Wyoming Registry of Interpreters

For the Deaf 
 

BY – LAWS 
 

 

"It is the vision of WYRID to reach out to all stakeholders within the state of Wyoming for the purposes of providing communication access and to unify us together as a cohesive group.  WYRID will accomplish this by promoting ownership through membership, training, and mentorship opportunities in a safe and supportive environment." 
 
 

 

           B.   To promote quality interpreting / transliteration.  

 

 

 
 

 

      A.  Voting Members         

   1. Certified (RID certification)

                  2. Non - certified and member in good standing  of RID, Inc.  
       

B.  Supporting / Non - voting Member

 

C. Organizational

 

Section 2       ELIGIBILITY:  
 

 

          B.  Supporting / Non - voting Member: Any  individual with an interest in supporting the purpose and activities of the organization who does not meet eligibility requirements for Article II, Section 2 A.

          C.  Organizational: any organization with an interest in supporting the purpose and activities of the organization.

Section 3  APPLICATION PROCEDURES: Candidates for membership    shall complete the membership form and submit it along with the year's membership dues to the treasurer. Individuals will be considered "in good standing" upon receipt of the yearly dues and will be awarded all privileges of membership. 
 

Section 4 VOTING RIGHTS: Each member in good standing according to    Article II, Section 2A shall be entitled to one vote in meetings, referenda, and elections. Supporting / Non - voting Members do not enjoy voting privileges

.

Section 5 CHANGE OF MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY: Any member may    change membership category, i.e., from supporting to voting, by meeting the requirements of Section 2A and paying the fee difference between former category and the new category. 
 

Section 6  NOTIFICATION AND MEMBERSHIP: Dues renewal notices will be   sent out at least 30 days prior to WYRID’s membership cycle of    July 1  through June 30. Non - payment will result in change of supporting / non-voting membership status. 
 

Section 7  Benefits of Membership

ARTICLE III - MEETING OF THE MEMBERSHIP 
 

Section 1  REGULAR MEETING OF THE MEMBERSHIP: Shall occur once a year on a specific date and location to be decided by Board of Directors for the

            purpose of conducting the business of the organization. Notification for this meeting will be sent to the members at least thirty days prior to the

            prior to the meeting. 
 

Section 2  SPECIAL MEETINGS: May be called at the discretion of the President.  Fifteen working days written notice to the membership shall be required. 
 

Section 3  ANNUAL CONFERENCE: There shall be an Annual Conference of the membership, date and location to be decided by the Board of

            Directors. 
 

Section 4    PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY: Roberts Rules of Order Revised Edition shall serve as a guide for the effective management of business meetings. 
 

ARTICLE IV - BOARD OF DIRECTORS 
 

Section 1  COMPOSITION: The Board of Directors shall be comprised of six oting  members: President, Vice - President, Secretary / Treasurer, two Members -

            At – Large, and a Deaf Association of Wyoming (DAW) Liaison.  In addition, the Immediate Past President shall serve as a non-voting member of the Board of  Directors for one year. All members are to attend board  meetings. As a courtesy to organization and its’ members, a  planned absence should be reported to the president in a timely fashion prior to the meeting. 
 

Section 2  GOVERNING AUTHORITY: The management of affairs of the organization between meetings of the membership shall be delegated from the

Section 3 GEOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION: Officers of the Wyoming    Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. shall be residents of or employed in the state of Wyoming. 
 

Section 4  TERMS OF OFFICE:

Section 5  QUALIFICATIONS:

 

            3.  demonstrates organizational involvement in WYRID.

            4.  has general knowledge of Roberts Rules of Order.

       

      B.  VICE - PRESIDENT

            1.  membership in good standing of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. & the Wyoming Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc.

            2. be a professional interpreter/transliterator

            3. demonstrates organizational involvement in WYRID.

            4. has general knowledge of Roberts Rules of Order.  
       

C.  SECRETARY -TREASURER:

            1.  membership in good standing of  the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. & the Wyoming Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc.

            2.  interested or involved in the profession of interpreting/transliterating at the time of election.

            3.  demonstrates organizational involvement in WYRID.

            4. has general knowledge of Roberts Rules of Order.  
       

      D.  MEMBERS - AT - LARGE

            1.  membership in good standing of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. & the Wyoming Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc.

            2. interested or involved in the profession of interpreting/transliterating at the time of election.

            3.  demonstrates organizational involvement in WYRID.

            4.  has general knowledge of Roberts Rules of Order.  
       

      E.  DEAF ASSOCIATION OF WYOMING (DAW) LIAISON

            1. member of WYRID and DAW.

