By-Laws

Bylaws of the Arizona Society for Histotechnology

Amended September 5, 2011    

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of this organization shall be the ARIZONA SOCIETY FOR HISTOTECHNOLOGY and hereinafter shall be referred to as the Society.

ARTICLE II: PURPOSES/MISSION

The purpose or purposes for which the organization was started are as follows:

1. The Society is organized to unite physicians, scientists, students, histotechs, histotechnologists, immunohistochemistry techs, research techs and anyone else in this area or a related area, whether in a hospital, the private sector or the corporate setting.
2. To promote the profession and the educational and scientific growth among the members of the Society.
3. To encourage high professional standards, knowledge and performance of practices in the field of histology.
4. To promote an interchange of ideas and knowledge pertinent to keeping the professional standards at a high level.
5. To promote mutual understanding and respect between the professionals in the area of histology and other allied professionals.
6. To provide an informational publication pertaining to histology.
7. To be a constituent society of the National Society for Histotechnology.

1. The Society has no power to carry on propaganda or take part in a political campaign, but will initiate and support state legislation that will affect and elevate the status of the histotechnologist.
   1. To function within the structure of these Bylaws.

1. The society shall be an independent, non-profit organization, though there will be no non-profit status via the post office.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1: QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP

Individuals actively engaged and/or interested in the field of histotechnology and/or related areas shall be eligible for membership in the following categories (see Section 3).

SECTION 2: APPLICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP

Individuals seeking membership in the Society shall provide information on the application form provided by the Society. This information is forwarded to the Membership Committee and/or the responsible party or parties, accompanied by membership dues in U.S. currency only. Membership shall not be denied or abridged on the basis of color, sex, creed, disability, religion or ethnic background.

SECTION 3: MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES

A. ACTIVE: An individual working in histology or a related area, whose dues for the current year have been paid. Active members are entitled to vote at the Business Meetings and in elections; may hold office (either elected or appointed); may act as Delegates; and may serve on any Board or Committee. Active members pay full dues.

B. STUDENT: Open to full-time high school vocational students, college undergraduates or participants in a histology program, to include internship. Membership application must be accompanied by a written confirmation of the lab or program director. Student members can not hold an office until becoming an active member, but they may vote on issues. Students pay reduced dues.

C. HONORARY: Individuals recognized for their outstanding contributions and active interest in promoting the Society, and selected by vote of the Executive Board.

D. RETIRED: Open to formerly active members of the Society and/or related professions who are now retired. Retired members shall retain full membership privileges. Retired members pay reduced dues.

SECTION 4: PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERSHIP

All members shall receive a membership card, good until the next annual renewal, and the Society’s newsletter. Meetings are open to members and non-members. Active and retired members may vote, hold office, act as a delegate and serve on any board or committee.
SECTION 5: RESIGNATION

Any member may resign membership in the Society by filing a written resignation to the Treasurer. Such resignation shall not relieve the member of the obligation to pay any dues, assessments or other charges theretofore accrued and unpaid. Membership dues are not refundable.

SECTION 6: TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP

Membership in the Society is not transferable or assignable.

SECTION 7: TERM OF MEMBERSHIP

The term of membership is June 1 through May 31 annually.

ARTICLE IV: DUES

SECTION 1: ANNUAL DUES

Annual dues for membership in the Society shall be recommended by a majority vote of the Officers of the Society. The recommendations are subject to approval by a majority vote of a quorum present at a general membership meeting, as defined in ARTICLE XIV, SECTION 3 of these Bylaws.

SECTION 2: PAYMENT OF DUES

Dues for initial or renewal memberships are payable to the Society in U.S. Currency, and shall be remitted to the Treasurer. New members must also submit a completed membership application. Upon receipt, a signed membership card for the current year will be sent to the member.

SECTION 3: NONPAYMENT OF DUES

Annual membership dues not paid by June 1 constitute non-membership status. Membership status is reinstated upon receipt of dues for the current membership year. Membership dues are not prorated.

SECTION 4: USAGE OF DUES

Membership dues shall be used solely for conducting Society business as defined in ARTICLE 5.

ARTICLE V: SOCIETY BUSINESS

The Society’s business is that which is necessary to satisfy the purposes under which the Society was formed and under which it operates, according to Article 2, with the approval of the Executive Board.

