BYLAWS OF THE NORTH CENTRAL CHAPTER
OF THE
HEALTH PHYSICS SOCIETY
Adopted February, 1969
Amended January, 1970; August, 1970; April, 1974;
June, 1981; April, 1984; April, 1986;
May, 1988; May, 1993; October 1997, April 2004
ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of the organization shall be the NORTH CENTRAL CHAPTER OF THE HEALTH PHYSICS SOCIETY, hereinafter designated the Chapter.
ARTICLE II - OBJECTIVES
SECTION 1. The objectives of the Chapter are to aid in the work of Health Physics, to improve dissemination of information between individuals in this field and related fields (such as environmental health, industrial hygiene, medical physics, nuclear engineering and radiological physics), to improve public understanding of the problems and needs in radiation protection and to promote and improve Health Physics as a profession.
SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the Chapter is organized exclusively for scientific and educational purposes, as specified in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954; and shall not carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on by an organization exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1. The membership of the Chapter consists of voting membership, student membership and affiliate membership. An applicant for membership may be any person or organization whose interests in radiological problems make them a desirable member of the Chapter.
Application for membership in the Chapter is made to the Executive Council, which is responsible for reviewing and approving applications for membership. Election to membership in the Chapter requires the approval of at least four (4) members of the Executive Council.
SECTION 2. Any member or associate member of the following organizations shall automatically become a voting member of the Chapter upon presenting to the Chapter proof of membership in their respective organization and Payment of Chapter dues: Health Physics Society, American Industrial Hygiene Association, American Association of Physicists in Medicine, American Nuclear Society, American Public Health Association (Radiological Health Section).
SECTION 3. Membership dues are payable as of January in the calendar year for which they are specified. Membership in the Chapter ceases when the dues of the member are not paid within one year after they are due; his/her name shall be removed from the active membership list and he/she shall be so informed. The annual dues for each class of membership shall be set by the Executive Council. Individuals seeking and granted membership at the fall meeting will not be assessed dues for that calendar year.
SECTION 4. Affiliate members are organizations whose interest in the general field of radiation protection are such as to warrant a formal relationship with the Chapter. There shall be no voting rights for this class of membership.
SECTION 5. Students pursuing a degree in health physics or related field qualify for student membership. There shall be no membership dues or voting rights for this classification. Students are to reapply each year for student membership.
SECTION 6. Retired voting members who have been a Chapter member for at least five (5) years qualify for emeritus status. Voting rights are retained. There shall be no membership dues.
ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS
SECTION 1. The officers of the Chapter shall be a President, President-elect, and Secretary-Treasurer. Officers shall be voting members of the Chapter.
SECTION 2. The President-elect shall be chosen by vote of the membership for a term of one year. At the end of that year, he/she shall become President for a one-year term.
SECTION 3. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be chosen by vote of the membership for a two-year term and is eligible for re-election for a second consecutive term but is not eligible for a third consecutive term.
SECTION 4. The term of office for all officers shall begin following installation at the fall meeting of the Chapter.
SECTION 5. An office shall be declared vacant by the Executive Council in the event that an officer resigns, moves her/his residence outside the geographical jurisdiction of the Chapter, ceases to be a member of the Chapter, cannot discharge the obligations of the office because of death or other circumstances or is removed from office after due process for just cause. The vacated office shall be filled by the Executive Council in accordance with procedures in Article V.
ARTICLE V - ADMINISTRATION
SECTION 1. The Executive Council is the representative body of the Chapter, and as such, shall have, hold and control all funds, properties, and activities of the Chapter in accordance with the Bylaws governing these matters.
SECTION 2. The Executive Council shall consist of seven (7) voting members, including the President, President-elect, Secretary-Treasurer, and four Councilors. The Councilors shall be elected from the membership of the Chapter for a two year term each. Two of the four Councilors shall be elected each year.
SECTION 3. The Executive Council shall hold at least one meeting each year. The meeting shall be presided over by the President. Four (4) voting members of the Executive Council shall constitute a quorum and all decisions of the Executive Council shall require approval of at least four (4) voting members of the Council. Any Council member not able to be present at a meeting of the Executive Council may be represented by proxy.
