Constitutions and Bylaws

Section I. Name and Objectives

  1. The name of this organization shall be the Zebrafish Husbandry Association, hereinafter referred to as ZHA.
  2. ZHA is incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a nonprofit organization.
  3. The objectives of the organization are as follows:
    1. To promote and develop zebrafish husbandry standards through education, collaboration and publication.
    2. To promote professional development through social and educational functions
    3. To sponsor and to provide educational and training programs for members and others for care, handling and research of zebrafish.

Section II. Membership

  1. The members of the organization are any persons interested in the care, well-being, management and use of zebrafish as models for scientific investigation.
  2. Membership shall be Individual, Institutional, Vendor, or Partner. The amount of annual dues will be set and amended by the Board of Directors (majority vote) and published for the membership’s viewing. The amount required for annual dues may be changed no more than once per year, and any changes will be reflected in the members’ dues for the next year covered by said dues.
  3. Vendor Membership is divided into two tiers and shall enjoy benefits as listed on the website under the vendor page.
    1. All vendor members shall be given an equal opportunity for sponsorship by means of events that are labeled as solely ZHA events. Opportunities are emailed to all vendors and a time frame of no less than 1 week will be given for a response.  This allows for an equal window for all vendors to contribute before moving forward.
    2. Vendor members are prohibited from advertising on the listserv or on ZHA webinars, however they are allowed and encouraged to host their own events which can be promoted by the ZHA.

Section III. Meetings and Voting

  1. The Executive Board shall meet monthly, at a minimum. The Executive Board sets the time and place of all meetings of the organization.  The organization including membership shall meet annually at a minimum.  Such notice of special meetings shall be distributed not less than ten nor more than fifty days before the date of the meeting. Notice of the Annual General Meeting is to be given no later than two weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting.  The ZHA Annual General Meeting shall be made available online on the website for viewing by its members.
  2. In an emergency, the Executive Board may cancel or change the place of any meeting. The President may also call an emergency meeting for the Executive Board at his/her discretion.
  3. One third of the members constitutes a quorum for the transaction of formal organizational matters as determined by the Executive Board or requested by a majority rule of all members in good standing.
  4. Unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws of this organization, meetings are conducted according to the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.
    Decisions at meetings of the organization are by simple majority vote of members voting, except two-thirds majorities are required to amend Bylaws.
  5. The privilege of voting shall be vested only in active members whose dues have been currently paid and honorary members.

Section IV. Executive Board

  1. The organization’s officers: President, President-Elect, Vice-President, Treasurer, Executive of Memberships, Executive of Industry and Association Partnerships, Executive of Social Media and Outreach, and any Members at Large are elected for a two-year term. These officers constitute the Executive Board. A President-Elect shall be elected each year and serve as President during the second term year. The Vice-President, Executive of Memberships and Treasurer shall not all be elected in the same year to avoid major turnover of leadership..
  2. The officers are elected at the second to last meeting of the fiscal year. They are installed at the last meeting of the fiscal year. Officers may be elected for successive terms.
  3. If an elected officer cannot complete the term of the office, the Executive Board may appoint a qualified replacement to serve out the unexpired term.
  4. Members of the Executive Board may be asked to step down from their position if he/she is not performing at an acceptable level. The members may remove a member of a board at any time up to a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members. It can also be accomplished by a unanimous vote by the Executive Board(excluding the board member in question). If removal of a President is approved, the President-Elect shall serve in their place until the next scheduled election.  At no time will the number of board members be fewer than five.
  5. In the event of cancellation of the second to last meeting on the fiscal year, the officers shall continue to serve until the next scheduled meeting at which elections may be held.
  6. The Executive Board shall have general control over the affairs of ZHA. It shall determine policy, administer finances, and decide the annual dues to be paid by the membership.
  7. All officers are responsible for coordinating and attending meetings and events.

