Home

TSC BY-LAWS

Adopted April 8, 1972; Revised 1980, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1993

Article 1: Membership
Section 1. Active Members

Active Members shall be (1) Board Certified Pathologists or (2) individuals certified CT(ASCP) by the
Registry of Medical Technologists of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists or (3) persons eligible
for such certification.
Active Members will pay full annual dues of this Society.
Active Members must reside or be employed within the State of Texas.
Active Members will have all the rights and privileges of this Society.

Section 2: Associate Members

Associate Members shall be (1) medical doctors and paramedical personnel not qualified to be active
members but who show an active interest in the Society and the field of Cytology or (2) persons
otherwise qualified to be Active Members who reside and are employed outside the State of Texas.
Associate Members will pay full annual dues of this Society.
Associate Members shall have all the rights and privileges of membership except that of holding elective
office.

Section 3: Affiliate Members

Affiliate Members shall be other laboratory personnel employed in Cytology.
Affiliate Members shall pay one-half the annual dues and will be entitled to vote, but will not be eligible
to hold elective office.

Section 4: Honorary Members

Any person who demonstrates an active interest in Cytology and who has performed long and/or
exceptional service to the Society may be recommended for honorary membership in the Society.
Honorary Members shall be nominated by an active member at the Annual Meeting and be elected by
a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting.
Honorary Members may enjoy all the privileges of membership but shall be exempt from the payment
of dues, will not be eligible to hold elective office, and will not be entitled to vote.

Section 5. Junior Members

Junior Members shall be students currently enrolled in an approved school of Cytotechnology.
Junior Members shall be exempt from payment of dues, will not be eligible to hold elective office and
will not be entitled to vote.

Section 6. Application for Membership

Membership applications will be submitted to the Secretary who will determine eligibility based on
information provided by the applicant.
If necessary, membership category or eligibility may be determined by the Executive Committee.
The first year dues will accompany the application.
The applicant will indicate the Region of the Society in which he resides and/or is employed.

Section 7. Removal from Membership

Members whose dues remain unpaid on September 1 will be removed from the rolls of the Society.
Such members may reinstate membership by payment of such delinquent dues if accepted by the
Executive Committee.
Membership will be revoked if it is determined by the Executive Committee that false information was
provided on the membership application.

Article II: Officers and Duties
The term of office for elected officers shall begin January 1 and end December 31.
Section 1: The President

The President shall be the chief executive of this Society and shall preside at all meetings of the
Society and The Executive Committee.
The President shall appoint such standing committees and chairpersons as are provided in the By-Laws
and shall also appoint, with the approval of the Executive committee, such special committees or
additional standing committees as are deemed necessary.
If any elected office becomes vacant, the President shall appoint an eligible member to serve the
remainder of that term, subject to the approval of a majority of the Executive Committee who
respond within 15 days of written notification of the appointment.

Section 2: Vice-President (President-elect)

In the absence of the President, the Vice-president shall preside. If the President is unable to perform
his duties for more than 30 days due to extended absence, incapacitating illness or other reasons
approved by the Executive Committee, the Vice-president may assume all the powers and
responsibilities of the Presidency until the President is able to resume his duties.
The Vice-president shall be designated President-elect. In case of the death of the President, the Vice-
president shall immediately become President.
The Vice-president shall serve as Chairperson of the Steering Committee and shall be responsible for
preparation of the written ballot.

Section 3. Secretary

The Secretary shall be the custodian of the minute book, documents and papers of the Society and
shall keep minutes of the meetings of the Society, The Executive Committee and the Steering
Committee.
The Secretary shall keep in permanent form all the transactions of the Society and shall conduct the
correspondence of the Society and shall perform all other duties usually pertaining to the office. The
records shall always be open for inspection by the Executive Committee.
The Secretary shall maintain the membership records of the Society in permanent form, will provide a
current list to all officers, and will provide a list of members in each Region to the Regional
Representative.

Section 4. Treasurer

The Treasurer shall collect, receive and be accountable for all funds that accrue to the Society from
dues, contributions or otherwise, and shall disburse from the treasury such funds as may be necessary
to meet the appropriations and proper expense of the Society at the direction of the President.
The Treasurer shall send dues reminders to all members no later than February 1.
The Treasurer shall provide a written report of income and expenditures at the Annual Meeting and
otherwise if requested by the President or the Executive Committee.
The Treasurer shall submit the treasury records for examination by the incoming Executive Committee
or an individual they designate before the close of the fiscal year. An audit at the expense of the
Society may be requested by the Executive Committee if deemed necessary.
The Treasurer, upon departure from office, shall submit all records, funds, and up to date financial
statements of the previous years business to the new Treasurer within one month of conclusion of
duties but not later than the first day of office of the new Treasurer. It is the responsibilty of the
previous Treasurer to submit appropriate Internal Revenue Service documents, when required under
existing IRS regulations and subsequent updates. Copies of the IRS documents will also be sent to the
new Treasurer.