            2.  shall be appointed by DAW in  for a term of 2 years.

            3. Deaf/deaf/hard of hearing.

            4. consumer of interpreter/transliterator services.

            5.  demonstrates organizational involvement in DAW and WYRID.

            6.  has general knowledge of Roberts Rules of Order.  
       

      F. Immediate Past President

            1.   membership in good standing of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Inc & the Wyoming Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc.

            2.   position immediately follows the final term of the Presidency.  If the immediate past president is unable to fulfill this duty, the Board will appoint a previous president to this position.

            3.   demonstrates organizational involvement in WYRID.

            4.  has general knowledge of Roberts Rules of Order.

      3

Section 6  DUTIES

A.  PRESIDENT:

            1. preside at all meetings of the organization and the Board of Directors.

            2. appoint a chair of all standing committees and all committees not otherwise provided for in the By-laws.

            3.  report once a year to the membership on the state of the organization, at the Annual Business meeting.

            4.  share with the Treasurer the right to sign checks and approves the withdrawal of corporate funds above  $200.

      5.  serve as a liaison to committees.  
 

B.  VICE PRESIDENT:

            1.  preside in the place of the President whenever needed, in case of absence, resignation, death, or delegation of authority by the President.

                 2. assist the President and / or Board of Directors in completion of duties as needed.

            3.  chair at the Planning Committee of the Annual Conference.

            4.  appoint a Conference Manager for the Annual Conference.

      5. serve as a liaison to committees.

            6. may sign with the treasurer on checks.  
       

C.  SECRETARY-TREASURER:

            1.  keep correct minutes of all meetings of the organization and of the Board of Directors.

            2.  file all papers belonging to the organization and publish the same if so ordered by the Board of Directors, and to be available to membership upon    request.

            3.  conduct the general correspondence of the organization, including chairing a Newsletter Committee for the purpose of a quarterly newsletter.

            4. notify each member of the Board of Directors of the location and time of the Board of Directors meeting of the organization; likewise, inform the membership of the time and location of the general membership business meetings and the Annual Conference.

            5.  within 30 days following each meeting, shall send to the Board of Directors the minutes of the business meeting which transpired. Minutes shall be mailed/emailed to the general membership upon request.

            6.  receive, deposit all monies in a statewide branch bank and maintain the checkbook balance of the organization; two signatures are required for any amount of purchase.

            7.  make all disbursements in payment of the authorized  debts by check within 30 days of receipt of the bill.

                      8.  maintain the financial records of the organization, making at least one financial report to the membership per year during the Annual Conference

                & in the newsletter.

             9. forward to the RID Regional Representative and to the national office of RID within thirty days after the expiration of each fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) a certified copy of the of the organization's financial statement. The financial statement shall include a description of the source of all receipts and a description of all disbursements. This financial statement shall be mailed to the Board of Directors. The general membership may receive a  copy upon request.

            10.  forward to the RID Regional Representative and to the National office of RID by November 15th of each year the 501 C-3 tax exempt reporting form (IRS form 990, Return of Organizations Exempt from Income Tax).

      11.  serve as liaison to committees.

 

D.  MEMBERS - AT - LARGE

            1.  serve as chairpersons between the Board of Directors and the membership.

          2.  serve as resource persons to the membership.

      3.  serve as liaisons to committees.

            4.  perform other duties of the office as prescribed by the Board of Directors.

      5.  may sign checks with treasurer.

 

E. DEAF ASSOCIATION OF WYOMING  (DAW) LIAISON

            1.  serve as a resource person to membership.

      2.  serve as a liaison to DAW.

            3.  may vote on motions and in elections to represent to opinions of DAW,

              4.  other duties as needed.

 
 
  1. IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

             1.   Shall serve as a non-voting member of the Board of Directors for one year.

               2,  Serve as a mentor to the incoming President for the purpose of creating a smooth transition of  responsibilities.  

             3.  Attend Board meetings and provide assistance to the new Board of Directors as they deem necessary.

       

Section 7  VACANCIES: Vacancies of the Board of Directors shall exist   upon death, resignation or removal of any director.

          A. Resignation; Any director may resign upon giving written notice to the organization's Board of Directors.

     

          B.  Removal of Directors; The Board of Directors may declare vacant the office of any director who:

                1.  does not attend two (2) consecutive Board of meetings (removal is automatic). 

                2.  has not acted in good faith in the fulfillment of the duties inherent in the office. Removal of any Board  Member requires majority vote of the voting      membership at a general meeting.

