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GVPA By-Laws

Rochester, New York (2023 Revision)

Article I: Name and Purposes

  • Section 1. The name of this Association shall be “Genesee Valley Psychological Association” (hereinafter referred to as “the Association”).
  • Section 2. The purposes of the Association shall be:
    • To promote among the members the exchange of ideas and information about scholarly and professional activities.
    • To contribute to and participate in community projects that are pertinent to the scientific, educational and social scope of psychology.
    • To cooperate with local, state and national organizations (psychological or otherwise) in furthering the advancement of psychology as a profession and a science.

Article II: Membership

  • Section 1. At the time of formal adoption of this revision of the By-Laws of the Association, all individuals in good standing within the membership of the Association shall be designated thereafter Members of the Association.
  • Section 2. Persons admitted to the membership are required to:
    • Subscribe to the purposes of the Association;
    • Maintain ethical standards of professional conduct as set forth in the APA Code of Ethics;
    • Be approved for admission.
  • Section 3. The Association shall consist of three classes of membership: Full, Student and Emeritus.
  • Section 4. Full Membership
    • Full members of the Association shall meet at least one of the following criteria:
      • Were members of good standing prior to October 2010 (date of passage of the last amendment to the By-Laws by the members at large).
      • Are licensed as a Psychologist pursuant to Education Law of the State of New York.
      • Possess a Doctoral degree in psychology granted on the basis of completion of a program of psychology registered with the Department of Education of the State of New York, or substantial equivalent thereof.
    • Full members of the Association shall be entitled to all rights and privileges, including the right to hold elective office, to vote on any and all issues and any additional rights and privileges as defined by the Executive Board.
  • Section 5. Student Membership
    • Student Members of the Association shall be persons who are, at the time of application, matriculated and enrolled students in a graduate psychology program which shall be attested to in a reference from the Chairperson of the Department of Psychology.
    • Student Members shall be entitled to the rights and privileges of Membership of the Association except the rights to vote and hold office.
  • Section 6. Emeritus Membership
    • Emeritus Members of the Association shall be persons who have: 1) Previously held a Psychology license pursuant to Education Law of the State of New York, plus 2) Have been a member of the Association for at least one year.
    • Emeritus Members shall be entitled to the rights and privileges of Membership of the Association except the rights to vote and hold office.
  • Section 7. Application for membership in the Association shall be made and managed in according to the following procedures:
    • Applications shall be submitted to the Chairperson of the Membership Committee.
    • The Membership Committee shall evaluate all applications by verifying the applicant’s credentials as may be warranted, and by then approving applications by majority vote.
    • The Chairperson shall make periodic reports to the Executive Board, which in turn approves/disapproves applications by a simple majority vote.
    • As soon as feasible following the Executive Board vote, the Membership Chairperson shall notify applicants of the acceptance or rejection by the Association. E. The election to membership only becomes valid upon full payment of the membership dues within 60 days following notification of acceptance into the Association.
  • Section 8. Dues
    • The Executive Board holds the power to set dues. The membership year begins January 1st.
    • The non-payment of dues for a period of three months shall constitute an Association status of Membership-in-Abeyance, which shall automatically suspend membership rights and privileges as defined by the Executive Board. While in the status of Membership-in-Abeyance, which shall last for three months to six months of non-payment of dues, a member should have the right to reinstate their membership in full by completion of a membership renewal form and payment of dues and any required fees.
    • After due notification, the non-payment of dues for six months shall automatically constitute resignation from the Association and the member shall have his/her name removed from the membership roster of the Association in addition to suspension of all membership rights and privileges. Following the automatic resignation from the Association, a former member who wishes to become a member of the Association again shall be reinstated to membership status upon payment of dues and any required fees and approval of the Executive Board.
    • In exceptional cases, the Executive Board shall have the authority to waive the dues of any member.
  • Section 9. Resignation from the Association:
    A member in good standing who wishes to resign from the Association shall submit his/her resignation in writing to the President, who shall then report his/her resignation to the Executive Board. Such resigned members may be permitted to reinstate his/her former membership status with the approval of and under such conditions as shall be determined by the Executive Board.
  • Section 10. A member may be dropped from the membership of the Association for conduct which tends to injure the Association, or tends to adversely affect its reputation, or as determined by the Executive Board to be detrimental to the welfare of the public.

