Constitution & Bylaws

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CONSTITUTION

• Article 1 – Name

The name of the organization shall be:
THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR HAEMATOPATHOLOGY

• Article 2-Aims

The purpose of this Association shall be to study diseases of the haematopoietic and lymphoid systems and to promote the exchange and dissemination of knowledge concerning the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases through:

1.     The stimulation of interest, investigation, exchange and dissemination of knowledge concerning haematopathology.

2.     Co-ordination and integration of the morphological aspects of haematopathology with other allied aspects.

3.     Promotion of research in haematopathology.

4.     Organisation of meetings, workshops and tutorials.

The Association will not undertake any commercial activity except for the conduct of what business would be necessary for the achievement of its aims as set hereof.

• Article 3 – Membership

Membership of the Association shall be open to qualified scientists who are actively engaged in the study of haematopathology.

• Article 4 – Officers

The Officers of the Association shall be: President, past-President, President Elect, Secretary- Treasurer, Meeting Secretary.
The President, past-President and the President Elect shall hold office for not more than two consecutive years. The Secretary-Treasurer and the Meeting Secretary are elected for four years. They may be re-elected for a further term of office, but shall not hold office for more than eight consecutive years.

• Article 5 – Executive Committee

The Executive Committee of the Association shall consist of the five Officers and seven Councilors. One of the seven Councilors is a member at large who is member of the Executive Committee of the Society for Hematopathology (SH) and nominated by the SH. (Councilors are elected for a period of four years in that capacity. The President will act as chair of the Executive Committee.

• Article 6 – Nomination Committee

The Nomination Committee shall consist of the three most recent Past-Presidents of the Association with the most recent President as chair. This committee shall nominate candidates for the free positions of the Secretary- Treasurer, the Meeting Secretary and all free positions of Councilors except the member at large from the Society of Hematopathology. Nominations will be directly communicated to and elected by the membership of the Association.

• Article 7 – Meetings

There shall he a bi-annual Meeting of the general membership and of the Executive Committee, further called “General Assembly” at such time and place as determined by the Executive Committee. Additional meetings may he called for special purposes.

• Article 8 – Bylaws

The constitution of the association will be carried out according to the current bylaws.

• Article 9 – Alteration of the regulations

The regulations of the Association can he altered by the General Assembly if a qualified majority of 2/3 of the present full and in good standing members is reached.

BYLAWS

• Article 1 – Membership

Types of Membership and Eligibility

Full members shall consist of qualified pathologists who:

1.     possess the degree of Doctor 0f Medicine or international equivalent, and

2.     possess a postgraduate degree or international equivalent in pathology, and

3.     who have demonstrated an active interest in haematopathology.

Associate members shall consist of

4.     Medical doctors with interest in haematopathology, or

5.     Basic scientists and/or biologists with a graduate degree in relevant disciplines, actively working in fields consistent with the stated purposes of the Association, or

6.     Residents, fellows and trainees in haematopathology.

Members in good standing in the Society for Hematopathology (SH) may be automatically elected as members of the EAHP, by presenting to the Secretary-Treasurer evidence of membership in good standing in the SH and by paying the dues required by the EAHP.
Full members are entitled to vote and to hold office. Full and associate members are entitled to present papers during the meetings and to present cases at workshops.

Nomination, Approval and Resignation of Members
Candidates for full or associate membership must submit an application to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Association and a letter of recommendation from two full members of the Association, or submit evidence of membership in good standing of the SH. The Executive Committee shall have responsibility for approving new members. Membership may be terminated by resignation in writing to the Secretary-Treasurer.

Dues
The annual membership file will be established by recommendation of the Executive Committee and by a simple majority vote of the members at the General Assembly. Failure to pay dues for a period of three consecutive years shall cause forfeiture of membership.

• Article 2 – Meetings

Scientific meetings
There shall be a bi-annual scientific meeting of the Association at such time and place as determined by the Executive Committee. This meeting shall be preferably held at even years in an European city. Additional scientific meetings may be called for special purposes.

The scientific programme shall take the form of symposia individual oral contributions, poster sessions and/or tutorials, and should also include a workshop. The content of the programme will be prepared by the local scientific committee and be approved by the Executive Committee who may invite other members to assist. The programme should include a “Karl Lennert Lecture” with a distinguished invited speaker to be approved by the Executive Committee.

Workshops
Workshops shall be organized in conjunction with the SH and shall be preferably held each year. At even years, the workshop will be part of the bi-annual scientific meeting of the EAHP and be organised by a local committee instituted by the EAHP. At uneven years, workshops will be held in the USA or Canada and organised by a local committee instituted by the SH.

