
conference during which they are elected.
Section 3. The officers of the Association shall perform their
duties as generally defined in Robert’s Rules Of Order Newly
Revised, and more specifically defined in these By-Laws.
Section 4. In the event that the office of the President becomes
vacant, the First Vice President shall become President.The
Executive Board will then appoint a new First Vice President to
serve out the term. If other positions (as defined in Section 1)
become vacant, an interim appointment to serve out the term shall
also be made by the Executive Board.
Section 5. Duties of Officers:
(a) President. The duties of the President shall include but not be
limited to the following:
(1) Serve as chief Executive Officer of the Association;
(2) Convene and preside at all regional conferences;
(3) Be the official spokesperson and/or representative of the
Association at all activities and functions in which the Association
is involved;
(4) Insure that the purposes and objective of the Association as
stated in the By-Laws, is adhered to, and that the business of the
Association is properly conducted. Serve as liaison between the
Association membership and other interest groups, such as Veterans
Affairs Regional Processing Office and individual State Approving
Agencies.
(b) First Vice President. The duties of the First Vice President
shall include but not be limited to the following:
(1) Serve as liaison between the Executive Board and the local
arrangements committee;
(2) Perform additional duties as assigned by the President;
(3) In the absence of the President shall perform the duties of the
President when necessary.
(c) Second Vice President. The duties of the Second Vice President
shall include but not be limited to the following:
(1) In the absence of the President and First Vice President shall
perform the duties of the President and First Vice President when
necessary.
(2) Serve as Chairman of the Membership Committee
(d) Secretary. The duties of this office shall include but not be
limited to the following:
(1) Record all meetings of the Association and of the Executive
Board and distribute the minutes to the membership;
(2) Maintain files and reports of all committees;
(3) Edit and distribute an Association newsletter, the frequency of
which shall be determined by the Executive Board.
(e) Treasurer: The duties of this office shall include but not be
limited to the following:
(1) Accept and deposit all monies received and record such, to pay
all expenses incurred by the Association and record such, to prepare
an interim Treasurer’s report for regional meetings, and to prepare
an annual financial report;
(2) Notify the membership of the amount of annual dues; the receipt
of such dues and maintenance of an official membership roll or
directory for publication and distribution;
(3) Prepare an annual budget for recommendation to the incoming
Executive Board;
(4) Maintain with the bank of record a current financial status of
the Association, monitor tax laws, requirements, and regulations,
and make appropriate filing for purposes of taxation;
(5) Shall prepare financial status reports required of the
Association by non-profit corporation law, the Internal Revenue
Service, and/or any tax laws under which the Association secured any
measure of this tax exempt status.
(6) Shall have an audit of all Association financial reports, to be
performed by an independent audit team, at the closing of each year.
The Treasurer shall submit said records along with the audit report
to the Association within thirty (30) days of the beginning of each
year.
(f) Members-at-Large. The duties of these offices shall include but
not be limited to the following:
(1) Attend all meetings of the Executive Board;
(2) Perform duties as are appropriate to the Association.
(3) Serve on the Nomination and Election Committee.
(g) Immediate Past President. The duties of these offices shall
include but not be limited to the following:
(1) Serve on the Executive Board as a non-voting, ex-officio member;
(2) Serve as an advisor to the president and the Board,
(3) Serve as Chairman of the Nominating Committee.
Article VI - Meetings
Section 1. The Annual Conference of this Association shall be held
at a time and place designated by the Executive Board to conduct
business of the Association, to include:
(a) Election of officers of the Association
(b) Provide for changes in the By-Laws of the Association;
(c) Provide a forum to facilitate the interchange of ideas and
information;
(d) Provide workshops designed to improve upon the standards,
policies and practices of the individual members in the conduct of
their duties;
(e) Conduct other such business of the Association as is timely and
necessary.
Section 2. The Executive Board shall meet in conjunction with the
Annual Conference of the Association, and at other such times and
places as the Board may designate.
Section 3. Committees shall meet at the Annual Conference, and at
other such times as may be called by the Chair with the concurrence
of the President of the Association.
Article VII - The Executive Board
Section 1. This body shall consist of the President, the First
Vice-President, the Second Vice President, Secretary, the Treasurer,
Members-at-Large and the Immediate Past President.
