of the
AMERICAN SOCIETY of
AEROSPACE MEDICINE SPECIALISTS
Name | Goals & objectives | Membership | Officers | Board of Governors | Committees | Meetings | Funds | Amendments
ARTICLE I
The name of
this organization shall be the American Society of Aerospace Medicine
Specialists. It is a Constituent
Association of the Aerospace Medical Association.
ARTICLE II
DEFINITION, GOAL, AND OBJECTIVES
A.
Definition: As used in this document, "aerospace medicine" is the area
of specialization in preventive medicine that is concerned with the
determination and maintenance of the health, safety, and performance of a
population group consisting of the operating crews and passengers of air and
space vehicles together with the support personnel ho are required to operate
such vehicles.
B.
Goal: To provide leadership in the science, policy and practice of the
specialty of aerospace medicine in North America.
C.
Objectives:
(1)
To establish standards for the specialty of Aerospace Medicine, including but
not limited to, the development of core-competencies for residents in Aerospace
Medicine and practice guidelines for Aerospace Medicine practitioners.
(2)
To represent and promote the interests of physicians who specialize in aerospace
medicine.
(3)
To promote and preserve the highest professional standards of care among
practitioners of aerospace medicine.
(4)
Strive to interest young physicians in the specialty of aerospace medicine.
(5)
Strive to increase the value of the specialty of aerospace medicine to
prospective employers.
ARTICLE
III
MEMBERSHIP
There shall
be the following categories of membership as defined by the
By-Laws: (1) Member,
(2) Associate Member, (3) Honorary Member, and (4) Student/Resident Member.
ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS
The officers of the Society shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary
and Treasurer.
ARTICLE V
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
There shall be a Board of Governors of the Society as defined in the By-Laws.
ARTICLE VI
COMMITTEES
(1)
Membership
(2)
Constitution and By-Laws
(3)
Aerospace Medicine Practice Standards and Competencies
(4)
Society Newsletter
(5)
Nominating
B. Other committees of the Society may be established as provided by the By-Laws
or determined by the Board of Governors.
ARTICLE VII
MEETINGS
The Society
shall meet in conjunction with the parent organization, the Aerospace Medical
Association, at least once annually. Special
meetings of the Society may be called at any time by the Board of Governors as
described in the By-Laws.
ARTICLE VIII
FUNDS
Funds shall consist of the annual dues and fees received by the Society and such
income as may be derived from 'interest, bequests, donations, or other sources.
ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENTS
A. The Constitution may be amended at any annual meeting of the Society by two-thirds (2/3) vote of accredited voting Members present at such meeting, provided that the proposed amendments shall have been sent in writing to the Members at least thirty (30) days prior to the annual meeting. Amendments may be proposed by the Board of Governors on its own initiatives provided such amendments have been approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board of Governors. Amendments may also be proposed upon the petition of any twenty-five (25) members and addressed to the Board of Governors. All such amendments shall be presented by the Board of Governors to the membership, with or without recommendation, for a decision.
B. This constitution may also be amended by mailed ballot. Ballots shall be mailed to all voting Members at least sixty (60) days prior to the effective date of the proposed amendment. For adopting, it is required that a two-thirds (2/3) majority of responding ballots approve the amendment provided at least thirty five (35) ballots are returned.
Membership | Officers | Board of Governors | Nominations & Elections | Committees | Meetings | Dues
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ARTICLE I
MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1.
Essential Qualifications for Membership.
A. General Criteria for Membership. Except
as specifically provided elsewhere in these bylaws, all members of the Society
must comply with the following criteria:
(1)
Satisfactory moral and ethical standing in the medical profession.
(2)
Receipt of the degree of doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathic medicine
from a medical school located in the United States or Canada (or equivalent
credentials, acceptable to the Membership Committee, from a foreign medical
school).
(3)
Completion of an internship or PGY- I residency of no less than one (1) year's
duration.
(4)
All members shall be members in good standing of the Aerospace Medical
Association.
(5)
Payment of dues in accordance with Article VII of these bylaws.
B. The Membership Committee will pass on the qualification of each applicant for
membership.
A. There shall be the following Categories and rights of membership as defined
by the By-Laws:
(1)
Member. In addition to those requirements set forth in Article I, Section 1, of
these bylaws a Member shall:
(i) Possess a high level of expertise in aerospace medicine as evidenced
by certification in aerospace medicine from the American Board of Preventive
Medicine or the American Osteopathic Board of Preventive Medicine.
(ii) Have an intense interest in aerospace medicine.
(iii) Have the right to attend, participate in discussion and vote at all
membership meetings; to attend all meetings of the Board of Governors and
committees of the Society; to serve, as set forth in these By-Laws, as a
governor or officer of the Society; and to receive the Society Newsletter.
(2)
Associate Member. In addition to
those requirements set forth in Article 1, Section I of these bylaws, an
associate member shall:
(i)
Have an interest in aerospace medicine.
(ii)
Have the right to attend and participate in discussions at all membership
meetings; to attend all meetings of the Board of Governors and committees of the
Society; and to receive the Society Newsletter.
