Constitution & Bylaws
ARTICLE I
The Society shall be known as the Southern Neurosurgical Society, Inc.
ARTICLE II
The purpose of the Society shall be to promote and advance the education and practice of neurological surgery within the Southern Zone of the United States by informal meetings conducted in such a manner as to encourage free discussion and exchange of ideas.
ARTICLE III
Section 1: The categories of membership of the Society shall be: Active, Associate, Lifetime (Inactive), Candidate, Distinguished Practitioner and Honored.
Section 2: The selection of candidates for membership in the Society shall be limited to those practicing in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Section 3: Active Member. Active Members shall be neurological surgeons who have been board-certified, who give proof of good professional standing and who hold an unrestricted license to practice medicine in a State, District or Commonwealth in the Southern Zone of the United States, unless by unanimous vote of the Executive Council, a specific exception to this rule be deemed advisable. Active Members may vote, hold office and serve on Committees. They shall be required to pay dues.
Section 4: Associate Member. Associate Members shall be individuals who are not neurological surgeons who have shown distinction in research, clinical innovation or teaching in the field of neurology, neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, neuroendocrinology, neuro-opthalmology, neuropathology, neurophysiology, psychiatry, psychology, radiology or some other related discipline and practice their discipline in a State, District or Commonwealth in the Southern Zone of the United States. They shall include neurological surgeons who have trained, or are in training, in countries other than the United States, who currently are affiliated with Universities or neurosurgical practices within the Southern Zone of the United States. They shall include allied health care professionals as well as administrators. The total number of Associate Members shall not exceed 20 percent of the number of the total membership. No individual shall be elected to Associate Membership unless he/she has been certified by the board of certification in the field of his/her primary activity, if such board exists. Associate Members may not vote or hold office but may serve on Committees. They shall be required to pay dues.
Section 5: Lifetime (Inactive) Member. Lifetime Members shall be Members who: 1) have been members for at least 30 years; or 2) have permanently and fully retired from the practice of operative neurosurgery; or 3) have reached the age of 65; or 4) by virtue of moving to a location outside the area encompassed by the Southern Neurosurgical Society or by virtue of illness, deficiency in continuing medical education or other reason acceptable to the Executive Council can no longer maintain Active Membership. Lifetime (Inactive) Members may not vote, hold office or serve on Committees. They shall not be required to pay dues. A Lifetime (Inactive) Member may be restored to the former membership status by the Executive Council upon appropriate written request. Requests for Lifetime membership shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary of the Society for consideration by the Executive Council at its next meeting.
Section 6: Candidate Member. Candidate Members shall be physicians who are legally licensed to practice medicine in a State, District or Commonwealth in the Southern Zone of the United States and who are residents in a training program approved by the Accreditation council for Graduate Medical Education or who have completed such a program within five years prior to application for Candidate Membership. Candidate Membership shall automatically terminate on the fifth anniversary of the Candidate Member’s completion of his/her training program, unless upon prior written request to the Executive Council, an extension is granted. Such request for extension of Candidate Membership must demonstrate, to the Council’s satisfaction, the unusual circumstances justifying the extension and must further demonstrate that the Candidate Member is in the process of obtaining certification by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, Inc. Candidate Members may not vote or hold office but may serve on Committees. Candidate members should be required to pay dues following the completion of their neurosurgical training.
Section 7: Distinguished Practitioner. At the discretion of the Executive Council, certain individuals may be recommended to the Society for election as Distinguished Practitioner in Neurosurgery. Distinguished Practitioners shall not be required to pay dues.
Section 8: Honored Member. The Honored Member of the Society is R. Eustace Semmes, M.D. (1885–1982).
ARTICLE IV
The officers of the Society shall be a President, President-Elect, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.
The President-Elect and Vice President shall be elected for one year, the President-Elect succeeding to the office of President the following year. The Secretary and Treasurer shall each be elected for three years.
The Executive Council shall consist of the President, President-Elect, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and the two preceding Presidents.
ARTICLE V
Section 1: The duties of the President shall be to preside at all meetings of the Society and the Executive Council.
Section 2: In the absence of the President, the President-Elect shall assume his or her duties.
Section 3: The duties of the Secretary shall be to keep a record of the proceedings of each meeting and to report this record at the succeeding meeting. He or she shall collect and preserve all records, including the membership roll and all papers which are of documentary or historical value to the Society. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to send notice to the membership of all meetings two months in advance, to notify all members of appointments and assigned duties and to carry on all other correspondence and business essential for the proper function of the Society.
