BYLAWS
ARTICLE I: Name
Section 1. Name.
The name of this professional organization is the Great Lakes Chapter of the
Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates, a non-profit group, hereafter referred
to as GLSUNA or the Chapter. Chapter boundaries as of 2008 include
ARTICLE II:
Section 1.
Section 2. Goals. The goals of GLSUNA are:
1. to unite urological health professionals for the purpose of maintaining a Chapter dedicated to the promotion of the highest professional standards for care of the urological patient
2. to be the unifying organization in its membership area for those providing patients with urologic care
3. to provide diverse educational opportunities for its Chapter members
4. to hold interval meetings for the purposes of the Chapter, minimum of four per year
5. to hold educational meetings to advance the urological and professional knowledge of GLSUNA members, and community members with an interest in urological patient care
6. to study, discuss, and exchange information, experiences, and ideas in the field of Urology
7. to provide networking opportunities for GLSUNA Chapter members, including working to develop a speakers’ bureau
8. to cooperate lawfully with other professional associations, hospitals, universities, industries, technical societies, research organizations, and government agencies in matters affecting the foregoing purposes of the GLSUNA Chapter
ARTICLE III: Membership
Section 2. Membership Categories. Categories of membership in this Chapter are active, sustaining and senior.
A. Active Membership. Any health care professional who is actively engaged in the field of Urology. Membership is unrestricted based on nationality, sex, lifestyle or age.
B. Sustaining Members. Physicians, industry representatives and those who wish to support SUNA are eligible for sustaining membership.
C. Senior Members. Any active member who has reached age 62 and is a member in good standing for five years is eligible for senior membership with proof of age.
Section 3. Representation. Representation for reasons of voting shall be as follows:
A. Active Members. Active members are eligible to vote and serve on elected or appointed committees or task forces.
B. Sustaining Members. Sustaining members have all the rights and privileges of active members except those of holding elective offices, chairing a committee, and voting.
C. Senior Members. Senior members shall have all the rights and privileges of their previously held membership status.
Section 4. Ethical Standards. Based on the national SUNA standards, the GLSUNA ethical standards will be as follows:
A. By a two-thirds ballot vote, the Board of Directors may censure or expel a member for cause, provided the member has been afforded the opportunity to defend himself/herself at a hearing before the Board of Directors.
B. A member suspended or expelled may be reinstated by majority vote of the Board, making application as a new member and paying current dues and assessments.
C. By a two-thirds ballot vote, the Board of Directors may censure or expel an Officer or Section Representative for violating the bylaws of the Society, misconduct or neglect of duty in office or behavior injurious to the society. No actions shall be taken until the individual has been advised of specific charges, and given four weeks to prepare a response, and be afforded the opportunity of a hearing before the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE IV: Officers
Section 1. Officers of the Board. All Board members shall be elected or appointed as provided in these bylaws. GLSUNA Officers are President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and two (2) Members-at-Large. Eligibility for office shall be dependent upon active membership in SUNA for one (1) year preceding nomination.
Section 2. Election of Officers. The Nominating committee or, in the absence of a formal Nominating Committee, the GLSUNA Board, will submit a list of candidates for each position up for election. Prior consent of nominees and their willingness to serve must be obtained prior to submission. At least 30 days prior to the close of voting, each member in good standing must be sent a ballot via email or regular mail.
Section 3. Terms of Office and Vacancies. Beginning with the 2004 elections, all terms of office will be for two (2) years, and Board positions will be elected in a staggered pattern to avoid complete turnover of the Board and preserve continuity. The groupings are as follows: the President, Secretary and one (1) Member-at-Large will be elected in years alternating with the election of Vice-President, Treasurer, and one (1) Member-at-Large.
A. The current President and Secretary (as of 2004) and one (1) Member-at-Large will continue in their current positions; these positions will be up for election in 2005, thereafter to be elected in odd-numbered years.
B. The 2004 election will elect Vice-President, Treasurer, and one (1) Member-at-Large, who will then serve two (2) year terms, to be elected hereafter in even-numbered years.
C. No officer shall serve more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office.
D. The term of office shall begin at the adjournment of the meeting at which they have been elected.
E. If a vacancy occurs in any Officer position other than President, remaining Board members must vote within four (4) months from a slate of interested candidates, who must fulfill the requirements set out in Article IV, Section 1 and 2.
F. If a vacancy occurs in the office of President, the Vice-President will immediately fill the position for the remainder of the term. The Board will then seek to fill the Vice-President position, following Article IV, Section 3, Part E.