Article III: Elected Officers

  • Section 1. The elected officers of the Association shall be the President-elect, the Secretary, and the TreasurerAll such officers of the Association must be Full Members in good standing.
  • Section 2. The term of office shall be as follows: the President-elect for one year, the President for two years, and the Secretary and Treasurer for two years.
  • Section 3. The Executive Board shall consist of the elected Officers, the President, the Immediate Past- President, the Chairs of active committees, the NYSPA Council Representative, and Members-at-Large, appointed for two-year terms by the President.
  • Section 4. It shall be the duty of the President-elect to prepare to perform the duties of the President, to assist the President in the performance of presidential duties and to perform other duties as directed by the Executive Board and/or the President. The term of the President-elect shall be served during the second year of the President’s term of office. The member elected to this office is expected to assume the roles of President for two years and Past-President for one year.
  • Section 5. It shall be the duty of the President to preside at all meetings of the Association, to sign all contracts and other instruments with the exception of checks and drafts, and to exercise supervision over the affairs of the Association. He/she shall also be an ex-efficio member of all committees of the Association.
  • Section 6. It shall be the duty of the Past-President to mentor the President, assume and perform the duties of the President in the event of absence, incapacity, illness or resignation of the President, and to perform other duties as directed by the Executive Board and/or the President. The Past-President shall chair the Committee on Nominations and Elections. The term of the Past-President shall be served during the first year of the President’s term of office.
  • Section 7. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to supervise and maintain the financial records of the Association. These funds shall be deposited in the name of the Association. The Treasurer shall collect dues, assessments and all other monies payable to the Association. She/he shall have the authority to sign checks and drafts on behalf of the Association, for the disbursement of funds for the duly authorized purposes of the Association and with the approval of the Executive Board. It shall also be the duty of the Treasurer to submit, at appropriate times as requested by the Executive Board, an itemized record of the receipts and expenditures of the Association for the relevant designated period.
  • Section 8. The Secretary shall be responsible for preparing the minutes of all meetings of the Executive Board and the Association and forwarding a copy of those minutes to members of the Executive Board. Minutes of meetings shall be filed and remain available to members for a period of no less than five years.
  • Section 9. In the case of death, incapacity or resignation of the Past-President, the President-elect, Secretary or Treasurer, the President shall appoint a successor to serve until a new officer has been chosen at the next annual election. In the event that the President shall be unable to serve and fulfill the responsibilities of his/her office, the remainder of the President’s term of office shall be filled by the Past-President, if the presidential vacancy occurs within the first year of the President’s term, or by the President-elect if the presidential vacancy occurs during the second year of the President’s term. In the event that both the President and Past-President cannot serve the office of the President, the Executive Board shall appoint an Acting President from among the members of the Executive Board or the general membership. Under such circumstances, the Executive Board shall have the authority to hold a special election for the office of President and President-elect, if it deems it necessary for the well-being of the Association. In all such situations in which an elected officer cannot continue to serve, the Executive Board will inform the membership, and cooperate to assist the successor and to maintain the well-being of the Association.
  • Section 10. The Association shall have a Representative to the New York State Psychological Association (NYSPA) Council. The Representative shall be elected to a three-year term in elections conducted by NYSPA. Two Alternate Representatives will also be elected to three-year terms, during elections held by NYSPA. The primary responsibilities of the NYSPA Representative are to serve as a member of the NYSPA governing board and to represent the interests of our regional Association as appropriate. The Representative shall make periodic reports of the Association’s functions to NYSPA Council and shall make reports of NYSPA workings to the Association Executive Board and Association membership. Although this does not also constitute an official appointment to the NYSPA Legislative Committee, whenever possible, the NYSPA Representative shall represent the regional Association’s interests with the NYSPA Legislative Committee and bring news from this Committee to the local Association.
  • Section 11. It shall be the duty of the Members-at-Large to provide consultation and advisement to the Executive Board. Members-at-Large are appointed by the President of the Association for two-year terms. There is no limit to the number of Members-at-Large a President may appoint. However, the President must select only one Member-at-Large to be a designated voting member of the Executive Board at the beginning of the term.