Each EAHP authorised workshop will be organised by a panel including the President of the EAHP as well as at least two members whose primary affiliation is with the SH. The members of the panel should be approved by the Executive Committee.

Registration and case submission should be open to members of the EAHP and SH, however, priority for case acceptance and reduced registration fee will be offered only to those who are joint members of both societies or members of the EAHP.

After the workshop, the workshop panel will report on it by distributing a list of diagnoses and a summary of the workshop. The panel will remain a sounding board for the membership with respect to possible problems in diagnosis and classification related to the scientific issue of the workshop, and as such it will distribute all suggestions to the EXCO of both the EAHP and SH. Nomenclature will be a regular item on the agenda of the General Assembly.

General Assembly
Time will be set aside, during the bi-annual meeting of the EAHP, to conduct a General Assembly devoted to business matters of the Association. Attendance will be limited to full and associated members not in arrears for dues. The quorum for this meeting shall be 10% of all members in good standing or 20 members, whichever is smaller.

Executive Committee
The Executive Committee of the Society shall meet annually. The Executive Committee may, at the request of the President, hold meetings at any time of the year.

• Article 3 – Officers

Election of Officers and Councilors
Candidates for all free positions of councilors and for the free position of Secretary-Treasurer and Meeting Secretary are nominated by the Nomination Committee and communicated to the membership at least 30 days before the General Assembly at which elections take place. The President-elect will be nominated from the Executive Committee by the Executive Committee itself, one year before the actual election. After nomination, all members of the Executive Committee shall be elected by a majority of members present at the General Assembly with due regard to geographic diversity. No proxies will be accepted.

Vacancies amongst Officers
Vacancies other than in the Presidency may be filled by appointment, by the President, or members of the Executive Committee who will serve in their additional capacity until the next regular election. If the Presidency is be vacant, the President Elect shall preside at the Executive Committee and Annual Meetings.

• Article 4 – Executive Committee

Duties of the Executive Committee
The Committee shall conduct the business of the Association. It will specifically consider nominations fur membership and oversee the Association’s finances. In collaboration with the President it will organize the bi-annual meeting and possible other meetings that are organized in conjunction with the Society for Hematopathology.

The Executive Committee will distribute the agenda of the General Assembly 30 days before the date of the Meeting. The discussion and votes regarding the business or the organisation of the Association will only be conducted on points raised in the agenda unless a majority of the voting members decide otherwise.

Any member wishing to add a subject of debate to the agenda will do so by a letter sent to the President or Secretary-Treasurer at least 15 days before the date of the Assembly.

A brief record of the discussions and vote during the General Assembly will be made by a member of the Committee, preferably the Secretary-Treasurer. It will be signed by the President and the member in charge.

• Article 5 – Financial

Annual Accounts
All accounts of the Association shall be drawn on a calendar basis, from January 1 to December 31.

Authority to Compensate
No Officer 0f the Association shall receive compensation for his services as such. The Executive Committee, acting via a majority of its members, may authorise or ratify the payment to any Officer of reasonable compensation for expenses incurred on behalf of the Association in any capacity deemed necessary or advisable and in the best interest of the Association.

The Association can compensate for deficits in the budget of the bi-annual EAHP meetings and the joint meetings of the EAHP and the Society of Hematopathology, to a maximum of 25% of the budget. Compensation is only possible after approval of both the budget before start of the meeting and the final financial account by the Executive Committee.

Financial Report
A report to the membership on the financial status of the Association for the past year, will be made by the Secretary-Treasurer after the balance sheets and statements have been inspected by the Executive Committee or its representative. The Secretary-Treasurer’s report will be subject to a bi-annual audit during the General Assembly.

Special Funds to Support Pathologists
The Association will have a special fund to support selected pathologists who wish to attend the EAHP meetings to present an abstract or a case at the workshop and who are unable to obtain sufficient local funding to attend the meeting. Eligible pathologists shall be senior pathologists or pathologists-in-training who are pursuing active research in the field. The applications shall be addressed to the local organiser and shall be selected on an individual basis by the members of the Nomination Committee

• Article 6 – Affiliation and Working Groups

The Executive Committee is empowered, subject to approval of the membership at the bi-annual meeting, to affiliate with other organisations or to institute working groups that are part of the Association. Continuous efforts should be undertaken to co-ordinate such activities with those of the SH.

1. EAHP was founded in 1988. Changes in the constitution were passed at the General Assembly of the 5th Meeting and Workshop of the European Association for Haematopathology in Bologna, Italy, September 21st, 1992, at the General Assembly of the 8th Meeting and Workshop of the European Association for Haematopathology in Paris, France, April 23, 1996, and at the General Assembly of the 10th Meeting and Workshop of the European Association for Haematopathology in London, United Kingdom, May 9, 2000.

