By-Laws

   

LOS ANGELES SOCIETY OF PATHOLOGISTS, INC.

Article I – Membership

Section 1. Active Members - Graduates in medicine possessing a valid and unsuspended license to practice medicine in California, who are recognized by training and experience as specialties in pathology shall be eligible for Active membership. Only Active members shall be eligible to hold office and to vote.

Section 2. Junior Members - Residents in approved pathology training programs shall be eligible for Junior membership. A Junior member shall not be privileged to hold office or to vote. Junior membership may be maintained for one year after the completion of training.

Section 3. Emeritus Members - Members who attain the age of 65 or retire from active practice may be accorded the status of Emeritus member upon receipt of their written request. Emeritus members are not required to pay dues.

Article II – Application for Membership

Section 1. All application for membership shall be made on a form authorized by the Board of Directors and shall be submitted to the Board of Directors accompanied by recommendation from two Active members in good standing. Applicants shall be elected to membership by a two-thirds majority of members present at any regular meeting of the Society at the next meeting (not less that 30 days) of the Society following publication of names of such applicants in the Society newsletter.

Section 2. The names of newly elected members will be published in the next Society Newsletter, and their names added to the permanent roster of membership maintained by the Secretary-Treasurer.

Section 3. If the Board of Directors recommends that an applicant not be elected to membership, then the applicant is to be notified in writing of this fact with the reasons therefore.

If an applicant wishes to pursue application for membership, entitlement exists to a hearing before the Board of Directors and if the result of that hearing is adverse, an appeal to the general membership can be requested. The request for a hearing before the Board of Directors and appeal to the general membership shall be in writing. The applicant is entitled to be present at both the Board of Directors hearing and appeal and present evidence. The hearing and appeal are to be heard within a reasonable time, giving the Board of Directors or other appropriate committee reasonable time to investigate the validity of the objections made or to make such other inquiries the committee deems appropriate. A vote of a majority of the Board of Directors is needed for recommendations of approval to the general membership. Upon appeal, the applicant shall be elected to membership by a two-thirds majority vote of members present.

Article III – Officers

Section 1. The officers of this Society shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer and Board of Directors.

Section 2. The Vice President shall be the President-Elect. The President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer shall serve for one year. The President-Elect shall enter upon the duties of President at the annual meeting following his election.

Section 3. The Board of Directors shall consist of eleven or more members, eight of whom shall be elected from the membership. The President, Vice President, Secretary Treasurer and Past President shall be ex-officio members of this committee with vote. The elected Board of Director members shall serve for a term of four years in staggered terms, two being elected each year. (The initial terms shall be one, two, three or four years respectively, as determined by lot).

Article IV – Election of Officers

Section 1. The Society shall elect annually (December) at the annual meeting, the following officers: Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, two members to fill vacancies on the Board of Directors, and such vacancies as may have occurred.

Section 2. Election shall be by a majority of members present and voting and shall be from nominees submitted by the Nomination Committee or from nominations from the floor made by any member with the consent of the nominee. A quorum must be present.

Section 3. The Vice President and other officers shall be inducted into office at the conclusion of the annual meeting.

Article V – Duties of Officers

Section 1. The President shall preside at all meetings and appoint all standing and special committees and perform such other duties that devolve on him by custom and parliamentary usage. He shall be Chairman of the Board of Directors and be an ex-officio member of all other committees.

Section 2. The Vice President in the case of absence or disability of the President shall have and perform all duties of the President; Vice President shall succeed the President in office.

Section 3. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep correct and permanent records of the transactions of the Society and shall publish all notices as required. Secretary-Treasurer shall have the care and custody of all the funds, securities and documents belonging to the Society to its credit in such banks or depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors and shall sign all checks and drafts in the name of the Society for withdrawal of funds from such deposits. He shall bill the membership for dues and assessment, not less than 30 days prior to their due date. Secretary-Treasurer shall also keep full books of accounts and shall render for the Board of Directors from time to time at its request, a full statement of finances.

Section 4. The Board of Directors shall be executive and administrative body of the Society between annual meetings and shall be empowered to enter into contracts and authorize such expenditures as may be necessary to conduct the affairs and business of the Society. In addition, it shall have such powers and authority as may be delegated to it by the membership. The Board of Directors shall review all applications for membership and submit their nominations for consideration at the annual or other regular meetings of the Society. The Board of Directors shall receive and consider all complaints concerning the conduct of members.

The chairman of the Board of Directors may, in the furtherance of liaison between the various societies of pathologists, invite representatives of other societies, state, national or local, to sit with the Board of Directors as ex-officio without vote.

