ARTICLE I MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1: Classes of membership

     A. Active Members of the Hand Surgery Section of the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics.

SECTION 2.         Membership Requirements

    A. Active Membership

        1. An applicant for Active Membership shall:

            a. Be a graduate of an osteopathic medical school approved by the American Osteopathic Association.

            b. Be licensed to practice osteopathic medicine in the state in which he practices.

            c. Be certified or Board eligible by the American Osteopathic Board of Orthopedic Surgery.

            d. Be a member of the American Osteopathic Association and its state and divisional societies, and
                if elected to membership shall continue to be a member in good standing with each of the above named organizations.

            e. Be a Candidate member or meet the requirements thereof.
 
            f. Meet the current Academy requirements for training in orthopedic surgery.

            g. Have received a minimum of three months training in an approved Hand Surgery program.   

     (2) Individual consideration will be given to those qualified orthopedic surgeons with special interest in
            hand surgery who have completed A.O.A. approved orthopedic training programs.

2. Active members who have failed to attend three (3) consecutive annual conferences will be subject to placement on the inactive membership list unless just cause is shown. To again be granted active membership, a re-application must be made on the prescribed form and processed in the usual way.

 SECTION 3.

The Certificate of Membership shall be presented to the new members at the Annual Banquet by the President in the manner set forth in the Manual of Procedure. If the new member is not present to receive this Certificate, the Secretary shall follow the procedure outlined in the Manual of Procedure.

 SECTION 4.

  A member in any category of membership in the Hand Surgery Section of the A.O.A.0. is subject to the Continuing Medical Education requirements of the American Osteopathic Association.

 SECTION 5.

  Disciplinary Action - The membership of any member of the Hand Surgery Section of the
A.O.A.O. who violates established policies of the Section may be revoked, suspended, or placed on probation by the Board of Directors of the Hand Surgery Section acting according to the procedures in the By-Laws, Manual of Procedure, or other documents which may be approved for that purpose.

 SECTION 6.

Appeal of Disciplinary Action as outlined in the Manual of Procedure.
 

ARTICLE II ELECTIONS

 SECTION 1.   Officers

Only Active members of the Hand Surgery Section may become officers.  It shall consist of three (3) members as follows: President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer.

SECTION 2.

The Board of Directors shall consist of seven members including the President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, Immediate Past-President, and three (3) Board members elected for three (3) year terms in staggered sequence.
 

SECTION 3.     Method of Election

             A. The Nominating Committee shall present nominations annually for the office of President, Vice-
                  President, and Secretary-Treasurer, and the nominations for the term of any deceased or resigned
                  officer whose office has been temporarily filled by an appointment by the President.

             B. Further nominations shall be called for and may be made from the floor immediately preceding the
                  Balloting for such office.

            C.  All elections shall be conducted by secret ballot unless there is only one candidate for office, in which
                 event, the President may authorize the Secretary to cast, upon motion, the elective ballot for such
                  candidates.

            D.  The candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected.  Each position is to voted
                  on separately.
 

SECTION 4.   Installations of Officers

            A.   Officers elected at the annual business session shall resume their respective offices immediately
                   Subsequent to the installation exercises at the Annual Banquet.

            B.   Each officer shall hold his respective office and serve until his successor is
                   elected and qualified, except as otherwise provided.
 

ARTICLE III DUTIES OF OFFICERS
 

SECTION 1. Duties - The duties of the officers shall be those usually performed by such officers and as hereinafter specified.

SECTION 2. President

    A. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Section.

    B. He shall perform the duties delegated to him by the Constitution and By-Laws of the
        Hand Surgery Section.

    C. He shall appoint standing committees of the Section from the membership and name of the chairman.

    D. Whenever a vacancy occurs in any of the elective offices for reasons of health, I resignation, or removal, etc.,
         the President shall have the power to appoint from the membership a member to fill the vacancy until the next annual meeting.

    E. The President is responsible for the appointment of the Nominating Committee for the annual elections.
 

SECTION 3. Vice-President

The Vice-President shall be the Program Chairman of the annual meeting for the current year he holds office.

SECTION 4. Secretary-Treasurer

    A. The Secretary-Treasurer shall prepare and preserve records of attendance and proceedings of all meetings of the Section.

    B. He shall be responsible for the membership rolls and classifications.

    C. He shall handle the correspondence and other usual duties of this office.

    D. He shall perform such other duties as may be required of him by the very nature of the off ice.
 
   E.  The Secretary-Treasurer shall receive, protect and disburse funds of the
         Section as directed by the officers.