Section 2. The Executive Board shall conduct the affairs of the
Association between its annual conferences’s. The Board shall be
subject to orders of the Association and none of its acts shall
conflict with the action taken by the Association.
Section 3. The Executive Board shall meet at least once annually.
That meeting shall be in conjunction with the Annual Conference of
the Association, and at other such times and places as designated by
the President.
Section 4. An Executive Board member may be reimbursed for trips or
expenses incurred on behalf of the Association to attend a mid-year
Board Meeting, subject to full Board approval, available funds, and
proper receipts.
Article VIII - Committees
Section 1. Committees may be created and dissolved at the pleasure
of the Executive Committee and/or the General Membership. Committees
can be dissolved by the Chairperson of each committee, Executive
Committee, and/or the General Membership of the Association.
Section 2. Committees may consist of the following:
Nominations and Elections Committee
Governmental Relations Committee
Finance Committee
Conference Planning Committee
Constitution Committee
Membership Committee
Newsletter Committee
Section 3. In addition to the above Committees, the President shall
have authority to appoint other such Special Committees as the need
arises.
Article IX - Committee Duties
(a) Nominations and Election
(b) The Nomination and Elections Committee shall consist of the Past
President and the Members-at-Large.
(c) The purpose of the Nominations and elections Committee is to
present a slate of officers to be voted upon by the eligible
membership during election years.
(d) Governmental relations Committee
To meet periodically with officials of the Department of Veteran
Affairs and State Approving Agencies to discuss matters of mutual
concern.
(e) Conference Planning Committee
(a) To make all arrangements for the annual conference, including
but not limited to accommodations, invitations to guests, and extra
curricular activities;
(b) To develop the conference agenda and program in cooperation with
the President;
(c) To make tentative arrangements for the succeeding Annual
Conference;
(d) To review and make recommendations on all bids received from
succeeding conferences to the membership at the Annual Conference.
(d) Finance Committee
To review the financial records of the Association at all Annual
Conferences;
(e) Bylaws Committee
To review the present Constitution and prepare the presentation to
the membership any amendments and/or revisions which the committee
determines necessary either to clarify existing language or to
rectify present omissions.
(f) Membership Committee
(a) To encourage each educational institution engaged in the
administration of Veteran Educational Benefits within the geographic
area served by the Muskogee Regional Processing Office to maintain
adequate representation in the Association and to encourage active
participation of all members of the Association.
(b) To contact those institutions currently inactive to determine
the reasons for this inactivity and any possible assistance the
Association may give to facilitate participation in the Association.
(g) Newsletter Committee
To prepare a newsletter to be distributed to the general membership
in a timely basis as determined by the Executive Board.
Nominations and Election
Section 1. The Nomination and Elections Committee shall consist of
the Past President and the Members-at-Large.
Section 2. During the election year, the Nominations and elections
Committee shall present a slate of officers to be voted upon by the
eligible membership at the Association’s Annual Conference.
Article X - Procedural Authority
Section 1. The principles contained in the current edition of
Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Association
unless they are inconsistent with this document and any special
prescriptions of order the Association may adopt from time to time.
Section 2. A quorum is required to conduct the business of the
Association at a general membership meeting. A quorum is defined as
a simple majority of the voting members in attendance. Once a quorum
is declared established, it shall remain in affect for the remainder
of the general membership meeting.
Section 3. A quorum of the Executive Board is required to conduct a
meeting of the Executive Board. A quorum for the purpose of an
Executive Board meeting is defined as the presence of the simple
majority of the members of the Executive Board. Once a quorum has
been established, it shall remain in effect for the remainder of the
Executive Board Meeting.
Section 4. Formal motions made at regular meetings of either the
general membership or the Executive Board shall require an
affirmative vote of a simple majority.
Article XI - Amendments
Section 1. These articles may be amended at the Annual Conference of
the Association by a two-thirds vote of the paid membership present.
Section 2. All proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing to
the Chair of the Constitution Committee for final drafting at least
60 days prior to the Annual Conference whereupon they shall be
distributed to the membership at least 30 days prior to the Annual
Conference.
