VMAS Bylaws
Article I: Name
The second name of this society shall be “The Veterinary Medical Alumni Society of the University of Pennsylvania.” (V.M.A.S.)
Article II: Mission
The mission of V.M.A.S. is to promote the interests of the Veterinary School and the Alumni Society, to encourage and perpetuate the spirit of good feeling and commonality of interests among alumni of the Veterinary School, and to assist the School to advance veterinary education, students and administration.
The goals of the Society are accomplished by support of alumni annual giving, publications, educational meetings, and social events, all of which provide opportunities for exchange among the School’s alumni, faculty, students and administration.
Article III: Membership
Section 1. Membership
The Society’s membership shall include: graduates of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, graduates of the School’s residency and internship programs, and all standing faculty members in addition to the President of the Student Government and the President of each class, or his/her designate, for a one year term.
Section 2. Honorary Membership
Honorary members of the Society shall be chosen from among (1) the recipients of honorary degrees conferred by the School of Veterinary Medicine; (2) past or present members of the School’s Board of Overseers; (3) outstanding members of the veterinary profession; (4) worthy benefactors of the School.
A. The names of candidates for honorary membership shall be presented in writing to the President of the Society by any member in good standing of the Society.
B. The Executive Board shall vote on the proposed candidates at a regular meeting of the Board to elect such candidates.
Section 3. Ex-officio Membership
Ex-officio members shall include the Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, the School’s Directors of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, and Presidents of Veterinary Medical Associations of Pennsylvanian and its contiguous states, and VMAS past presidents from the last ten years.
Article IV: VOTING
Alumni and honorary members shall have the privilege of making motions and debating. Voting shall be limited to those alumni holding a V.M.D. degree, or those who have completed an internship or residency at the School, in addition to all members of the Executive Board, regardless of degree, during their term of office. Ex-officio members of the Board shall have the privilege of debate but not vote unless they are alumni holding a V.M.D. degree.
Article V: MEETINGS OF THE SOCIETY
Section 1. Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting of the Society shall be held on the School’s annual Alumni Day for the purpose of electing Officers, presenting reports, and for such other matters as may be properly presented.
A. Members shall be notified of the meeting at least one month in advance.
B. A quorum of the meeting shall consist of a minimum of twenty-five members.
Section 2. Special Meetings
Special meetings of the Society shall be called by the President upon written request of a majority of the Executive Board or by a petition signed by twenty members of the Society.
A. The date, place and purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the call of the meeting given at least two weeks in advance.
B. A quorum of the meeting shall consist of a minimum of twenty-five members.
Article VI: THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1. Composition
The Executive Board shall consist of Officers, other board members, and ex-officio members.
A. Officers shall include the President and President-Elect.
B. Other Board Members shall include the Historian, Faculty Representatives (Chairperson of the Department of Clinical Studies, VHUP, or his/her delegate, Chairperson of the Department of Clinical Studies, NBC, or his/her delegate, and the Chairpersons of the two non-clinical departments, or their delegates), Student Representatives (President of the Student Government and Presidents of each class, or their delegates), two Pacesetter Representatives, and fifteen members-at-large.
C. All officers must be graduates of the School. Members-at-large may be graduates of the School, or graduated residents, interns or post-doctorate students.
D. The Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, the School’s Directors of Alumni Relations and
Annual Giving, Presidents of Veterinary Medical Associations of Pennsylvanian and its contiguous states, and VMAS past presidents from the last ten years are categorized as ex-officio members.
Section 2. Duties
The Executive Board shall act for the Society when necessary between meetings of the Society and shall:
A. Recommend to the members at the Annual Meeting appropriate actions to be taken on issues properly presented before the members.
B. Approve guidelines for the various committees.
C. Create such additional Special Committees as shall be deemed necessary for the work of the Society.
D. Elect honorary members.
E. Approve all nominations to the Board.
Section 3. Meetings of the Board
Regular Meetings of the Board shall be held during the months of September, November, January, March, and May.
A. Special meetings may be called at the discretion of the President or the Director of Alumni Affairs upon the written request of any five members of the Board.
1. Notification of the time, place and purpose of the meeting shall be sent in writing to every member of the Board.
B. A majority of the voting members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
C. Voting at Board Meetings shall be limited to Officers of the Board (President and President-Elect), fifteen members-at-large and the two Pacesetter Representatives.