ARTICLE VI: OFFICERS

SECTION 1: TITLES

The Officers of the Society shall be as follows:

A. Elected Officers: 1) President, 2) Vice President, 3) Secretary and 4) Treasurer.

B. Appointed Officers: 1) Newsletter Editor, 2) Historian and 3) Committee Chairs.

SECTION 2: QUALIFICATIONS

A proper candidate for elected office must be an active member in good standing with the Society at least one year immediately prior to election. A candidate for an appointed office shall be approved by the President and approved by a majority vote of the other elected officers.

SECTION 3: DUTIES

A. PRESIDENT: The President shall be the principle executive officer of the Society, and shall in general supervise and oversee all business, executive meetings and affairs of the Society and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the committee on nominations. The President must be a member of the National Society for Histotechnology for at least one year immediately prior to election. The President or alternate shall serve on the National Society for Histotechnology House of Delegates. The President shall have signature authority on all Society accounts and holdings. The President shall perform all duties incumbent upon the office of President, and shall perform other duties as designated by the Executive Board. The President, upon leaving office, shall serve in the capacity of Immediate Past President.

B. VICE PRESIDENT: In the absence of the President or in the event of the President’s inability to act, the Vice President shall perform the duties of the President and when so acting shall have the powers and responsibilities which are contained in ARTICLE VI, SECTION 3 (A). The Vice President shall coordinate educational programs. The Vice President shall also act as chairperson and coordinator of the Society’s Convention/Seminar.

C. SECRETARY: The Secretary shall keep all minutes of all meetings. The Secretary shall be the custodian of all official records and documents of the Society, except for financial records. A list of current members and past members in the histology profession should be constantly updated and readily available upon request. The Secretary shall in general perform all duties incumbent upon the office and other such duties as assigned by the President. The Secretary shall see that all notices are sent out in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws.

D. TREASURER: The Treasurer shall have custody of and be responsible for all funds and securities of the Society. The Treasurer shall receive and issue receipts for monies, dues and contributions payable to the Society from any source. The Treasurer is responsible for the deposition of such monies in designated financial institutions and other depositories stated by and accounted for by the Society. The Treasurer shall present a current financial statement at the annual general membership meeting. The Treasurer shall be authorized to disburse finds. The Treasurer shall also maintain an inventory of physical assets for the Society. The Treasurer shall perform all duties incumbent upon the office and other duties as may be assigned by the President. The Treasurer shall submit all records for audit within thirty (30) days of the close of the fiscal year.

E. NEWSLETTER EDITOR: The Newsletter Editor shall be responsible for the publication and distribution of the Society’s newsletter. The newsletter shall be published quarterly in the months of March, June, September and December. The Newsletter Editor shall perform all duties incumbent upon the office and other such duties as assigned by the President.

F. HISTORIAN: The Historian shall be responsible for and will keep all Society records of historical nature.

G. IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: In the event of a tie vote on the Executive Board, the Immediate Past President shall be called upon to break the tie.

ARTICLE VII: THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

The Executive Board shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor, Historian and Immediate Past President. The Board shall meet at least once annually. The Board may also meet at the discretion of the President or any other officer or appointee, who shall need to present business to the Board.

ARTICLE VIII: ELECTION OF OFFICERS

SECTION 1: ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible to hold an office in the Society, a member shall have been such for one (1) year and shall be currently in good standing. The one-year membership requirement may be waived upon unanimous vote of the Executive Board, provided the candidate has been an active member of another constituent state Society and is a current member of the National Society for Histotechnology.

SECTION 2: NOMINATIONS

Any member may submit names of candidates to the Elections Committee. Consent of each candidate stating that he or she will be a nominee for said office should be returned to the Committee, and no name shall be placed on the ballot unless the nominee has consented to serve if elected. Nominations shall be accepted from the floor at the annual business meeting in the event of an unfilled office. In the event of nominations from the floor, a special election must follow.

SECTION 3: BALLOTS

The official ballot shall be made available to each member of the Society eligible to vote. The ballot shall be made available at least three (3) months before the annual business meeting, said ballot to be marked and returned to the Elections Committee chairperson, no later than midnight of the deadline date stated on the front of the ballot. Ballots postmarked after that date shall be void. A simple majority (51%) vote shall constitute a valid election.

