About VAGP: Bylaws

Section 1. The body promulgating these Bylaws, Rules and Regulations shall be known as the "Virginia Association of Governmental Purchasing".

Section 2. This Association is a provisional Chapter of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, accepted and approved on October 18, 1978, and subject to all Rules and Regulations promulgated by the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing.

Section 1. The purposes of the Virginia Association of Governmental Purchasing are:

• A. to study, discuss and recommend improvements in governmental purchasing.
• B. to exchange ideas and experiences and obtain expert advice on purchasing problems.
• C. to develop and promote simplified standards and specifications for governmental buying.
• D. to promote uniform purchasing laws and procedures.
• E. to promote professionalism in public purchasing through continued education.
  

Section 1. The membership of the Association shall be limited to persons who are employed by a State, County, City, Town or other Governmental Agency or Subdivision, or full-time students enrolled in an institution of higher education, unless otherwise approved for membership by a majority of the Board of Directors.

Section 2. Membership in the Association shall be granted only by application to the Chair of the Membership Committee or approval by the Board of Directors, or as delegated to the Chair of the Membership Committee, and payment of prescribed dues.

Section 3. For privilege of voting for election of Officers, or on any other matter, the member must be in good standing.

Section 4. The membership shall be made up of four classifications of members:

• A. Regular member, voting privilege
• B. Regular life member, voting privilege
• C. Retired life member, non-voting
• D. Student member, non-voting

Life Membership shall be granted upon the recommendation of the Honors and Awards Committee and approval by a majority of the Board of Directors.

Section 1. The Association shall elect Officers and At-Large Members by electronic ballot transmission beginning in August 2003. The specific date(s) of ballot submission shall be determined by the Board of Directors and announced to the membership at least thirty days prior to the scheduled date(s). Election shall be by simple majority of eligible Association members participating in the electronic vote. If known, the results of the vote shall be presented at the Fall Business Meeting and shall be published in the communication venues normally employed by the Association, prior to commencement of the new term for offices. The terms of office shall commence on the first day of January following the election.

All officers of VAGP are established by election except that of President. The President-Elect shall serve the term for which elected with automatic succession to the office of President the following year.

Section 2. Only members in good standing shall be eligible to vote.

Section 3. Elected Officers shall be President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer. Only regular members in good standing, and an agency or individual member of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, shall be eligible to hold office.

Section 4. The President shall perform all duties normally assigned to the President by associations of this type. He/she shall preside at all meetings when present and shall direct the work of any contract employee(s) of the Association.

Section 5. The President-Elect shall perform all duties of the President in the event of his or her absence, and shall be responsible for planning and scheduling conferences and meetings. The President-Elect shall prepare an annual budget for the calendar year (January 1 through December 31) which shall be approved by the Board of Directors and presented to the membership either during the fall regular meeting of the preceding calendar year or by electronic notice to the membership the preceding calendar year. The budget shall be approved by a majority vote of all eligible members in attendance at a regular meeting or who vote electronically. The adopted budget shall be used as a guide and may be modified by the Board of Directors.

Section 6. The Secretary shall be responsible for maintenance of an accurate list of the members of the Association and shall keep Minutes of all meetings. Minutes shall be submitted for approval at the next regular meeting.

Section 7. The Treasurer shall approve all legitimate bills, keep an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements, present a financial report at each meeting, and shall chair the finance committee.

Section 8. Two At-Large Members shall be elected by the membership to serve two year terms, to be voted upon in alternating years. Their election must be by a majority of those members voting and their terms shall commence on the first day of January following the meeting at which they are elected. Only regular members in good standing, and an agency or individual member of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, shall be eligible to hold positions.

Section 9. If a vacancy occurs in the Office of President, the President-Elect shall become President, and shall serve for one additional full term of office. The President-Elect vacancy may be filled by election at the first regular meeting following the occurrence of the vacancy and only past presidents in good standing are eligible to fill the President-Elect position. Persons elected to fulfill the unexpired term of the President-Elect, shall do so for a period not to exceed the expiration of said term and shall not be eligible for election to any office for the following year. All other vacancies shall be filled by election at the first regular meeting following the occurrence of the vacancy, provided, however, that the remaining Officers, in consultation with the Board of Directors, may appoint a member to perform the duties of the vacant office until such next regular meeting.

Section 10. There shall be a Board of Directors composed of the current President, President-Elect, Secretary and Treasurer, two immediate past Presidents and two At-Large Members from the general membership with the President serving as the Chair. The Chairpersons of all committees shall be non-voting members, except the Finance Committee that will be chaired by the Treasurer. Student members are ineligible to serve as Chairpersons. This Board shall render advice, carry on needed activities, and make any emergency or assigned decisions required between the regular meetings of the Association.

Section 11. An officer or voting member of the Board of Directors may be removed from that position only with the consent of six of the voting members of the Board of Directors.

Section 1. The annual dues shall be established by the majority of the members at any regular meeting, and shall be payable no later than the first day of January of each year. Regular life members, retired life members, and student members shall not pay annual dues. In the case of new members, dues shall be payable in full immediately upon their enrollment as members of the Association, unless the application is received after July 1st, in which case, dues shall be one-half of the current annual dues. The Secretary shall be responsible for the issuance of invoices for dues to each agency or member by October 1st, of each year.

Section 2. A member shall be considered delinquent and not in good standing on the first of January if dues have not been paid for the current year, and will be notified of the delinquency. If dues are not paid by March 1st, the member shall forfeit all rights to membership and his or her name shall be removed from the list of active members.

Section 3. Dues for the Association shall first become due January 1st, of each year as prescribed in these Bylaws. The dues for new members joining after July 1st of a given year shall be one-half of the current annual dues.

Section 4. Dues shall not be refundable.

Section 1. Two regular meetings will be held each year at a place and time approved by the Board of Directors. Special meetings shall be called at the discretion of the President. All members shall be given adequate notice of the time and place of all regularly scheduled meetings.

Section 2. Regular meetings of the membership and Board of Director's meetings may be held by electronic meeting such as conference call or videoconferencing or any other electronic means which allows deliberation and the ability to act as a group.

Section 1. A Quorum is required in order to elect Officers or amend these Bylaws. Fifty (50) members of the Association present at any regular meeting or participating in electronic voting shall constitute a Quorum. At no time shall the lack of a Quorum at a regular meeting prevent those present from proceeding with the program of the day.

Section 1. Standing committees shall be appointed by the President, who shall be an ex-officio member of each committee, with the right to vote. Standing committees of the Association shall be as follows:

• A. Education
• B. Legislative
• C. Membership
• D. Public Relations
• E. Finance
• F. Professional Development
• G. Technology
• H. Conference Advisory
• I. Diversity

Section 2. Ad Hoc Committees may be appointed at the discretion of the President.

Section 3. The term of each Committee will run concurrent with the term of the President.

Section 4. Special Committees shall be established as provided within these Bylaws. These shall include:

• A. Nomination - Shall consist of the four immediate past presidents with the most recent past president as Chairperson.
• B. Honors and Awards - Shall consist of the current elected Officers with the President as Chairperson.

Section 1. Amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by petition to the Board of Directors by at least ten percent (10%) of the Voting Members. Proposed amendments to these Bylaws may be adopted by the members of the Association at a regular business meeting or by electronic vote. Notice of the proposed amendments to these Bylaws shall include a copy of the proposed amendment(s), shall be posted on the VAGP web site, and shall be sent to the membership electronically at least 30 days prior to the date set for the regular business meeting or electronic vote. Approval of any amendment to these Bylaws shall require a two-thirds affirmative vote of the members of the Association present and voting at a regular business meeting or voting electronically.