Bylaws of the Colorado Association of Nurse Anesthetists

• Article I — Name
• Article II — Objectives
• Article III — Membership
• Article IV — Recognitions
• Article V — Government
• Article VI — Committees
• Article VII — Meetings, Quorum, Voting
• Article VIII — Finance
• Article IX — Parliamentary Authority
• Article X — Amendments
• Article XI — Authority For Lobbyist
• Standing Rules — Order of Business

• Article I — Name

  This organization shall be known as the Colorado Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

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• Article II — Objectives

  It shall be the objective of this Association to promote the best interests of its members, cooperate with the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, facilitate cooperation between nurse anesthetists and the medical profession, hospitals and other agencies interested in anesthesia and in general to advance the science and the art of anesthesia.

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• Article III — Membership
  1. Membership

     Membership in this Association and procedures with respect to admission to membership, maintenance of membership, classes of membership, qualifications thereof shall be such as are stipulated in the Bylaws of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

  2. Conduct of Memnbers

     If the conduct of any member shall appear to be in willful violation of the Bylaws of this Association, or prejudicial to the interests of this Association, the Board of Directors may by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the entire Board, suspend or expel such a member. Before action is taken, a written copy of the charges must be presented to the Board of Directors of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists for consideration and counsel. If after consultation with the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists' Board of Directors, the state Board of Directors still elects to prefer charges, a written copy of the charges must be served upon the member and an opportunity given that member to be heard before the Board of Directors. A recommendation for the suspension or expulsion of a member shall also be made to the Board of Directors of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. A motion to reconsider the suspension or expulsion of a member from this Association may be made at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors.

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• Article IV — Recognitions
  1. Honors

     Honors may be given to members upon the recommendation of the Board of Directors and with a majority vote of the members at the annual meeting by presentation of awards or other honors without conferring honorary membership.

  2. Honorary Membership

     State honorary membership may be conferred on a member by the voting body upon recommendation of the Board of Directors. Rights carried with the honor include the right to attend meetings and speak but not to make motions or vote or represent the Association as a delegate unless the member is an active member of the Association. Honorary status implies that the member's dues are waived.

  3. Benefactors

     Contributions of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) or more shall be known as benefactors. The names of known as benefactors. The names of such benefactors shall be placed in the permanent records of this Association.

  4. Donors

     Contributions of less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) shall be known as donors. The names of such donors shall be placed in the permanent records of this Association.

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• Article V — Government
  1. Officers
     1. The government of this Association shall be vested in a board of nine (9) members, consisting of the President, President-Elect, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and four (4) directors.
     2. Terms Of Office
        1. The regular term of office shall begin immediately following the annual meeting of this Association.
        2. The President-Elect shall be elected at the annual meeting for a term of two (2) years or until the successor is elected and takes office. The President-Elect automatically becomes the President two years later at the annual election.
        3. The Vice-President shall be elected at the annual meeting for a term of two (2) years.
        4. The Secretary and the Treasurer shall be elected at the annual meeting for a term of two (2) years and shall be eligible for re-election. The Treasurer shall not serve for more than six (6) consecutive years.
     3. Eligibility For Office
        1. No member shall be eligible for the office of President, who has not served as an officer of this Association for at least (2) years.
        2. No officer or member of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists may hold office in this Association. In the event that an officer or member of the Board of Directors of this Association accepts an office in the National Association, office in the Colorado Association of Nurse Anesthetists automatically expires.
     4. Duties of Officers
        1. The President shall:
           1. Preside at meetings of this Association and the Board of Directors
           2. Appoint standing committees and special committees, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.
           3. Be a member ex-officio of all committees, except the Nominating Committee.
           4. Prepare and read at each annual meeting of the Colorado Association of Nurse Anesthetists a report of the work of the year.
           5. When feasible represent this Association at any A.A.N.A. meetings. When this is not feasible, be represented by an official alternate, preferably the President-Elect, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, or a Director in the order listed.
           6. Appoint tellers and registrars prior to voting.
           7. Keep the President-Elect informed of the Association's affairs.
        2. The President-Elect shall:
           1. In the absence of, or inability of the President to act, the President-Elect shall perform the duties of the President. In the event the President-Elect succeeds to the office of President before the present term of the President-Elect shall serve the remainder of that term and in addition will serve one (1) year as President.
           2. May be chairman of a committee other than the Nominating Committee.
        3. The Vice-President shall:
           1. In the event of the inability to act, or absence of, or removal from office of the President-Elect, the Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President-Elect. In the even of the inability to act, or absence of, or removal from office, of the President and the President-Elect the Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President.
           2. Be responsible for the preparation of an annual history of this Association.
        4. The Secretary shall:
           1. Keep the minutes of the meetings of this Association and of the Board of Directors.
           2. Send notifications to officers of their election and inform them of their duties.
           3. Notify members of meetings.
           4. Notify the members of the Board of Directors of meetings of the Board.
           5. Send to the Executive Director of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists names and addresses of the Officers and Directors after their election, names of committee chairman after their appointments and reports of meetings and other activities.
           6. Send copies of important correspondence and information regarding matters of general business of this Association to the President.
           7. Keep an alphabetical list of members and their addresses.
           8. Send copies of the Bylaws of this Association to new members.
           9. Give a written report at the annual meeting and/or upon request to the Board of Directors.
        5. The Treasurer shall:
           1. Receive monies of this Association, pay bills and disburse funds as directed by the Board of Directors.
           2. Deposit funds as designated by the Board of Directors.
           3. Receive funds as paid by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.
           4. Give a written report at the annual meeting and upon request to the Board of Directors.
           5. Pay C.A.N.A. share of dues for Honorary members.
           6. Disburse funds to the Educational Districts as determined by the Board of Directors.
           7. Shall post a bond at the expense of the Colorado Association in such sum as the Board of Directors shall determine.
        6. Additional Duties

