OREGON ASSOCIATION FOR MUSIC THERAPY BYLAWS

Updated: February 2, 2019

ARTICLE I – NAME

SECTION I.  The name of the organization shall be Oregon Association for Music Therapy, hereinafter referred to as OAMT.

ARTICLE II- PURPOSE AND MISSION

SECTION I.  Mission statement: OAMT’s mission is to serve our membership and advance public awareness of the benefits of music therapy in the state of Oregon.

SECTION II.  Purpose and goals

  • Support the aims and objectives of the American Music Therapy Association

  • Promote the growth of music therapy as a profession in the state of Oregon

  • Provide professional support and education for music therapists state-wide

  • Provide support to students of music therapy in the state of Oregon

  • Further public awareness of music therapy

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

SECTION I. Membership in OAMT shall be of four classes:

  • Professional Member

  • Associate Member

  • Student Member

  • Affiliate Organization Member

SECTION II.  Membership privileges and requirements shall be specified in the Bylaws.

SECTION III. Professional Membership shall be open to the following:

  1. Registered Music Therapist (RMT)

  2. Certified Music Therapist (CMT)

  3. Music Therapist – Board Certified (MT-BC)

  • Such membership shall provide the privileges of participating in the activities of OAMT, the right to vote, the right to hold office, and access to the membership area of the OAMT website.

SECTION IV.  Associate Membership shall be open to persons interested in the professional use of music therapy, including music educators, psychologists, physicians, administrators, therapists of other disciplines and other interested professionals. Such membership shall include the right to attend meetings of OAMT but does not include the right to vote, hold office, or access to the member area of the OAMT website.

SECTION V.  Student/Intern Membership shall be open to all interested students with music therapy related areas of study including but not limited to: music therapy, music, and psychology.  Student members have the right to hold the office of Student Representative. Student membership shall have the right to vote for the Student Representative, who serves as a voting member of the Executive Board. This Student Representative votes on behalf of all student members. Individual students shall have the right to serve on committees and task forces.

SECTION VI.  Affiliate Organization Membership shall be open to any organization interested in supporting the aims, objectives and purpose of OAMT.  Rights and privileges for the designate of an organization shall be the same as those for an Associate Membership, as well as mention on the OAMT Website.

ARTICLE IV – DUES

SECTION I.  Annual dues for membership shall be set by the Executive Board.

SECTION II.  The membership year shall coincide with the calendar year and membership fees are due January 1st.

ARTICLE V – OFFICERS

SECTION I.  The officers of OAMT shall be elected or appointed from the membership of OAMT.  With the exception of student representative, officers must maintain current certification and Oregon State Music Therapy License.

SECTION II.  Officer designation shall be:

  • President (Elected)

  • President-elect (Elected)

  • Vice President (Elected)

  • Secretary (Elected)

  • Treasurer (Elected)

  • Government Relations Representative (Appointed)

  • Public Relations officer (Elected)

  • Student Representative (Elected)

  • Media Coordinator (Elected)

SECTION III.  No individual shall hold one elected office for more than Three consecutive terms.

SECTION IV. The regular term for all officers shall commence ten days after the election and shall last for a period of one year.

SECTION V.  The appointed officers of OAMT shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Board. The Government Relations Representative may also be approved by the WRAMTA Government Relations Representative. Appointed officers are non-voting members of the Executive Board.

SECTION VI. The President shall call and preside at meetings of the Executive Board, Executive Committee, and all general business meetings. The President shall approve of all disbursements of funds; shall be a representative of the association in all official correspondence as necessary; shall serve on all committees as ex officio member without the right to vote; sits on the Executive Committee.

SECTION VII. The President-elect shall perform all duties of the President in case of resignation, disability, or absence of the President, and when so acting shall have all the powers of, and be subject to all the restrictions on the President; and sits on the Executive Committee. The President-elect shall be responsible for collecting and preserving any information regarding the present or past function of OAMT and music therapy in Oregon.

SECTION VIII. The Vice President shall perform all duties of the President in case of resignation, disability, or absence of both the President and the President-elect, and when so acting shall have all the powers of, and be subject to all the restrictions on the President; sits on the Executive Committee. The Vice President shall serve as program chairperson.

SECTION IX.  The Secretary shall keep a complete record of all proceedings and correspondence of OAMT, update membership databases, and facilitate written communication; sits on the Executive Committee.

SECTION X. The Treasurer will keep records of all income and expenditures, record membership dues, pay all bills and make all deposits as authorized by the Executive Board; shall keep an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements; shall present a financial report on request for business meetings; and shall provide current financial statements for Executive Board meetings and monitor non-profit status. The Treasurer shall submit a proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year for approval by the Executive Board prior to the onset of that fiscal year.

