Approved at the WVC General Assembly Meeting
San Francisco, CA, USA
October 4, 2015

ART.1 General
  1. The Consortium is a worldwide, non profit, non-political, non-governmental, independent, organization concerned with scientific and professional voices issues.
  2. The Consortium is a functional coordinating entity interfacing with medical, other health providing, and allied disciplines concerned with voice.
  3. The Consortium works in association with other voice organizations.
  4. The official language of the Consortium is English.

ART. 2 Name, Legal Identity
  1. The association adopts the name of WORLD VOICE CONSORTIUM (WVC).
  2. The Consortium was proposed at the XVIII Congress of the Union of European Phoniatricians (UEP) in Prague (Czech. Rep.) in September 1993, by members of EUFOS, IFOS and UEP, further developed in San Francisco in October 1993, at the 7th Pacific Voice Conference (USA).
  3. The World Voice Consortium was formally established in Sintra, Portugal, on January 30, 1994, under the organization of the Portuguese Institute of Voice (Portugal).
  4. The Consortium exists as an association according to the Portuguese civil code with its own legal identity.
  5. The Executive Board of Officers and the Members shall not be personally liable for the debts, liabilities or other obligations of the World Voice Consortium.

ART. 3 Site
  1. The central office of the WVC is located in the country of the residence of the President of the Executive Board of Officers.
  2. The site can be changed by a decision of the Executive Board of Officers.

ART. 4 Duration
  1. The duration of the WVC is unlimited.

ART. 5 Objectives
  1. The objectives of the WVC are:
    1. to promote voice care, research and prevention,
    2. to stimulate education and disseminate information,
    3. to initiate and to coordinate meetings.

ART. 6 Means of Action
  1. To promote worldwide the development and standards of diagnostic, therapeutic, habilitative and re-habilitative, preventive and public health aspects of voice.
  2. To establish and encourage contacts among voice disciplines.
  3. To exchange scientific, clinical, therapeutical, habilitative and re-habilitative knowledge among the disciplines.
  4. To stimulate and coordinate scientific and clinical research.
  5. To achieve these goals the WVC may in particular:
    1. gather and distribute information concerning the state-of-the-art of voice,
    2. stimulate, coordinate and initiate education and training programs, seminars, workshops, postgraduate courses, etc.,
    3. organize periodically international world congresses on voice,
    4. participate in the organization of other education, training programs, congresses, etc.,
    5. disseminate information on voice through a journal and other means of communication,
    6. establish and maintain contacts with related organizations.

ART. 7 Members
  1. The members of the WVC are the Founders, Delegates, Associates and Honorary Members.
  2. Delegates are mandated representatives of Relevant Organizations.
  3. The Associates are individuals of related disciplines; they have no right to vote.
  4. Application for membership must be made in writing to the General Secretary.
  5. The admission of the new Delegates, Associates and Honorary Members requires the approval and nomination of the simple majority vote of the members of the Executive Board of Officers.
  6. Any member may at any time withdraw from WVC, or may be suspended or expelled by the Executive Board of Officers for any cause prejudicial to the best interests of the WVC. In no case a decision of this kind may be made before the member concerned has been requested to take a stand.
  7. Outstanding individuals may be nominated for honorary membership by the Executive Board of Officers. Honorary Members have no right to vote.

ART. 8 Fees
The Executive Board of Officers proposes fees which have to be approved by the General Assembly.

ART. 9 Administration
  1. The WVC is headed by an Executive Board of Officers of four members.
    The Executive Board Officers are elected by the General Assembly for a term of four years. The Executive Board Officers can be re-elected.
  2. The Board of Officers at large, of a maximum of fifteen members, comprises the Founders, and additional Delegates to be proposed by the Executive Board of Officers and voted by the General Assembly meeting.
  3. The term of the Board of Officers at large is four years.
    The Officers of the Board at large can be re-elected.
  4. The Officers of the Executive Board and Board of Officers at large serve without any salary or compensation. Reimbursements for expenses are only allowed on mandated activities carried out on behalf of the WVC and approved by the Treasurer and the President of the Executive Board of Officers.
  5. To perform forthcoming tasks, the Executive Board elects among its Officers:
    1. one President,
    2. one Vice-President, who will be the President of the upcoming congress.
    3. one General Secretary,
    4. one Treasurer.
  6. An Advisory Council consists in delegates of International Associations working in the field of voice.
  7. A Committee of Associates consisting of competent representatives of the different voice disciplines is appointed by the Executive Board of Officers.

ART.10 Board of Officers Meetings
  1. The Executive Board of Officers, and Board of Officers at large meet as often as necessary, at a one month notice when called by the President of the Executive Board of Officers or in case of need, by the General Secretary.
  2. The Executive Board of Officers and Board of Officers at large meetings are presided by the President of the Executive Board or, in case of his/her absence, by the General Secretary.
  3. A Quorum of an Executive Board of Officers, and Board of Officers at large shall comprise half of the Board. 
  4. All resolutions and decisions are based on a simple majority vote of the officers present. When the votes are even, the President of the Executive Board , or in case the General Secretary presides, has the casting vote. 
  5. Records of the Minutes of the Executive Board of Officers and Board of Officers at large meetings shall be kept and approved by the Executive Board.

