ARTICLE I
NAME
The name of the organization shall be Music Therapy Association of Minnesota.

ARTICLE II
VISION
1. To advance clinical and professional skill sets of music therapists
2. To help the community understand and value qualified and Board-Certified Music Therapists
3. To create a culture of openness to collaboration with other non-music therapy professionals and organizations
MISSION
The Music Therapy Association of Minnesota, a 501(c)3 organization, strives to enhance quality music therapy services in the state of Minnesota through providing engaging and relevant education opportunities to members and the public, supporting the professional community, advocating for professional recognition, and fostering community partnerships.

ARTICLE III
LOCATION
The principal office of the Music Therapy Association of Minnesota, at which the
general business of the organization will be transacted, shall be at such location
in the metropolitan area of Minneapolis-St. Paul, State of Minnesota, as may be
fixed from time to time by the Executive Board. The records of the organization
will be kept by the officers of the Executive Board.

ARTICLE IV
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1.
Membership in the association shall be of five classes: active, associate, student,
affiliate organization, and honorary life.
Section 2.
Membership privileges and annual dues shall be as specified in the
bylaws and/or as determined by the Executive Board.
Section 3.
Professional membership shall be open to Board-Certified Music Therapists. Such membership shall provide the privileges of participation in the activities of the association, the right to vote, to hold office, and to receive the password for the “members only” section of the website.
Section 4.
Associate membership shall be open to persons not engaged in the professional use
of music therapy who wish to support the association. These members may include physicians, psychologists, administrators, educators, or other interested professionals. Associate member privileges are the right to participate in the activities of the association, and the right to receive the password for the “members only” section of the website. They may not vote or hold office.
Section 5.
Student membership shall be open to persons enrolled in universities, colleges, or
high schools, and to persons currently completing music therapy internships.
Student member privileges are the right to participate in the activities of the
association and the right to receive the “members only” section of the website. Student members may not vote or hold office.
Section 6.
Affiliate Organization membership shall be open to any organization
interested in supporting the Music Therapy Association of Minnesota.
Rights and privileges of the designate of an organization shall be the same as those
for associate members.
Section 7.
Honorary Life membership may be conferred upon any person in recognition of
distinguished service in the field of music therapy. Such election shall be made by
the Executive Board. Honorary Life members who qualify for Active membership
shall have all the rights and privileges of such membership without the payment of
annual dues. Honorary Life membership shall not be conferred upon more than one
person in any one fiscal year.
Section 8.
Meetings of the association may be held monthly or bimonthly, at the discretion of the executive board. An annual membership meeting shall be held at a time and location to be determined by the Executive Board, which shall provide this information to the membership on a timely basis.
Section 9.
A special meeting may be called by the President or be requested by other officers
of the association. A special meeting may also be called by the President upon the
request of at least four members of the association.
Section 10.
The quorum for Executive Board meeting shall consist of the president plus one other elected officer and at least an additional twenty-five percent of executive board members. The quorum for business meeting shall consist of the president plus one other elected officer and at least an additional twenty-five percent of the active membership in the association.

ARTICLE V
DUES
Section 1.
-Annual dues for all members, except students, shall be twenty-five dollars.
-Student dues will be twelve dollars. The Executive Board may choose to discount
student dues once during any fiscal year.
Section 2.
The membership shall coincide with the fiscal year and shall be from January 1
December 31.
Section 3.
Persons who have forfeited rights of membership because of non-payment of dues
shall be reinstated by the payment of dues of the current period.

ARTICLE VI
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Elected board members may vote on decisions at board meetings, non-elected board, appointed board members may vote on scholarships and grants at meetings
Section 1.
The Executive Board shall consist of the Association officers as designated in Article VII, Appointed Representatives as designated in Article VIII, and a minimum of one Member-at-Large.
Section 2.
The Executive Board shall function as a steering committee to plan the general
goals and directions of the Association.
Section 3.
The Executive Board shall meet at the beginning of the fiscal year to clarify areas of their responsibility for the current year.

