Wilderness Medicine and EMS Interest Group

Bylaws

Constitution of the Wilderness Medicine and Emergency Medical Services Interest Group at West Virginia University School of Medicine
Article I-Organization
Section 1: The official name of this organization shall be the Wilderness Medicine and Emergency Medical Services Interest Group at West Virginia University.
Section 2: The group shall operate as a non-profit organization.
Section 3: The group shall abide by the applicable rules and policies of Office of Student Services pertaining to student organizations.
Section 4: This organization shall exist for the following purposes:
a. To facilitate interdisciplinary interaction among students and faculty expressing interests
in issues relating to health, the wilderness, and Emergency Medical Services.
b. To provide a forum for speakers to present topics of interest to the general membership.
c. To act as an information and referral resource to members pursuing careers in areas
related to health, the wilderness, and emergency medical services.
d. To participate, when appropriate, in community projects or with other campus
organizations on issues relevant to wilderness medicine and emergency medical services.

Article II - Membership
Section 1: Membership is open to all students, faculty, and staff without regard to race, creed, color, gender, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, public assistance status, or religious or sexual orientation.
Section 2: Voting membership is open to all students, faculty, and staff at West Virginia University.
Section 3: No more than 1/3 of the voting membership shall consist of non-students.
Section 4: Membership in the WEMSIG may be defined as anyone who has submitted
his/her name to the WEMSIG and/or anyone who has attended an WEMSIG event in the current or previous academic year.
Section 5: To be eligible to vote, a member must have attended at least two previous meetings as a non-voting participant within the current or previous academic year.

Article III - Officers
Section 1: The officers shall be Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer.
Section 2: All officers must be currently enrolled students at West Virginia University and registered at least 1/2 time. Exceptions to this requirement are permitted for graduate/professional students upon receipt by the Student Organization Development Center of a letter from the Director of Graduate Studies of the student's department certifying that the student is actively pursuing a degree.
Section 3: Officers shall be elected during the May meeting and shall serve for a period of one year. Elected officers shall be elected by a majority among the two candidates receiving the largest plurality votes for each office. Elections will be held through a google form to all voting members and votes shall be accepted for 7 days from the date issued.
Section 4: The duties of the officers are as follows:
a. Board of Directors Chairperson- Preside over all meetings of the Group, act as the official representative of the Group at meetings and events, act as liaison with the Wilderness Medical Society, update the Wilderness Medical Society with any changes in this office and with changes in mail/phone/e-mail contact information, and serve as chairperson of the Board of Directors.
b. Board of Directors Vice Chairperson - Preside at meetings of the Group and the Board of Directors in the absence of the president, succeed the president if the president were unable to complete his/her term of office, act as coordinator of committees.
c. Secretary - Record and produce minutes of all meetings, handle the Group's
correspondence, advertising, and mailing. Maintain printed materials, newsletters, and journals provided by the national organization. Maintain current membership list.
d. Treasurer - Handle all financial transactions of the Group, maintain thorough and
accurate records of all transactions, coordinate membership for members seeking membership in the national organization, and produce financial reports as required by the Group.

Article IV-Committees
Section 1: The standing committees of this Group shall be:
a. Board of Directors- Consists of elected officers and 2 elected board members. Sets meeting dates for the Group, determines committee assignments, and acts on behalf of the special committees during the summer.
b. Special committees may be established to carry out special assignments

Article V - Meetings
Section 1: A regular meeting shall be held as needed during the academic year. A special meeting may be called by the Executive Committee or by a petition of ten percent of the voting membership.
Section 2: Decisions of the Group shall be enacted by a majority vote of the voting membership present.
Section 3: Members shall be notified at least 2 weeks in advance of all meetings.

Article VI - Financial Matters
Section 1: The Group shall not provide monetary gain, incidentally or otherwise to its directors or membership. This does not restrict the payment of wages, salaries, or incentives by the Group for services rendered.
Section 2: Unless otherwise specified by the membership at the time of dissolution of the Group, residual assets shall be held in account by Office of Student Services, for future wilderness and health related activities.
Article VII-By-Laws
Section 1: By-laws may be proposed by the membership and may be adopted by a majority vote of those present at a meeting when a quorum is present upon approval from the national organization.

Article VIII- Amendments
Section 1: Amendments to the constitution may be proposed by any members of the Group. Such proposals shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee for a first reading to the membership at the regular meeting prior to the meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be voted on.
Section 2: Duly proposed amendments shall be submitted to a vote of the voting members. A two-thirds majority vote in favor shall be required for adoption of such amendment.