Article I -Purpose

Section 1-Purpose

The Society for He matopathology (the “Society”) shall at all times be operated exclusively as a taks exempt charitable, educational, and scientific organization (as those terms are defined in Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended) and, in a manner consistent therewith, shall perform the following and other related functions:

Promote expertise, effective teaching and productive research in the practice of hematopathology; and Assist and promote the development and recognition of res ident/fellow training programs in hematopathology and, through the American Board of Pathology, maintain a means by which pathologists may be certified as having special competency in hematopathology;Sponsor and promote the education of physicians and others in health care related to hematopathology; and Establish and maintain appropriate relationships with other societies and groups of physicians, and other scientists, who share professional interests with the Society.

Article II –Membership

Section 1 -Types of Membership

Qualified physicians and scientists throughout the world active ly engaged in clinical and/or laboratory hematopathology will b e full members, entitled to vote and hold office.Sustaining members are those members who provide additional financial support to the Society by paying at least 1 1/2 times the dues paid by other members.Residents, fellows, and trainees will be associate members, entitled to present their own papers at meetings, but only full members are eligible to vote.

Emeritus membership is an honorary status that may be conferred by vote of th e membership at the request of a previous active member who has retired from practice of hematopathology. Honorary membership may be bestowed on outstanding individuals upon proposal by the Executive Committee and approval by vote of the membership

Section 2 -Eligibility

Any pathologist, hematologist, or other specialist with demonstrated interest in hematopathology shall be eligible for full membership. Basic scientists with graduate degrees in relevant disciplines shall also be eligible for full membership. In addition, candidates for full or associate membership must be actively working in field s consistent with the stated purpose of the Society.

Section 3 -Nomination, Election, and Resignation

Candidates for full or associate membership mus t submit an application to the chair of the Membership Committee. The Membership Committee will transmit its recommendation quarterly via email to the general membership with a request of 3vote by return email within 14 days. Approval of new members is by simple majority of the membership w ho have voted. Any member in good standing of the European Association for Hematopathology (EAHP) shall be admitted in the Society for Hematopathology (S H) by providing to th e Secretary/Treasure r proof of membership in the EAHP and by paying SH dues. Membership may be terminated by resignation in writing to the Executive Committee.

Section 4 -Dues

Membership dues may be established by recommendation of the Executive Committee and by simple majority vote of the members at an annual meeting. Failure to pay dues for a period of two consecutive years shall cause forfeiture of membership. Membership may be reinstated when a written application is submitte d and approved by the Executive Committee.

Article III –Meetings

Section 1 -Annual Meeting

Annual meetings shall be held in conjunction with the annual meetings of the United States & Canadian Academy of Pathology. The Executive e Committee may modify this procedure when deemed necessary.

Section 2 -Scientific Program

The Program Chair for the Scientific Symposium held in conjunction with the USCAP annual meeting, will be selected by the President in consultation with the Executive e Committee. The Executive Committee should approve the proposed program of the Symposium. Non-member guest speakers may be invited by the Program Chair to participate in the Scientific Symposium.

Section 3 -Business Meeting

A portion of the annual meeting shall be devoted to business matters of the Society. Attendance will be limited to full and associate members not in arrears for dues.

Section 4 -Order of Business

Order of business at all business meetings shall be as follows:Approval of minutes of the previous meeting Receiving of communications Reports of officers including the Secretary-Treasurer’s Financial Report Unfinished business New business, including recommendations for new membership, the election of officers and, finally, the announcement of the next meeting (place, date & time)The authority on parliamentary procedure at all business meetings shall be “Robert’ s Rules of Order, revis ed.”

Section 5 –Quorum

Ten percent of all members in good standing, or twenty members whichever is smaller, shall constitute a quorum and shall be necessary to transact business. A majority vote of the members present will prevail.

Section 6 -Executive Committee

The Executive Committee of the Society shall meet annually prior to the general meeting to conduct all matters pertaining to the purposes and best interests of th e Society. The Executive e Committee may, at the request of the President, hold meetings at anytime of the year upon 30 days written notice to all members of the Committee. The format and/or location of the meeting will be determine d by the President in consultation with the Executive Committee.

Section 7 -Special Meetings, Notice

Special meetings of the members may be called at any time by the President or by the Secretary-Treasurer at the request of the Executive Committee upon written request from a quorum of the members in good standing.Any and all notices of scientific, business or special meetings of the Society shall b e sent in writing, personal or otherwise, to each member in good standing, not less than thirty days prior to the designated time of meeting.