SECTION 4. A seat on the Executive council shall be declared vacant by the Chairperson of the Council in the event that a Council member should resign his/her seat, move her/his residence outside the geographical jurisdiction of the Chapter, or cease to be a member of the Chapter.
SECTION 5. In the event of a vacancy of an elective position the Council may make an appointment to hold until the unexpired term is filled by election at the next regular letter or electronic ballot presented to the membership.
SECTION 6. In the event that the membership of the Council drops below four (4), as the first order of business at the first scheduled meeting of the Chapter, new Councilors shall be elected. The Nominating Committee shall select two nominees for all vacated elective positions in accordance with provisions of Article VI, Section 4, of the Bylaws hereinafter provided. In the event that members of the Nominating Committee are not present, the President or Chairperson of the Council shall appoint proxies for the absentee members. The names of the nominees shall be presented to the membership at the meeting, allowing additional nominations from the floor. After the nominations are closed, a secret ballot shall be taken and a majority vote of those present shall be required to elect. In the event that a majority vote is not obtained on the first ballot, the name of the individual receiving the least number of votes shall be dropped from the ballot and the balloting shall continue in this manner until a majority vote is obtained. Persons elected under this Section of the Bylaws shall take office immediately.
SECTION 7. It shall be the responsibility of the Executive Council to review the financial status of the Chapter annually at the fall meeting for the purpose of establishing the annual dues required for membership in the Chapter.
SECTION 8. The Executive Council shall review the program of the Chapter as presented by the President and other members, furnish appropriate guidance in these matters, and approve or reject in accordance with Council procedures.
SECTION 9. Meetings of the Executive Council shall be called at the direction of the President. All sessions of the Executive Council shall require at least ten (10) days prior notification to the members of the Council. A request to the President made in writing by four (4) members of the Council shall require a meeting to be called.
SECTION 10. Ordinarily, the meetings of the Council will not be open to the membership or public. However, on occasion, the Council may hold sessions which are open to any person, or groups of persons, whom the Council may designate.
SECTION 11. The President will preside over all meetings of the Chapter and may appoint other individuals to assist in the conduct of the meetings. He/she shall appoint necessary committees with the approval of the Executive Council and automatically becomes an ex-officio member of these committees. The retiring President shall submit an oral report of the "State of the Chapter" to the membership at the fall meeting.
SECTION 12. The President-elect shall perform duties as delegated to her/him by the President, and in the absence of the President at a meeting of the Chapter, will assume the duties of the President.
SECTION 13. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep a record of all transactions and meetings of the Chapter and Executive Council. He/she shall carry out correspondence of the Chapter, keep an accurate mailing list of the membership, and post all ballots used in election and amending procedures. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be the custodian of all moneys of the Chapter, shall receive all moneys due the Chapter, and shall pay all authorized bills against the Chapter. She/he shall submit the accounts for audit to the Executive Council prior to the fall meeting of the Chapter, and shall turn over to his/her successor all funds and properties of the Chapter. The Secretary-Treasurer may be bonded in such an amount as shall be determined by the Executive Council and by a company approved by the Executive Council. When bonded, expense of bonding shall be borne by the Chapter.
ARTICLE VI - ELECTION AND BALLOTING PROCEDURES
SECTION 1. Except as heretofore provided in Article V, Section 6 of the Bylaws, nominations for all elective positions and the election procedure governing the processes of election and balloting shall be in accordance with the provisions of Article VI of the Bylaws.
SECTION 2. Nominations for all elective positions* shall be made by a Nominating Committee consisting of a Chairperson and four (4) other members appointed by the President and approved by the Executive Council. No member of the Executive Council shall be eligible to serve on this Committee. Three (3) members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum, and all decisions of the Committee shall require the affirmative vote of at least three (3) members of the Committee.
SECTION 3. The President-elect and two Councilors shall be elected annually by the membership, and the Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected biannually by the membership. All officers shall serve until their successors are elected and installed. Newly elected officers and Councilors shall be installed by the outgoing President or her/his duly authorized representative in a manner set forth by the Executive Council and shall take office during the fall meeting.
SECTION 4. An individual's name may be placed in nomination for no more than one elective position during any one election. No member shall have his/her name placed in nomination without his/her consent.
