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These bylaws are current as of January 2017.

Article I – Name 

The name of the association shall be the Military Audiology Association (hereinafter referred to as MAA).

Article II – Purpose 

The purposes of the association shall be to:

1. Advance the profession of audiology within the Department of Defense (DoD) by dissemination of knowledge and information.

2. Promote quality hearing health care and protect and maintain the hearing sensitivity of those exposed to hazardous levels of noise.

3. Bring audiologists and other allied professionals into our organization to further professional growth and social networks.

4. Establish and maintain cooperation among medical, biological, engineering and other sciences associated with the profession of audiology.

Article III – Membership 

1. Regular Member. All DoD civilian or military audiologists are automatically members through their association with the DoD.

2. Associate Member. Any DoD civilian or military professional working in a related discipline with interest in the purposes set forth by this Association.

3. Emeritus Members. All retired DoD civilian or military audiologists are automatically an Emeritus Member upon retirement.

4. Student Members. Any student enrolled in an Audiology Doctoral University Program with interest in the purposes set forth by this Association.

5. There are no application or dues requirements for membership. Conferences held by the MAA to promote professional growth will have associated registration fees which members must pay to attend. Fees charged may vary with membership status.

6. Audiology Service Consultants will maintain a roster of all military and civilian DoD audiologists and information will be disseminated to membership through these channels.

7. Regular and Emeritus Members as described above will have voting privileges and can nominate other members for awards.

Article IV – Officers 

The elected officers of MAA, hereinafter referred to as the Executive Board, shall consist of the following:

1. President

2. Vice President

3. Secretary

4. Member At-Large

5. Past President (Non-Voting)

Representation on the Executive Board shall consist of at least one member from the Air Force, Army, and Navy, with a fourth member drawn from any service every fourth year.

Article V – Duties of Officers 

The President shall preside at all meetings of MAA and shall act as a member of the Executive Council. He/she shall preside at the annual MAA business meeting and will include the Executive Board when decisions are needed that significantly impact organization purposes or budget. For the annual MAA awards, the President will draft a letter soliciting award nominations to the respective services. The President will serve as liaison with other organizations, to include ASHA, AAA, NHCA, ADA, AVAA or other related organizations when issues of concern require collaboration.

For the Joint Defense Veterans’ Audiology Association (JDVAA), the President will serve as co-chair of the Joint Defense Veterans’ Audiology Conference (JDVAC) Executive Committee with the past-president of the Association of Veterans’ Administration Audiologists (AVAA). As the Executive Committee co-chair, the President will oversee JDVAC conference details with respect to speakers, events, agenda, budget, etc. and can choose to draw from the membership to form ad hoc committees to assist with conference planning. When professional conference planners are used, the President will serve as the MAA liaison.

The Vice President shall perform duties of the President during his/her absence if he/she is disabled during the term or until a successor is chosen. The Vice President shall be familiar with the duties of the President and perform such duties as may be duly assigned by the President.

The Vice President will serve on the JDVAA Education Committee as the JDVAC Exhibitor co-chair and will oversee exhibitor participation, including registration, exhibit hall floor design, exhibitor-sponsored events, and serve in general as the conference liaison to participating vendors. The Vice President will be the lead chair, with the MAA Secretary serving as the supporting co-chair.

The Secretary shall be responsible for recording the minutes of the annual MAA business meeting and the monthly MAA Executive Council meetings. S/he will notify membership of the time and place of meetings and/or conferences through the Audiology Service Consultants and/or service liaisons. The Secretary will be responsible for answering the Mailbag on the MAA website throughout his/her tenure, and is responsible for providing the Communications Director with web page updates such as election results, awards, and conference information. The Secretary will ensure the Treasurer is provided with copies of all MAA board meeting minutes for tax purposes. Additionally, the Secretary will serve on the JDVAA Education Committee as the Exhibitor co-chair for JDVAC.

The Member At-Large will participate in all MAA Executive Council meetings and serve as the primary coordinator/point of contact for any the MAA social gatherings or proposed banquets at JDVAC. The member at-large will also serve on the JDVAA Education Committee, specifically (but not limited to) the subcommittee for JDVAC Field Presentations, and perform any other duties assigned by the President.

The Past President will serve as the MAA Historian and maintain such items as photo albums, plaques, and non-current files to be passed along each year. He/she shall provide direct mentorship to the incoming President. He/she will also serve as advisor to the Executive Council on issues of importance to the members for the year

following his/her year as President. The Past President will also serve on the Executive Council of the JDVAA.