     

          C. Appointment to Fill a Vacancy: Any vacancy of an elected  office must be filled by a majority vote of the Board of  Directors (via telephone/email) until the next election year.  Such an appointment will not constitute a term of office. Any vacated position must be filled by a person satisfying the qualifications for the office. 

     

Section 8 MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

      A.  The Board of Directors shall meet at least bi - annually.  Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called at  the discretion of the President. All Board of Directors'  meetings are open unless the President declares otherwise.  The Board of Directors may meet via conference call,  including electronic conferencing.  
       

      B.  The quorum for a meeting of the Board of Directors shall be  three. A simple majority will be required for action of the  Board.  

Section 9 RID BIANNUAL CONVENTION DELEGATE: The voting members of WYRID by a majority vote at a general meeting shall delegate a representative to the RID, Inc. Biannual    Convention per availability of WYRID funds 
 

.  

 

ARTICLE V - ELECTIONS AND VOTING  
 

Section 1  GENERAL:

      A.  Voting may occur during membership meetings or by  mail/electronic referendum. Proxy votes are permitted for  voting during membership meeting only through the use of  standard proxy vote form.

       

      B.  Voting for election of officers shall occur during the business  meeting of the Annual Conference.  
       

      C.  Quorum: A quorum for a business meeting shall be 20% of  the voting membership

      .

Section 2  NOMINATIONS: Nominations for officers to be elected shall be  accepted by the Secretary via writing/email within thirty days before the election of said office.  Additionally, nominations may be entertained from the floor during the conference at which the elections are to be held. 

 

Section 3  ELECTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

      A.  The balloting for officers shall be  by this sequence:

        1. President & Vice President on odd years.

        2.   Secretary - Treasurer and two Members-at-Large on  even years.

 

      B. A quorum must be present for the election of the Board of Directors

       

      C.  A simple majority of the ballots cast by the membership  present or proxy at the Annual Conference shall be sufficient  to elect each position.  
       

      D.  Proxy votes for the election of officers shall be allowed per  proxy procedures.

       

      E.  In the event of a tie, a run-off election shall be held until a  simple majority of the ballots cast is reached, by the  members present at the meeting.

       

Section 4  MAIL/ELECTRONIC REFERENDUM:

      A.  The Board of Directors may designate a mail/electronic vote  on any business that might come before the membership.

       

      B.  The Board of Directors will conduct the mail/electronic ballot.  The ballot shall be sent to all voting members in good  standing. A return of at least 50% of the ballots shall  validate the  election. A simple majority of the ballots cast  will determine the outcome of the issue. If a 50% return is  not obtained the Board of Directors may make the decision  with a simple majority vote. 

       

 

ARTICLE VI – COMMITTEES 
 

Section 1  TYPE AND COMPOSITION OF COMMITTEES: WYRID shall have Standing Committees and may have Special and /or Ad Hoc Committees.  

 

Section 2  QUALIFICATIONS OF COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS: Committee Chairpersons will be current members of WYRID.  

 

Section 3  APPOINTMENTS: Committee Chairpersons may be appointed by the President upon approval of the majority of the Board of Directors. (The only exception being the Chairperson of the Planning Committee of the Annual Conference, which will be    the Convention manager.)

          Appointments shall be made or reaffirmed biennially by each Board

          Member after assuming the office. The President may authorize

          Committee Chairpersons to select the other members of the  respective committees except for the Annual Conference Planning  Committee, which shall be appointed by the Vice President.  Furthermore, the President shall designate a member of the Board  of Directors to serve as liaison to each committee.  

 

Section 4  STANDING COMMITTEES:

      A.  The Board of Directors by a 2/3 majority vote shall have the  right to establish any Standing Committee deemed  necessary to carry out the objectives of the organization as  set forth in these By - Laws and or mandated by the voting  membership.  
       

      B.  The Standing Committee shall include but not be limited to the following:

      1.  Editorial Committee

      2.  Planning Committee

      3.  Fund raising Committee

            4.  Professional Standards Committee  

 

Section 5  SPECIAL AND AD HOC COMMITTEE(S): The President, upon   approval by the Board of Directors, shall appoint any special and/  or ad hoc committee(s) as may be deemed necessary to carry out   the objectives and activities of the organization as set forth in   these By-Laws and /or as mandated by the voting membership of   this organization. The purpose and life of the committee(s) and its   duties shall be listed in the minutes of the business meeting.  

 

Section 6  TERMS OF OFFICE: Each member of a committee shall  serve until his her successor is appointed, unless the  committee shall complete its duties or sooner terminated, or such member be removed from such committee, or such member cease to qualify as   a member thereof, or such member resigns.  