SECTION 5. The Nominating Committee shall submit in writing the names of the nominees to the Secretary-Treasurer not later than sixty (60) days prior to the spring meeting of the Chapter.
SECTION 6. All ballots shall be prepared at the direction of the Secretary-Treasurer and distributed to each member of the Chapter in good standing. Ballots for elective positions shall be distributed not later than thirty (30) days prior to the spring meeting and provisions shall be made for the names of write-in candidates on the ballot. A ballot shall be closed on the thirtieth (30th) day following the distribution of the last ballot to the membership.
SECTION 7. Members shall return their ballots by mail to the Secretary-Treasurer with the member's name and return address displayed upon the mailing envelope. Following the closing of the ballot, the Secretary-Treasurer shall convene not less than four (4) members of the Executive Council for the purpose of tabulating and certifying the vote. The Secretary-Treasurer shall examine the names on the envelopes and certify the eligibility of the member to vote. The ballots shall be removed from the envelopes in such a manner as to preserve the vote as secret and no ballot shall be voided if the intent as to the choice of the member is clear. A majority vote of the membership voting for an elective position or an amendment shall be required to elect or amend. Ties shall be settled by lottery. Following certification of the results of the poll, nominees shall be notified promptly of the outcome of the election.
* President and President-elect must be members of the Health Physics Society. Refer to H.P.S. Bylaws, Article VIII, paragraph ii.
SECTION 1. The Chapter shall hold at least two (2) meetings each calendar year, exclusive of meetings of the national organization. The date, time, and place for each meeting shall be established by the Executive Council except as otherwise provided for in the Bylaws.
SECTION 2. Chapter meetings shall be held in the fall and spring of each calendar year.
SECTION 3. Special meetings of the Chapter may be called by the President with the approval of one (1) or more members of the Executive Council. A petition directed to a member or members of the Executive Council bearing the signatures of at least ten (10) percent of the active membership shall require a meeting of the Chapter to be called.
SECTION 4. Members in good standing shall be notified by mail or electronic communication of all meetings at least ten (10) days in advance of the date, time and place set for the meeting. The notification shall include a program listing of scheduled activities of the meeting.
SECTION 5. A quorum at a Chapter meeting shall consist of ten (10) percent of the voting membership.
SECTION 6. All meetings of the Chapter are open to the entire membership. Except when otherwise specified in writing by the Executive Council, any member is privileged to bring guests to Chapter meetings, provided reservations are made if required and/or registration fees are paid when applicable.
SECTION 7. The Executive Council shall develop a standard procedure for governing the order of business for all meetings of the Chapter establishing session time limits where applicable. A change in the standard procedure governing the order of business at a meeting of the Chapter requires the approval of a majority of the membership at the meeting.
ARTICLE VIII - FINANCIAL
SECTION 1. The Executive Council shall review the financial status of the Chapter at the fall meeting and establish membership fees.
SECTION 2. All funds shall be paid into the office of the Secretary-Treasurer where they shall be entered in the books of the Chapter and deposited in a bank approved by the Executive Council.
SECTION 3. All expenditures shall be made in accordance with a budget of appropriations as adopted by the Executive Council.
SECTION 4. No part of the net earnings of the Chapter shall inure to the benefit of any member, trustee, director, officer of the Chapter, or any private individual; except that reasonable compensation may be paid for services rendered to or for the Chapter. Upon dissolution of this Chapter all assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954; or shall be distributed to the federal, state, or local government for a public purpose.
ARTICLE IX - COMMITTEES AND APPOINTMENTS
SECTION 1. The President shall appoint individuals and/or committees to assist the officers and the Executive Council as necessary. In making such appointments considerations shall be given to maintaining a balance of representation for the various organizational groups within the geographical jurisdiction of the Chapter. Committee members need not be members of the Health Physics Society.
SECTION 2. All committees shall be responsible for keeping records of the activities of the committee when directed by the President and shall submit such records to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Chapter.
SECTION 3. The Standing Committees shall be as follows:
(a) A COMMITTEE ON ADMISSIONS shall be comprised of the members of the Executive Council as set forth elsewhere in the Bylaws. It will review applications for membership in the Chapter and decide for or against the acceptance of an applicant for membership.
