Regulations of the Ohio Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

ARTICLE I

Section 1.
This corporation shall be called the Ohio Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. hereinafter referred to as OOTA, Inc.

Section 2.
This corporation shall function as an affiliate of the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA) and shall comply with the Rules and Regulations set forth in the Affiliation Principles for AOTA and State Associations, and Official Bylaws of The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. as they apply to affiliating corporations and associations.

ARTICLE II       OBJECTIVES

The objectives of OOTA, Inc. shall be to engage in activities that:   

A. Advance the quality of occupational therapy services provided in the state of Ohio.
B. Provide a forum for networking and continuing professional development of occupational therapy practitioners.
C. Improve and advance the education and qualification of occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants.
D. Promote standards of performance.
E. Foster research and study of occupational therapy.
F. Disseminate knowledge of occupational therapy practice.
G. Promote occupational therapy as a valued profession for meeting societal needs for health and well being.
 

ARTICLE III       MEMBERS

Section 1. Classes
The membership of this corporation shall be divided into five classes.

A. Occupational Therapist hereinafter referred to as OT
B. Occupational Therapy Assistant hereinafter referred to as OTA
C. Occupational Therapy or Occupational Therapy Assistant Student
D. Retired
E. Associate
 
The membership chair shall determine eligibility and membership classification of any individual seeking membership who does not meet described membership criteria.

Section 2. Qualifications
A. To be eligible for OT membership, an individual shall be an occupational therapist.
B. To be eligible for OTA membership, an individual shall be an occupational therapy assistant.
C. To be eligible for student membership, an individual shall be enrolled in an accredited occupational therapy curriculum, occupational therapy assistant program, or a program pending approval by ACOTE.
D. Retired membership may be conferred upon an OT or OTA who meets criteria established in policy.
E. To be eligible for Associate Membership, an individual shall be one who is interested in promoting occupational therapy through participation in this corporation. No OT or OTA is eligible for Associate Membership.  
 
 Section 3. Rights and Privileges of Members in Good Standing  
A. The OT members are entitled to attend and participate in all regular and called meetings of the corporation, to vote in all affairs of the corporation, the election of the officers, and are eligible to hold any office for which they are qualified, and to serve on committees.  They will receive all entitled benefits afforded by membership category.
B. The OTA members are entitled to attend and participate in all regular and called meetings of the corporation, to vote in all affairs of the corporation, the election of the Officers, are eligible to hold any office for which they are qualified, and to serve on committees. They will receive all entitled benefits afforded by membership category. 
C. The student members are entitled to attend and participate in all regular and called meetings of the corporation, may serve on committees of the corporation or district, to vote in the affairs of the corporation and the election of the Trustees, but are not eligible to hold office. They will receive all entitled benefits afforded by membership category.
D. Retired members shall possess all rights and privileges of the OT or of an OTA and receive all entitled benefits afforded by membership category.
E. The Associate Members are entitled to attend and participate in all regular and called meetings of the corporation and may serve on committees of the corporation or district, but are not eligible to hold office or to vote in the affairs of the corporation or in the election of Trustees.  They may vote on affairs pertaining to the district. They will receive all entitled benefits afforded by membership category.

Section 4. Good Standing
A member shall be in good standing if:  

A. Annual membership dues have been paid to the corporation or dues have been waived by action of the Trustees of the corporation.
B. Qualifications established by the corporation for membership in the appropriate membership class have been met.  
C. Members abide by these Regulations, and established policies and procedures of the corporation.

Hereinafter, the term “member” shall refer only to members in good standing. Section 5. Termination of Membership
Membership in any class may be terminated by action of a majority of the elected Trustees of this corporation whenever in their judgment the policies and activities of the member are in opposition to or detrimental to those of the corporation, or when the member has failed to maintain proper qualifications for membership as established in these Regulations. Before such action shall be final, the member shall have had timely notice and shall have had full and complete opportunity to be heard before the Trustees on the member’s own behalf.  

ARTICLE IV       MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE CORPORATION

Section 1. Annual Meeting
A meeting of the members of this corporation shall be held each year. The time and place shall be designated by the Trustees of the corporation. Each district of this corporation shall be responsible for the annual meeting, in rotation whenever feasible, and shall provide timely meeting notice of meeting to members. 

Section 2. Special Meetings
Special meetings of the members of this corporation may be called at any time by

A.    the President, or
B.    a majority of the Trustees acting at a meeting, or
C.    a majority of the Trustees acting without a meeting if written notice is given to every member at least twenty-one days before the date of special meetings. The call for a special meeting must state the business to be transacted, and no other business may be conducted than that which is stated in the call.

Section 3. Quorum
At all annual or special meetings of the membership, a quorum shall consist of the voting members present except as otherwise provided by the Statutes of Ohio. At any validly constituted meeting, each voting member shall be entitled to vote in person or by proxy given to another voting member. At such meetings the President shall appoint three or more persons representing at least two districts to count and record the vote.

ARTICLE V    TRUSTEES

The number of members of the Board of Trustees shall be six or such other number no less than three as may be fixed by the members from time to time.