Section V. Duties of the Executive Board

1. The President shall:

  • Preside at all meetings;
  • Chair the Executive Board;
  • Make appointments and reservations;
  • Serve as the primary contact person for the organization; and,
  • Advise the President-elect for future installment.
  1. The President-elect shall:
  • Assume the duties of the President if the latter is unable to act;
  • Chair the Executive Board as President in the 2nd term year;
  • Chair the position to administer all operations, committees, and surveys; and,
  • Serve on the Executive Board.
  1. The Vice-President shall:
  • Assume the duties of the President and the President-elect if the latter is unable to act;
  • Chair the position to oversee all educational webinars and social events
  • Act as chief point of contact for AALAS affiliate membership; and,
  • Serve on the Executive Board.
  1. The Treasurer shall:
  • Assume the duties of the President, President-elect and Vice-President, if the latter is unable to act; Formulate an official annual budget which is voted on to be instated by the members of the organization;
  • Collect and be custodian of any funds which may be allotted to the organization;
  • Disburse funds as authorized by the Executive Board; and,
  • Serve on the Executive Board.
  1. The Executive of Memberships shall:
  • Assume the duties of the President, President-elect, Vice-President and Treasurer if the latter is unable to act;
  • Keep the official records of the organization;
  • Maintain the membership and listserv
  • Submit minutes of the organization’s meetings to the members
  • Work with the treasurer to coordinate any member related financial matters; and,
  • Serve on the Executive Board.
  1. The Executive of Industry and Association Partnerships shall:
  • Assume the duties of the President, President-elect, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Executive of Memberships, if the latter is unable to act;
  • Be the primary contact for vendors and fundraisers of the ZHA
  • Work with the treasurer to coordinate any vendor related financial matters; and,
  • Serve on the Executive Board.

. 7. The Executive of Social Media and Outreach shall:

  • Assume the duties of the President, President-elect, Vice-President, Treasurer, Executive of Memberships and Executive of Industry and Association Partnerships, if the latter is unable to act;
  • Lead/be the contact person for outreach events such as conference booths etc
  • Maintain the ZHA Website and control its social media accounts for announcements and outreach; and,
  • Serve on the Executive Board.

Section VII. Amendments to Constitution and Bylaws

  1. An amendment to the Bylaws may be proposed by the seven members of the Executive Board or by at least 2/3 of members in good standing and shall be filed in writing with the Executive of Memberships. The proposed amendment shall be considered at the next scheduled meeting of the Executive Board. If approved by a majority of the Executive Board present and voting, a copy of the document shall be sent by the Executive of Memberships to each active member together with any required explanation of changes. An amendment shall be considered adopted if it receives an affirmative vote of 2/3 of the members voting, provided that at least one-third of the entire active membership shall vote on the issue. An amendment shall become effective immediately upon its adoption.
  2. This Constitution and Bylaws will go into effect immediately upon ratification of the members in a majority vote.

Section VI. Funds of the Association

  1. Funds of the association shall be kept by the Treasurer.
  2. All expenses and reimbursements since the previous meeting shall be listed on meeting notes and presented during the Executive Board meeting.
  3. A budget shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting with costs and revenues from the previous year (in review).
  4. A proposed budget for the new year shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting to be voted on by the membership.  This must pass by a two thirds majority vote in a meeting that is attended by a quorum of the membership (which is defined as at least one third of the members).
  5. The Executive Board reserves the right to allocate up to $5000 USD per calendar year to send members of the Executive Board as ambassadors to promote ZHA to the greater lab animal and aquaculture communities at events and meetings that have substantial content that promote or inform about the care, handling and research of zebrafish. Exact allocation is at the discretion of the Executive Board and must be voted on (majority rule).

Section VII. Amendments to Constitution and Bylaws

  1. An amendment to the Bylaws may be proposed by the seven members of the Executive Board or by at least 2/3 of members in good standing and shall be filed in writing with the Executive of Memberships. The proposed amendment shall be considered at the next scheduled meeting of the Executive Board. If approved by a majority of the Executive Board present and voting, a copy of the document shall be sent by the Executive of Memberships to each active member together with any required explanation of changes. An amendment shall be considered adopted if it receives an affirmative vote of 2/3 of the members voting, provided that at least one-third of the entire active membership shall vote on the issue. An amendment shall become effective immediately upon its adoption.
  2. This Constitution and Bylaws will go into effect immediately upon ratification of the members in a majority vote.