Organization > Chapters > Pacific Rim > Bylaws

Chapter Bylaws

ARTICLE I. NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Visual Resources Association Pacific Rim Chapter, hereafter referred to as the Chapter.

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE

The purpose of the Chapter shall be to support professional enrichment of Chapter members and to promote and support the VRA.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

  1. ELIGIBILITY
    1. Membership is open to all members of the VRA in good standing who reside or are active in the geographical areas consisting of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska, Hawaii, and Western Canada.
  2. DUES
    1. Dues shall be proposed by Chapter members and ratified by a majority vote of the members.
    2. Dues shall be paid to the Chapter Secretary/Treasurer.
    3. A lower dues level shall be offered for students who wish to join the Chapter.
    4. The Chapter shall have the right to charge additional fees for specific projects subject to membership approval.
  3. PRIVILEGES
    1. Only Chapter members may vote and hold elective office.
    2. All members shall be entitled to receive minutes, announcements of meetings, and other notices of general interest to the membership.
    3. Chapter members normally will pay a lower meeting registration fee than non-members and will have priority for activities where space is limited.

ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS

  1. NUMBER OF OFFICERS
    1. The Chapter shall have a minimum of two officers, consisting of a Chairperson and a Secretary/Treasurer.
  2. QUALIFICATIONS
    1. Officers must be members in good standing of both VRA and the Chapter.
  3. TERM LENGTHS
    1. The term of office for each officer shall be two calendar years. The terms of the two officers shall be staggered by one year.
    2. If, due to unforeseen circumstances, an officer is unable to complete his/her term, an interim officer will be appointed by a committee. This committee will consist of the remaining officer and one volunteer Chapter member.
    3. An officer may be re-elected for an indefinite number of consecutive terms.
  4. DUTIES
    1. The Chairperson shall:
      1. Be the representative of the Chapter on its official business or shall designate a substitute when necessary.
      2. Work with host members to plan the program and arrangements for Chapter meetings.
      3. Be responsible for running the business meeting that takes place at the Chapter meeting.
      4. Write a summary report after each Chapter meeting based on the minutes taken by the Secretary/Treasurer, which will be submitted for publication in the VRA Bulletin or other VRA electronic or print publications.
      5. Write reports of Chapter activities to be submitted to the VRA Executive Board for consideration at their annual and mid-year meetings.
      6. Be responsible for maintaining and updating the Chapter History notebook and the Chairperson’s Handbook.
    2. 2. The Secretary/Treasurer shall:
      1. Keep minutes of Chapter meetings and be responsible for chapter correspondence.
      2. Maintain Chapter financial records including a bank account.
      3. Collect membership dues and fees for Chapter meetings; pays bills and expenses as needed.
      4. Report the financial state of the Chapter to the membership at the annual Chapter meeting.
      5. Serve as chairperson at meetings in the absence of the Chairperson.
      6. Be responsible for maintaining and updating the Secretary/Treasurer’s Handbook.
    3. 3. Both officers shall:
      1. Attend the VRA Business Meeting and the Chapter Officers Meeting if in attendance at the annual VRA conference.

ARTICLE V. ELECTIONS

  1. NOMINATING COMMITTEE
    1. A committee of at least two Chapter members will be responsible for nominating a slate of officers and presenting them in written or electronic form. Typically the committee will consist of the one continuing officer and one or more volunteer Chapter members.
    2. The nominating committee shall be responsible for informing candidates of the officers’ duties.
  2. MANNER OF ELECTING
    1. Officers shall be elected by a majority of votes cast by the Chapter members.
    2. Voting may take place via any electronic method available to all members.
    3. The Nominating Committee shall be responsible for tallying the votes and announcing the results.

ARTICLE VI. MEETINGS

  1. CALLING MEETINGS
    1. Chapter meetings shall be called by the Chairperson.
  2. LOCATION
    1. Every effort will be made to vary the location of consecutive meetings.
  3. FREQUENCY
    1. The Chapter will meet at least once a year as a whole. 2. More frequent informal local meetings of Chapter members are encouraged.
  4. D. GUESTS
    1. Members may invite guests to meetings and encourage them to become members.
    2. Guests will normally pay a higher registration fee for meetings.

ARTICLE VII. AMENDMENTS

  1. PERIODIC REVIEW
    1. The Chapter bylaws shall be reviewed approximately every five years.
  2. WHO MAY SUBMIT
    1. Amendments to the bylaws may be submitted to the Chapter in writing by members in good standing.
  3. MEMBER APPROVAL
    1. Approval of a two-thirds majority of Chapter members shall be necessary to amend the bylaws.
    2. Voting may take place via any electronic method available to all members.
  4. BOARD APPROVAL
    1. When Chapter members have approved changes to the bylaws, the revised Chapter bylaws will be submitted to the VRA Executive Board for review.
    2. Bylaw revisions are not official until they have been approved by the VRA Executive Board.

First written: 1994
Revised with suggestions from VRA Executive Board: July 1995
Approved by VRA Executive Board: February 1996
Revised by Bylaws Committee (Jeanette Mills & Deb Cox): April 2002
Revised with suggestions from chapter membership: May 2002
Approved by chapter membership: May 2002
Approved by VRA Executive Board contingent on minor revisions: September 2002
Revisions made & copies distributed: October 2002

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