SECTION 4: TERM OF OFFICE

Each Officer shall be elected for a term of two (2) consecutive years. Officers may be elected for more than one term, but no more than two (2) consecutive terms for the same office. The term of office shall be concurrent with the fiscal year, beginning July 1 and ending June 30 of the second year.

SECTION 5: SPECIAL ELECTIONS

Special elections must be held for the following purposes:

A. Runoff elections, in the event of a tie.

B. In the event of a vacancy.

SECTION 6: INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS

Individuals elected to office shall be formally announced during the Annual Business Meeting of the Society.

Outgoing Officers must transfer all ASH property, records and holdings to the incoming Officers within thirty (30) days of installation, with the exception of the Treasurer, who will have 60 days to complete the transfer of the financial records.

ARTICLE IX: VACANCIES

In the event of a vacancy of any elected office, the President shall fill that office until a special election is held. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the President, the Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President until a special election is held.

ARTICLE X: RESIGNATION

An Officer who wishes to resign a currently held position shall submit a letter of resignation to the President of the Society. Whenever possible, the resignation should be submitted with 30 days advance notice.

ARTICLE XI: REMOVAL FROM OFFICE

In the event an Officer or Committee member fails to carry out the duties associated with their office as defined in these Bylaws, the Executive Board may initiate a motion for removal of said individual from office. Written notification of the motion shall be sent via certified mail to the individual within thirty (30) days of the motion. A formal response to the President from the individual shall be required within ten (10) days of receipt of the notification of the executive motion.

The final resolution of the matter rests with the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall render a decision within two (2) weeks of receipt of the written response from the individual. The Executive Board shall have final authority in the matter, which may include suspension or removal from office or committee.

ARTICLE XII: HOUSE OF DELEGATES REPRESENTATIVES

The House of Delegates Representatives to NSH from the Arizona Society shall be the President or alternate, plus the number of delegate(s) and alternate(s) as allowed by the NSH. Delegate(s) and alternate(s) must be active state and national members for at least one (1) year immediately prior to being seated. Members of the Arizona Society who are eligible to vote, and who are also members in good standing of the NSH are eligible for selection to the House of Delegates (HOD). The Executive Board shall select the HOD Representatives. Representatives to the HOD must follow NSH guidelines for the HOD.

Representatives are eligible for reimbursement for up to one night of lodging and meal allowance, the exact amount to be specified by the Executive Board based upon information provided by the NSH Symposium Program for that year. Documentation of expenses shall be required.

Depending upon individual needs and the availability of funds, The Society shall provide up to $500 to the President for the purpose of attending the NSH Annual Meeting. In the event the President is unable to attend, the funds shall be assigned to the delegated representative who replaces the President at the NSH Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE XIII: FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year shall be from June 1 through May 31

ARTICLE XIV: MEETINGS

SECTION 1: FREQUENCY

There shall be one (1) General Membership/Business Meeting held annually. The Executive Board shall determine the time and place of the meeting.

There shall be a general meeting to be held on even years in June or July, this being a 2 or 3 day symposium.

On odd years 4 quarterly meetings will be held in Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.

SECTION 2: NOTIFICATION

Members shall be given at least thirty (30) days prior notification of the date, hour and site of the meeting. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to send out the information and to notify the Newsletter Editor of such information.

SECTION 3: QUORUM

The number of members in good standing present at the meeting shall constitute a quorum.

SECTION 4: VOTING

Each active member is entitled to one (1) vote on each matter that shall come before the assembly at the meeting. A majority vote of the members present shall decide the vote.

SECTION 5: SPECIAL MEETINGS

The various committees authorized by the Society may meet at times other than those regularly scheduled.

SECTION: FEES FOR MEETINGS

There shall be a $5.00 fee for quarterly meetings, for non-members, retirees, or students if they are non-members. No fees will be charged for members in good standing for quarterly meetings.

ARTICLE XV: AMENDMENTS

SECTION 1: AMENDMENTS OF THE BYLAWS

The Bylaws may be revised and amended by a majority vote, provided the revision and/or amendment has been submitted in writing to the Bylaws Committee within sixty (60) days of the general membership meeting. Recommendations for revisions and amendments may be submitted at any time.

