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INTERNATIONAL
SOCIETY FOR ANIMAL CLINICAL PATHOLOGY |
ISACP Constitution and Bylaws |
A. CONSTITUTION 1. The name of the Society shall be the INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR ANIMAL CLINICAL PATHOLOGY. 2. The purpose of the Society (hereafter referred to as the ISACP) shall be to advance the science of animal clinical pathology by promoting and encouraging the study and practice of animal clinical pathology and the exchange of knowledge within the discipline. 3. Membership 3.1. The Society shall be open to all scientists, in the broadest sense, from all countries, and consist of Full members, Life members (retirees), and Honorary members, all of whom are entitled to attend the scientific meetings. 3.2. Full, Life, and Honorary members in good standing shall be entitled to attend the business meetings of the Society, receive notices of such meetings, have the right to vote, and are eligible to hold an Executive Committee office. 3.3. Admission as a Full member shall be by application, in writing, to the Secretary. Payment of dues must accompany the completed application. Admission shall be decided by vote of the Executive Committee. 3.4. Admission as a Life member shall be by application, in writing, to the Secretary. This will normally happen when a member, having been a member in good standing for ten years or more, has certified to his/her retirement. Life members have all the rights and privileges of Full members but do not pay dues. Admission shall be decided by vote of the Executive Committee. 3.5. Distinguished scientists who have made a significant contribution to the discipline of animal clinical pathology may be nominated for Honorary membership. Honorary members have all the rights and privileges of Full members but do not pay dues. Admission shall be decided by vote of the Executive Committee. 3.6. Full-time graduate or undergraduate students of animal clinical pathology shall be entitled to become Affiliate members at 50% of the regular dues fee. Affiliates may attend the business meeting but do not have voting rights. To receive the Affiliate status, students must provide a letter verifying their status from a Supervisor or Chair. 3.7. Any member may resign by so indicating in writing to the Secretary. Dues will not be prorated or refunded. 4. Amendments 4.1. Proposed changes to the Constitution will be voted on at business meetings. Such amendments must be supported by at least ten Full members in good standing and shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary in sufficient time to appear in a semi-annual newsletter. The newsletter will normally be received by the membership at least one month prior to the business meeting. 4.2. A two-thirds majority in favor of the amendment shall be required for its adoption. Members who are unable to attend the business meeting, may send a proxy vote to the secretary or another board member in advance of the meeting. 5. Dissolution. The Society shall continue until a proposal for dissolution be passed by the Full members of the Society. Such a proposal must be debated at a business meeting and a vote taken on the proposal by means of a postal ballot of all Full members. A two-thirds majority in favor shall be required for dissolution to be enacted.
B. BY-LAWS 1. The business of the Society shall be conducted by an Executive Committee consisting of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past-President (non-voting), and Executive Director (see 3, Election of Officers, below). 2. Subcommittees shall be appointed at the discretion of the Executive Committee and consist of at least one Executive Committee officer and two Full, Life, or Honorary members in good standing. Such committees shall report their activities at the next business meeting. 3. Election or appointment of officers 3.1. The Executive Committee will strike a Nominating Sub-Committee six months prior to the business meeting. The Nominating Sub-Committee will solicit nominees in a manner representative of the general membership. Only one member from any one country is eligible for election on any occasion. Nominees for the Vice-President (normally the Local Organizing Chairperson), Secretary and Treasurer shall be presented and voted on at a business meeting and will be elected by majority vote. Each Full member in good standing is entitled to one vote. The Executive Director shall be appointed by the Executive Committee. 3.2. The Immediate Past-President will be the non-voting member of the Executive Committee. The Vice-President shall be the President-Elect. 3.3. Notification of election results is the responsibility of the President and Secretary and must be made available to the membership in the first newsletter following the meeting. 3.4. It is the responsibility of the Executive Committee to determine the sites and appointments of Local Organizing Chairpersons for future meetings. 4. Duties of the officers of the Society 4.1. The President shall be the presiding officer of the Executive Committee. The President shall preside over the biannual business meeting of the Society and prepare the agenda in consultation with the Executive Director and with the agreement of the Executive Committee. 4.2. The Vice-President, normally the Local Organizing Chairperson, shall be the presiding officer of the Society in the event of an inability of the President to conduct Society business. 