 

Section 7 DUTIES: The Chairperson of the committee shall be responsible for setting meeting dates and times for the purpose of carrying out the duties of the committee. All committee actions shall be subject to the Board of Directors approval and presented regularly to the membership during business meetings.  

 

Section 8  VACANCIES: Vacancies in the membership of any committee may be filled by appointment made in like manner to Article 6 Section 2. 
 

 

ARTICLE VII - MEMBERSHIP FEES, DUES, & ASSESSMENTS 

 

Section 1  The decision to establish, raise or lower dues shall be authorized  by the membership at the Annual Conference.  
 

      Section 2 Membership fees for one year will be due prior to the Annual Conference Business Meeting of each year and rights and benefits are not retroactive.   
       

 

ARTICLE VIII - ANNUAL CONFERENCE 

 

Section 1  PURPOSE: There shall be an Annual Conference for the purpose of conducting the business of the organization, sharing and disseminating information on innovations, techniques and research on interpreting transliterating and promoting fellowship and good will among membership.  

 

Section 2  PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE: The Vice President shall appoint members for the Planning Committee.  The Committee shall be responsible for all conference planning and activities pending approval of the Board of Directors.  

 

Section 3  BUSINESS MEETING TIME: up to one half working day (4 hours)  shall be allotted for the business meeting during the Annual Conference.

 

Section 4  MEETING PROCEDURE: The order of business shall follow this agenda:

                  Call to order

                  Roll call

                  Communications

                  Reading of minutes

                  Treasurer's report

                  Reports:

                            Officers or Board Members

                        Standing Committees

                            Special Committees

                  Unfinished business

                  New business

                  Elections

                  Adjournment 
 

Section 5  CONFERENCE FEES:

      A.  The planning Committee may plan and charge for entertainment, workshops, activities, etc. as part of the conference fees, following approval

            by the Board of  Directors.

       

      B. In the interest of encouraging the participation of d/Deaf individuals, the DAW liaison will have his/her conference fee waived.  

           
       

ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENT OF THE BY-LAWS 

 

Section 1  The By - Laws may be amended or repealed by a vote of 2/3 of the voting membership who are present or by proxy during a regular or special meeting of the membership or who respond to a mail/electronic referendum.  
 

Section 2  The process for amending the By - Laws shall be:

          A.  Any voting member is good standing may submit a proposal for a By-Laws amendment.

          B.  All proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to the Board of Directors.

          C.  The Board of Directors shall review each proposed By - Laws amendment.

          D.  The Board of Directors shall present the submitted proposal(s) at the next regularly scheduled general membership meeting. The purpose of the presentation shall be: 

            1.  to provide the rationale for the proposed change(s).

            2.  to clarify the impact of the proposed amendment(s) on existing By - Laws.

          E.  The proposed amendment(s) shall not be voted on at this time.

          F.  Following the meeting at which the proposed amendment(s) were presented, and before the next regularly schedule general membership meeting, the proposed amendment(s) shall be published via the newsletter or special mailing /electronic mailing for the membership consideration.

          G.  At the regularly scheduled general membership meeting followed the publication of the proposed amendment(s) the membership shall vote on the proposed amendment(s).

Section 3 Amendments to the By - Laws shall become effective at the close of the business meeting at which they were passed.  

 

Section 4  By - Laws revisions or amendments required to comply with RID policies and procedures shall not require a vote but shall be automatically incorporated into these By - Laws. The membership shall be notified in writing of such revisions within thirty days by the secretary.  

 

Section 5 A copy of all amendments to these By - Laws shall be forwarded by the secretary to the RID Regional Representative who will then forward them to the National office or other designated place.  
 

ARTICLE X - AFFILIATION  

Section 1  The Wyoming Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. is to be considered an affiliate chapter of the Registry of the Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc.  

 

Section 2  Any State sub - chapter(s) shall be an affiliate(s) of the Wyoming Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc.   
 

 

ARTICLE XI - DISSOLUTION  

 

Section 1  In case of dissolution, all records, monies, and holdings shall be forwarded to the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. for the purpose

          of continuing education of interpreters / transliterators.  

 

Section 2 Dissolution may occur for any of the following reasons:

        A.  upon 3/4 majority vote of the membership.  
         

        B.  non-recognition of affiliated status by RID for failure  to comply with the provisions required of affiliate  chapters as set forth in the RID By-Laws.

         

Section 3  No single member shall be held liable for debts incurred by the organization. 

      

Last modified:  May 2010