ARTICLE VII
OFFICERS
Section 1.
Duties
a. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and appoint, with approval of the other officers, all appointive officers and all committees deemed necessary by the officers or the members of the Association. The President will act as the chairperson to coordinate various scholarships given to Association members. The President will serve as State Representative during their term of office.
b. The President-Elect shall succeed to the Presidency in the case of
disability or resignation of the President. The President-Elect shall
succeed to the Presidency the year following the term of the
President-Elect. The President-Elect will act as the chair person for the internship stipend.
c. The Vice-President shall carry out any duties assigned by the President, and shall serve as Continuing Education Director.
d. The Secretary shall keep minutes of all meetings and perform
duties as assigned by the President.
e. The Treasurer shall pay all bills of the Association, present a
financial report to members of the Association at all business
meetings, and submit a yearly summary report to the newsletter.
f. The Past President will serve as primary chairperson for the Nominating Committee.
g. The Public Relations Representative shall track all public relations efforts by the Association’s members on an on-going basis, regularly update and communicate with Association members, and solicit and gather suitable information from the Association to post to social media pages.
Section 2.
Terms of Office
a. The Officers of the Association shall be elected for a term
of two years, with the option of running as an incumbent for the
following year.
b. Term of office shall begin in conjunction with the fiscal year with a
one-month transition period.
c. In the event an elected officer resigns before the end of the term,
the President shall appoint an alternate to complete the remainder
of the term with the approval of the other officers.
Section 3.
Officers, upon retiring from office, shall arrange to confer with their successors to
clarify policies, procedures, and responsibilities and shall deliver to their successors all records, papers, and other property belonging to the association.