SECTION XI.  The Public Relations officer shall coordinate efforts by the membership to educate the general public about music therapy, coordinate the writing and printing of any OAMT public relations materials. Coordinate with music therapists to offer job shadowing opportunities for prospective students and other interested parties.

SECTION XII.  The Student Representative shall attend all meetings of the Executive Board and membership with the right to vote on behalf of student members.

SECTION XIII.  The Government Relations Representative (GRR) shall correspond with the WRAMTA GRR for pertinent information regarding legislation; represent Oregon, or appoint someone to represent Oregon, at regional and/or national government relations meetings.

SECTION XIV. The Media Coordinator will manage and publish reports on the website as needed and coordinate social media communication. Maintain the OAMT website as the main publishing information source to include executive board reports, latest version of bylaws, meeting minutes, newsletter and other documents as needed.


ARTICLE VI – NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

SECTION I.  In a regular election, a nominating task force appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Board shall present the membership with a slate of at least one name for each elective office. Additional nominations may be made by the membership until nominations have been closed.

SECTION II.  The elected officers of OAMT shall be elected by ballot according to the OAMT election procedure. Election of new officers will be held at the annual meeting of the association the first quarter of the calendar year.  During the interim between election to office and assuming office, retiring officers are expected to contact and communicate with new officers, supporting them to become fully apprised of the events and information associated with the office.  Retiring officers shall surrender all records relating to their office to their successors by the first day of the new officer’s term.

SECTION III.  The ballot submission for the election of officers shall be secret. The President or presiding officer shall appoint three tellers, who will count the number of votes cast and report back the results to the President or presiding officer.

ARTICLE VII – COMMITTEES AND BOARDS

SECTION I.  The Executive Board shall be comprised of the elected and appointed officers. The Board will function to plan and implement the goals and objectives for OAMT.

SECTION II.  The Executive Board will meet quarterly, not more than monthly, and will report to the main constituency of OAMT.

SECTION III.  The Executive Board shall have delegated authority to carry out the general business of OAMT, shall be responsible for the management and control of its funds, and report to the membership regarding all business.

SECTION IV.  The President or Executive Board may establish additional task forces and/or committees as necessary.

SECTION V. The Executive Committee will consist of the President, President Elect, Vice President, and Secretary, with the power to respond to the emergency business or crucial issues of the association when necessary, and report such issues to the Executive Board.

ARTICLE VIII – MEETINGS

SECTION I. The Executive Board shall determine time and place of quarterly association meetings.

SECTION II.  The Executive Board shall have the authority to change, cancel and/or reschedule established meetings as it may become necessary for reasons including, but not limited to:

  • Inclement weather

  • Majority Vote by OAMT members

  • Change/cancellation of hosting venue

SECTION III.  General meetings shall be held a minimum of two times per year. Meetings may include general business, educational programs, information sharing, and socialization.  

SECTION IV. The President may appoint a Parliamentarian to act as advisor at any meeting.

SECTION V. Members may participate in meetings through tele and video conferencing.

ARTICLE IX – QUORUM

SECTION I.  Two thirds voting members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum for an Executive Board meeting.

SECTION II.  One third of the voting membership shall be sufficient to constitute a quorum at any regular or special OAMT business meeting or email vote. At no time shall the lack of a quorum at a non-business session prevent those present from proceeding with the program of the day.

SECTION III.  The bylaws may be amended at any business meeting at which the proposed amendments have been submitted in writing to the membership at least two weeks in advance of that meeting.  The amendment(s) must pass by two-thirds majority vote of those members responding.

SECTION IV.  The bylaws may be amended by a mail/email vote solicited from the total voting membership of OAMT, the amendment having been submitted to that membership in writing at least three weeks before the vote is due.  A two-thirds affirmative vote of the members responding is necessary for change, adoption, or appeal of an amendment.

ARTICLE XI – RULES OF ORDER

SECTION I.  Robert’s Rules of Order Revised shall be the authority for all questions of parliamentary procedure not covered by these bylaws.  

ARTICLE XII – FISCAL YEAR

SECTION I. The fiscal year of the association shall coincide with the calendar year, January 1st- December 31st.

ARTICLE XIII – PUBLICATION(S)

SECTION I. The official publication(s) of the association shall be the OAMT Website.

Brenda Walleman, MT-BC

Maggie Johnson, MT-BC

Tonya Fisher, MT-BC

Richard M. Stubbs, MT-BC, LPC

Rob Sozda, MT-BC

Alexis Baker, MT-BC

Calvin Porterfield, Student Representative