FORT WORTH AREA PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS 

ARTICLE I:  NAME

The name of this organization shall be the FORT WORTH AREA PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION.

ARTICLE II:  PURPOSE

The purpose of the FORT WORTH AREA PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION shall be:

1.     To provide a forum for the discussion of topics of mutual interest and concern to psychologists in this area:

2.     To advance psychology as a science and as a means of promoting human well being for the encouragement of psychology in all its branches in the broadest manner;

3.     To function as a liaison between the local area and Texas Psychological Association, and the American Psychological Association;

4.     To lobby for legislative change that promotes the objectives of the psychological community;

5.     To foster responsible community ties; and

6.     To encourage constructive relationships with allied professions.

ARTICLE III:  ETHICAL STANDARDS

The ethical standards of the Association shall be the same as those of the American Psychological Association, including subsequent revisions thereto. All categories of membership, and all applicants for membership, are required to abide by the American Psychological Association’s Code of Ethics, as well as the Rules and Regulations of the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists. The Fort Worth Area Psychological Association shall be affiliated with the Texas Psychological Association upon qualification for such affiliation. All FWAPA Members are encouraged to be Members of the American Psychological Association and the Texas Psychological Association.

ARTICLE IV:  MEMBERSHIP

There shall be four classes of membership in this Association: Member, Associate Member, Student Affiliate, and Retired Psychologist. Applicants must apply in writing for membership and pay yearly dues. All applications should be directed to the Membership Committee, which, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee, shall have the authority to approve applications. All categories of membership must re-apply for membership each year and, with the exception of student members and Retired Psychologists, pay the annual dues as assessed by the Executive Board for that year. 

Section 1.  Member

Members of this Association must be at least one of the following:

Doctoral level psychologists who are currently licensed by TSBEP,

Fellow or doctoral level member of the American Psychological Association or the Texas Psychological Association.

Members shall be entitled to all rights and responsibilities of membership in the Association. Only members as defined in Section 1 may vote, be elected to the Executive Board or be appointed to Chair a Committee.

Section 2. Associate Member

Associate members shall be persons who do not meet criteria for membership but have interest in the organization and are supportive of its purposes. Associate members may not vote, hold office nor chair a committee, but shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of the Association not specifically denied them in these bylaws.

Section 3.  Student Affiliate

Student Affiliates shall be graduate and undergraduate students enrolled at least half-time in a psychology degree program. Student affiliates may not vote but are eligible to chair or co-chair the Student Affiliate Special Interest Group and shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of the association not specifically denied them in these bylaws. Student Affiliates are eligible to serve as Student Representative to the Executive Committee by appointment of the Executive committee. Application shall include proof of student status and shall be renewed annually.

Section 4. Retired Psychologist

Retired Psychologists shall be doctoral level psychologists who have retired their license in good standing from the appropriate state licensing board. Retired Psychologists may vote and are eligible to serve on a committee, and shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of the association not specifically denied them in these bylaws. Application shall include the retiree’s previous license number and state of issuance.

Section 5.  Loss of Membership

A Member, Associate Member, or Student Affiliate may be dropped from membership in the Association under any of the following conditions: (A) Failure to apply and/or pay annual dues or special assessments by the second scheduled meeting following notification; or (B) Violation of ethical standards or standards of professional conduct resulting in expulsion from the relevant national or state professional organization, or suspension or revocation of professional license. The Executive Board will review the facts of all cases and ultimately decide if a member is to be dropped. The Executive Board's decision in these matters is final.

ARTICLE V.   GOVERNMENT

Section 1.  The 5 Officers of the Executive Committee, also called the Executive Board or Executive Officers, shall have the authority to conduct all business of the Association at its periodic meetings or through other means of contact with all Executive Committee members, by two-thirds approval of the 5 Executive Officers. The Executive Committee may call an Annual Meeting or a business meeting of the Association at such times as it shall become necessary by announcement in the newsletter, postcard, e-mail, web-page, or other regular means of communication with the membership. 

Section 2.  The 5 Executive Officers of the Association shall be as follows: President, Past President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer. All of these officers shall be elected from among the Members of the Association, as defined in Article IV, Section 1 of these By-Laws. 

Section 3.  Election and Terms of Office

            a. The Past President shall serve for a term of one year, and then exit the Executive Committee.

            b. The President shall serve for a term of one year, and then succeed to the office of Past President.

            c. The President-Elect shall serve for a term of one year and then succeed to the office of President.

            d. The Secretary and the Treasurer shall serve for terms of two years each and may not immediately succeed themselves in those offices.  Each shall be elected bi-annually on a staggered basis.