Article III:        Elections

Section 1.      Time of Election
Officers of the Society shall be elected at the Annual Meeting and begin their term of office January 1. If
unusual circumstances prevent election at the Annual Meeting the Vice-President may conduct the election
by mail.

Section 2.      Nominations
Nominations shall come from the Steering Committee.

Section 3.       Election Procedures

Written ballots shall be mailed to all voting members of the Society no less than 30 days before the
election is to take place.
Ballots may be returned to the Vice-president by mail or in person prior to the time specified.
A majority vote shall constitute election. In the event of a tie, voting members present will be asked
to submit a second ballot or, if election is by mail, the Steering Committee will submit a second ballot.
A majority vote on that ballot shall then constitute election.
Ballots will be counted by the Vice-president and two active members designated by the President.
Appropriate measures will be taken to insure a secret ballot, non-duplication of ballots, and an accurate
recount if necessary.

Article IV:        Meetings

Section 1.      Annual Meeting
The President shall determine the date of the Annual Meeting of the Society. The time and place shall be
announced by the President no later than six (6) months prior to the meeting.

Section 2.       Interim Meetings

Interim meetings held for educational programs may be cosponsored by appropriate educational
institutions or other professional societies as determined by the President of the Society.
A program Chairperson may be authorized by the Executive Committee to represent the TSC in the
planning of a joint meeting with another provessional society.
Funding may be requested as provided in Article VII.

Section 3. Registration Fees

All non-members and members whose current dues are unpaid 15 days prior to a meeting may be
charged an appropriate registration fee determined by the Executive Committee.
Additional fees for workshops or other activities shall be determined by the Executive Committee.
Members who have paid their current dues not less than 15 days prior to a meeting shall be entitled to
substantially reduced fees or free admission when possible, as determined by the Executive Committee.
All cytotechnology students shall be admitted free.

Section 4.       Quorum
A quorum of the Society shall be the members eligible to vote who are present at the business section of a
meeting of the Society.

Section 5.       Regional Meetings
Regional meetings may be held at such times and places as announced by the Regional Representative for
that Region. All members within the Region and all officers shall be informed no later than 15 days prior to the
meeting.

Article V:        Committees

Section 1.      Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer,
immediate past President of the Society, Newsletter Editor and Constitution and By-Laws Chairperson.
The President shall be ex-officio Chairperson of the Executive Committee. The Secretary shall be ex-
officio Secretary of the Executive Committee. The Vice-president shall be ex-officio Vice-Chairman of
the Executive Committee.
The general management of the Society shall be vested in the Executive Committee. It shall regularly
perform the ordinary duties of a board of directors. Meetings shall be held at least once yearly, when
called by the President of the Society.
The Executive Committee may veto committee appointments made by the President. The Executive
Committee may also appoint additional members to committees.

Section 2. Steering Committee

The Steering Committee shall consist of the Executive Committee and the Regional Representatives.
The Vice-President shall chair the Steering Committee.
Long-term goals and general policies shall be formulated by the Steering Committee.
Nominating Functions:

Regional Representatives shall solicit from eligible members of the Society names and
qualifications of candidates for such offices and positions to be filled by vote of the members of
the Society.
Any member may submit his/her own name for consideration by the Steering Committee.
Only names of members who have consented to serve if elected shall be placed on the ballot.
The Steering Committee shall make at least one nomination for each office. More than one shall
be made if possible.
The Vice-president shall prepare a written ballot accompanied by brief biographical information
about the candidates.

Membership functions:

Within their respective regions, the representatives will solicit new members for the Society,
assist the Secretary in locating members who have moved and, if requested by the Treasurer,
contact members whose dues are delinquent to inform them of possible loss of membership.
The Steering Committee will assist the Secretary in maintaining a list of potential members and
appropriate institutions for occasional mail-out of special programs or membership invitations.

E. Meetings shall be held at least once yearly at a time designated by the President of the Society.

Section 3. Meeting Committee

With the approval of the Executive Committee, the President shall appoint a Program Chairperson for
each of the three major metropolitan areas: Houston-Gal veston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio-
Austin.
Each Program Chairperson will appoint a committee to assist in preparing the education programs
sponsored by the TSC in his respective area. The committee shall include the Regional Representatives
for the area and any officer elected regionally when such an organization exists.
Each Program Chairperson will appoint a committee to assist in preparing the education programs
sponsored by the TSC in his respective area.
The Program Chairpersons will cooperate with the President and the Executive Committee in preparing
educational programs at times generally designated at least three years in advance. Within each three-
year period at least one meeting will be scheduled for each area. Exact dates will be determined by
the Program Chairperson with the approval of the President and will be announced as provided in
Article IV.
No extraordinary financial obligation may be undertaken on behalf of the TSC by a Program Chairperson
without the consent of the Executive Committee.
Meetings shall be held at least once yearly at a time designated by the President of the Society.