Article VII: DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS AND OTHER BOARD MEMBERS
Section 1. Officers
A. The PRESIDENT shall:
1. Serve as the presiding officer at all meetings of the Society and the Executive Board.
2. Appoint, with the approval of the Executive Board, the Chairpersons of the Standing and Special Committees except those otherwise provided for in these by-laws.
3. Request the President of the Student Government and the President of each class to appoint a representative to serve as a voting member of the Executive Board.
4. Assume an active interest in the affairs of the School’s Development Office.
5. Work closely with the School’s Department Chairpersons and the Dean to help ensure the well-being of the School.
6. Serve as an ex-officio member of the School’s Board of Overseers and be invited to attend meetings of the Board of Overseers.
B. The PRESIDENT-ELECT shall:
1. Serve as the presiding officer at all meetings of the Society and the Executive Board in the absence of the President.
2. Assume the duties of the President in the permanent absence or inability of the President to serve the unexpired term.
3. Assist the President in the discharge of his/her duties and be responsible for the operation of such standing committees as are assigned by the President and such additional duties as the Executive Board shall assign.
Section 2. Other Board Members
A. HISTORIAN: The historian shall be elected every three years and shall:
1. Collect all historical data of interest to the members of the Society and present a report to the membership at the Annual Meeting.
2. Serve as a liaison to the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Historical Society.
3. Perform such other duties as the Board assigns.
B. FACULTY REPRESENTATIVES: the Chairperson of the Department of Clinical Studies, VHUP, or his/her delegate, Chairperson of the Department of Clinical Studies, NBC, or his/her delegate, and the Chairpersons of the two non-clinical departments, or their delegates, shall serve during their terms of appointment as liaisons between the Executive Board and the School’s academic departments, faculty and staff.
C. STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: The President of the Student Government and the President of each class, or his/her delegate, shall serve as liaison between the student body and the Executive Board.
D. PACESETTER REPRESENTATIVES: The two Pacesetter Representatives will represent and work on behalf of the younger alumni, specifically, graduates from the four most recently graduated classes.
E. MEMBERS-AT-LARGE: The fifteen members-at-large shall discharge the general duties of the board and perform other duties as members of standing and special committees.
Section 3. The Director of Alumni Relations
The Director of Alumni Relations, employed by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, shall be the salaried executive of the Society and shall, under the direction of the Executive Board:
A. Execute and administer policies and programs related to the Executive Board.
B. Attend and participate as a non-voting member in all meetings of the Society and Executive Board, in addition to such standing and special committee meetings as the Executive Board shall direct.
C. Record and maintain the minutes of all meetings.
D. Handle the general correspondence of the Society.
E. Prepare official reports, including the annual Alumni Liaison Committee Report.
F. Maintain a list of names, addresses and telephone numbers of all Officers, Executive Board and Committee members, and members of the Society.
G. Notify members of meetings.
H. Perform such other duties as the Board shall assign.
Section 4. The Director of Annual Giving
The Director of Annual Giving, employed by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, shall be the salaried executive of the Society and shall, under the direction of the Executive Board:
A. Oversee the School’s Alumni Annual Giving program and:
1. Keep an itemized record of receipts and disbursements.
2. Submit an annual report to the Society.
3. Maintain active contact with class agents to assist them in performing their duties.
B. Perform such other duties as the Board shall assign.
Article VIII: NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND OTHER BOARD MEMBERS
Section 1. Nominations
A. The Nominating Committee shall be composed of three members: the Chairperson, appointed by the President, as well as the President-Elect and the current President.
1. Each year the Nominating Committee shall present to the Executive Board at its MARCH meeting a slate bearing the names of nominees for Pacesetter Representative, five members-at-large, and other nominees as necessary.
2. Every other year, the Nominating Committee shall present to the Executive Board a slate of candidates for the office of President-Elect.
B. Nominations from the floor shall be in order following the report of the Nominating Committee to the members at the Annual Meeting for the office of President-Elect in those years where this position is being filled.
Section 2. Election
A. The nominees shall be elected by a majority vote of the voting members present at the Annual Meeting.
1. Should there be but one candidate for each office, the vote may be taken by voice.
2. If more than one candidate has been proposed for office, a ballot vote is required.
Section 3. Terms of Office
A. The PRESIDENT shall serve for two years.
B. The PRESIDENT-ELECT shall serve for two years and shall proceed to the Office of the President.
C. FACULTY REPRESENTATIVES shall serve during their terms of appointment.
D. STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES shall serve for one year. The student representative from the senior class will have the option, with the Board’s approval, of becoming a Pacesetter Representative the following year.