   F.  His books shall be keep in accordance with accepted accounting practices.

    G.  His records shall be audited annually by a Certified Public
            Accountant Designated by the Hand Surgery Section.
 

ARTICLE IV  MEETINGS
 

General Business Meeting

    A. General business meetings of the Section shall be held at the annual meeting
          of the Annual Clinical Assembly of Osteopathic Specialists.  Meetings will
                                be announced in advance.
 
   B.  In any event of no annual meeting of the Annual Clinical Assembly of
        Osteopathic Specialists, the meeting will be held at such time and place as
        the President may designate.

  C. Twenty (20%) percent of the voting members of the Section shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
        If no quorum  is present, business shall be transacted by the officers.
 
  D. Special meetings of the general membership may be called by the President or upon request of fifteen (15) or more
        active members of the Section by a notice in writing to the Secretary, who shall notify each Active Member
        of the Section of the time, place, and purpose of the meeting.  This notice shall be sent not more than thirty (30)
        days or less than fifteen (15) days prior to the proposed meeting.  Only the subjects in the notice may be acted upon at such meeting
 
   E. Eligibility. Only Active Members in good standing may attend and have a voice in the annual or special business session of the Section.
 

 ARTICLE V ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES

SECTION 1. Annual Membership Dues.

    A. The dues of the various classes of membership shall be determined from time to time
          by the officers.
    B. To meet emergencies, assessments may be levied by the officers at any regular or special meeting. A two-thirds
         (2/3) majority of the officers present shall be necessary to validate a special assessment.

SECTION 2. A member whose dues are unpaid by March lst shall be considered delinquent and not in good standing with the Section.
    A member who refuses or neglects to pay his dues or assessments for a period of one (1) year shall be suspended from
    the Section and may be reinstated only after payment of all delinquent dues and a twenty-five ($25.00) reinstatement fee.

SECTION 4. A request in writing to the Secretary by a member for a reduction in dues on account of hardship shall
    be decided by the officers on an individual basis.

SECTION 5. Fiscal Year – The fiscal year shall be from October 1st thru September 30th.
 

ARTICLE VI CODE OF ETHICS

SECTION 1. The Code of Ethics of the Hand Surgery Section of the A.O.A.0. shall be the Code of Ethics of the American
    Osteopathic Association.  Any additional provisions adopted by the Hand Surgery Section shall not be in conflict with the Code
    of Ethics of the American Osteopathic Association and the Constitution or By-Laws of the American Osteopathic Academy
    of  Orthopedics.
 

ARTICLE VII AMENDMENTS

SECTION 1.  These By-Laws may be amended at any annual meeting of the Section by majority vote of the members present and voting, providing written notice of such amendments has been received by the Secretary and distribution by him to the members not more than ninety (90) days or less than thirty (30) days preceding the annual meeting of the Section.

ARTICLE VIII APPROVAL

SECTION 1. These By-Laws shall become operative only after approval of the Board of Trustees of the American Osteopathic Association.

ARTICLE IX A.O.A. APPEAL MECHANISM
 

Hearings involving charges of violations of the Code of Ethics shall be conducted according to substantially the same procedure followed by the A.O.A. in similar matters.

If a member shall have been suspended or expelled as a result of a finding that such member violated the Code of Ethics, then the record of such proceeding and the decision shall be forwarded to the Executive Director of the A.O.A. for ultimate review by the A.O.A. Board of Trustees.  The A.O.A. Committee on Ethics shall first determine if the record and decision complies with A.O.A. requirements.  If the record and decision do not so comply, they shall be returned to this Section for rehearing.  If the record and decision do comply, they shall be scheduled for review by the Board of Trustees.  In either event, the Committee on Ethics shall notify the member and this Section of its determination.

In the case of the A.O.A. Board review, the ember may file a petition similar to the petition employed in original ethical matters before the A.O.A. including therein if desired, a request to appear personally before the Board.  The A.O.A. Executive Committee shall have sole discretion as to whether such request for personal appearance shall be granted.

ARTICLE X AMENDMENTS DATED 10/20/81

AMENDMENT A Article I Section 2, No. 1 - G 1 and 2

G. Have received a minimum of three months training in an approved formal hand surgery program.

AMENDMENT B Article 11 Section 3, Part C

All elections shall be conducted by open ballot unless there is only one candidate for office in which event the President may authorize the Secretary to cast upon motion the elective ballot for such a candidate.