AER DIVISION VII BYLAWS

							                  LOW VISION REHABILITATION DIVISION (#7)
                             OF AER BYLAWS
               Revised, March, 2007, By the Low Vision Rehabilitation Division (#7)

All officers and committee members shall be members in good standing of the Low
Vision Rehabilitation Division (#7) of AER.

OFFICERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A.   Chair
     1.  shall appoint all committee chairs and serve as an ex-officio member to all committees
     2.  shall appoint, with the advice of the appropriate committee chair, all standing and special
         committees
     3.  shall be responsible for the publication of at least four (4) division newsletters during the
         two-year period between international conferences, and also will submit matters of the Low
         Vision Rehabilitation Division (#7) to the AER Report
     4.  shall organize a plan of action for the Division's Executive Board and provide Division
         leadership between international conferences
     5.  shall preside at all business meetings of the Low Vision Rehabilitation Division (#7)
     6.  shall serve on the AER Council of Division Chairpersons

B. Chair-Elect
    1. shall serve as a Division Executive Board member
    2. shall chair the Division Program Committee
    3.   shall serve as Acting Chair at Division meetings in the absence of the Chair
    4.   shall serve on the AER Council of Division Chairpersons

C. Secretary-Treasurer
    1. shall serve as a Division Executive Board member
    2. shall record the minutes of Division business meetings and prepare them for timely
         publication in the Division newsletter
    3. shall work with the International office’s financial person to help maintain an accurate record
         of expenses, income, assets, and financial status of the Division. And, shall also maintain a
         record of receipts and expenses by the Executive Board or its members, by Division
         Committees or its members, and by Division members expending monies for official
         Division business.
    4.   shall submit a written account to the Division Chair, every 4 months, of all Division receipts
         and expenses
    5.   shall present a summary report of Division expenses and assets at the Division business
         meeting at each international conference
    6.   shall transmit a copy of the division records to the successor in a prompt and complete
         fashion

D. Past-Chair
    1.   shall serve as a Division Executive Board member
    2. shall chair the Nominating Committee
    3.   shall serve on the AER Council of Division Chairs
Low Vision Rehabilitation Division 1                                Revised March 2007
STANDING COMMITTEES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Executive Board
    1.   shall be comprised of the elected Division officers: Chair-Elect, Chair, Past-Chair, and
         Secretary-Treasurer
    2.   shall exercise, by majority vote, all powers of management of the Division
    3.   shall approve, by majority vote, any single expenditure exceeding $500, unless the
         expenditure has been authorized by the membership
    4.   shall approve, by majority vote, the use of a ballot to the membership on specific issues of
         importance
    5.   shall work to elect succeeding Secretary-Treasurer and Chair-Elect by nominating
         individuals for the offices and coordinating the ballots:
           a.    shall nominate a minimum of two (2) individuals for each office for the upcoming
                 election and shall procure letters of acceptance from those individuals
           b.    by March 1 of the same year as the biennial international conference, shall introduce
                 those individuals to the Low Vision Rehabilitation Division (#7) through a national
                 newsletter, and request of the membership additional nominations accompanied by
                 letters of acceptance; nominations received must be postmarked by April 1
           c.    shall send ballots with all nominees and a short biographical sketch of each by April
                 15 of the same year as the biennial international conference with returned ballots to
                 be postmarked by May 15
    6. shall develop and approve a budget, with anticipated expenses and income no later than July
         31st of each year. The budget shall be for the time period of August 1st to July 31st of each
         year

B.   Program Committee
     1.  shall be chaired by the Division Chair-Elect
     2.  shall be comprised by Division members from a cross-section of Low Vision professional
         settings and geographical areas
     3.  shall organize and direct the Division program presentations at the international conference

C. Continuing Education Committee
    1.   shall be comprised of a minimum of three (3) Division members
    2.   shall conduct needs assessments of membership to determine priorities for Continuing
         Education topics
    3.   shall evaluate proposed topics and curricula
    4. shall recommend approved topics to AER's Continuing Education Committee