E. PACESETTER REPRESENTATIVES, chosen from the four most recently graduated classes, shall serve for two years.
F. MEMBERS-AT-LARGE shall serve for three years. There shall be five new members-at-large a year.
Section 4. Vacancies
Vacancies occurring in any office except that of the President and President-Elect shall be filled by appointment of the President with the approval of the Executive Board.
Section 5. Attendance
Board members are required to attend a minimum of three of the five meetings of the Executive Board per year. Failure to attend at least three of the meetings will automatically drop that individual from the Executive Board.
Article IX: STANDING COMMITTEES
Section 1. Composition
The Standing Committees of the Board shall consist of: Alumni Annual Giving, Awards, Nominating, Benjamin Franklin Society and Rush Shippen Huidekoper Society, Alumni Liaison, Reunion, Class Agent, Long Range Planning, Farm Show, Alumni Day, Fund Raising Guidelines, and Alumni Faculty Teaching Award Committees.
Section 2. Membership and Appointment
The Chairperson of each committee shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Board; the members shall be appointed by the President after consultation with the Chairperson of the committee.
Section 3. Responsibilities
A. The ALUMNI ANNUAL GIVING Committee shall:
1. Solicit the Society members (excluding the Pacesetters, members of the Benjamin Franklin Society, the Rush Shippen Huidekoper Society, and reunion year classes) through written, telephone, and personal solicitations.
2. Periodically review Alumni Annual Giving and report to the Board as requested, assist the Director of Alumni Affairs in raising funds, and perform such other duties as the Board shall assign.
B. The AWARDS Committee shall:
1. Select, by a majority vote, the names of nominees to receive Alumni Award of Merit citations and honorary memberships.
2. Alumni Award of Merit citations shall be limited to a minimum of THREE per year, with a maximum determined by the Awards Committee. Also, Award of Merit recipients shall be limited to Reunion Years.
3. Submit the names of the nominees to the Executive Board for consideration at its January meeting. Those selected by the Board shall be honored by receiving awards at the Society’s Annual Meeting or Special Meeting designated by the Board.
C. The NOMINATING Committee: see Article VII, Section 1.
D. The BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SOCIETY AND RUSH SHIPPEN HUIDEKOPER SOCIETY Committee shall:
1. Solicit those members of the Society who are, or may be capable of, contributing $1,000.00 or more for membership in the Rush Shippen Huidekoper Society and those capable of $2,500.00 or more for the Benjamin Franklin Society through written, telephone, and personal solicitations.
2. Periodically review the finances of the Rush Shippen Huidekoper Society and the Benjamin Franklin Society, report to the Board as requested, assist the Director of Alumni Affairs in raising funds, and perform such other duties as the Board shall assign.
E. The ALUMNI LIAISON Committee shall:
1. Be chaired by the President-Elect of the Executive Board annually and include the five first year members-at-large and other members as selected by the Chairperson. The committee shall confer annually with the School’s administration, faculty, students and other individuals as they deem advisable for the progress of the School and shall report their findings to the Board and to the Society’s members.
2. Offer feedback and guidance to the Director of Alumni Affairs in the preparation of the Alumni Liaison Report.
F. The REUNION Committee shall:
1. Work closely with class agents celebrating quinquennial reunions.
2. Solicit, in conjunction with reunion year class agents, reunion year alumni through written, telephone and personal solicitations.
3. Periodically review the finances of Reunion year contributions, report to the Board as requested, assist the Directors of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving in raising funds, and perform such other duties as the Board shall assign.
G. The CLASS AGENT Committee shall:
1. Serve as liaison between the Executive Board and Class Agents, assisting them to foster communication among classmates and between classmates and the School.
2. Periodically review Class Agents to ensure that each class has at least one Class Agent.
3. Appoint Class Agents as needed. Each Class Agent shall serve for a term of three years and may be reappointed by the Executive Board.