(b) A PROGRAM COMMITTEE shall consist of the President-elect as Chairperson and two (2) or more other members. The Program Committee shall, at the direction of the Executive Council organize the program for all Chapter meetings. The Chairperson of the Program Committee shall be responsible for providing the Secretary-Treasurer with an agenda for each meeting which will be circulated to the membership at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting.
(c) A MEETING ARRANGEMENTS COMMITTEE shall consist of the Secretary-Treasurer and two (2) or more other members. This committee will be responsible for arranging 1) for an appropriate meeting place and 2) for appropriate facilities for the meeting.
(d) A SCIENTIFIC AND PUBLIC ISSUES COMMITTEE consisting of a Chairperson and at least three (3) other members shall publicize the activities of the Chapter and be responsible for publicizing the opinion of the Chapter concerning subjects of general concern to the Chapter and the public.
(e) A NOMINATING COMMITTEE shall be appointed and shall function in accordance with the provisions set forth in Article VI, governing the activities of the Nominating Committee.
SECTION 4. The membership of all committees appointed by the President under the provisions of Article IX shall terminate automatically at the close of the presidential term in which the appointments were made.
SECTION 5. Absentee members of committees, at meeting of the Executive Council, and at Chapter meetings, are authorized to be represented in any and all such meetings by proxy. Except as specified in Article V, Section 6, the absentee member shall be required to submit a letter of authorization naming the person authorized to act in his/her stead. The person so named must be a member in good standing of the Chapter. The letter of authorization shall be submitted to the Chairperson of the body involved for recognition and certification, after which it shall be turned over to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Chapter to become a matter of record.
ARTICLE X - AMENDMENTS
SECTION 1. Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed by any member in good standing at any meeting of the Chapter, by petition bearing the signatures of at least 10% of the voting members of the Chapter or by the Executive Council. The approval of the majority of the membership present at the meeting in which the amendment is presented is required for submission to the membership for a vote. The Secretary-Treasurer shall then prepare and submit the proposed amendment in writing to the membership for ballot. The affirmative vote of a majority of the membership voting shall be required to amend.
RULES
Scientific and Public Issues Committee
ARTICLE I - PURPOSE
To publicize activities of the Chapter and be responsible for publicizing the opinion of the Chapter on subjects of general concern to the public.
ARTICLE II - SPECIFICATIONS
Section 1.: Size and Composition.
The Scientific and Public Issues Committee is composed of the current president, as chair and at least three (3) members of the Chapter in good standing, each of whom has held the position of Chapter President. The president will appoint the three members.
Section 2.: Responsibilities
The Scientific and Public Issues Committee is responsible for providing information in response to concerns of the Executive Council and for evaluating issues referred to it by members of the Chapter.
The Scientific and Public Issues Committee may meet at the regular Chapter meetings or schedule additional meetings as necessary. Most committee business will be conducted by correspondence or telephone. Issues referred to the committee or originating within the committee will be distributed to committee members for their review, comments, or vote as appropriate. Comments and votes may be transmitted by mail, fax, electronic mail or telephone. A unanimous decision is required by all four members of the committee or by a minimum of three members if one member is unavailable or abstains. The Committee chair must approve of all decisions. After a unanimous decision on the course of action for an issue has been obtained, the committee position will be presented to the Executive Council for review and approval, time permitting. Written correspondence will be issued under the name of the Chapter, Scientific and Public Issues Committee and include the names of the committee members. The name of the absent or abstaining committee member will not be mentioned in correspondence linked with the issue.
ARTICLE IV - BUDGET AND LIMITS OF AUTHORITY
Expenses for the committee, which may include phone calls, postage, travel, etc., are, pending prior approval of the Executive Council, reimbursable by the Chapter if the support of employers cannot be utilized. In such instances where funds from the Chapter are necessary, the request for reimbursement must be submitted to the current Chapter President or President-Elect for an authorization signature, then to the Secretary Treasurer. If the current President is requesting reimbursement for a committee function, then the President-Elect must authorize release of funds.
ARTICLE V - REPORTS/RECORDS
The committee shall submit a written report to the Executive Council thirty days prior to an Executive Council meeting. The report must be submitted following any period in which there was action on the part of the committee. The report shall contain background information and the action taken. The report will be made available at the next business meeting of the Chapter.