VAA Whitepaper - Open Membership

Virginia Auctioneers Association

WHITEPAPER – Open Membership- click this link for the Whitepaper

Following discussions at our January convention, the VAA Board of Directors, in collaboration with past presidents, has prepared the following whitepaper on potentially expanding our membership to include non-licensed Virginia Auction Professionals. This document outlines the purpose, objectives, and potential impacts of this significant change. We urge you to review it carefully and share your feedback and questions. Your input is crucial as we consider this important evolution of our association.

Understanding the VAA Membership Change Process

Currently, the VAA's Articles of Incorporation restrict voting rights to Active Members only, defined as auctioneers licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia and residing within, or without, the State of Virginia and the United State of America. Specifically, the Articles state: "The bylaws may not provide for the right to vote which is vested solely in the Active Members of the corporation." This clause effectively prevents non-licensed auction professionals from being granted voting rights within the association.

To address this limitation and potentially allow non-licensed auction professionals in Virginia to become full voting members, there is a two-step process. First, there must be an amendment to the Articles of Incorporation. At the VAA annual business meeting in January, members will vote on removing the restrictive clause from the Articles.

If the vote to amend the Articles of Incorporation passes, the Board of Directors will then have the ability to revise membership restrictions within the bylaws, based on the directives in the following whitepaper. This change would allow for a more inclusive membership structure, reflecting the diverse range of professionals involved in the auction industry in Virginia.

Below is the proposed amendment, which will be up for a vote at the business meeting. 

Articles of Incorporation

Article V – Membership

The corporation is organized on a nonstock basis.  A class of membership in the corporation designated as “Active Members” shall be composed solely of auctioneers licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia and residing within, or without, the State of Virginia and the United State of America.  Other classes of membership in the corporation or non-auctioneers may be provided for the rights and limitations of rights of the various classes of members, qualifications of members, and the manner and conditions of election to, and termination of, membership.  However, the Bylaws may not provide for the right to vote which vested solely in the Active Members of the corporation.  (This last sentence would be removed to allow for the Bylaws to provide for classes of membership and voting rights.)

An amendment to the Articles of Incorporation requires a membership vote.  The vote to amend the Articles of Incorporation will take place at the annual membership business meeting on Saturday, January 25 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Williamsburg.

Article XIV – Amendment of Articles

These Articles of Incorporation may be amended by vote of two-thirds (2/3’s) of the Active Members entitled to vote who are present at any annual meeting, or at any special meeting of the membership called for that purpose. Written notice setting forth the proposed amendment shall be given to each Active Member entitled to vote at the proposed meeting not less than twenty-five (25) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting.

Once the Articles of Incorporation have been amended, the VAA Bylaws will then be amended to include non-licensed Virginia Auction Professionals as voting members.  The Bylaws will outline the criteria of how non-licensed Auction Professionals can vote and how they can hold a seat on the Board of Directors.

Here’s why this is so important:  The Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the current administration continue to review the oversight of licensure in the state of Virginia.  The Association has fought tirelessly to keep the licensure of Auctioneers in the state.  However, should the license be revoked, the Association would cease to exist in its current state due to the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws as there would be no such thing as a licensed auctioneer in the Commonwealth of Virginia.