Section 4: The duties of the Treasurer shall be to collect dues and assessments and to carry out all money transactions for the Society. He or she shall keep an accurate record thereof and render an annual report.
ARTICLE VI
All committees are to be appointed by the President, and any vacancies occurring in the offices of the Society shall be filled by appointment of the President.
ARTICLE VII
This Constitution shall take effect immediately from the time of its adoption and shall not be amended except by a written resolution which shall lie over for one year and receive a vote of two-thirds of the members present.
BYLAWS
ARTICLE I
There shall be one meeting of the Southern Neurosurgical Society, Inc., each year. The length of the meeting shall be determined jointly by the Annual Meeting Chairman and the Scientific Program Chairman.
The entire program shall be under the direction of a Program Committee.
The Society shall assume all expenses of each meeting by proration of the expenses among those members present, if necessary.
ARTICLE II
The annual dues of the Society shall be determined by the Executive Council.
ARTICLE III
The members present at any annual Executive Meeting shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE IV
All business sessions of the Society shall be conducted according to the rules of parliamentary law.
Each member and officer of the Society shall comply with (i) the Code of Ethics of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, (ii) Corporate Governance Principles and Policies of the Southern Neurosurgical Association, (iii) Principles and Policies for Interaction with Commercial Enterprises and Medical Industry ("hereafter referred to as "Conflicts Policy").
ARTICLE V
Any candidate for membership must be proposed in writing to the Chairman of the Membership Committee by a member of the Society. The candidate must submit an application form and a curriculum vitae. The candidate must be Board certified. The candidate must first be passed upon by the Membership Committee and then by the Executive Council. The names and addresses of those selected shall be submitted in writing to the membership by the Secretary one month in advance of the next annual meeting.
They shall then be presented for election and voted upon at this meeting. An affirmative vote of three-fourths of the ballots cast shall be necessary for election. Any potential candidate may be invited by a member to any meeting as a guest.
Any candidate for candidate membership must submit an application form to the Chairman of the Membership Committee. The candidate must be a resident in an approved neurosurgical residency training program located within the states listed in Article 111, Section 2 of the Constitution or have successfully completed a neurosurgical residency training program within the previous 2 years and be tracking for certification by the American Board of Neurological Surgery. Candidate members must be approved by the Executive Committee. Within 5 years of completion of neurosurgical residency training, candidate members must make application for active membership or be dropped from membership in the organization.
ARTICLE VI
The President-Elect and Vice President, and, when appropriate, the Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected at the last executive session of each annual meeting. Nominations shall first be made by the Executive Council, but additional nominations may be made from the floor.
They shall then be presented for election and voted upon at this meeting. If a nomination is contested, the vote will be by secret ballot. An affirmative vote of the majority of the ballots cast shall be necessary for election.
ARTICLE VII
The Executive Council shall determine the time and place for each meeting of the Society.
It shall be a function of the Executive Council to levy assessments, appropriate necessary monies and supervise all expenditures of the funds of the Society.
The Executive Council shall have the power to drop from the membership roll any member who fails to pay his or her dues for more than one year or who misses three consecutive meetings of the Society without a written excuse acceptable to the Executive Council, or who fails, as determined solely by the Executive Council, to adhere to the Society’s Code of Ethics and Conflicts Policy.
ARTICLE VIII
The Resident’s Paper Award Committee shall be appointed by the President to be composed of three members. The Chairman of the Committee shall be the member of the Program Committee in the second year of service on the Program Committee. Except for the Chairman, the members of the Resident’s Paper Award Committee shall be anonymous.
The purpose of the Committee shall be to award prizes for the best papers submitted by residents for presentation at the annual meeting. At the discretion of the committee, up to four prizes may be awarded. A first and second prize award may be given in each of two categories: Clinical Neurosurgery (Clinical Research) and Basic Science (Experimental Research). First-place awards shall include an appropriate honorarium set by the Executive Council plus travel at tourist rate and hotel room. Second-place awards shall include an appropriate honorarium set by the Executive Council plus hotel room. At the discretion of the Executive Council, appropriate subsidies for meeting expenses for residents presenting papers at the meeting may be paid.
