BYLAWS OF THE PAKISTAN ASSOCIATION OF PLASTIC SURGEONS

Article I
Name and Location

Section 1.
The name of the organization shall be the PAKISTAN ASSOCIATION OF PLASTIC SURGEONS.

Section 2.
Offices of the Association shall be located at a site determined by the Board of Directors.

Article II
Objectives

The objectives of this Association shall be:
1) To promote and advance medical and surgical training and research pertaining to Plastic Surgery.
2)  To disseminate information regarding clinical and scientific progress in Plastic Surgery.
3)  To promote the art and science of plastic Surgery and to communicate to the members and the general public, the advancements and improvements made in the field of Plastic Surgery.
4)To promote the highest standards of professional skill and competence among Plastic Surgeons.
5) To promote the opportunity for the exchange of experiences and opinion through discussion, study, meetings, seminars, and publication.
6)To take effective measures to project the correct image of the specialty and Plastic Surgeons, as is consistent with the public interest.
7) To publish a scientific journal under the direction of an editorial Board.

Article III
Membership

Section 1.
General: Membership in the Association is a privilege, not a right and all membership will be at the invitation of the Association Regularly licensed physician engaged in the practice of surgery and others who fulfil the requirement provided in these Bylaws and who agree to comply with the Association’s code of ethics may be admitted to the membership upon recommendation of at least two active members of the Association.

Section 2.
Classes of Membership:
Membership in this Association will be
(a) Active Members
(b) Corresponding Members
(c) Associate Member
(d) Candidate Members.
(e) Honorary Members.
(f) Life Members  

(a)Active Members
1. shall be surgeons of high moral standing and professional qualification who are actively engaged in the practice of plastic Surgery in Pakistan. Such Active Members shall meet the following criteria.

Postgraduate qualification / Major Diploma Degree in Plastic Surgery such as MS (Plastic Surgery) FCPS (Plastic Surgery) FRCS or American Boards.

OR

Postgraduate qualification / Major Diploma in General Surgery such as FCPS / FRCS or American Boards and having received at least three (3) years of Postgraduate training in Plastic Surgery in program approved by the British Association of Plastic Surgery.  or having completed an approved residency training in plastic Surgery in the United States or Pakistan, Equivalent qualification and experience from any other country shall be given due consideration for membership.

2. At least three (3) years of experience in Plastic Surgery following postgraduation (or training in British Isles or completion of approved residency training in the united states or Pakistan).

3.Be recommended by at least two Active members of the Association.

(b) Corresponding members:
shall be Surgeons of high moral and professional standing who reside and practice abroad. They shall meet criteria Similar to Active Members. They shall have no vote shall not be eligible to hold office in the Association.

(b). Associate Members:
shall be individuals of high moral, ethical, and professional standing who are actively engaged in a specialty, scientific or paramedical field which id directly related to plastic Surgery and who has contributed in such a field and has directly furthered the science and practice of Plastic Surgery, Candidates for Associate Membership shall be proposed to the membership committee by not less than three (3) Active Members of the Association and upon favorable action of the Membership committee and the board of Director. They shall have no vote or privilege to hold office in the Association.

(c). Candidate Members:
(a)    shall be physicians who are in an approved residency training program in plastic Surgery,  or those who have completed formal training to quality for appearing in the postgraduate examination of MS, FRCS, FCPS or the American board in plastic Surgery, and those who have been engaged in the practice of Plastic Surgery for less than two (2) years. Applicants for Candidate Membership shall be proposed to the Member Committee by at least two (2) Active Members and upon favorable action of the Board of Directors. They shall not have the privilege of holding office or voting.

(b) Honorary Membership: shall be conferred upon physician and scientists to whom the Association wishes to honour because they have achieved exceptional eminence in their fields and have made substantial contributions to the advancement of Plastic Surgery in Pakistan. Honorary Members shall enjoy the privileges of the Association except the right to vote and hold office.
(c) Life Members: shall be individuals who meet all the criteria of Active Membership and pay the dues of Life Membership during one fiscal year as determined by the Board of Directors from time to time.