Article VI

Section 1. Resignations shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary-Treasurer who shall present the same to Board of Directors at its next meeting. The resignation shall not become effective until acted upon by the Board of Directors. No request for resignation shall be accepted by the Secretary-Treasurer from a member delinquent in dues.

Section 2. Members in arrears for dues for more than one year shall be automatically dropped for non payment of dues for membership. Members dropped for non payment of dues may be reinstated by affirmation vote of the Board of Directors and with payment of all delinquent dues.

Section 3. Disciplinary Action. Changes or complaints of unethical or unprofessional conduct by a member shall be in writing, duly signed by the Complainant and shall be filed with the Secretary-Treasurer of the Society. Such complaints shall state the acts or conduct complained of and the nature of the charges with reasonable particularity. The Secretary-Treasurer shall present such complaints to the next meeting of the Board of Directors which shall thereupon consider the charges and in its discretion determine whether or not further action shall be taken or whether the charges should be dismissed. If the Board of Directors determines that further action with respect to such charges hall be taken, the Board of Directors shall, within fifteen (15) days after such determination, cause a copy of the charges to be delivered to the accused member and shall set a time for hearing of such charges, which time shall not be less than fifteen (15) days after service of a copy of the charges upon the accused member. Written notice of the time and place of the hearing of such charges shall be given to the accused member at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date of the hearing. The accused member shall have the right to attend such a hearing and present pertinent data in his behalf. The Board of Directors may, by a two thirds vote of its membership, censure, suspend, or expel a member. Any member subjected to such disciplinary action shall have the right to appeal to the genera membership at a regular or called meeting of the Society in executive session, on written request filed with the Secretary Treasurer of the Society within fifteen (15) days after the decision of the Board of Directors.

Section 4. Authority to Issue Summons. The Board of Directors of the Society shall have the authority and power to summon any member to appear before the Board of Directors. Any member refusing or failing to answer such summons shall be subject to censure, suspension or expulsion from the Association as provided in the Disciplinary Procedure.

Article VII – Dues and Assessment

Section 1. Dues shall be levied annually by the Board of Directors, and are due and payable on the first day of February of each year.

Section 2. Assessments may be levied by the Board of Directors subject to approval by the membership.

Section 3. Any member may request an inactive dues exempt status for a period of five years for the purpose of serving in a missionary or military capacity or other valid purpose as determined by the Board of Directors. Such members may resume active status upon returning to the Los Angeles area by payment of dues in the amount assessed for the year of the member’s return.

Article VIII – Code of Ethics

Section 1. The ethical conduct of the member of this Society shall be governed by the “Principles of Medical Ethics” of the American Medical Association.

Article IX – Committees

Section 1. A Nominating Committee of three members shall be appointed yearly by the President at least two months preceding the date of the annual election. This shall consist of one member of the Board of Directors and two from the active membership at large. Its list of nominees shall be submitted to the officers of the Society one month preceding the date of the annual election and this list published in the Newsletter of the Society.

Section 2. The Program Committee shall consist of the President, Vice President and Secretary Treasurer and shall serve for one year. The committee shall arrange the scientific and other programs of each meeting and shall plan such programs for three (3) such meetings following the termination of their duty, following the annual meeting (December). The Vice President shall be the Chairman.

Section 3. A Committee on Professional and public Relations, consisting of five members including at least two members of the Board of Directors, may be appointed annually by the President. This Committee shall establish and maintain contacts and relations with the Los Angeles Medical Association, and other services, hospital associations, the Department of Public Health of California and it s Division of Laboratories and the several technologists’ associations.

Section 4. A Legislative Committee of three members, one of whom shall be a member of the Board of Directors, may be appointed annually by the President. This Committee will keep informed of any and will receive information about and will study legislative proposals affecting the practice of Pathology and Public Health.

Section 5. A clinical laboratory committee may be appointed annually by the President. Its size shall be consistent with the scope of its activities in areas of quality control, referral laboratory services and similar related activities.

Section 6. Reports of all standing and special committees shall be submitted to the Secretary prior to the meeting at which they will be considered.

Section 7. All Committees of the Society shall be responsible to the Board of Directors.

Section 8. Committee Authority. Each member agrees to cooperate with all reasonable requests of the Board of Directors and the Committees of this Society, and the failure of any member to so cooperate shall subject the member to the disciplinary procedure as hereinafter set forth in these By-Laws.

Article X – Parliamentary Procedure

There shall be at least two meetings a year, an annual meeting and one other meeting, the date of which is to be designated by the Board of Directors. Additional meetings shall be on the call of the Board of Directors or on the signed request of two members. Notices of all meetings shall be mailed to all members not less than fifteen (5) days prior to said meeting.

Article XI – Quorum

A quorum for conduct of business shall be thirty (30) active and voting members.