Article VI – Elections 

1. The three services will rotate each year and provide an individual elected from within their respective services to assume the role of the Member-At-Large (MAL). Every fourth year, the MAL will be nominated from any service with a vote by the entire membership body. Officers will rotate in successive years through the various offices from MAL to Secretary, Vice President, President, and Past President, respectively.

2. Members attending the annual meeting shall be entitled to vote in the election of new officers or the Executive Board may elect to conduct a vote by e-mail.

3. The elected officers shall serve in the respective offices from 1 June to 31 May of the following year.

Article VII – Council 

Members of the Executive Council shall be the five elected officers of the Executive Board, the Treasurer and the Communications Director. The positions of Past President, Treasurer, and Communications Director will not have voting privileges on the Executive Council.

Article VIII – Treasurer 

The Treasurer shall be appointed by the Executive Board, may be from any of the services (Active Duty or DoD Civilian), and shall serve at the discretion of the Board for an indefinite period of time. The Executive Board can choose to have these duties performed by organizations which offer these services for a fee. The duties of the Treasurer shall include (but are not limited to) the following:

1. He/she will maintain the MAA checking account.

2. He/She shall pay all monies necessary for expenditures that result from doing MAA business. Approval from the Executive Board shall be required for any expenditure in excess of fifty dollars. At each annual business meeting, he/she shall provide a report on all expenditures and the upcoming year’s proposed budget.

3. He/she shall prepare the annual tax statement and submit to the Executive Board for review and approval. Upon approval, s/he will send forms to the IRS.

4. He/she will coordinate the purchase of the annual/retirement awards and schedule delivery at JDVAC.

Article IX – Communications Director 

The Communications Director shall be appointed by the Executive Board. The Member may be from any of the services (Active Duty or DoD Civilian) and shall serve at the discretion of the Board for an indefinite period of time. He/she will create and/or manage MAA social media sites and website content, as well as promote future technology applications. He/she will push important updates and necessary information to the membership as instructed by the Executive Council.

Article X – CAOHC Representation 

Two members shall represent the MAA at the Executive Council meetings of the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC). Representatives shall be no less senior than the rank of Major/Lieutenant Commander (O-4) for Active Duty or GS-12 for DoD Civilian. They shall be appointed by the MAA Executive Council for a period of five (5) years unless tenure is extended by the council to a maximum of ten years.

Article XI – Meetings 

1. The annual membership business meeting shall be at a time and place designated by the Executive Board. The Secretary shall ensure that the Audiology Service Consultants are provided with information regarding the annual business meeting. Annual meetings may occur at the Joint Defense/Veterans Audiology Conference (JDVAC).

2. Monthly meetings of the Executive Board or Executive Council shall be initiated by the President. Action may be taken by telephone conference, mail, or e- mail ballot.

3. The quorum for the Executive Council and annual business (membership) meeting shall be a simple majority of its voting members.

Article XII – Committees 

The Executive Board shall appoint ad-hoc committees as needed.

Article XIII – Funding and Fiscal Year 

1. Funds may be raised by conference fees to be determined and set by the Executive Board, fundraising activities, or in any other manner approved by the Executive Board. Funds may be appropriated by the Executive Board to defray the expenses of MAA.

2. The Fiscal Year shall coincide with the tax year cycle. The Executive Board shall, within 30 days of the annual general membership meeting, adopt an income and expense budget covering all activities for the next fiscal year.

Article XIV – Amendments 

Amendments to these by-laws may be proposed by the Executive Council or any individual members. When proposed by an individual member, it shall first be sent to the Executive Board. The membership shall be notified of the proposed changes during a membership business meeting or by e-mail. Upon proposal by the Executive Board and after discussion at the membership meeting or discussion by e-mail, these by-laws may be amended or repealed, in whole or in part, by mail ballot, e-mail ballot, or voice vote during a membership meeting. Final decisions regarding amendments to these by-laws will be determined by a simple majority of votes received.

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Who can Benefit? Any Military Retiree or Family Member of a Military Retiree may take advantage of this opportunity.

How to Buy: Purchases may be made directly with Williams Sound Corp.’s headquarters by calling, faxing, mailing, or, e-mailing your order. Please see below for contact information. This is also available on your order form.