Section 3.
Application for Membership: All applicants for Membership shall complete and sign a form provided by the Association and agree to abide by the Association’s Bylaws. They should also provide all the required Documents of qualification & Experience.

Article IV
Board of Directors

Section 1.
Elected Officers: The elected officers of the Association shall be the President, President-Elect, Secretary, Assistant-Secretary and Treasurer. President-Elect shall automatically succeed to the office of the President at the end of the term of the then incumbent President. The President-Elect, Secretary, and treasurer shall be elected biannually by the membership at the annual meeting of the members. The position for President-Elect and Secretary shall be rotated alternately between Plastic surgeons from northern (Punjab, NWFP) and Southern (Sindh. Balouchistan) half of the country.

Section 2.
Qualification for Office: Active and Life members in good standing shall be eligible for election to office of the Association.

Section 3.
Nomination and Election of Officers: A nominating committee appointed by the Board of Director shall prepare and submit to the members at the Annual meeting a nomination for each of such elective officers of the Association. Any persons no so nominated shall have given his prior consent to nominations and elections and elections an officer.

Section 4.
Terms of office: Each elected officer shall take office immediately at the close of the Annual Meeting in which he is elected and shall serve for a term of Two (2) years and until his successor is duly elected.

Section 5.
Re-election: The term of the president and President-Elect shall be limited to two (2) years. All other position may be re-elected but not serve more than two (2) successive one year terms in any one office.

Section 6.
Vacancies-Removal: Vacancies in any elective office maybe filled for the balance of the term there of by the Board at any regular or special meeting except that the office of the President-Elect must be filled by a vote of the membership at a special meeting called for that purpose. The Board in its discretion, by a two thirds vote of all its members may remove any officer from office for a cause.

Article V
Duties of Officers

Section 1.
President: The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Association, shall serve as the chairman of the Board of Directors shall serve as an ex-officio member with the right to vote on all committee except the Nominating Committee. The President shall preside over all meetings of the Boards and member the Association.

Section 2.
President-Elect: The President-Elect shall perform all duties incident to the office, and other duties provided by the board of Director. The president-Elect shall automatically succeed to the presidency upon expiration of the president’s term. In the event that the office of the president becomes vacant for any reason before the end of the term, the President-Elect shall succeed to the office of the president. In that circumstance, the individual would serve both the unexpired term and that term for which was originally elected.

Section 3.
Secretary: The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping the minutes for all the meetings of the members and of the Board of Directors. He/She shall see that all notices required by law or these Bylaws are properly given, shall be custodian of the corporate seal and records, shall keep a roster of all the members of the Association, shall organize and arrange meetings, shall prepare the annual report and perform all such duties as are incident to his office or prescribed by the Board of Directors.

Article VI
Trustees

Section 1.
Composition: The trustees shall consist of five (5) members all of whom shall be Senior Members of the Association with ten years of standing as consultants in Plastic Surgery and shall have been Active members of the Association for a period of three (3) or more consecutive years. The immediate past President shall automatically serve as a Trustee for the two (2) years immediately following his/her term as President. During his/her term or until such time a successor is elected, he/she is unable to serve, the Trustees shall elect another Chairperson.

Section 2.
Election and Term: At each Annual Meeting of the Association, two (2) term. The immediate past President shall automatically serve as a Trustee for the two (2) years immediately followings his/her term as president.

Section 3.
Election and re-election: No Trustee who has served a full two (2) seat term shall be eligible for election or re-election until at least one (1) year has elapsed.

Section 4.
Nomination: The Nomination Committee shall recommend ninety (90) days prior to the Annual meeting one (1) or more nomination for the position of elected Trustee.

Section 5.
Duties: The Trustees shall act as advisors to the board of Directors of the Association, shall be responsible for determining any awards or citations which the Association may make, shall at as the applettate body for any appeals, of adverse decision with respect to a members, violation of the Association’s Bylaws. Code of ethics, or rules and regulations and shall approve or disapprove of any amendment to the Bylaws. The Trustees shall not be involved in day to day operations of the Association.