Section 4. Committee Chairs

Some Committee Chair positions are defined within areas of responsibilities of specific Officers of the Executive Board, while other Committee Chairs are appointed by the President from among the Members, with the consent of the Executive Board. Committee Chairs who are not members of the Executive Committee are encouraged to attend the monthly or periodic Board Meetings and to participate in the discussions, but may not vote on Executive Board decisions. 

ARTICLE VI: RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Section 1. The Past President shall serve for a period of one year following a term as President. The Past President shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee with the primary purpose of providing continuity in the administration of the Association, and in the case of death, incapacity, or resignation of the President before July 1, to assume the duties of the President until completion of the term. The Past President shall chair the Nominations and Elections Committee, and keep the Constitution and Bylaws current and available to the membership. The Past President shall recruit student representatives to the Executive Committee from area graduate programs in Psychology and serve as their mentor during their terms.

Section 2.  The President shall serve for a term of one year, and then succeed to the office of Past President, having served previously as President-Elect. The President shall preside at all meetings, shall be the Chair of the Executive Committee, and shall perform all other usual duties of a presiding officer. The President shall not succeed himself/herself in office. The President shall appoint all standing and ad hoc committee chairs as needed, and shall be an ex-officio member of all standing committees. The President shall take responsibility for long-term storage of financial records, minutes, and other documents regarding events that occurred during his or her year as President for a period of at least 10 years.

Section 3.  The President-Elect shall be elected for a term of one year and then succeed to the office of President. The President-Elect shall preside at meetings in the absence of the President. In the event that the President shall not serve his or her full term for any reason, and the President vacates the office July 1 or thereafter, the President-Elect shall succeed to the unexpired remainder thereof, while continuing to perform their duties as President-Elect. The President-Elect shall serve as an assistant to the President in order to facilitate the executive business of the Association, and shall chair the Continuing Education Committee. The President-Elect shall be responsible for planning programs for periodic membership meetings during their term. The President-Elect shall be elected annually, and in case of vacancy before the expiration of the term, a special election will be called.  

Section 4.  The Secretary shall be elected for a term of two years. During the term of office, the Secretary shall serve as a member and secretary of the Executive Committee, and as secretary to the meetings of the Association. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep the minutes of the meetings of the Association and of the Executive Committee, assist the President as requested in preparing the agenda for business meetings of the Association and the Executive Committee, maintain coordination with the central office of the Texas Psychological Association, and inform the membership of actions taken by the Executive Committee. The Secretary shall issue notices of meetings and shall in general fulfill the functions of a secretary in responding to the needs of the Association’s members. The Secretary shall oversee volunteer and professional services related to communications through the webpage, e-mail, postcard, postal letter, telephone, or other means of communication. Should the Secretary resign or for any reason be unable to fulfill their term, that office shall be filled through appointment by the Executive Committee.

Section 5.  The Treasurer shall be elected for a term of two years. During their term, the Treasurer shall be a member of the Executive Committee, oversee custody of all funds and property of the Association, direct disbursements as provided under terms of these Bylaws, receive membership dues and all other money due the Association, keep membership records current, make a written report at each regular Executive Committee meeting, and submit an annual fiscal report to the Association Membership. The Treasurer shall assist the President and the Executive Committee in the preparation of the annual budget. Should the Treasurer resign or for any reason be unable to fulfill their term, that Office shall be filled by appointment by the Executive Committee.

Section 6.  In matters of mutual concern it shall be the duty of the Executive Officers to keep the Texas Psychological Association adequately informed of matters and actions affecting the interests and concerns of this Association. 

ARTICLE VII: COMMITTEES

Section 1.  The President, with the approval of the Executive Committee, shall appoint all Committee Chairs, including both standing and ad hoc committees as needed. Committee Chairs shall be responsible for enlisting additional committee members as needed. An Expanded Executive Committee shall consist of the 5 Executive Officers, plus all Committee Chairpersons appointed by the president. Committee Chairs are encouraged to participate in discussions at all meetings of the Executive Committee but their attendance at Board Meetings is not required and only the 5 Executive Officers may vote for purposes of defining a quorum.

Section 2. Nominations and Elections Committee:  This committee, comprised of the Past President as Chair, working under the supervision of the Executive Committee, shall be responsible for the conduct of elections and the counting of ballots. Self and other nominations shall be requested for the officers to be elected, including President-Elect, and either Secretary or Treasurer, during the period beginning April 1 and ending June 15. It shall be the responsibility of the Past-President to provide all nominees with a copy of the Constitution and By-Laws and to request that all nominees listed on the ballot provide a statement, up to 250 words, indicating plans for the office and reasons why they think they should be elected. For each office, those one to three individuals receiving the most nominations (including self and other nominations) shall be listed on the ballot. The Nominations and Election Committee Chair will edit all statements to conform to length limitations. The personal statements shall be distributed to the membership along with election ballots, by September 15. Results shall be tabulated by October 15, and announced in November. New officers will assume their duties on January 1.