Any resident enrolled in an accredited neurosurgical postgraduate training program in the geographical area of the society at the time of the deadline for abstract submission is eligible to submit a paper for an award. The resident should be the first author on the paper and responsible for the majority of the work on the project. A paper submitted for the award must be unpublished and never before presented at a regional or national meeting. A submitted paper must be sponsored by a member of the Society, and a letter of sponsorship must be sent to the Chairman of the Resident’s Paper Award Committee if the member is not a coauthor.
ARTICLE IX
A Raphael Eustace Semmes Lectureship shall be established. This lecture should be given at each annual meeting. The President, with the approval of the Executive Council, shall invite a distinguished guest to deliver this lecture. An appropriate honorarium, set by the Executive Council, shall be paid by the Society in addition to the expenses of the speaker and his or her spouse.
A William Henry Hudson Lectureship shall be established. This lecture should be given at each annual meeting. The Chairman of the Program Committee, with the approval of the Executive Council, shall invite a distinguished guest to deliver this lecture. An appropriate honorarium, set by the Executive Council, shall be paid by the Society in addition to the expenses of the speaker and spouse.
An Edward “Ned” Downing Lectureship shall be established. This lecture should be given at each annual meeting. The President, with the approval of the Executive Council, shall invite a distinguished guest to deliver this lecture. An appropriate honorarium, set by the Executive Council, shall be paid by the Society, in addition to the expenses of the speaker and his or her spouse.
ARTICLE X
Except as provided herein, the President shall appoint each Committee Chairman. The standing committees of the Southern Neurosurgical Society, Inc., shall be as follows:
A. Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee will consist of six members, four of whom shall be appointed from the membership at large. Each shall serve for a period of two years. The immediate Past President shall be Chairman of the Nominating Committee and shall serve a second year following his or her year as Chairman. This committee shall have the responsibility of presenting candidates for election as officers at each regular annual meeting in accordance with the Bylaws.
B. Finance Committee
The Finance Committee shall consist of the Treasurer as Chairman, the Secretary and the immediate Past President. This committee shall advise the Executive Council regarding long-term financial management and shall present the Treasurer’s report at any annual meeting.
C. Future Meeting Sites Committee
The Future Meeting Sites Committee shall be chaired by the Immediate Past President and shall include the Secretary and Treasurer. An additional two members may be appointed from the membership by the President. The committee will convene along with the Society’s Meeting Planners, if applicable, and make recommendations to the Executive Council regarding prospective sites for future meetings.
D. Long-Range Planning Committee
A standing Committee of the Society shall be the Long-Range Planning Committee. This Committee shall be charged with the responsibilities of determining the directions, goals and objectives of the Society. The Committee shall meet annually. Its Chairman shall be the immediate Past President, and there shall be six members appointed by the President serving on the Committee. Each member shall serve for a period of three years, two members being appointed each year. The Committee shall have specific charges given to it by the President after consultation and concordance by the Executive Council.
The President of the Society may, on occasion, appoint Ad Hoc Committees chaired by appropriate individuals to address specific matters that the President identifies. The appointment of Ad Hoc Committees shall be for a period of one year. The incoming President has the option of extending an Ad Hoc Committee, should its work not be completed.
E. Committee for the Distinguished Practitioner Award
A Committee, composed of the three preceding Presidents and the current President and chaired by the immediate Past President, will propose to the Executive Council at a fall meeting candidate(s) for the Distinguished Practitioner Award. The Executive Council shall select the recipient of the Distinguished Practitioner Award.
F. Constitution and Bylaws Committee
The Constitution and Bylaws Committee shall consist of three members appointed by the President, who shall serve staggered three year terms. One new member will be appointed each year to replace an existing member. It shall be the duty of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee to review the Constitution and Bylaws from time to time and make recommendations as to change in the Bylaws and Constitution.
ARTICLE XI
The Standing Chairmen of the Southern Neurosurgical Society, Incorporated shall be as follows:
A. Membership
The Membership Chairman shall serve for a period of three years. The President, when appropriate, will appoint the Membership Chairman.
B. Exhibits
The Exhibits Chairman shall serve for a period of three years. The President, when appropriate, will appoint the Exhibits Chairman.
ARTICLE XII
The Bylaws may be amended or altered by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any regular meeting, provided a written copy of said amendment or alteration is filed with the Secretary and notice thereof is given in writing to the members at least 30 days before said meeting.
ARTICLE XIII
The President, with the approval of the Executive Council, may propose members of the Society to serve as officers, board members or executive committee members of, or in similar capacities for, other medical organizations when invited to do so by such organizations. The President may request that such nominations originate in the Nominating Committee of the Society.
|
