By-Laws of the International Cardiac Doppler Society
Article I.
Membership:
A. Classes. The membership of the Society
shall consist of four (4) classes of members, the first class of
membership shall be designated as "the fellows"; the second class shall be
"regular members"; the third class shall be "associate members";
and, the fourth class shall be "corporate members". "Regular"
members shall be members of the medical community, including physicians,
scientists and technicians whom have demonstrated serious interest in the
field of application of Doppler ultrasound to cardiac diagnosis and
treatment and who have indicated their desire to be a member of the
Society by payment of their annual dues and who further have been accepted
for membership by the election of the membership, upon recommendation of
the Board of Directors.
"Fellows" of the International Cardiac Doppler Society shall be those
specially recognized for their contributions to the field and whom have
been voted by the members as "Fellows" upon recommendation of Directors.
"Corporate" members shall be designated of hospitals, medical groups,
clinics, research organizations, and industry who shall subscribe to the
Society at an established corporate members fee and accepted by the Board
of Directors by the Society.
"Associate" members shall be those persons interested in the privileges of
membership such as students, technicians, or sales persons or others whom
may not yet be technically qualified for other membership categories. The
fee for the "various" member classes shall be set from time-to-time by the
vote of the membership upon the recommendations of the Board of Directors.
B. Corporate and Associate Members. These
members shall not be entitled to vote, but shall be invited to attend any
and all meetings of the Society in order that they may express opinions
and contribute to the deliberations conducted by the membership and Board
of Directors. They may be accorded such other privileges as the Board of
Directors may from time to time determine and prescribe.
C. Regular Members. Regular members are such
members of the medical and scientific community from any State,
principality, territory, or Nation desiring to participate in the purposes
and functions of the Society and whom are approved by majority vote of the
membership upon recommendations of the Executive Committee. Payment of the
regular membership fee shall entitle the member to vote in the affairs of
the Society and provide eligibility to attend any and all meetings of the
Society, and be given an opportunity to express opinions, serve on
committees, and assist in the deliberations and determinations of the
actions of the Society. They shall be eligible to serve as members of the
Board of Directors, as officers and are eligible to become Fellows of the
Society.
Article II.
Board of
Directors -- Meetings:
A. Board Membership. Membership of the Board of
Directors shall be as hereinafter provided in these By-Laws relating to
terms of office and manner of election. Directors shall hereinafter be
elected by the membership upon nomination from existing regular members.
Any elected member of the Board of Directors may be declared to have
forfeited his office following the missing of three (3) consecutive meetings
of the Board of Directors without reason or excuse deemed sufficient and
adequate by the Board of Directors. Members of the Board of Directors
shall serve without compensation, except that the Board of Directors shall
have the right to fix special compensation when it deems appropriate and/or
necessary. The ICDS Board of Directors
shall consist of thirty (30) elected Directors, ten (10) each from the
following three (3) areas of the world: Asia-Pacific, Euro-Africa, and
the Americas. Each Director is to be elected to a term of five (5)
years. The
terms of Directors will be staggered so that 20 percent of the Board (6
Directors) rotates off every year, and so that six new Directors are elected
to replace them.
Current ICDS Officers and Past Presidents will be identified and listed
separately from the elected Board. A date of July 1 was arbitrarily
selected for the start of Board service.
B. Regular Meetings. The Regular
Meetings of the Board of Directors of the Cardiac Doppler Society shall be
held at the time and locations of each successive scientific meeting
scheduled every 12 - 20 months from a previous Regular meeting approved
by the Board of Directors. At said meetings there shall be an election of
Directors to replace those whose terms may have expired, election of
additional Directors provided for, if any, and the transaction of such other
business as may be properly come before the meeting.
C. Special Meetings. Special Meetings of the
Board of Directors for any purpose, or purposes, including the continuing
conduct of business by The Society; shall be called at any time by the
President of the Society upon reasonable notice of such time and place as
the President may designate. Special Meetings of the Board may also be
called by any five (5) Directors certifying to the need for such to the
President or the Executive Director (if any or if different) of the
Society. The President or Executive Director shall then fix the time and
place for meeting not less than twenty (20) days or more than sixty (60)
days after receiving such request. Should the President or Executive
Director neglect or fail to do so, such Directors, having made the request
and certification, may arrange for such special meetings. Notice of time
and place of all special meetings shall be written and postmarked not less
than twenty (20) days and not more than sixty (60) days prior to the time of
special meeting.
Article III.
Officers:
A. Qualifications. All officers of the
Corporation shall be elected or chosen from among the members of the
Society. The sole exception to this shall be the employment of an Executive
Director if and when the Board of Directors may desire to do so.