ARTICLE VIII
DUTIES OF REPRESENTATIVES
Section 1.
Duties of the State Representative
a. The State Representative shall serve as a liaison between GLR
members of the state and Regional Executive Committee.
b. The State Representative shall assist in conducting the GLR
business and inform association members of such regional business.
c. The State Representative shall carry out any duties assigned to him/
her by the GLR President and the Executive committee.
d. The State Representative shall attend the Regional Conference and
the AMTA annual convention.
Section 2.
Duties of the State Editor
a. The Executive Board shall appoint a State Editor for the state
newsletter publication.
b. The State Editor shall solicit and gather suitable information
from association members for submission to the state
newsletter publication as determined by the Executive Board.
c. The State Editor shall edit and distribute in proper format
appropriate information of the association to the membership
on a biannual basis as determined by the MTAM timetable.
Section 3.
Duties of the State Webmaster
a.) The Executive Board shall select a State Webmaster for the state website.
b.) The State Webmaster shall solicit and gather suitable information from
association members for submission to the state website as determined by
the Executive Board.
c.) The State Webmaster shall maintain the state website, ensuring that all
information on the site is current and pertinent.
Section 4.
Duties of the Member(s) At Large
a. The Executive Board shall appoint a minimum of one Member at Large.
b. The Member(s) at Large shall serve to represent the opinions and concerns of the general membership.
Section 5.
Duties of the Government Relations Representative
a. The Executive Board shall appoint a Government Relations Representative.
b. The Government Relations Representative shall monitor and report to the Executive Board any state and federal policies pertaining to music therapy.
c. The Government Relations Representative may form a committee comprised of volunteer members of the Association.
Section 6.
Duties of the Reimbursement Representative
a. The Executive Board shall appoint a Reimbursement Representative.
b. The Reimbursement Representative shall assist Association members in issues pertaining to reimbursement for music therapy services.
c. The Reimbursement Representative may form a committee comprised of volunteer members of the Association
Section 7.
Duties of the Clinical Training Representative
a. The Executive Board shall appoint a Clinical Training Representative.
b. The Clinical Training Representative shall assist Association members in developing and maintaining AMTA National Roster internship sites and provide support to clinical supervisors.
c. The Clinical Training Representative may form a committee comprised of volunteer members of the Association
Section 8.
Transition
Appointed Representatives, upon retiring office, shall arrange to confer with their successors to clarify policies and procedures and responsibilities and shall deliver to their successors all records, papers, and other property belonging to the association.
Section 9.
Terms of Office
Appointive chairperson and committee members shall serve a two-year term concurrent with that of the elective officers, with the option of additional terms if reappointed by the president of the Executive Board.
Section 10.
Vacancies
If a representative’s office becomes vacant before a scheduled election, the Executive Board shall appoint an alternate for the remainder of the term.
ARTICLE IX
NOMINATION PROCEDURES
Section 1.
a. A Nominating Committee of three to five active members shall be
appointed by the Past President, with the approval of the Executive Board in the summer of the odd year.
b. If Past President is not available, the President shall designate another
member of the Executive Board as chairperson for the Nominating
Committee.
c. The Nominating Committee shall present to the Executive Board and
the membership a slate for each elective office.
d. Additional nominations may be made directly to the nominating
committee at any time prior to completion of the ballot.
Section 2.
Candidate Eligibility
Nominees must be Board-Certified Music Therapists and active members of MTAM.
Section 3.
Elections
a. An election shall be held by or at the Fall meeting.
b. Ballots shall be distributed by the Executive Board to the active members of the Association at least four weeks prior to the Fall meeting date.
c. The ballots shall contain the slate of nominees and space for written candidates for each elective office.
d. Ballots must be returned by the date indicated on the ballot.
e. Candidates will be elected by a majority of those who respond.
f. Announcement of newly elected officers shall be made at the Fall
meeting and the following newsletter.
g. The President shall appoint a non-partisan member to count the
ballots at the Fall meeting.
h. In the event of a tie vote, ballots will be redistributed to the
membership for a re-vote.
ARTICLE X
FISCAL MANAGEMENT
Section 1.
Fiscal Year.
The fiscal year of Music Therapy Association of Minnesota shall begin on the first
day of January in each year.
Section 2.
Books and Accounts.
Books and accounts of Music Therapy Association of Minnesota shall be kept
under the direction of the Treasurer of Music Therapy Association of Minnesota.
Section 3.
Execution of Music Therapy Association of Minnesota’s Documents.
The Executive Board may authorize any Officer or Officer’s agent or agents to
enter into any contract or to execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and
on behalf of Music Therapy Association of Minnesota. Such authority may be
general or confined to specific instances. These authorizations are in addition to
those authorized by these bylaws.
Section 4.
Loans.
No loans shall be contracted on behalf of Music Therapy Association of Minnesota
nor shall evidences of indebtedness be issued in its name unless authorized by
resolution of the Executive Board. Such authority shall be general or confined to
specific instances.
Section 5.
Deposits.
All funds of Music Therapy Association of Minnesota not otherwise employed
shall be deposited in a timely manner to the credit of Music Therapy Association of Minnesota in such bank or banks or other depositories as the Executive Board may elect.
Section 6.
Conflict of Interest.
The purpose of the conflict of interest policy is to protect this tax-exempt
organization’s (Organization) interest when it is contemplating entering into a
transaction or arrangement that might benefit the private interest of an Officer or
Director of the Organization or might result in a possible excess benefit
transaction. This policy is intended to supplement but not replace any applicable
state and federal laws governing conflict of interest applicable to nonprofit and
charitable organizations.
a) Definitions.
An interested person, for purposes of this conflict of