Section 3. Continuing Education Committee:  The Continuing Education Committee shall consist of three members, the Chair of which shall be the President-Elect. It shall be the duty of this Committee to select, solicit, arrange, and evaluate all continuing education programs and workshops. Further, the Committee shall be responsible for monitoring changes in continuing education requirements by TSBEP and shall keep the membership informed of such changes.  The Committee shall develop, in consultation with the Executive Committee, a continuing education curriculum for the year and, with the Executive Committee’s approval, maintain responsibility for all aspects of CE programs.

Section 4. Membership Committee:  The duties of the membership committee will be to review applications and determine the eligibility of applicants for membership in the Association consistent with the provisions and procedures set forth in this constitution. Membership can be denied or revoked. The Secretary and the Treasurer of the Association shall be the Co-Chairs of this Committee.

Section 5. Discussion Group Committee:  The Chairperson of this committee shall be appointed by the President to convene and facilitate a discussion group meeting at a time and place acceptable to the Executive Board. All Members and Life Members may participate, but Student Affiliates may not. Topics for discussion may include anything of interest to the Members present.

Section 6. Legislative Issues Committee:  The Chairperson of this committee shall be appointed by the President to maintain monthly contact with the Texas Psychological Association and serve as a liaison between TPA and FWAPA.  This committee shall have the responsibility of maintaining a continuing review of proposed legislation, both at the national and state levels, which might affect psychologists, and of informing the membership of the Association with regard to such legislation. The committee shall also maintain awareness of newly passed legislation affecting psychologists and keep the Membership of the Association aware of such new legislation.

Section 7. Public Education Committee:  The Chairperson of this committee shall be appointed by the President to foster and promote intellectual interest in, understanding of, and acceptance of psychology by the general public. The chairperson of this committee shall maintain monthly contact with the Texas Psychological Association and serve as a liaison between TPA and FWAPA regarding public education efforts and issues.

Section 8. Community Crises Coordinator:  The Chairperson of this committee shall be appointed by the President, based on the appointee’s special training and interest in providing psychological services during traumatic community events. The Chairperson shall be FWAPA’s representative to community councils, inform the Membership of community needs and resources, and coordinate the response of Psychologists in the Fort Worth area with other community groups as needed.

Section 9. Science Fair Committee:  The Chairperson of this committee shall be appointed by the President to organize a group of FWAPA Members and Life Members, but not Student Affiliates, to serve as judges for high school and junior high psychology entries in the annual area Science Fair.

Section 10: Technology Committee: The Chairperson is appointed by the President and acts as a liaison between the Executive Committee and the Webmaster. All members of the Executive Committee serve as members on the Technology Committee. In addition, the Chair recruits additional committee members to contribute to updating the website and social media communication venues. The Chairperson is responsible for facilitating the electronic media used by FWAPA including the website, email account, and social media as appropriate.

ARTICLE VIII:  MEETINGS & COMMUNICATIONS

Each January, the new Executive Committee, under the leadership of the new President, shall determine the schedule of meetings and the means of communicating with the membership. An Annual Meeting of the FWAPA membership may be held early in November, coinciding with the annual announcement of new officers, and the annual date for new and renewing membership applications. An annual winter holiday party may also be held early in December, hosted by the President-Elect, who will assume the role of President the following January. Dates for these events will be chosen to avoid conflicts with annual meetings of the American Psychological Association and Texas Psychological Association, as well as all major national and religious holidays.

ARTICLE VIX:  AMENDMENTS

This constitution may be amended at the business session of an annual meeting of the Association or by a special meeting, mailing, e-mail, or other regular communication to the membership, along with the annual ballot to vote for new Executive Officers. A change in the By-Laws requires the approval of at least three-fourths of members returning ballots; provided that no amendment shall be adopted at any meeting or other method unless all members who are in good standing have been furnished a copy of the proposed amendment at least thirty days in advance of the deadline for voting.

Amendments or other changes in the Constitution that are approved by three-fourths of members voting shall become effective thirty days following the adoption unless protests are received by the Secretary from one-fourth of the members of the Association. In this case, such action shall be renewed at the next announced business meeting of the Association or other means of communication, and if again approved by three-fourths majority of the members voting shall be final.

ARTICLE X:  DUES

Dues for all membership categories shall be considered and established annually by the Executive Committee, before membership applications for the coming year are mailed in late November of the current year.

(Revised December 2012)