B, Officer Designation. The officers of the
Corporation shall be a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, and a
Treasurer, all of whom shall be elected by the membership at its Annual
Meeting each year. Said officers shall perform the normal and usual
functions of each such office and such other duties as may be designated or
assigned by the President. All officers shall be elected annually as
aforesaid. The Vice President elected at the Annual Meeting shall
automatically become the President after the following Annual Meeting.
Should an Executive Director be appointed or otherwise employed, the basis
and terms of his employment or designation shall be in the form of a written
contract prepared and entered into by the Board of Directors of the
Corporation.
C. Vacancies. Vacancies in any office arising
from any cause may be filled by the Board of Directors at any regular or
special meeting.
D. Other Officers and Agents. The Board of
Directors may appoint or designate such other officers, agents or employees
as it shall deem necessary or expedient. Such other officers, and agents
and employees shall hold their status for such terms and on such bases as
shall be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors. The
agents, employees or staff members shall serve at the pleasure of the Board
of Directors.
E. Compensation. Compensation for expenditures
connected with the Society for anyone shall be fixed by the Board of
Directors. No loans shall be made by the Society to any officers or
directors.
Article IV.
Committees:
Committees of the Society shall be designated by the
Board of Directors and the Chairman and members thereof appointed by the
President of the Society. Standing Committees, to be appointed each year,
include Membership Committee, Education Committee, Scientific Program
Committee, Local Arrangements Committee, and Finance Committee.
Article V.
Finances:
A. Membership Dues. The annual dues for the
regular members of the Society shall be determined from time to time by vote
of the membership upon recommendation of the Executive Committee. The
initial dues shall be $30.00 per Regular member, payable in advance to the
Treasurer. The annual dues of the corporate members shall be $1,000.00
payable in advance to the Treasurer of the Society. Such dues shall be
placed on an annual or fiscal year basis and may be adjusted by the Board of
Directors. By vote of the membership, upon recommendation of the Board of
Directors, annual dues may be adjusted. Such paid regular membership shall
entitle each member to the full privileges of the organization, including
one vote on all issues. Each paid corporate membership shall entitle each
organization or group to name one of its representatives who shall be
accorded privileges of the regular members.
B. Acquisitions, Etc. The Board of Directors
may purchase, take, receive, lease, accept by gift, devise or bequest, or
otherwise deal in and with real or personal property or any interest therein
wherever situated, and many sell, convey, mortgage, pledge, exchange, lease,
transfer and otherwise dispose of all or any part of its property and
assets, and may make donations for the public benefit. In the furtherance
of the purposes and functions of the Society, the Board of Directors shall
have power to do such other things as it may deem appropriate or necessary
as permitted by law and not contrary thereto.
Article VI.
Books and Records:
The Society shall keep accurate and complete books of
account and shall make and retain Minutes of meetings of its membership,
Board of Directors, and Committees directed so to do by the Board of
Directors. There shall also be a record kept of membership in the Institute
of Applied Physiology and Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA, and
duly classified with addresses, at its registered office. All such records
shall be available for inspection by any member or designated representative
of a member for any legitimate purpose at any reasonable time.
Article VII.
Chapters:
Chapters of The Society
are encouraged under the following provisions:
1. The purposes and by-laws of authorized chapters shall not be in
conflict with the Society purposes and by-laws. The chapter name and
by-laws shall be approved by the Board of Directors of The Society.
2. Chapters shall hold Annual Membership Meetings, where all
regular members having paid their dues and fees, will be convoked. Officers
of the Chapters shall be nominated by the chapter membership to take office
after confirmed by the Board of Directors of the Society.
3. Dues or fees assessed by chapters are not in lieu of membership
dues of The Society.
Article VIII.
Amendment of By-Laws:
These By-Laws may be altered, amended or repealed by the
affirmative vote of the Board of Directors at any Annual, Regular or Special
Meeting of the Board, provided that due notice, as hereinabove stated of
such proposed amendment, alteration or repeal, is set forth in the notice of
such meeting.
Article VIII.
Applicable Procedure:
To the extent not inconsistent with the Articles of
Incorporation of the Society and/or these By-Laws Robert's Rules of Order on
Parliamentary Procedure, as amended, shall constitute the procedure at
meetings of the membership of the Society and of the Board of Directors.
Insofar as practical and possible, meetings of the Board of Directors shall
follow an agenda which shall be mailed to each Director prior to each
meeting. All meetings provided for in these By-Laws shall be handled by the
Society's office as part of its duties. The Society office shall be that of
the Executive Director when such is appointed by the Board of Directors or
the office of the elected Secretary of the Society.