interest policy is any director, principal officer, or member of a
committee with governing board delegated powers, who has a direct
or indirect financial interest, as defined below:
1) A person has a financial interest if the person has, directly
or indirectly, through business, investment, or family:
a. An ownership or investment interest in any entity
with which the Organization has a transaction or
arrangement,
b. A compensation arrangement with the Organization
or with any entity or individual with which the
Organization has a transaction or arrangement, or
c. A potential ownership or investment interest in, or
compensation arrangement with, any entity or
individual with which the Organization is negotiating a
transaction or arrangement.
Compensation includes direct and indirect remuneration as well as gifts or favor that are not insubstantial. The fact that one of the interests described above hasoccurred does not necessarily mean that a conflict exists, or that the conflict, if itexists, is material enough to be of practical importance, or if material, that upon
full disclosure of all relevant facts and circumstances that a conflict exists
precludes board action. As provided in Article IX, section 6, subsection (b), part
(2), the board shall determine whether a conflict exists. b) The Executive Board shall not enter into any contract or transaction with (a) one or more of its members, (b) a director of a related organization or (c) an organization in or of which a director of Music Therapy Association of Minnesota is a director, officer or legal
representative, or in some other way has a material financial interest unless:
1) Duty to Disclose
In connection with any actual or possible conflict of interest, an interested person
must disclose the existence of the financial interest and be given the opportunity to
disclose all material facts to the directors and members of committees with
governing board delegated powers considering the proposed transaction or
arrangement.
2) Determining Whether a Conflict of Interest Exists.
After disclosure of the financial interest and all material facts, and after any
discussion with the interested person, he/she shall leave the governing board or
committee meeting while the determination of a conflict of interest is discussed
and voted upon. The remaining board or committee members shall decide if a
conflict of interest exists.
3) Procedures for Addressing the Conflict of Interest
a. An interested person may make a presentation at the governing board or committee meeting, but after the presentation, he/she shall leave the meeting during the discussion of, and the vote on, the transaction or arrangement involving the possible conflict of interest.
b. If a more advantageous transaction or arrangement is not reasonably possible under circumstances not producing a conflict of interest, the governing board or committee shall determine by a majority vote of the disinterested directors whether the transaction or arrangement is in the Organization’s best interest, for its own benefit, and whether it is fair and reasonable. In conformity with the above determination it shall make its decision as to whether to enter into the transaction or arrangement.
4) Violations of the Conflicts of Interest Policy
a. If the governing board or committee has reasonable cause to believe a member has failed to disclose actual or possible conflicts of interest, it shall inform the member of the basis for such belief and afford the member an opportunity to explain the alleged failure to disclose.
b. If, after hearing the member’s response and after making further
investigation as warranted by the circumstances, the governing board or
committee determines the member has failed to disclose an actual or
possible conflict of interest, it shall take appropriate disciplinary and
corrective action. The interested Director may be present for discussion to
answer questions, but may not advocate for the action to be taken, cannot be
included to establish a quorum for the meeting, and must leave the room
while a vote is taken. The minutes of all actions taken on such matters shall
clearly reflect that these requirements have been met.
c) Compensation. This subsection shall govern when compensation
from this Organization is being determined.
1) A voting member of the governing board who receives compensation, directly or indirectly, from the Organization for services is precluded from voting on matters pertaining to that member’s compensation.
2) A voting member of any committee whose jurisdiction includes compensation matters and who receives compensation, directly or indirectly, from the Organization for services is precluded from voting on matters pertaining to that member’s compensation.
3) No voting member of the governing board or any committee whose jurisdiction includes compensation matters and who receives compensation, directly or indirectly, from the Organization, either individually or collectively, is prohibited from providing information to any committee regarding compensation.
Section 7.
Checks, Drafts, Etc.
All checks, drafts and other orders for payment of funds will be signed by such
Officers or such other persons as the Executive Board shall designate in its approved financial policies.
Section 8.
Indemnity.
Music Therapy Association of Minnesota shall indemnify and hold harmless any
Director, Officer, or employee from any suit, damage, claim, judgment or liability
arising out of, or asserted to arise out of conduct of such person in his or her
capacity as a Director, Officer, or employee except in cases involving willful
misconduct. Indemnification provided under this section shall comply with and
follow the requirements as provided by statute. Music Therapy
Association of Minnesota shall have the power to purchase or procure insurance
for such purposes.
Section 9.
Examination by Directors.
Every Director of Music Therapy Association of Minnesota shall have a right to
examine, in person or by agent or attorney, at any reasonable time or times, and at
the place or places where usually kept, all books and records of Music Therapy
Association of Minnesota and make extracts or copies there from.

ARTICLE XI
OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS
Section 1.
The official publications of the association shall be the newsletter, membership
directory, and state website.

ARTICLE XII
AMENDMENTS
Section 1.
The By-Laws may be amended at any association meeting by a two-thirds
vote of the active members present, the proposed amendments having been
submitted in writing to the membership at least four (4) weeks in advance of the
meeting.
Section 2.
The By-Laws may be amended by an email/mail vote solicited from the
total voting membership of the association, the amendments having been submitted
in writing to the membership at least four (4) weeks in advance of the voting
deadline. A two-thirds affirmative vote of those responding is necessary for
change, adoption, or repeal of an amendment.