The elected officers of the Board of Trustee shall hold office from July 1st of the year elected until June 30th of second year, or until a successor is elected or qualified or until the officer’s early resignation, removal from office, or death.

In addition to the officers elected by the members, the Representative and Alternate Representative shall be members of the Board of Trustees and shall assume their duties in the Representative Assembly on the first day in July following their election. The following individuals shall also be members of the Board of Trustees:

A.   The Chairperson of each district of the corporation
B.   Standing Committee Chairpersons who are appointed by the President of the Corporation, and
C.   Coordinators of Member Support Groups (MSG) who are appointed by the President of the Corporation in accordance with the Regulations of the Association.

The Board of Trustees shall meet at least four times per year with at least one meeting succeeding the annual meeting of the members and one preceding the annual AOTA conference. The President of OOTA shall set the date and the place for all meetings. The Board of Trustees shall govern the organization between annual meetings by vote of a quorum.

ARTICLE VI       OFFICERS

Section 1. Officers
The officers of the corporation shall be the President, President-Elect, Vice-President, Secr

Section 2. Eligibility
In order to be eligible for the offices of the corporation, an individual shall be an OT or an OTA, be in good standing, and have given consent to serve.

ARTICLE VII       DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1. The President shall:
A. Be the Chief Executive Officer of the corporation,
B. Preside over all meetings of the members and Trustees,
C. Appoint all committee chairs except as otherwise provided in these Regulations,
D. Appoint individuals to perform specific duties,
E. Be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.
F. Be responsible for guiding and conducting the activities of the corporation,
G. Furnish proper credentials for the Representative and Alternate Representative to the Representative Assembly when requested, or notify the Representative Assembly if the corporation will not be represented at the annual meeting of the Representative Assembly,
H. Compile the corporation’s Annual Report to be reported at the annual meeting of the membership.  
I. Perform generally all the duties usually performed by Presidents of like corporations and such other and further duties as shall be from time to time required by the Board of Trustees.
J.The immediate past president shall be a Trustee of the corporation for one year following expiration of the term and shall function in an advisory capacity without vote.

Section 2. The President-Elect shall
A. Attend all Board meetings and regular meetings of the corporation for the purpose of becoming more familiar with the structure and function of the corporation, its officers, and committees and
B. Be a member of the Board of Trustees with no voting privileges.

Section 3. The Vice-President shall
A. Discharge the duties of the President in his/her absence,
B. Succeed to the Presidency for any unexpired portion of a vacated term,
C. Coordinate the activities of MSG’s,
D. Advise the Planning Committee for the Annual Meeting and conference,
E. Serve as a member of the Continuing Education Committee

Section 4.
The Secretary shall
A. Be responsible for recording the minutes of the meetings of the members and Board of Trustees of this corporation,
B. Notify AOTA of any change in officers and representatives,
C. File a copy of these Regulations at the time of their adoption as required,
D. Be the custodian of the official documents of the corporation, and
E. Perform other such duties as required by the Board of Trustees.

Section 5. The Treasurer shall
A. Be accountable for all monies and securities of this corporation,
B. Keep an accurate account of all monies received and disbursed,
C. Report at the Annual Meeting and submit at that time a written statement of the financial affairs of the corporation,
D. Make full and appropriate reports for statements of income and expenditures as required by Federal, State, or local laws,
E. Turn over all monies and property of the corporation to a newly elected Treasurer, and
F. Perform other such duties as required by the Board of Trustees.

Section 6. Vacancies
In case of a vacancy in the office of the President, the Vice-President shall become President. In the case of a vacancy in the office of the Vice-President, the Board of Trustees shall appoint a person to complete the term of office. Should the offices of President and Vice-President become vacant at the same time, the Board of Trustees shall appoint persons to fill the vacancies. In the interim, the Board of Trustees shall appoint a President Protempore. In case of vacancy in any other office, the President shall appoint a replacement to fill the unexpired term.

ARTICLE VIII       REPRESENTATION IN THE REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY

Section 1. Representative and Alternate Representative
The election area from which the Representative and Alternate Representative are elected, the number of Representatives to the AOTA Representative Assembly, the qualifications and terms of office for Representatives and Alternative Representatives are determined by AOTA Bylaws. Elections for Representative and Alternate to AOTA shall be by vote of the AOTA voting members in the state election area.

Section 2. Duties
Both the Representative and Alternate Representative shall be members of the Board of Trustees of the corporation (OOTA). Additional duties of the Representative shall be as outlined by the Representative Assembly. The Alternate Representative shall have a vote on the Board of Trustees only in the absence of the Representative.

ARTICLE IX       DISTRICTS

Section 1. Purpose
The Trustees may divide the membership of the corporation into districts according to geographical distribution in order to carry out the purpose of the corporation as outlined in the Articles of Incorporation.

Section 2. Composition
A district shall be composed of a group of five or more members in good standing who have made application to and received the approval of the Trustees.

Section 3. Officers
Each district may have a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer.