Section 6.
Resignation and Vacancies: The Trustees may appoint and fill any vacancy occurring between annual business meetings. Any person so appointed shall serve until the election of a successor for the unexpired term at the next Annual Meeting.

Article VII
Committees

Committees should form as and when need areas

Section 1.

Standing Committees: The standing committees of the Association shall consist of (1) Nomination Committee (2) Ethics Committee (3) Scientific Committee (4) Bylaws Committee, and (5) Publication Committee. In addition, a special committee of the Association may be constituted to serve the needs of the Association.

Section 2.
Compilation: Each year the president shall recommend the names of at least three (3) members including Committee a chairperson for each of the standing and special committee to the Trustees for approval. Chairperson of all standing committees shall be Active Members of the Association. Each person so appointed and approved by the Trustees shall serve a term of two (2) years or until such time a successor is appointed.

Article VIII
Finance

Section 1.

Fiscal Period: The fiscal period of the Association shall be determined by the Board of Directors.

Section 2.

Budget: Within sixty (60) days following the end of each fiscal period, the Treasurer shall furnish the Board of Directors shall adopt an operating budget of Directors with a financial report of the year just completed the Board of Directors shall adopt an operating budget just prior to each fiscal period.

Section 4.

Deposits: All funds of the association shall be deposited to the credit of the association in such banks as the Board of Directors may determine.

Section 5.

Checks, drafts etc.: all checks, drafts, and other orders for payment of money, notes, or other evidence of indebtedness issued in the name of the Association shall be signed by such officers as the Board of Directors may determine.

Section 6.

Gifts: The board of Directors may accept any contribution, gift or bequest to the Association.

Section 7.

Investment: Upon, the recommendation of its committees or agents, the Association investment shall be determined the board of Directors.

Article IX

Dues, Fee, Assessments

Section 1.

Annual Dues: Annually, the Board of Directors shall establish all dues for various categories of membership.

Section 2.

Payment:  Annual dues are payable by the first day of January Any member who is delinquent in the payment of his dues ninety (90) days after the due date shall be dropped from the membership of the Association and shall forfeit all the right and privileges of membership in the Association.

Article X

Meeting and Voting

Section 1.

Annual Meeting: Annual meetings of the Association shall be held at such a time and place as the Board of Directors may determine the Annual meeting shall consist of business and scientific sessions. Attendance at the business meetings of the Association shall be limited to Active member of the Association.
Section 2.
Special Meeting:  Special Meetings of the Association may be called by the President, a majority of the Board of Directors or Trustees, or upon the written request of not less than twenty (20) percent of the voting members of the Association.

Section 3.

Notice of Meeting: A written or printed notice stating the place day and time of the Annual or Special meetings shall be delivered to each voting member at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of the meeting. The presence of at least one third (1/3) of all the Active Members in good standing shall constitute a quorum for any regular or special meeting of the Association.

Section 4.

Voting: At all meetings of the Association, only Active members have the right to vote. Voting must be in person and not by proxy. Except as otherwise provided by the Bylaws.

Article XI

Dissolution

The Association shall use its funds only to accomplish the purpose specified in these Bylaws. No part of the said funds shall inure to the benefit of or be distributed to any member of the Association. In the event of dissolution of the Association, the Trustees shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all liabilities of the Association, distribute the remaining assets to such organizations operated for one or more of the purposes contained in the Articles of incorporation and the bylaws of the Association.

Article XII

Amendments

Section 1.

These Bylaws may be amended by two-third (2/3) of the votes cast by the active Members present at an Annual or Special meeting called and conducted in accordance with these Bylaws. Written notice of proposed Bylaws change shall be sent to the eligible voting members at least thirty (30) days before such a meeting.

Section 2.

Amendments may be proposed by the Board of Directors. Trustees, the Bylaws Committee, or any Active member. All amendments other than propose by the Bylaws Committee shall be submitted to the Bylaws Committee for review and recommendation. A copy of all proposed amendments shall be sent by the Bylaws Committee with recommendations to the Trustees. The Trustees shall approve, amend or disapprove the amendments (s) Those amendments approved by the Trustees shall be submitted to a vote of the membership