ARTICLE XVI: COMMITTEES

SECTION 1: COMMITTEES

The President, with the approval of the membership, shall establish committees necessary to aid the Society in fulfilling its obligations to its membership. The President shall appoint committee chairs and members with the approval of the Society. The committee chairs shall be responsible to the President and the Society Officers.

A. ELECTIONS COMMITTEE

The Elections Committee shall interview candidates, verify candidates? Eligibility, compiles a biographical sketch of each candidate, create a ballot and mail the ballots and biographical sketches to all current ASH members. The Elections Committee shall also tabulate the ballots, give the results to the Executive Board and notify the newly elected officers.

B. BYLAWS COMMITTEE

The Bylaws Committee shall review the Bylaws on an annual basis, receive recommendations for revisions and submit the recommendations for amendments to the Executive Board.

C. SYMPOSIUM PLANNING COMMITTEE

The Vice President is the official chairperson of the Symposium Planning Committee. The Committee is responsible for the planning and the coordination of the Symposium/Convention, including but not limited to, the site of the meeting, the speakers and the various subcommittees. The subcommittees are:

1. Symposium/Speaker / Program
2. Continuing Education Committee (submission of NSH paperwork)
3. Printing of ASH program (distribution via US mail or e-mail)
4. Registration Committee / items for attendees packets
5. Exhibitor/Vendor Committee
6. Food/Banquet/Hotel/AV Committee
7. Entertainment/Decorations Committee

D. MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

The Membership Committee shall mail membership renewal notices, update the membership list annually, mail out membership cards and remit dues checks to the Treasurer of the Society on a weekly basis.

E. AWARDS/SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE

The Awards and Scholarship Committee is appointed by the Executive Board. The Committee receives applications and nominations for awards and scholarships, verifies the information on the candidates, determines the recipients of the awards and conducts the awards segment of the general membership meetings.

ARTICLE XVII: DISTINGUISHED AWARDS

SECTION 1: FREIDA L. CARSON AWARD

This award is given for outstanding and dedicated service to the field of Histotechnology. The Frieda L. Carson Award shall be awarded annually.

SECTION 2: JULES M. ELIAS AWARD

This award is given for the most outstanding article, paper, and modification of existing technique or presentation of a workshop during the State or National Convention. The Jules M. Elias Award shall be awarded annually.

SECTION 3: PHYLLIS BORIS SCHOLARSHIPS

Two awards in the amount of $250.00 each are given for the purpose of continuing education and can be used for any workshop, college course, teleconference, textbooks or examination fees. The purpose of these awards is to further the recipients Professional development in the field of Histotechnology and the laboratory. The Phyllis Boris Scholarships shall be awarded annually.

SECTION 4: REQUIREMENTS

Requirements for these awards and scholarships are that the nominee a) must be a member of ASH in good standing and presently involved in the practice of histotechnology or other related fields, and/or b) must be a registered histotechnician/histotechnologist or eligible for registry.

The recipients of the awards and scholarships will be selected by an Awards Committee and will be notified prior to the Society’s Annual Meeting.

The scholarships shall be on a reimbursement basis.

The recipient of the award must use the monies within two years of the receipt of the scholarship. If any part of the award is not used within two years, the unused monies shall remain in the general fund of the Society.

SECTION 5: OTHER AWARDS; Two Awards to be given annually in the amount of $250.00 to be sponsored by ASH or another sponsor

Vendors, supporters and benefactors of the Society may on occasion sponsor other awards. The Awards Committee shall coordinate with the sponsors of these special awards and with the Society’s membership to collect nominations and to select recipients, in keeping with the wishes of the sponsors.

SECTION 6: NOMINATIONS FOR AWARDS

Society members are encouraged to submit nominations and applications for the awards and scholarships.

SECTION 7: SPECIAL RECOGNITION

The Executive Board may at its discretion give special recognition to individuals for outstanding contributions to the Society.

ARTICLE XVIII: DISSOLUTION

Upon dissolution of the Arizona Society for Histotechnology, the Board of Directors shall after paying or making provisions for payment of all liabilities of the society, dispose of the assets of the society exclusively for the purpose of the society in such manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501 ____ (6) of the Internal Revenue of the United States Internal Revenue Law, as the Board of Directors shall determine. Any such assets not so disposal of shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of the county in which the principle officer the president of ASH presides.