A. Eligibility: OT and OTA members of this corporation shall be eligible to fill the offices of Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer.
B. Term of Office: Each district may elect its own Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer for a term of at least two years.

Section 4. Meetings
The meetings of the individual districts shall be held at least four times yearly in order for a district to remain recognized. At least one of the district officers shall be present at each meeting.

Section 5. Dissolution of Districts
A district may request dissolution in writing. Such a request shall be submitted to the Board of Trustees. A district may be dissolved by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees whenever in its judgment the district’s activities or policies are not in compliance with the purposes and policies of this corporation. Before any such action shall be final the district shall have had timely notice and shall have had full and complete opportunity to be heard in its own behalf.

Section 1. Purpose
Committees shall be established for the purpose of directing and implementing the activities of this corporation.

Section 2. Establishment of Committees
Committees, including the standing committees shall be established by the Board of Trustees or upon the majority vote of the members of the corporation as the need arises.

Section 3. Chairpersons
The Chair of each committee may be appointed by the President or elected by the committee members. In order for a member to be eligible for a committee Chair, he or she must be either an OT or an OTA member unless otherwise designated in the policies of the corporation.

Section 4. Members
Members of a committee may be selected from the general membership of the corporation, by the district Chair, or the committee Chair. Eligibility for committee membership shall be from any membership class providing the member fills the qualifications as set forth in these Regulations. 

Section 5. Functions of Committees
The functions of the committees shall include

A. Discussion of committee objectives as determined by the Board of Trustees
B. Determination of activities to meet the charge given to the committee,
C. Preparation of reports for presentation to the Trustees, and,
D. Recommendation for dissolution of committee when charge is completed.
 

Section 1. Establishment
Member Support Groups (MSG’s) shall be established by the Board of Trustees or upon the majority vote of the members as the need arises.

Section 2. Purpose
 Member Support Groups shall be established for the purpose of promoting the development and advancement of specific practice areas in which occupational therapy practitioners are interested.

Section 3. Coordinators of Member Support Groups
The coordinator of each Member Support Group shall be appointed by the president in accordance with the policies of the Board of Trustees. In order for a member to be eligible to coordinate an OOTA MSG he or she must be an OT or OTA member unless otherwise designated in the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

Section 4. Membership in a Member Support Groups
Members of a Member Support Group consist of those general members who have indicated their interest in a specified Section on the membership form.

Section 5. Functions of Member Support Groups

A. Development of knowledge and skills in specific areas of occupational therapy practice.
B. Promotion of continuing education within each MSG.
C.  Promotion of research within each MSG.
D.  Promotion of the publication/distribution of information within each MSG.
E.  Acting as a resource and collaborating with any body of the Association regarding subject matter recognized within a MSG.
F.  Responding to emerging issues which relate to the practice of occupational therapy in the area of interest to a MSG.
G. Dissolution of MSG An MSG shall be dissolved by the Board of Trustees or a majority vote of the members in accordance with the policies of OOTA.

ARTICLE XII       BOARD OF TRUSTEE NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

Section 1. Elections.
Elections shall be by vote of the qualified members by an individual ballot that has been certified by the membership. Election of the officers of the Board Trustees will be held by a ballot of the voting members at least ninety (90) days prior to the beginning of the term of office.

Section 2. Ballots and results
The identified election official or designee shall inform all candidates of the election results. The election results shall be communicated to the membership in a timely manner.

 
ARTICLE XIII       DUES

Section 1. Dues
The Annual Dues of all categories of membership shall be established by the Trustees and reviewed annually. Dues changes shall be established by a majority vote of the Trustees. Members shall be notified of any change in dues no less than sixty days prior to the date of the change.

Section 2. Payment of Dues
Dues shall be payable annually. Those members who have not paid their dues within thirty days of the due date shall be delinquent and shall have all membership privileges terminated.

ARTICLE XIV       FISCAL YEAR

The Board of Trustees shall determine the fiscal year.

ARTICLE XV       PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE

Except as otherwise provided, all meetings of the Corporation’s Board of Trustees and districts shall be governed by the parliamentary rules and procedures stipulated in the then current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.

ARTICLE XVI       COMMUNICATION

OOTA shall provide timely communication with the membership either through electronic or published means as deemed most relevant or cost effective by the Board of Trustees. Publication dates shall be as established by the Board of Trustees.

ARTICLE XVII       AMENDMENTS

Section 1.
These Regulations may be amended or rescinded only through individual certified ballots by a majority vote of the qualified members. Proposed changes must have been previously approved by the Board of Trustees.

Section 2.
The accepted amendment(s) shall be communicated to the membership in a timely manner.

Section 3. Technical Corrections.
The Regulations Committee shall have authority to make technical, editorial and clerical corrections to keep the Regulations consistent without calling for a vote by members. Any reasonable doubt as to whether a correction is technical, editorial or clerical as opposed to substantive shall be resolved in favor of the voting members and a vote shall be called.

Section 4.  Effective Date
Amendments to the Regulations shall become effective immediately upon adoption.

Revised June, 1993
Revised and amended August 4, 2007; approved by Board of Trustees August 4, 2007