D. Professional Issues Committee
    1.   shall be the contact committee for Division members or regional Low Vision groups who
         wish to raise emerging issues of professional concern
    2. shall research current issues within the field of Low Vision and help educate members about
         these issues
    3. shall initiate membership discussion about current issues in low vision
    4. shall coordinate the development of “white” (or issue) papers in accordance with the policy
         manual and membership discussion
    5. shall poll the membership on the viewpoints contained in the white papers and publish the
         results in the upcoming newsletter

Low Vision Rehabilitation Division 2                                Revised March 2007
     6.    shall recommend actions to be taken

E.   Awards Committee
     1.   shall be comprised of five (5) Division members
     2.   shall bestow at each international conference awards for outstanding contributions to:
          a.    an individual who by virtue of significant contribution to the field has exhibited
                outstanding service in direct care to persons with low vision
          b. an individual who has conducted significant research, and/or has authored an article in
                a refereed journal, or a book which contributes highly to the field of low vision
          c.    an individual who has provided a lifetime of meritorious service to persons who have
                low vision and to the field of low vision
          d. an individual who has contributed significantly to the organization of the Low Vision
                Rehabilitation Division (#7) through works that have benefited the Division directly
     3.   shall also bestow, at their discretion, certificates of merit to individuals whose contributions
          to the Low Vision Rehabilitation Division (#7) or the field of low vision have been
          recognized by the committee and officers as outstanding
     4. shall maintain a record of the awards recipients and the ceremony, and transmit a copy of this
        record to the Executive Board in a prompt and complete fashion

F.   Nominating Committee
     1. shall be chaired by the Past-Chair
     2. shall be comprised of a minimum of three (3) Division members
     3. shall begin seeking nominations for regular elections no later than November of the odd
         numbered years
     4. shall seek nominations for officers and Executive Board members from the division
         membership
     5. shall seek to find officers from different geographic areas, service areas, and backgrounds to
         help ensure balance and representation on the Executive Board and the leadership of the
         Division
     6. shall create a slate of nominees for regular and special elections

TERMS OF OFFICE, SUCCESSION AND VACANCIES

A.   A successful candidate for election must have received a majority vote. In the event that no
     candidate receives a majority of the votes, a runoff will occur between the two candidates
     receiving the greatest plurality of votes. This election will take place by sending ballots to the
     membership at least one month prior to the international conference.
B.   Officers and all committee members shall serve concurrent, two-year terms
C.   The Division's Chair-Elect shall become Chair when that office becomes vacant (i.e., completion
     of term or resignation)
     1.    if a vacancy occurs in the office of Division Chair during the first year of the two-year term,
           the Chair-Elect shall succeed to the Chair for the un-expired term of the predecessor only,
           and shall not serve his/her own term of two years as Chair.
     2.    if a vacancy occurs in the office of Division Chair during the second year of the two-year
           term, the Chair-Elect shall succeed to the Chair for the un-expired term and his/her own full
           term of two years; under this circumstance, the Past-Chair's term of office shall also be
           extended
D.   If a vacancy occurs in the office of Chair-Elect, the office shall be filled for the remainder of the
     term by special election through a ballot to the membership.

Low Vision Rehabilitation Division 3                                   Revised March 2007
E.   If a vacancy occurs in the office of Secretary-Treasurer, the Chair shall appoint an individual to
     assume the duties of the office until completion of the term of office
F.   A person cannot serve in more than one office at a time on the Executive Board

AMENDING THE BYLAWS

A.   The Low Vision Rehabilitation Division (#7) Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the
     membership at a regularly scheduled Division business meeting, amendments having been
     provided to the Executive Board at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting.
B.   The Low Vision Rehabilitation Division (#7) Bylaws may also be amended prior to the regularly
     scheduled Division business meeting by the following procedure:
     1.   amendments shall be sent to all members of the Low Vision Rehabilitation Division (#7)
     2.   members have 45 days to submit any comment or rebuttal regarding the proposed changes to
          the Executive Board
     3.   all received comments shall be compiled into a cohesive rebuttal paper by the Executive
          Board or designee
     4.   the original amendment, accompanied by the rebuttal paper, shall be sent for approval or
          disapproval by the membership
     5.   approval or disapproval responses must be postmarked within 30 days of the date of the alter
          mailing and returned to the Executive Board
     6.   amendments will be passed with a two-thirds majority vote




Low Vision Rehabilitation Division 4                                  Revised March 2007