Start A New Chapter

Be Part of the Solution

Start a new VOSH Chapter

• There are more than 7 billion people on our planet, and an estimated 2.5 billion of them suffer from the same health problem, regardless of their gender, age or ethnicity: vision impairment
• Whether moderate or severe, vision impairment can have far-reaching social and economic impacts on the lives of individuals, their families, and the communities they call home
• Poor vision is highest in developing countries with 90% residing in dire areas
  90% of world’s visually impaired lives in low-income settings
• As information from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows, 43 percent of vision impairment is caused by leaving correctable conditions like myopia, hyperopia or astigmatisms untreated.

Award of Provisional Status
Requirements:

1. Incorporation of the new provisional chapter under the name: “VOSH- name of the Chapter (e.g. a state or a region based on the location of where the chapter incorporated not based on the location of the people to be served)-Provisional Chapter” The name can be changed by amendment with the Secretary of State after the Chapter is granted Permanent of Fully Accredited Status.  Corporate name change can usually be accomplished by a short filing with the Secretary of State and costs about $25 – $50 – The inclusion of the term “Provisional” eliminates any possibility of a Provisional Chapter being mistaken or presenting itself as a fully accredited Chapter
2. A minimum of five initial members, one of whom must be a licensed optometrist
3. A set of fully developed by-laws, in addition to the Articles of Incorporation
4. Proof of an I.R.S. Taxpayer Identification Number issued to the organization.
5. Presentment to VI of a slate of serving Board of Directors (at lest three) and Officers (Pres, Vice Pres, Sec, Treasurer)
6. A written statement of anticipated activities (general) and a fully developed statement of one anticipated mission or particular project – this mission or project may be conducted by the provisional chapter, with advisory presence from another existing fully accredited chapter or in cooperation with another fully accredited chapter)
7. Presentment to VI of evidence of a functioning bank account for the organization (amount of balance not important)
8. Payment to VI of the Chapter’s annual dues as specified in the VOSH International bylaws.

Award of Full Accredited Status

1. Passage of one year’s time from award of Provisional Status
2. Submission of evidence that the corporation is still legally active.  This can be accomplished by submission of a Certificate of Continued Existence or similarly named document from the Secretary of State, obtained for a very nominal fee or print out from a web check of state corporate records on the Secretary of State’s website.
3. Written statement showing present serving officers, directors and members (including at least one licensed optometrist) and copy of current bank statement.
4. Report from an existing VOSH chapter concerning the execution and success of the first year’s mission based on personal observations from members of that Chapter who participated in or observed or personally verified the mission or project.

Processing Responsibility

The decision as to granting of provisional and fully accredited status to be made by the V/I Executive Board, all original paper work for Provisional Status and Full Accredited Status to be submitted to and vetted by the Admission Administrator.

VOSH/International provides a forum, a source of expertise and an infrastructure for humanitarian networking.  Here are some of the services VOSH/International provides its chapters:

• Our website is here to serve the chapters — it unifies regional, state and school chapters by providing past and future clinic listings and dates, photos, listings of chapters and leaders, Annual Meeting information, resources, advice, news, programs, TTP and VOSH Corps information, Mission Guidelines, links and grant Information, a message board and much more.
• The website helps to increase chapter membership by matching inquiries with local chapters without charging the applicant.
• V/I has developed and continues to support sustainable clinics on foreign optometry campuses in Peru, Nicaragua and Mexico where students can provide affordable care to local patients while improving their optometric skills. Chapters are encouraged to take advantage of these clinic sites to promote sustainibility.
• We have developed and maintained the successful Technology Transfer Program (TTP), which recycles and distributes optometric equipment to clinics and optometry schools in developing countries. If a chapter would like to partner with or help a clinic or school, simply inquire  of us and we will work with you.
• We recognize the accomplishments of VOSH chapter members through the Franklin Harmes Society which recognizes VOSH members who have completed more than 10 missions.
• We invite all chapter members to become a VOSH Fellow, through the prestigious VOSH Fellowship Program (FVI), designed to encourage the acquisition of knowledge, skills and experience necessary to meet the global challenge of eliminating preventable blindness, and to foster the development of future leaders prepared to carry on the mission of VOSH/International.
• We coordinate and assess applicants for the new VOSH CORPS program, which will provide US-trained optometry professors in VOSH sustainable clinics and new optometry schools.
• We provide a link to Student-VOSH Chapters, oordinate SVOSH with VOSH chapters and provide a link to AOSA.
• We obtain booth space at industry meetings in order to represent VOSH and its chapters. We encourage all chapters to host a booth at any vision expo and are happy to provide the chapters with booth displays and banners and other materials to assist you in representing your VOSH chapter and/or V/I at industry meetings.
• We provide a dedicated and knowledgeable volunteer Board of Directors and support staff.
• We provide each chapter a custom logo.
• We serve as a chapter liaison with the AOA, Optometry Giving Sight, WCO, IPAB, VISION 2020, IMEC, LIONS, ROTARY, SEE, HKW, RAM, UNESCO.
• We pay membership dues providing access in World Council of Optometry and the International Agency for the Prevention For Blindness
• We inform and educate VOSH members through the Annual Meeting, monthly chapter phone conferences, the annual report, clinic data, the website, email. We are open and respond quickly to most questions and inquiries.
• VOSH chapters can exchange ideas and seek help through an active message board and blog.
• We recruit and refer members, chapters and clinics.
• We publicize and promote VOSH chapters through newsletters, websites, trade show exhibit assistance, media assistance, Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

VOSH/International Constitution (Amended Feb 2, 2016)

VOSH/International Bylaws (Amended March 13, 2013)