           In addition to the foregoing specific duties, the duties of the Officers shall be such as their titles, by general usage would indicate, and such as may be assigned to them by the Board of Directors.

        7. Association Property

           Each officer shall deliver any Association property and records to a successor or to the President within one (1) month after the annual meeting.

  2. Board of Directors
     1. Terms of Office
        1. Directors shall be elected at the annual meeting for a two (2) year term of office.
        2. Two (2) Directors shall be elected annually.
     2. Meetings
        1. The Board of Directors shall meet immediately preceding and immediately following the annual meeting of this Association.
        2. Meeting of the Board of Directors may be called by the President at such times as the business of this Association may require, or upon a written request of a quorum of the Board of Directors, filed with an officer of this Association, provided all Board members have been notified of said meeting.
        3. A majority of the members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum at any meeting.
     3. Duties
        1. Control and management of funds and property of this Association.
        2. Selection of place for deposit of funds.
        3. Provide for auditing of the books before the annual meeting, or at such times as the Board of Directors may deem advisable. Books must be audited before passing them to a successor.
        4. Prescribe the amount of expense that shall be allowed for speakers at annual and regular meetings and amounts to be allowed toward defraying expenses of representatives to the annual meeting of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists or to other meeting.
        5. Conduct the general business of this Association.
        6. Conduct business meetings by mail or other means of communication.
        7. Fill Vacancies:
           1. Of the Board of Directors, with the exception of the office of President and President-Elect the member so elected shall serve until the next annual election. In the event of vacancies occurring in the office of the President the President-Elect shall become President. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President-Elect that office shall remain vacant until the next election when the office of President and President-Elect shall be filled.
           2. In the event of vacancies occurring in committees, the President, subject to approval of the Board of Directors shall appoint members to fill such vacancies.
           3. In the event that a member of a committee fails to carry out the assignment, the Board of Directors may select a replacement.

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• Article VI — Committees
  1. Standing Committees — Political Committee
     • Bylaws and Government
     • Education
     • Nominating
     • Public Relations
     • Program
  2. How Appointed
     1. The President subject to the approval of the Board of Directors shall appoint the standing committees with the exception of the Nominating Committee, each committee to be composed of not less than three (3) members.
     2. Special Committees may also be appointed by the President, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.
  3. Term of Office

     Members appointed to committees shall serve for one (1) year or until their successors are appointed.

  4. Duties
     1. The chairman of committees shall:
        1. Be responsible to the Board of Directors.
        2. Prepare a written annual report and upon request a report to the Board Directors.
        3. Be responsible for carrying out the duties as assigned.
     2. The members of committees shall cooperate with the chairman in carrying out the duties as assigned.
  5. Specific Duties
     1. Bylaws and Government Relations
        1. This committee shall receive proposed amendments and present them to the Board of Directors and to the members for consideration.
        2. This committee must submit proposed amendments and present them to the A.A.N.A. Bylaws Committee for recommendation and approval. Amendments must be approved by the A.A.N.A. Bylaws Committee before they become effective.
        3. This committee shall work in an advisory or consultative capacity with the Board of Directors and the National Government Relations Committee in matters pertaining to pending legislation, regarding the administration of anesthetics by nurse anesthetists.
     2. Education

        This committee shall assist in the development of educational standards and consistently endeavor to further the educational program of this Association and that of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. The committee shall also work with the Educational Districts in the state.

