Article I

Title:

The name of this organization shall be New York Society for Surgery of the Hand.

Article II

Purposes:

Recognizing that surgery of the hand is a field of regional specialization, the purposes of the organization are:

A) To promote and foster the highest standards of surgery of the hand.
B) To promote education, training and research related to surgery of the hand.

Article III

Organization:

Section 1.

Officers of the Society shall be President, President-elect, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.

A) Elections will be conducted at the last meeting of the Society prior to the first of July of each year.
B) A candidate for each office will be nominated by the Executive Committee, and additional nominations may be made from the floor.
C) The term of office of elected officers will be for one year.
D) Elected officers will not serve consecutive terms in the same office with the exception of the secretary and treasurer.
E) No member shall hold more than one elective office at any one time.
F) The terms of office of new officers will begin with their election.

Section 2.

An executive committee of the society will consist of the elected officers of the first year and thereafter the elected officers and immediate past president.

A) Between meetings, the Executive Committee will convene as often as required to conduct the business of the society.
B) Recommendations of the Executive Committee will not be binding on the Society unless approved by the membership.

Section 3.

Quorum

A) In order for the Executive Committee to conduct the business of the society, a quorum shall be present. At least four members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.
B) In order for the membership at large to conduct its business a quorum shall be present. A quorum of the active membership shall consist of at least 33% of the members.

Section 4.

Duties of the officers:

I. President
A) The President shall be the principal executive officer of the society and preside at all meetings of the Society and Executive Committee,
B) The President shall cast the deciding vote in case of a tie.
C) The President shall, with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee, appoint special and regular activities.

II. Vice President

A) The Vice President shall assist the President in his duties.
B) The Vice President shall preside in the President’s absence.
C) The Vice President shall assume the Presidency should such office become vacant.

III. President-Elect

The President-elect shall succeed to the duties of the president in the absence of the President and Vice President.

IV. Secretary

A) The Secretary shall keep minutes and records of meetings.
B) The Secretary shall handle correspondence of the society.
C) The Secretary shall receive applications for membership.

V. Treasurer

A) The Treasurer is the responsible financial officer, obtaining and dispersing funds of the Society.

VI. Historian

The position of ‘Historian’ will be held by a member of the Society for a term of five years, with the option for one additional term of five years, upon election by the membership. The Historian will be an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee.

A: Duties of the historian:
i. Preserve the history of the Society by keeping a record of the past and current members and officers.
ii. Preserve the memorabilia and historical accounting of the Society.

Article IV

Membership:

A) Qualifications for nomination for membership:

1. The applicant must be board certified in his/her primary surgical specialty.
2. In addition to completing basic residency requirements, the applicant must have completed special training in surgery of the hand of at least an additional year. Such special training will be evaluated on an individual basis by the society.
3. The applicant must be prepared to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the committee, significant interest in surgery of the hand. The applicant should be prepared to demonstrate that in the year prior to submission of their application, over 50% of their surgical cases deal with surgery of the hand.
4. All qualified physicians practicing in the state of New York or within a 50-mile radius of Manhattan are eligible to apply for membership. Applicants are to have been in practice in this area for a year prior to submission of their application for membership
5. Under exceptional circumstances, the executive committee by unanimous vote may recommend to the society that the any or all of the qualifications may be waived for the applicant.

B) Application

Those desiring membership may apply in writing to the secretary of the Society, presenting their qualifications, endorsed by at least three active members of the Society. Completed applications must be received no later than January 30TH of each year.

C) Election of Members
1) The Executive Committee shall act as membership committee to review the qualification of applicants. All applicants receiving a majority vote of the committee will have their names circulated to the Society membership at least 45 days prior to the final business meeting of the academic year.
2) Election of members will be held in conjunction with the final business meeting of the academic year.

D) Conduct of a member prejudicial to the best interest of the Society may be grounds for censure or dismissal from the Society. Such action can only follow proper hearing by the Executive Committee, and by recommendation of this committee. A quorum of active members of the Society must be present and a three-quarter affirmative vote is required for any action.

Article V

Meetings of the Society

A) There shall be at least four meetings per year. The last meeting of the academic year shall be a business meeting at which time, the election of new officers and new members will be considered. Time and place shall be designates in writing at least 60 days in advance by the president.
B) Special meetings may be called at the discretion of the President. Upon written request of ten members of the society, the president shall be required to call a special meeting within 60 days. The purpose of this special meeting must be specified in the written notice of such meeting.
C) Attendance at the business session will be limited to members of the Society.

Article VI

Dues & Fees

A) Annual dues shall be recommended by the Executive Committee and approved by the membership.
B) The Treasurer shall notify all members in arrears for dues. Those members delinquent for more than two years may be terminated from membership on recommendation of the Executive Committee.
C) An inactive category is established when dues are not required. This category is for those members who have moved away or those who because of health or age are unable to continue as active members. Applications for this category must be made in writing to the secretary and approval is by the executive committee.
D) All active members must attend one regular meeting in an academic year. A member who fails to attend the requisite number of meetings in an academic year will be notified by the secretary that his/her name may be dropped from membership in the Society unless an acceptable excuse is supplied to the Executive Committee.

Article VII

Amendments

A) This constitution may be amended by two-thirds affirmative vote of the entire membership, provided the text of such proposed amendment shall have been submitted to the members with the call not less than 30 days prior to the meeting at which action is to be taken.

Article VIII

Robert’s Rules of Order Revised shall obtain in all meetings of the society when not in conflict with this constitution.

Amendment to the Bylaws (10/12/99)

Each member may recommend a maximum of two candidates per year for membership to the New York Society for Surgery of the Hand. Sponsors must be prepared to discuss their candidates during the annual business meeting.

Amendment to the Bylaws (6/3/03)

The number of active members required for a quorum to be present at meetings is reduced from 33% to 20%.

Amendments to Bylaws (6/8/2004)

I. Those active members residing > 100 miles from Manhattan may pay either yearly full dues, or pay for the individual dinners that they attend. In order to retain full voting privileges, one meeting per year must be attended.
II. A category of emeritus membership is established for members retired from active clinical practice. These members have the option of either paying yearly full dues, or paying for the individual dinners that they attend. In order to retain full voting privileges, one meeting per year must be attended.
III. Members who are in arrears on dues lose voting privileges until such time as they are no longer delinquent. Members who are delinquent on dues for two years or more are subject to suspension from the society at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
IV. Applicants to the Society who are rejected and choose to reapply must submit updated sponsorship letters and caselogs. Applicants rejected for two consecutive years will be required to wait a minimum of one year before another application may be submitted.
V. Discussion of applicants to the Society will be held at the annual business meeting. The entire membership will have the opportunity to vote on applicants to the Society on a written ballot that will be sent out following the business meeting. Voting options will include: Accept, Do Not Accept, and No Opinion. Ballots returned more than 8 weeks following the mail-out date will be considered invalid. Applicants will be accepted for membership upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the ballots cast for that applicant. An indication of ‘no opinion’ shall not be counted in determining the number of ballots cast.

Creation of position of ‘Historian’ in order to preserve the history of the NYSSH:

II. The position of ‘Historian’ will be held by a member of the Society for a term of five years, with the option for one additional term of five years, upon election by the membership. The Historian will be an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee.
a. Duties of the historian:
i. Preserve the history of the Society by keeping a record of the past and current members and officers.
Preserve the memorabilia and historical accounting of the Society