4. Oversee the activities of Class Agents to ensure that they are fulfilling their duties:
a. Duties of Non-Reunion Year Class Agents:
1. Thank classmates via a letter for gifts.
2. Participate in phonathons.
3. Send at least one mailing per year with general news and information.
b. Special Duties of Reunion Year Class Agents:
1. Form Reunion Year Committee with three to four classmates.
2. Send four personalized mailings to classmates.
3. With members of the Reunion Year Committee, telephone classmates during phonathons to encourage class gifts and attendance at Alumni Day.
4. Assist in gathering information for class newsletters.
5. Thank classmates via a letter for gifts.
6. Meet with Reunion Year Committee to outline plans for upcoming reunion and identify classmates capable of making a major gift.
H. The LONG RANGE PLANNING Committee shall serve as a liaison between the Executive Board and the School’s Long Range Planning Committee and report to the Board as requested.
I. The FARM SHOW Committee shall assist the School in matters relating to the Farm Shows, including staffing the booth and preparing displays and handouts.
J. The ALUMNI DAY Committee shall, in cooperation with the Director of Alumni Affairs, be responsible for the planning and scheduling of all events’ activities and procurement for the Annual Alumni Day.
K. The FUND-RAISING GUIDELINES Committee feels that donations collected by either profit or nonprofit organizations could be aided and even sought by the alumni as long as they meet the guidelines set forth by the committee. These guidelines have been drafted and approved by the Executive Board and are to be considered an integral part of these by-laws.
L. The ALUMNI FACULTY TEACHING AWARD Committee shall choose the recipient of the award on an annual basis to be given at the Annual Teaching Awards Banquet according to the guidelines established by the Executive Board.
Section 4. Meetings
Meetings of the Committees shall be held at the request of the Chairperson.
Section 5. Special Committees
There shall be such special committees, as the Executive Board shall direct.
Article X: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The rules contained in “Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised” shall govern the Society in all cases to which they are applicable and not inconsistent with these by-laws.
Article XI: AMENDMENTS
These by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Society present at the Annual Meeting provided that a minimum of thirty days notice has been given.
Guidelines for Alumni Special Events & Fund-Raising Activities
A 1996 Fund-Raising Guidelines Committee determined that donations collected by either profit or nonprofit organizations could be aided and even sought by the alumni as long as they meet our guidelines. The guidelines are as follows:
I. The School of Veterinary Medicine may be the recipient of donations from fund-raising activities by entities not directly affiliated with the School. These entities could include individuals, associations or for profit businesses. If these entities request a formal relationship with the School in the conducting of an event, the following guidelines will apply:
A. All special activities conducted by an entity affiliated with the School of Veterinary Medicine must have the approval of the Dean and should be conducted in coordination with the School’s Development Office.
B. All such activities must conform to the policies of the University of Pennsylvania.
C. All fund raising activities must be consistent with the School of Veterinary Medicine and be a positive reflection on the image of the School.
D. Events and fund-raising activities must be conducted in a legal and ethical manner conforming to all appropriate legal and accepted fund-raising principles.
II. A written agreement or contract shall be developed between the School and/or its affiliate and the external party detailing the exact nature of the fund-raising activity and the roles and responsibilities of all parties. The exact formula for the financial benefit to the School shall be part of this agreement. The formula shall be based upon:
A. The total number of participants in the fund-raising event/activity.
B. The amount of donation per person of event/activity will be determined at the time of agreement for that event/activity. If the individuals are told that they are giving a tax donation to the School then their names and addresses must also accompany the donation. The School will then mail them a tax letter for the IRS.
C. The contribution will be given to the Alumni Executive Board by the organizer at the time of the activity or when so designated in the agreement. With each event the Executive Board will determine which student activity, purpose or project the donations will best serve, and designate the funds for that purpose.
III. Said agreements may be reviewed by the Dean to assure that they follow the School’s fund-raising guidelines.
IV. Alumni mailing labels (and not a master list) may be given to the organizer with the understanding that these labels are for a one time use, for that event only, and that these labels cannot be copied, sold or given by the activity/event organizers to any other party.
V. All promotional material to be used for the event/activity must be reviewed and authorized by the Executive Board.
VI. The President can appoint with the approval of the Board, two individuals to chair the committee. The chairpersons will serve at the discretion of the President for a two-year term. Their terms will be staggered as to overlap. Their responsibility will be review any and/or seek out any offers of possible fund-raising events or activities. To bring the details of their findings before the Board, who will make the final decisions on any agreements.