4.3. The Secretary shall be responsible for the semi-annual newsletter of the Society, record the minutes of the annual business meeting, and minutes of any special meetings. 4.4. The Treasurer is responsible for collecting dues and shall be responsible for the finances of the Society. Records are to be maintained in accord with accepted good practices of accounting and management. The Treasurer will prepare the Society's financial report for examination and presentation at the business meeting. Beginning July 1, 2003, the business headquarters for the ISACB will be permanently located in the United States of America. If the treasurer is not a resident of the United States, the Executive Board will appoint a U.S. member as Business Manager who will coordinate the receipt of income and the payment of bills with the Treasurer. Decisions concerning the collections and dispersal of funds will be made by the Treasurer in accordance with recommendations from the Executive Board. 4.5 The Executive Director shall be responsible for the business and development of the Society and for the international promotion and encouragement of the study and practice of animal clinical pathology. 4.6. The immediate Past-President shall have duties as assigned by the Executive Committee. 4.7. The Executive Committee shall appoint members to any special assignments as deemed desirable to achieve the purpose of the Society. 5. Terms of office on committees The terms of office of members of the Executive Committee and appointed Committees shall normally be two years. Executive Committee members may offer themselves for re-election for a further two years, but continuous service shall not exceed four years in any one position apart from the Treasurer, Secretary, and Executive Director. Normally, the Vice-President shall serve for two years. If for any reason a vacancy on the Executive Committee occurs during the course of the two years, the Executive Committee shall have the power to appoint a replacement from among Full, Life, or Honorary members in good standing to fill the vacancy until the expiration of the previous holder's office. Continuation of the appointed members for the unfilled period of appointment of the departing member shall be subject to the approval of Full members in good standing at the next business meeting. 6. Meetings The Society shall normally hold scientific meetings in alternate years. The Local Organizing Committee will consist of the appointed Local Organizing Chairperson and three or more persons appointed by the Local Chairperson in addition to the Society's Executive Committee. A meeting to discuss business affairs of the Society shall be held at the time of the scientific meeting. A quorum for the conduct of business shall be at least 10% of the full membership or 20% of those registered at the scientific meeting, whichever applies. Special business meetings can be called on the occasion of a scientific meeting either on the initiative of the Executive Committee or on the written request of 20 Full members in good standing providing that the Secretary is informed at least three months prior to the meeting. All business meetings shall be for members only. 7. Dues and members in good standing 7.1. Dues shall be determined from time-to-time by the Executive Committee. Dues are normally for a two-year period and are payable at the biannual meeting or at the time of application for membership. Dues may be included with the meeting registration fee at the discretion of the Executive Committee and the Local Organizing Committee. Depending upon the time of application for membership the applicant will pay dues for either one or two years. Dues are waived for Life and Honorary members. Failure to pay dues within two years of its falling due shall be considered as a forfeiture of membership. Future membership for those having let their membership lapse for greater than one year shall be determined by the Executive committee. 7.2. Only members in good standing may vote, cast a ballot, or stand for office. 7.3. A member is not in good standing if: Membership is withdrawn in writing by the Executive Committee or the individual. If the Executive Committee chooses to withdraw an individual's membership than Full members in good standing must be informed at least two months prior to a business meeting and to be enacted there must be support of the majority of the membership at the business meeting. OR Dues have not been paid for two years. 8. Income 8.1. The income of the Society, from whatever source, shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the objectives of the Society as set forth in these rules. No part of the income of the Society shall be paid directly to members, provided that nothing shall prevent payment of reasonable and proper remuneration for services actually rendered to the Society and approved in advance by the Executive Committee. 8.2. On dissolution, the funds and assets of the Society, after payment of all outstanding liabilities, can be used for educational or research purposes by a learned society at the discretion of the Executive Committee. 9. Amendments Notice of proposed amendments to the by-laws submitted to the Secretary in writing and approved by the Executive Committee, shall be circulated to the membership in a semi-annual newsletter. The newsletter will normally be received by the membership at least one month prior to the business meeting. Amendments will be adopted if there is a majority vote. |