Announcements

Mark your calendars:

2012 Emergency Management Conference on April 2-5, 2012 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas

"3rd Annual Texas Unites Conference" on June 13-15, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Riverwalk, San Antonio, Texas.  


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How to Become a Member of the Texas VOAD


Membership can be obtained by any non-profit voluntary organization having a constitutional reference and who supports an organized disaster response program. The service and resources of that organization also need to be available to all disaster victims. Representatives of county, regional, and state agencies are encouraged to have liaison involvement with Texas VOAD. Their advice and expertise should be sought and encouraged. These representatives serve as ex-officio members and do not hold voting privileges. Members participating and voting at any (annual/regular) meeting shall be designated representatives of participating organizations and shall have one vote. Written proxies are acceptable if presented to the chairperson prior to the meeting.

*Excerpt from the By-Laws:

IV.    Membership    

     A.   Categories of Membership

  1. Partner — Organizations, which meet all of the following criteria, are eligible for the Partner category of membership in the TXVOAD.  The Partner membership is the voting membership.
  • Organizations must qualify as not-for-profit under IRS Code 501(c)(3), with voluntary memberships and constituencies.

  • Organizations must have a disaster response program and policy for commitment of resources to meet the needs of people affected by disaster without discrimination.

  • Organizations must be statewide in scope.
  1. Associate — The Associate category of membership may be granted to organizations, government agencies, or businesses with disaster planning and operations responsibilities or capabilities that do not meet all of the criteria for Partner membership.

  • Organizations must have a disaster response program and policy for commitment of resources to meet the needs of people affected by disaster without discrimination.

  • Organizations need not be statewide in scope.
  1. Affiliate — The Affiliate category of membership may be granted to smaller, emerging or spontaneous organizations of all categories that do not meet the criteria for Partner or Associate membership and have a disaster response capability. Candidates for Affiliate membership shall apply in the usual manner except during disaster response and recovery events.

  • Affiliate members shall be mentored by like TXVOAD organizations.

  • Affiliate members may apply for Partner or Associate membership as their organization matures.

  • Affiliate memberships shall be reviewed annually.

  • During disaster response or recovery events, a limited Affiliate membership may be granted to an emergent or spontaneous group by consensus of the current active members without formal application to the TXVOAD Executive Committee. Such membership is valid for six months or the life of the response & recovery effort whichever comes first. 

      B.   Conditions of Membership

  1. Meet the membership criteria of the TXVOAD.

  2. Agree with the mission of the TXVOAD.

  3. Designate an authorized representative to attend TXVOAD business and special meetings.

     C.    Membership Application Procedures

  1. Organizations requesting membership will apply by letter to the TXVOAD describing their intended commitment to the TXVOAD. Candidate organizations are encouraged to send a representative to attend TXVOAD meetings while the application is pending.

  2. The TXVOAD Executive Committee (TEC) will determine category eligibility of the candidate organization using the TXVOAD bylaws and will present the application for discussion at the next business meeting.

  3. The Authorized Representatives of each Member Organization will vote after the application is presented and discussed to extend or deny an offer of membership to the candidate organization.

     D.    Responsibilities of Membership

  1. The leadership of each TXVOAD member organization must be committed to sending knowledgeable and authoritative representatives to attend TXVOAD meetings.  Each TXVOAD member organization shall designate one Authorized Representative and one alternate representative in a letter to the TXVOAD Executive Committee.

  2. Each Authorized Representative must have access to the resources of his/her organization to serve the needs of disaster victims.

  3. An Authorized Representative who misses 50 percent of the business and special meetings in a twelve-month period shall receive a reminder letter from the Secretary/Treasurer. A copy of the reminder letter shall be sent simultaneously to the leadership of the Authorized Representative’s organization.  The reminder letter shall state the importance of each organization’s participation and shall request a statement as to the intentions of the Authorized Representative as well as that of his/her organization to actively participate in the future.  If the organization or the Authorized Representative fails to respond to the reminder letter within thirty days or accumulates two additional unexcused absences, the Secretary/Treasurer shall recommend a vote to reduce or terminate the status of the organization.

    E.    Termination of Membership
  1. Membership may be terminated by the following means:

  • TXVOAD member organizations may voluntarily withdraw by submission of a letter of separation to the TXVOAD Executive Committee.

  • Membership may be terminated at any time for any reason by a four-fifths vote.  Consistent failure to meet the conditions and responsibilities of membership may lead to a vote of termination.

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