     3. Finance
        1. This committee shall be composed of the Treasurer and two (2) active members, preferably past officers or former members of the Board of Directors.
        2. It shall be responsible for planning a budget and investigating the expenses.
     4. Nominating
        1. The Nominating Committee shall be composed of three (3) active members elected at the annual meeting, and shall elect its chairman from among its own membership.
        2. Not less than sixty (60) days prior to the annual meeting it shall prepare and present to the Board of Directors a ballot with the nominations for the following officers and Directors: President-Elect, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and two (2) Directors.
        3. It shall provide for mailing a ballot to each active member not less than three (3) weeks prior to the annual meeting.
     5. Program
        1. This committee shall prepare, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, a complete program for the annual meeting and arrange for programs and places of meetings for other regular meetings during the year.
        2. This committee shall be responsible for social activities of this association.
     6. Publicity

        This committee shall have charge of all publicity for this Association and shall send notices of the meetings to the local newspapers and shall send a report of the annual meeting and news item, pertaining to the members, to the official bulletin of the A.A.N.A.

     7. Political Committee

        Established to perform the functions of a political action committee for contributions to candidates for the Colorado General Assembly. This PC will function according to the rules set up by the Colorado Secretary of State.

  6. Vacancies
     1. In the event of vacancies occurring in committees, the President, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, shall appoint member to fill such vacancies.
     2. In the event that a member of a committee fails to carry out the assignment, the Board of Directors may select a replacement.

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• Article VII — Meetings, Quorum, Voting
  1. Meetings
     1. The Annual Meeting and election shall be held in October.
     2. One (1) regular meeting per year in the spring.
     3. Special meetings may be held upon request of the Board of Directors or upon a written request of a quorum of active members, filed with an office of this Association.
  2. Quorum
     1. Ten (10) active members shall constitute a quorum at the annual meeting, the regular meeting, and any special meeting.
     2. A majority of Board Members shall constitute a quorum at a Board of Directors meeting.
  3. Voting

     Only active members shall participate in election and other voting.

     1. Nominations
        1. Only active members shall be eligible for nomination.
        2. Written consent of a candidate must be obtained before a name may be placed on a ballot.
     2. Method of Voting
        1. A registrar and two (2) assistants shall be appointed by the President and shall certify credentials before issuing ballots to voting members.
        2. Three (3) tellers shall be appointed by the President and shall be responsible for election procedures, including counting the ballots and making an official report to the members. The tellers shall also be responsible for counting other votes on any business transacted.
        3. Matters submitted for vote to the voting body shall be determined by the majority unless otherwise specified.
        4. A plurality vote shall elect.
     3. Mailed Ballot

        The election of Officers and Directors may be held by mailed vote. Ballots shall be mailed to members qualified to vote three (3) weeks prior to the annual meeting, said ballot to be marked and returned not later than one (1) week prior to the annual meeting. This method of conducting the mailed ballot shall be determined by the Board of Directors.

     4. Electronic Vote

     The election of Officers and Directors may be held via electonic vote as an option to a paper ballot if so chosen by each individual member. The method of conducting this electronic vote shall be determined by the Board of Directors based on the available technology.

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• Article VIII — Finance
  1. Dues
     1. Dues and payment thereof for the Colorado Association of Nurse Anesthetists shall be such as are stipulated in the Bylaws of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.
     2. Any special business pertaining to the Colorado Association shall be financed by the membership, the amount to be determined by the Board of Directors and approved by a majority of the members present at a meeting.
     3. Registration fees may be charged at the Annual Meeting and for Workshops.
  2. Fiscal Year

     The fiscal year of the Colorado Association of Nurse Anesthetists shall date from October one (1) to September thirty (30).

  3. Funding

     For purposes of funding the Colorado Association of Nurse Anesthetists Political Committee, an amount of $19.00 of each ACTIVE member’s state association dues allocation from their AANA dues will be diverted to the Political Committee’s account.

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• Article IX — Parliamentary Authority

  In the absence of any provision in these bylaws, all meetings of this Association, the Board of Directors and Educational Districts shall be governed by the Robert's Rules of Order Newly-Revised.

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• Article X — Amendments

  These Bylaws may be amended at an Annual Meeting of this Association by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present and voting, provided notice of the proposed amendment has been appended to the call for the meeting and mailed at least thirty (30) days prior to the date thereof. The proposed amendment must be approved by the Bylaws Committee of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists before it may become effective.

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• Article XI — Authority For Lobbyist

  The Board of Directors shall have the authority to allocate funds to engage the services of a professional lobbyist to represent the legislative interests of the Colorado Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

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• Standing Rules — Order of Business
  1. Call to order
  2. Roll call (establishment of a quorum)
  3. Reading of minutes
  4. Reports of Officers
  5. Reports of Standing Committees
  6. Reports of Special Committees
  7. Unfinished Business
  8. New Business
  9. Announcement
  10. Program (if any)
  11. Adjournment

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