Article IV: Nominations and Elections

  • Section 1. There shall be a Committee on Nominations and Elections as a Special Committee of the Association, which shall consist of two to four members of the Association, appointed by the Executive Board. This committee shall have the responsibility of arranging for and directing the nominating and electing procedures for all officers of the Association and shall verify and report the elections of all such individuals to the President and to the membership of the Association. The chairperson of this committee shall be the Past-President of the Association.
  • Section 2. The Committee on Nominations and Elections shall be convened by the Past-President of the Association no later than September of odd numbered years, for the purpose of nominating and electing the officers of President-elect, Treasurer and Secretary of the Association.
  • Section 3. Nominations of officers of the Association shall be solicited from the membership. A proposed slate of officers must be submitted to the membership for a vote no later than October 15th of the election year. Voting for officers shall close on November 15th of the election year. Certification of the vote by the Committee on Nominations and Elections shall be completed no later than the last business day of November, and the Executive Board and membership of the Association shall be informed of the new slate of officers during the first week of December of the election year. All officers shall assume office on January 1st.

Article V: Meetings and Committees

  • Section 1. Meetings of the Association may be held periodically upon the call of the President or upon the petition of ten percent of the Association presented to the Secretary. Members shall receive notice of meetings and proposed agendas.
  • Section 2. There shall be such standing committees as are provided for below, as well as such special committees as may be authorized from time to time by the President or by members at any duly constituted meeting of the Association. Special committees shall serve for the term of the President, unless otherwise provided.
  • Section 3. The Committee on Membership and Recruitment shall consist of a Chairperson and at least one additional member appointed by the President in consultation with the Executive Board. It shall be the function of this committee to implement the provisions of Article II of these By-laws.
  • Section 4. The Committee on Nominations and Elections shall be appointed and shall function in accord with the provisions of Article IV of these By-laws.
  • Section 5. The Program Committee shall consist of a Chairperson and at least one additional member appointed by the President in consultation with the Executive Board. It shall be the function of this committee to recommend Association eventsand to make arrangements for Association meetings.
  • Section 6. The Newsletter Committee shall consist of a Chairperson and at least one additional member appointed by the President in consultation with the Executive Board. It shall be the function of this committee to publish issues of the Association seasonally.
  • Section 7. The Insurance Committee shall consist of a Chairperson and at least one additional member appointed by the President in consultation with the Executive Board. The function of this committee shall be to oversee all matters of insurance and shall include the review of liability for insurance for the Association as well as issues of third-party payments for members, including but not limited to legislation and policies on confidentiality of records, insurance forms, information required, laws and regulations covering psychological benefits and the like. This committee will advise and recommend to the Executive Board policy positions involving all third-party payments.
  • Section 8. The Electronic Media/Website Committee shall consist of a Chairperson and at least one additional member appointed by the President in consultation with the Executive Board. It shall be the function of this committee to oversee the content and operation of the Association website, in addition to developing connections to other electronic media and networks deemed appropriate in the interests of the Association. The committee shall have the responsibilities of ensuring the website’s ongoing availability to the general public, and modifying its content to reflect the needs of the general membership, leadership and the other Association committees. In addition, the committee will have the authority to adjust and restrict if necessary, viewing and interactive privileges of members whose membership status has lapsed or been revoked as specified in Article II Sections 8, 9 and 10 of these By-laws.
  • Section 9. The Student Committee shall consist of Student Members of the Association. It shall be the function of this committee to promote student involvement in the workings and mission of the Association. The Chairperson of the Student Committee will represent student interests at Executive Board meetings. The Chairperson of the Student Committee is not a voting member of the Executive Board.

Article VI: Amendments

  • Section 1. Amendments to these By-laws may be proposed in either of the following ways:
    • By a majority vote of the members present at a meeting of the Association; or
    • By a petition signed by ten percent of the members of the Association and submitted to the Secretary; or
    • By consensus of the Executive Board.
  • Section 2. Proposed amendments to these By-laws may be acted upon and approved in either of the following ways:
    • At a meeting of the Association, by a vote of two-thirds of the members present, provided a copy of the proposed amendments has been provided to each member of the Association.
    • By a ballot sent to each member of the Association. The poll shall be declared closed thirty days after the date of the distribution of ballots; any amendment shall be certified as approved by the Secretary if it is approved by at least two-thirds of those voting.

Article VII: Budgets and Spending

  • Section 1. Committee Chairs will, in conjunction with their Committee Members, submit proposed committee budgets to the Executive Board at the beginning of each calendar year.
    • The Executive Board will vote on proposed committee budgets at the first Executive Board meeting of each calendar year.
    • Once approved, individual committees are empowered to make spending decisions that are commensurate with the approved budget.
      • Committee spending will be documented and receipts submitted to the Treasurer of the Association.
      • Significant departures from the approved budget will be submitted to the Executive Board for approval. Significant departures are defined as a change in the allocation of funds by $200 or more.