G. Board members who become ineligible for their position, e.g. vacate their job in Urology for a position in another field, will renounce their Board position. The position will then be filled following Article IV, Section 3, Part E of the GLSUNA bylaws.
H. Any member filling a vacancy in a Board position for at least 12 months will be considered as having served one (1) term.
Section 4. Duties and Powers. The duties and powers of the Officers of this Society shall be such as are implied by their respective titles; they shall encourage certification; they shall encourage both national and local membership; and more specific duties shall include the following:
A. The President shall:
1. be responsible to the Board of Directors and have the approval of the Board for the activities of the Chapter.
2. preside at all Chapter meetings and all meetings of the Board of Directors
3. represent the Chapter at national SUNA meetings and meetings of other organizations, or designate an alternate to serve in the President’s place
4. appoint committee chairmen
5. appoint special committees
6. be a member, ex-officio, of all committees except the committee on nominations
7. terminate committee appointments when committees are non-functioning or when a special committee project has been completed
8. have the shared privilege of signing checks with the Treasurer (either the President OR Treasurer will sign checks)
9. act as contact to the national SUNA organization
B. The Vice-President shall:
1. have all the duties and powers of a member of the Board of Directors
2. serve as a member, ex-officio, without a vote on standing and special committees
3. act as representative of the President in any delegated capacity
4. perform the duties of the President as detailed in Article IV, Section 4, Part A in the absence of or in incapacity of the president
5. perform such other duties as may be delegated by the President
C. The Secretary shall:
1. record the minutes of all meetings of the Society and the Board of Directors
2. preserve correspondence, reports and records in a permanent file
3. send notices of meetings to membership
4. maintain a current membership roster and apprise Executive Secretary of SUNA member’s status
5. keep a record of attendance at all meetings
D. The Treasurer shall:
1. be responsible for all funds of this Chapter
2. sign checks, a privilege shared with the President (either the President OR Treasurer will sign checks)
3. keep a record of all receipts and disbursements
4. act as liaison to industry representatives
Section 5: Transfer of Chapter Records. Upon retiring from the office, all officers of this Society shall deliver all records or other property of GLSUNA to their successors within one (1) month of retirement.
ARTICLE V: Board of Directors
Section 2: Eligibility for Election. Eligibility for election to the Board of Directors of this Chapter shall be active membership in this chapter for one (1) year preceding nomination. The criteria set out in Article IV, Section 2 of the GLSUNA bylaws must also be fulfilled.
A. The term of office shall begin at the adjournment of the meeting at which they have been elected.
B. The term of office for the non-officer members of the GLSUNA Board of Directors will be one (1) year; therefore, these three (3) positions will be open for election each year.
C. No member of the Board of Directors shall serve more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office.
D. Non-officer Board members who become ineligible for their position, e.g. vacate their job in Urology for a position in another field, will renounce their Board position. The position will then be filled via appointment by the remaining Board members.
Section 3: Duties and Powers. The Board of Directors shall have the following responsibilities:
A. direct the business and financial affairs of this Chapter
B. establish administrative policies
C. foster growth and development of this Chapter
D. review committee reports and determine action to be taken
E. fill all vacancies on the Board of Directors
Section 4: Meetings and Quorum. The meeting guidelines are as follows:
A. Special meetings may be called at any time by the President or a majority of the Board of Directors.
B. A minimum of two (2) business meetings shall be held during the year.
C. A majority of the Board of Directors present shall constitute a quorum for transacting business.
Section 5. Compensation. No members of the GLSUNA Board of Directors shall receive compensation from the GLSUNA Chapter for their services as a member of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE VI: Committees
Section 1. Standing Committees. The standing committees of this Chapter shall be:
A. Education/Program
B. Membership
C. Bylaws
Section 2. Committee Chairs. The chairperson of standing committees shall be appointed annually by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors. The committees shall consist of a chairperson who is an active member and at least two (2) other members. A majority of the members present shall constitute a quorum; alternatively, the Committee Chair may also choose to conduct the Committee’s business via email with Committee members.
A. The Education/Program Committee shall:
1. Plan and present programs of varied scope to meet the needs of the membership;
2. Make arrangements for the necessary facilities for presenting the program and/or act as contact person(s) for the industry representative contributing to the meeting
3. Submit programs for approval by the SUNA Education Committee chairperson for contact hours of continuing education credit.