Article XII – Amendments

These By-Laws may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the members voting at a regular meeting of the Society, provided said amendments or changes have been submitted to the membership by publication at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting.

JUNIOR MEMBER BOARD REPRESENTATIVE GUIDELINES

ADDENDUM TO THE BY-LAWS

PREAMBLE

Starting in 1994, the Los Angeles Society of Pathologists, Inc (LASOP) Board of Directors welcomed junior level (resident) members to take part in their regular Board meetings as junior members of the Board. Junior members do not share with active members of the Society, the privilege of participation in either voting, or holding office, as outlined in the By-Laws. However, they are encouraged to become active participants in monthly Board of Directors’ meetings, to help guide the continual evolution of the Society toward satisfying the goals set forth in the original Articles of Incorporation. In this way, junior Board members may be seen as guiding influences of the Society which they and their peers will inherit in the future. As such, junior membership to the Board should be conducted in a responsible and forthright manner, with an open and creative mind, and with honor for, and appreciation of, the visionary purpose provided by the Board of Directors, to allow resident members to become part of the future designs of their Society.

Board membership provides residents with a link to the current working environment of Pathologists, and, likewise resident members serve as a bridge to the current training program environments. Additionally, resident members serve as a communication conduit to their respective programs. As such, they will ideally serve dual roles as both advocate, and representative. The goal of advocacy is to help maximize resident involvement in LASOP and may best be accomplished through providing continued resident awareness regarding LASOP activities and membership details. The goal of representation is to serve as the collective “voice” of one’s respective program, and may best be accomplished through effective and unbiased communications with all parties.

The following guidelines are meant to offer a reasonable and structured means for electing successive junior LASOP Board representatives. The process is meant to provide a basis for fair representation, and to increase resident participation in the Society. It should provide that all residents have 4equal opportunity toward seeking Board membership, that representatives are popularly supported choices, and the consistent reviews of, and limitations to, their membership, are in place.

*The following is an addendum to, and not an amendment of, the By-Laws of The Los Angeles Society of Pathologists, Inc., No part of the following addendum shall supersede the content or intent of the Bylaws.

Article I – Junior Board Membership

Section 1. Candidates must be current junior (resident) members of the Los Angeles Society of Pathologists,Inc. (LASOP)

Section 2. Eligible academic levels required for junior Board membership include PGY III – V, Chief, or Fellow.

Section 3. One representative will be invited to sit on the Board from approved pathology training programs with 1-15 residents, Chiefs, and Fellows, total. Programs with greater than 15 residents, Chiefs and Fellows total, may elect two representatives. This serves to maintain a level of representation that is adequate and reasonable.

Section 4. The maximum length of time a resident may hold the membership is two years total, (preferably, but not necessarily, consecutive service). Membership must be renewed after the completion of the first year of service, by the guidelines below.

Section 5. A year is preferably defined by the period encompassing the meetings held from September of one year, through June of the following year, (approximately one academic year). However, resident Board members with start dates at any point through the year, will be allowed to continue into the next academic year to fulfill the allotted year membership.

Article II – Election Process

Section 1. When a current junior member steps down, they will immediately alert their respective Program Director as to the vacancy. The Program Director will in turn alert all the residents of their program to the new opening(s), and will solicit interested eligible parties.

Section 2. In a manner up to the discretion of each Program Director, a new candidate, or candidates, will be chosen and presented to the LASOP Board of Directors.

Section 3. The final decision on the admittance of said candidate(s) will be up to the discretion of the active voting LASOP Board members, in a method of their choosing.

Section 4. Academic programs without full representation may continue to search for candidates and may provide representatives chosen under these guidelines, at any time.

Section 5. If a junior member chooses to vacate their position prior to the completion of the term, and later desires to complete that term, they must re-apply in a manner up to the discretion of their Program Directors, before returning to complete their term.

Section 6. In any instance where a Program Director is not available to facilitate this process, an alternate official may be proposed by the program, and utilized at the discretion of the active voting LASOP Board members.

Section 7. Communications regarding new representatives, or of any changes in current representation, should be provided immediately to the Administrative Officer, Shirley Jacke, Los Angeles Society of Pathologists, Inc., c/o Department of Pathology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Blvd, Suite 8709, Los Angeles, CA 90048 (310.746.7212), or to her current successor.

Article III – Disciplinary Action

Section 1. The active voting LASOP Board members reserve the right to dismiss junior members of the Board, at any time, for reasonably inappropriate and/or disruptive conduct, at their discretion.

Article IV – Amendments

Section 1. This addendum to the By-Laws may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the active Board members, at any regular Board o Directors meeting.

Accepted at the May 13, 1997 Board of Directors Meeting
Presented to the Board by David Seligson, M.D.
Junior Representative, UCLA