Proposed amendments weighed by board

Four proposed amendments to the AVMA Constitution will be introduced, and a fifth is up for final action. Constitutional amendments are introduced to the House one year and voted on the next, whereas bylaws amendments are voted on the same year they are forwarded to the HOD.

The constitutional amendments considered by the board would change the membership requirements for vice presidents to require that they be AVMA members for five instead of 10 years prior to their election; allow a president-elect who completes the unexpired term of a president who has died, resigned, or been removed to continue through a full term as president; remove AVMA councils from the list of entities that may submit resolutions to the House of Delegates; and provide representation in the HOD for the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. The board approved all but the latter amendment, which had been submitted by AVMA past president (1999-2000), Dr. Leonard F. Seda during an Executive Board meeting in July.

The constitutional amendment up for final action calls for synchronizing the beginning of officers' terms with the first Executive Board meeting of each new association year.

Of the four proposed AVMA Bylaws amendments, the board approved three for HOD action in July. These three would clarify which internships and residencies will qualify participating AVMA members in these programs for a dues reduction; add an additional public representative to the Council on Education; and change the term describing the criteria that accredited schools must meet from "essentials" to "standards."

The board disapproved a proposed amendment that would make the Bylaws consistent with current policy on the schedule for Executive Board meetings because the current language does not conflict with the policy and allows some flexibility in scheduling.