(3)
Honorary Member.
(i)
Anyone who has attained a position of leadership in the field of aerospace
medicine and has made an outstanding contribution thereto shall be eligible to
be elected to honorary membership by the Board of Governors.
(ii)
Honorary members shall have the right to attend and participate in discussions
at all membership meetings, to attend all meetings of the Board of Governors and
committees of the Society; and to receive the Society Newsletter.
(4)
Student/Resident Member.
(i)
Any medical student, intern, resident with an interest in aerospace medicine
shall be eligible to apply to be a student/resident member.
(ii)
Have the right to attend and participate in discussions at all membership
meetings; to attend all meetings of the Board of Governors and committees of the
Society; and to receive the Society Newsletter.
B. The Membership Committee will insure that members are placed in the
appropriate category of membership.
ARTICLE II
SECTION 1. Elected Officers.
A. The officers elected by the Members shall be a President, Vice-President,
Secretary and Treasurer.
B. The officers shall take office at the conclusion of the annual meeting at which elected and shall be responsible for the affairs of the Society during the ensuing year and for the conduct of the succeeding annual meeting.
C. The term of office for the President and Vice-President each shall be for a
period of one (1) year. The terms
of office for the Secretary and Treasurer shall be for a period of two (2)
years.
D. The officers shall be elected from among the Members of the Society by majority vote of the Members voting at the annual meeting.
SECTION 2. President
The President
shall direct the activities of the Society and preside over the annual meeting,
shall appoint all committee chairpersons, shall be an ex officio member of all committees, shall be ineligible for
self-succession for five (5) years, and shall be limited to a one (1) year term
of office except in the special circumstance where the president elect has taken
the office early to fill a vacancy in the presidency, in which case, the term of
office may be up to two (2) years.
The
Vice-President shall succeed to the, office and to all the privileges and duties
of the
President
including the President's tenure on the Board of Governors, in the event of the
permanent inability of the President to function for any reason during the
President's term of office. The
Vice-President shall act as President during the temporary absence of the
President, and the term of office shall be one (1) year, after which the
Vice-President shall succeed to the office of President.
SECTION 4. Secretary
The Secretary
shall keep the minutes of the annual meeting and of all other meetings of the
Society
and be responsible for all correspondence of the Society including notification
of members of all meetings. The
Secretary shall be responsible for the publication of all material which may be
published by the Society. The
Secretary will maintain an up-to-date roster of membership, together with
addresses of members. The term of
office shall be two (2) years.
SECTION 5. Treasurer
A. The
Treasurer shall be responsible for the financial affairs of the Society and
shall collect all moneys for the Society and make all authorized disbursements
in its behalf. The Treasurer shall
prepare an annual financial report to be presented at the annual meeting.
The Treasurer or the Secretary may sign checks disbursing Society funds.
The Treasurer's term of office shall be two (2) years.
B. Election
of the Secretary and Treasurer shall be accomplished in alternating years so as
to insure continuity of the administrative and financial matters of the Society.
C. Should,
for any reason, the Secretary and/or Treasurer not be able to fulfill the
responsibilities of their respective office, the President may appoint
replacements to fill the unexpired term.
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
A. The interim governing body of the Society shall be a Board of Governors which
shall consist of the officers listed in Article 11, the Chairperson of all
standing committees, and three (3) at large members elected by the membership.
Each year one (1) member shall be elected to serve as a Board of Governor
for a three (3) year term.
B. In
addition, each Aerospace Medicine Residency Program, accredited by the
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, may appoint one
representative to the Board of Governors. The
Program Directors for each aerospace medicine residency program will be
requested to establish a procedure for the selection of one (1) ASAMS Member to
serve as a representative for their program on the Board of Governors.
C. The Board
of Governors shall be empowered to transact all business in the name of the
Society between annual meetings or special meetings by majority vote except that
a 2/3rds vote of a quorum of the Board of Governors shall be required for the
expenditure of more than 25% of the unobligated money in the Society's treasury.
D.
One-half (1/2) of the Board of Governors shall compose a quorum for meetings of
the Board of Governors.
F.
The Board of Governors shall meet at least once a year.
It shall make recommendations to the Society for action and it shall
serve as a liaison body between the membership and Council and Executive
Committee of the Aerospace Medical Association.
G. Special
meetings of the Board of Governors may be called by the President of the
Society, who will also function as the Chairperson of the Board of Governors, or
by written request of four (4) or more Members of the Board. Meetings may be conducted in person, phone, video
telecommunications, or email at the discretion of the Chairperson.
H. In the
event of inability of both the President and Vice-President/President Elect to
function, the senior (by age) Governor present shall be designated Chairperson pro
tempore.
I. The junior
member (by age) of the Board of Governors present shall be the recorder and
shall furnish the Secretary of the Society with a transcript of the Board
proceedings if the Secretary is not in attendance.
J. In the
event of a tie vote among the Members of the Board, the Chairperson will cast
the deciding vote.
NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
A.