ART.11 Rights and Duties
  1. The Executive Board of Officers administers the WVC and its affairs and determines the policy; it makes all decisions and takes measures to uphold the rights and duties of the WVC, as necessary; it carries out all the actions and all the businesses which have been decided upon; it decides on the topics and location of congresses, educational and training programs and other initiatives; it has the ultimate authority to make decisions in matters that are not foreseen in the bylaws, as long as they do not change the nature and the objectives of the WVC; it may make rules and regulations covering the details of the organisation of the WVC, its meetings, initiatives necessary in the best interests of the WVC. 
  2. The President of the Executive Board of Officers represents the WVC in all business with third parties and authorities as well as in legal matters. He/she calls the meetings and presides, and is in charge of any official meeting.
  3. The President of the Congress hosts and is in charge, in close cooperation with the members of the Executive Board of Officers and the Board of Officers at large,of the organization of the upcoming congress.
    The Vice-President of the Congress shall be from the country chosen in which the next congress will be held. 
    The Vice-President takes the place of the President of the Congress when his/her term of office ends, and then adopts the office of President of the Congress.
  4. The General Secretary proposes actions and programs to the Executive Board and is in charge of continuity in pursing the objectives of the WVC, and shall be responsible for keeping an update records of the minutes. Approved Minutes shall be signed by the General Secretary and distributed to the members of the Executive Board of Officers and Board of Officers at large.
    These records should be kept in the archives of the WVC.
    He/she reports to the members of the Executive Board of Officers, Board of the Officers at large, and the General Assembly.
    The General Secretary of the Executive Board can deputise for the President of the Executive Board of Officers when necessary.
  5. The Treasurer is in charge of the assets of the WVC.
    The Treasurer collects the fees, and makes disbursements upon instructions of the Executive Board of Officers.
    The Treasurer proposes the budget and shall report on the financial status to the Executive Board of Officers, the Board of Officers at large and the General Assembly.
    The Treasurer opens bank accounts and administers all financial affairs under supervision of the Executive Board of Officers.
  6. The Board of Officers at large will stay abreast with developments in the field of voice; it collects information and gives advice on future strategy.
    They are, in close cooperation with the President of the Congress, responsible for the contents of the programs which shall be presented in advance for final approval by the Executive Board of Officers. 
  7. The Advisory Council should meet on a regular basis at the discretion of the President of the Executive Board of Officers.
  8. The Associates can be asked for advice and are encouraged to submit relevant opinions and information on scientific and professional voices issues. 

ART.12 General Assembly
  1. The General Assembly is composed by all the members of the WVC.
  2. The General Assembly has regular meeting on the date determined by the President of the Executive Board, or in case of her/his absence by the General Secretary.
  3. When the interests of the WVC so require, a special General Assembly meeting is held by request of a fifth of the members.
  4. The invitations to the regular meetings and the Agenda should be sent out at least three months in advance.
  5. For an extraordinary General Assembly Meeting the period assigned may be shortened
  6. The President of the Executive Board of Officers, or in case of her/his absence the General Secretary, presides the General Assembly Meeting.
  7. The General Assembly, properly called and constituted, makes decisions which are valid for all the members, even if they are absent or against these decisions.
  8. The General Assembly elects new Delegates and Associates.
    It elects the members of the Executive Board of Officers and Board of Officers at large, decides about the annual reports ant it gives general directions to the Executive Board of Officers and Board of Officers at large.
  9. The decisions of the General Assembly are made by the majority vote of the members present.
  10. Elections are on demand made by secret vote
  11. A protocol of the General Assembly meeting established from the approved minutes is signed by the President of the Executive Board of Officers and shall be sent out to the members.
  12. The General Assembly may:
    • change the Bylaws for pertinent reasons proposed by the Executive Board of Officers or written request from ¾ of the members, which must be sent to the President of the Executive Board of Officers at least ten weeks before the annual meeting.
    • pronounce the liquidation of the WVC and distribute its assets.
      These decisions must be made by a ¾ majority of the members present.
  13. Two auditors are elected by the General Assembly independently from the Executive Board of Officers and they are responsible for the inspection of the books of account and financial records. They shall report to the General Assembly about their findings.

ART. 13 Congress
  1. The WVC organises a congress at least every four years. Each consecutive congress is held in a different country. The Congress of the WVC may be organized as a joint venture with scientific meetings of societies belonging to the WVC. 
  2. The site of the congress shall not be located twice in the same host-country within a period of ten years. 
  3. The President of the WVC Congress is ultimately responsible for the organisation of the Congress in accordance with the Bylaws and the rules established by the Executive Board of Officers.
  4. The topics are proposed by the Executive Board of Officers, elaborated by the Board of Officers at large and the President of the Congress, and finally approved by the Executive Board of Officers.
  5. The President of the Congress and the Treasurer shall propose a congress budget to the Executive Board of Officers for approval.

ART. 14 Dissolution and Liquidation
  1. The Executive Board of Officers may propose that the WVC be dissolved. The decision about dissolution must be made by ¾ of the votes of a special General Assembly Meeting.
  2. In case of voluntary or forced liquidation, the General Assembly shall decide, after settling the debts how any remaining assets of the WVC may be utilised or distributed. 
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