Section 4. Constitution and By-laws Committee

The Chairperson and members of the Constitution and By-Laws Committee shall be appointed by the
President and the Executive Committee.
Proposed amendments to the Constitution or the By-Laws shall be submitted to the Chairperson.
These shall be rewritten if required to conform and be consistent with existing provisions without
altering the intent of the amendment.
After approval of the committee, proposed amendments will be submitted to the Secretary who will
prepare copies to be sent to members. This mailing may be included as an integral part of a regular
Society newsletter and may include information concerning reasons for the proposed change.
The Chairperson of the Constitution and By-Laws Committee shall provide all officers with a current
copy of the Constitution and By-Laws and shall act as an advisor to the Executive Committee when
required concerning provisions of the Constitution and By-Laws.

Article VI:        Finances

Section 1.      Funding
Funds shall be raised by annual dues, voluntary contributions, registration fees, revenues from audio-visual
sets, and other funds that the Treasurer and other members may obtain for the Society.

Section 2.       Dues

The dues for Active and Associate Members shall be twenty dollars ($20) per fiscal year.
Dues shall be payable to the Treasurer beginning January 1, and must be paid by September 1 to be
eligible to vote in that year's election.

Section 3. Expenditures

Bills for authorized expenditures should be submitted to the Treasurer promptly-and should be
accompanied by a complete explanation of the date and purpose of the expense.
On presentation of receipts or other appropriate documentation of expenses, all officers or committee
chairpersons will be reimbursed for authorized purchases of supplies and services necessary to fulfill their
duties.
The President shall approve all expenditures resulting from the publication of Society newsletters and
programs. A preauthorized amount may be granted to the Newsletter Editor based on an average of
the expenses the three previous years. Expenditures must be documented. Undocumented expenses
will not be reimbursed. Excess funds will be returned to the Treasurer at the end of each year.
If funds are available the President may authorize payment of reasonable travel expenses for officers
and principal program participants who must travel more than 50 miles to attend a Society meeting.
All expenditures for social events held in conjunction with Society meetings must be authorized in
advance by the Executive Committee. Approved events must appear on the advance program of the
meeting.
Capital expenditures and expenses not otherwise authorized in the Constitution and By-Laws shall be
considered extraordinary expenditures which require approval at an Annual Meeting or by the
Executive Committee.
When an anticipated authorized expense exceeds $25.00, the President may authorize a reasonable
advance payment to the appropriate officer for that expense. All such expenditures shall be
documented as provided in Section 3 (a) and all unused funds returned to the Treasurer within sixty
(60) days or before the end of the fiscal year in which the advance occured.

Section 4.       Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Society shall be from January 1 to December 31.

Article VII:         Regional Representatives

Section 1.      Term of Office

The term of office of Regional Representatives shall begin on January 1 or when appointed by the
President.
The term of office of Regional Representatives shall end December 31 unless reelected or reappointed.

Section 2. Duties
The duties of the Regional Representatives shall be:

to solicit new members to the Society.
to solicit nominations.
to act as public liaison in their respective regions.
to act as an advisory body to the Executive Committee and serve as members of the Steering
Committee.
to act as reporters for the TSC newsletter from their regions.

ArticleVIII:        Publications

Section 1.      Name
The official publication of the Texas Society of Cytology shall be designated: Inside the Cell.

Section 2.       Distribution
The official publication shall be made available to all members and to such others as deemed necessary.

Section 3.       Editor
The editor shall be appointed by the President from the active membership with a preferential selection to be
made of those members consenting or volunteering to serve.

Article XI:   Parliment Procedures

The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order, Revised shall govern this Society in all cases to which they are
applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Constitution and By-Laws.

Article X:   Amendments

Section 1.      Proposal
A proposed amendment shall be submitted in writing to the Chairperson of the Constitution and By-Laws
Committee with a copy to the President.

Section 2.       Notification
After committee action is complete, all members eligible to vote shall be notified of the proposed amendment
by mail no later than 30 days prior to the voting deadline. A written ballot will be included.

Section 3.       Reading
The proposed amendment must be read at the Annual Meeting by the Chairperson of the By-Laws
Committee. Voting may take place at the meeting or by mail at a time designated by the President.

Section 4.      Approval
The proposed amendment must be approved by two-thirds of the total members voting.
The Secretary, upon departure from office, shall submit all records and up to date minutes of the previous
years business to the new Secretary within one month of conclusion of duties but not later than the first day
of office of the new Secretary.

The Texas Society of Cytology