Nominations for all elected officers of the Society shall be submitted by the
Nominating Committee. Those
nominated by the Nominating Committee will be contacted to determine their
willingness to serve prior to being placed on the ballot.
The proposed ballot shall then be sent to the Board of Governors not
later than to (2) months preceding the annual meeting.
B. Elections.
(i).
The Secretary shall insure that Members with voting rights are notified
of nominees for office in the Society so as to reach addressees not later than
one (1) month prior to the annual meeting.
Lists of nominees shall also be available to Members at the annual
meeting.
(ii).
Nominees will be introduced at the annual meeting and be given an
opportunity to address the members for no more than five (5) minutes.
Members may nominate additional members during the annual meeting but
prior to the vote.
(iii).
Members will vote by ballot during the annual meeting.
(iv).
The Nominating committee shall count the ballots and furnish the results
to the chairperson of the Board of Governors prior to the close of the annual
meeting and results of the election will be announced at the meeting.
Ties will be resolved by a simple majority vote of the members present at
the meeting.
SECTION 1.
Standing Committees.
A. The
Standing Committees shall be as indicated below.
Each committee shall consist of membership needed to accomplish required
tasks as determined by the committee chairperson in consultation with the
president.
B.
Constitution and By-Laws Committee. This
committee shall be a fact-finding committee on matters pertaining to the
Constitution and By-Laws. The
committee shall study proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws and
make its recommendation to the Society through the Board of Governors.
C. Membership
Committee. This committee shall be
responsible for initiating programs and activities designed to increase
membership in the Society. This
committee shall act in an advisory capacity, to the Board of Governors in
matters related to the establishment of eligibility requirements for all classes
of membership. This committee will
review all applications for membership in the Society, secure all available
information concerning such applicants and submit its recommendations to the
President for appropriate action.
D. Aerospace
Medicine Practice Standards and Competencies.
This committee shall oversee the development, refinement, and
dissemination of core competencies for aerospace medicine residents and practice
guidelines for aerospace medicine practitioners.
The Board of Governors will be final approval authority for the work of
this committee.
E.
Publications. This committee shall
oversee the publication of the Society newsletter.
F. Nominating
Committee. This committee shall
select the nominees for all elected offices of the Society and will indicate the
offices for which nominated. The
Nominating Committee shall consist of five (5) members and shall be appointed by
the President of the Society to serve from the time of appointment to the next
annual meeting of the Society. Members
of the Nominating Committee are not barred from becoming nominees for nor from
succeeding themselves on the Committee.
SECTION 2. Special Committees. The
President may appoint special committees as
he/she may deem necessary with such
membership as he/she may consider appropriate.
Special committees shall be appointed only for the duration of the
appointing President's tenure of office but may be continued at the option of
the succeeding President.
In all
matters not covered by the Constitution or By-Laws, the provisions of Robert's
Rules of Order shall apply.
SECTION 1.
Initiation fees, dues, and special assessments may be levied by simple majority
vote of a quorum of the Members present at an annual meeting. Honorary Members are excused from paying dues.
SECTION 2.
Dues are due and payable annually on 15 May.
Members who fall two (2) years in arrears in the payment of dues will be
notified of their delinquency in writing by the Treasurer, and, thereafter,
shall be allowed sixty (60) days to make payment.
Failure to do so in the time allotted will result in suspension from the
Society.
SECTION 3.
Members who are suspended from the Society for non-payment of dues may be
reinstated provided annual dues, plus a penalty, are paid for one (1) year in
advance. This reinstatement shall
be subject to the approval of the Membership Committee.
ARTICLE
VIII
FUNDING AND FINANCES
SECTION 1.
Funding. The fiscal year shall
begin 15 May and shall end on 14 May each year.
SECTION 2.
The Secretary and Treasurer of the Society shall furnish surety bond in such
amounts as the Board of Governors shall determine, the cost to be paid by the
Society. Checks may be signed only
by the Treasurer or the President. The
Treasurer has the discretion to approve the expenditure of up to two hundred
dollars ($200) without first seeking the Board of Governors’ approval.
SECTION 3.
The Treasurer shall maintain accounts in the name of the Society at federally
insured banks or credit unions. Two
accounts shall be maintained, a checking account and a savings account.
Normally, no more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) shall be kept in
the checking account with the remainder of the funds deposited as savings.
SECTION 4. The Treasurer's report shall be audited and approved by the Board of Governors prior to the annual meeting.
SECTION 5.
The Society is a nonprofit organization.
ARTICLE
IX
AMENDMENTS
[Return to By-laws]
SECTION 1.
Any member may propose amendments to the By-Laws not in conflict with the
Constitution. Upon a two-thirds
(2/3) majority vote by a quorum of the Members present at an annual or special
meeting, they will become binding on the membership.
SECTION
2. Amendments to the By-Laws may be made by mailed ballot when the proposals for
such amendments are presented by the Board of Governors in conjunction with and
as a result of concurrent proposed amendments to the Constitution.
Acceptance of the constitutional amendment by membership, as detailed in
the Constitution, shall constitute acceptance of the amendment to the By-Laws.