• Article IV –Officers

Section 1 -Duties of Officers

The President shall preside over annual meetings during his/her term of office. He/she will serve as Chair of the Executive e Committee and appoint and charge, with the advice of the Executive Committee, Chairs and members of all committees. He/she will have the ultimate responsibility for organization of the program. If th e president is unable to perform his/her function at a specific time, the president elect shall assume the leadership of the Society until the president is able to resume the duties.The Secretary-Treasurer shall be responsible for official communications with members of the Society in addition to other duties usually pertaining to his/her office, including the recording of minutes of the Executive Committee, general business and special meetings. He /she shall also be responsible for the receipt and disbursement of all monies in the manner usually pertaining to his/her office. He/she shall be responsible for such records as will be subject to an annual external review. He/she shall present the reviewed financial report to the Executive Committee and to the general membership at the annual meeting.

Section 2 -Election of Officers

The officers shall be elected by a majority of members present at the Annual Business Meeting. Nominees must be members in good standing. The Nominating Committee shall consist of the most recent past three presidents with the most recent past president serving as Chair. The Nominating Committee re ports directly to th e members at the Annual Business meeting. Additional candidates may be nominated and seconded from the floor by members in good standing.

Section 3 -Vacancie s Among Officers

Vacancies other than the Presidency may be filled by appointment by the President of members of the Executive Committee who will serve in their additional capacity

5until the next regular election. I f the Presidency be vacant, the President-Elect shall preside at the Executive Committee and Annual Meetings.Article V -Executive Committee

Section 1 -Duties of the Executive Committee

The Committee shall conduct the business of the Society. It will specifically consider nominations for membership and oversee the Society’s finances. In collaboration with the President it will organize the annual meeting and the Secretary/Treasurer will serve as Recording Secretary at the Annual Meeting. All contractual arrangements must be ratified by the Committee.

Section 2 -Election and Vacancies

Members-at-Large and the member from the European Association for Haematopathology ( EAHP) Executive Committee will be elected by a majority vote of members present at the Annual Business Meeting. Nominees must be members in good standing. The nominee from the EAHP Executive Committee will be nominated by the EAHP Executive Committee. Nominations will be presented by the Chair of the Nomination Committee on behalf of the members of this Committee. Nominations may be offered from the floor by members in good standing. The five Members -at -Large and the member from the EAHP Executive Committee sh all be elected for four-year terms, and elections will be arranged so that the term of one or two Members will expire each year. Vacancies will be filled for the unexpired portion of a term by majority vote at the next regular meeting.

• Article VI –Financial

Section 1 -Fiscal Calendar

All fiscal affairs of the Society shall be conducted on the basis of the fiscal year starting on July 1 and ending on June 30 of the following year.

Section 2 -Authority to Compensate

No officer of the Society shall receive compensation for his services as such. Th e Executive Committee, acting by a majority of its members, may authorize or ratify the payment, to any officer or committee, of reasonable compensation for expenses incurred on behalf of the Society in any capacity deemed necessary or advisable and in the best interest of the Society.

Section 3 -Financial Report

The Secretary/Treasurer’s financial report will be subjected to a yearly external review. The Secretary/Treasurer shall present the report to the membership on the financial status of the Society for the pas t fiscal year after the balance sheets and statements have been reviewed.

Article VII –Affiliation

The Executive Committee is empowered, subject to approval of the membership at an annual meeting, to affiliate with other organizations.

Article VIII -Dissolution of the Society of Hematopathology

In order to dissolve the Society, the Executive Committee must adopt a resolution recommending that the Society be dissolved and directing that the question of dissolution be submitted to the vote of the Society members. Such resolution must be approved by the voting Members in accordance with the provisions of the District of Columbia (the code governing the dissolution of Nonprofit Corporations).

Upon receiving the required Member vote, the Society assets shall be applied and distributed in satisfaction of its liabilities and other obligations as required under the Code, and the Council shall adopt a plan of dissolution for any remaining assets, which plan shall be submitted to the voting Members in accordance with the Code.
Such plan shall provide that no such remaining assets shall be distributed to Members or officers of the Society or any private individual, but rather such assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose.

The EAHP was founded in 1988.Changes in the constitution were passed at the General Assembly of the 5th Meeting and Workshop of the European Association for Haematopathology in Bologna, Italy, September 21st, 1992, at the General Assembly of the 8th Meeting and Workshop of the European Association for Haematopathology in Paris, France, April 23, 1996, and at the General Assembly of the 10th Meeting and Workshop of the European Association for Haematopathology in London, United Kingdom, May 9, 2000.