B. The Membership Committee shall:
1. Promote the growth and development of the membership of this Chapter
C. The Bylaws Committee shall:
1. review these bylaws and submit recommendations for amendments to the Board of Directors
2. Prepare and submit to the Board of Directors amendments which are considered to be advisable to facilitate the activities of this Chapter
3. Present the proposed amendments to the membership, either by email, conventional mail or at a regular meeting, at least thirty (30) days prior to the voting deadline
Section 3. Special Committees. Special committees are appointed by the President for a special activity.
A. The chairperson of special committees shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors. The committee shall consist of a chairperson and at least two (2) other members. A majority of the members present shall constitute a quorum; alternatively, the Special Committee Chairs may elect to proceed via email.
B. When the project has been completed, a report is filed by the chairman and the committee is automatically dissolved.
Section 4. The Committee on Nominations. The Committee on Nominations shall be elected by the membership of this Chapter.
A. This committee shall consist of at least three (3) active members elected for a term of two (2) years.
B. This committee shall prepare a slate of eligible candidates for the annual election of officers, members of the Board of Directors, and the Committee on Nominations.
C. Eligibility for this committee shall be active membership in this Association for one (1) year preceding nomination.
D. In the absence of a Committee, the Board of Directors will prepare the slate for election, based on the guidelines in Article IV, Sections 1 and 2.
Section 5. Committee Reports. Each committee chairman shall submit a written report at the annual business meetings.
Section 6. Committee Function. All committees shall function under the direction and discretion of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE VII: Elections
Section 1. Time of Elections. The election of eligible officers, eligible members of the Board of Directors, and the Committee on Nominations shall be held at the annual business meeting.
Section 2. Nominations. The process for nominations will be as follows:
A. All nominees must have agreed to serve if elected before their names are placed on the ballot.
B.
C. A list of the nominees shall be presented to the membership at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of election.
Section 3. Voting. The process for voting will be as follows:
A. Voting shall be by ballot and majority shall elect.
B. Votes may be cast via email or conventional mail ballot.
C. The President shall appoint a chairperson and tellers to serve during the election.
D. In case of a tie, choice shall be by lot.
ARTICLE VIII: Meetings
Section 1. Chapter Meetings. The number of meetings per year, the months in which they are held, and the time and place shall be determined by mutual agreement of the Board of Directors and the Education/Program Chairperson.
Section 2. Meeting Notices. Notices of the monthly meetings shall be sent to the membership, via email or conventional mail, at least ten (10) days prior to the meetings when possible.
Section 3. Quorums. The majority of members present at a business meeting shall constitute a quorum for transacting business at a meeting.
Section 4. Special Meetings. The process for special meetings will be as follows:
A. A special meeting of the Society may be called by the President, upon request of a majority of the Board of Directors, or by a request of a quorum of the membership.
B. In the event of a call for a special meeting, all members shall be notified at least five (5) days prior to the meeting, via email or conventional mail.
C. The call shall state the purpose of the meeting, the time, and the place where the meeting will be held.
D. The majority of members present at a special meeting shall constitute a quorum for transacting business at the meeting.
ARTICLE IX: Dues
Section 1. Chapter Dues. The amount of dues, if any, for this Chapter shall be determined by the Board of Directors of the Chapter, who will then provide notice to the membership. There are currently no dues as of the 2004 revision of these Bylaws.
Section 2. Delinquency and Reinstatement. Any member whose local Chapter dues have not been received by the end of their expiration month shall be removed from the GLSUNA membership roster, and all privileges of the Chapter withdrawn. Reinstatement may be effected by payment of current Chapter dues.
ARTICLE X: Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of this Society shall be October 1st through September 30th.
ARTICLE XI: Headquarters
Section 1. Adminstrative Office. Establishment of an administrative GLSUNA office will be discussed on an as-needed basis among the GLSUNA Chapter Board of Directors.
Section 2. Mailing Address. The mailing address of the GLSUNA Chapter shall be that of the President, or P.O. Box as designated by the President. As of July 2008, the contact information is:
Great Lakes SUNA
P.O. Box 202
Milan, MI 48160
ARTICLE XII: Parliamentary
Authority
The parliamentary writings of Sturgiss shall govern this Association in all cases not covered by these bylaws.
ARTICLE XIII: Amendments
Section 1. Bylaw Amendments. Amendments to these bylaws may be made at any regular meeting by a majority vote of the members present, provided:
A. The proposed amendments have been presented at a previous meeting, or
B. The proposed amendments have been presented by email or conventional mail at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting.
Section 2. Bylaw Approval. After amendments to these bylaws have been approved by the GLSUNA Chapter membership, one (1) copy shall be sent to the Executive Secretary, SUNA, for evaluation by the SUNA Bylaws Committee.