What is an Assistive Listening Device? An ALD is a device designed to pick up sounds from the sound source (or what you want to hear) and bring it directly to your ear. This eliminates the need to struggle to hear in various situational settings. ALDs can provide a cost effective solution for those with temporary or permanent hearing loss depending upon the type and severity of loss. An ALD can also provide situational relief for hearing loss allowing the isolation often associated with hearing impairment to become a thing of the past.

The two product descriptions below outline a few of the many opportunities and possible applications that our wide variety of ALDs can provide:
The SoundPlus TV Listening System allows users to listen to the TV or stereo at a comfortable volume without disturbing others. This innovative system provides for relaxed at home television viewing or can be used for television/stereo listening on base where a quiet environment may be imperative. Williams Sound also has large area infrared listening systems that can be used for movie viewing–accommodating an unlimited number of users. Infrared offers NO interference to RF equipment!

The Pocketalker personal amplifier is a small simple to use product designed to help individuals hear more clearly in one on one situations, at the dinner table, in the car, at a restaurant, playing cards etc. Ideal for use in doctor/patient interviews, this simple amplifier allows for comfortable private communication. In the field immediate communication can be provided to those returning from combat, with temporary or permanent hearing loss, allowing contact and communication to be provided in critical situations.

Our team at Williams Sound would be happy to discuss your needs at length and tell you more about the variety of products we offer. You can reach a RALD customer service agent toll free at 1-800-843-3544. We look forward to hearing from you soon and improving the qualify of life for our military service members and their families!

Contact information:

Williams Sound Corp
10300 Valley View Rd
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
Phone: 800-328-6190 ext. 748, or 952-224-7748
Fax: 952-943-2252

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In July 1942, Betsy was selected for the first class of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps and served during the war in the Army Air Forces in the South Pacific Theater where she acquired her high interest in aviation. Following the war she briefly resumed her work at Johns Hopkins before returning to active duty in 1947 with the idea of applying her interest in hearing problems to her war-time acquired interest in flight. She worked in the School of Aviation Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology in San Antonio, Texas for five years as an enthusiastic teacher and investigator of biomedical problems of Air Force flight crews.

In 1952, Betsy came to the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, where she spent the next 15 years concentration on investigations into operational noise and voice communication problems. As Chief of Biological Acoustics, she contributed immensely to the development of adequate ear protection and voice communications systems, studies of individual and community response to noise, of the sonic boom and of rocket noise. Few individuals have personally experienced the first-hand knowledge of so many different noise environments to determine their impact on performance and safety.

Betsy earned the rank of Lt. Colonel while assigned to the laboratory where her outstanding efforts in solving noise and communication problems for flight and ground personnel became legend throughout the Air Force. She personally pioneered hearing conservation before before it was accepted policy by the Armed Services, government, or industry. She was often sought out to provide extensive consultation to other factions within Department of Defense, FAA, NASA, national and international standards, as well as academia and industry. In 1966, Betsy was elected a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America for her unique achievements.

Betsy’s courage and dedication were exemplified by innumerable events, many involving very high personal risk, that include her voluntary participation in test flights of new aircraft, as a subject exposed to noise levels above 150 dB that were limited by non-auditory effects, and to sonic booms from supersonic aircraft flying a mere 100 feet over head.

Unique achievements of Elizabeth Guild

• the first woman to fly at supersonic speed
• the first person to measure aerodynamic noise at supersonic speeds
• the first to fly in the tail position of the new B-52 bomber
• the only woman decorated with the Air Medal for her courageous achievements

Organizational Involvement of LtCol Guild

• Acoustical Society of America
• The American Industrial Hygiene Association
• National and International standards organizations
• National Academy of Sciences
• National Research Council Committee on Hearing, Bioacoustic, and Biomechanics
• Aerospace Medical Association

She was always active, critically constructive and helpful on all projects targeted to combating noise and its adverse effects on people.

In less than three decades, Betsy’s pioneering efforts pointed out many existing and potential problems of aviation acoustics and noise that have finally become generally, if not universally, recognized and gained national and international significance. This is an important part of her legacy to the acousticians, pilots, maintenance personnel on the flight lines, communities near airports, and all other elements of aerospace operations, both civilian and military, both in the US and abroad.

LtCol Elizabeth Guild retired from the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB in 1967. On 2 October 1971, Betsy died after a long illness.

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