- PROPOSED REVISIONS
ARTICLE I: NAME
SECTION I:
The name of this association shall be Philippine Psychiatrists in America, hereinafter to be referred to as the “Association”.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSES
SECTION I:
To promote learning, research, and dissemination of mental health knowledge regarding people of Philippine origin.
SECTION II:
To enhance friendship and socialization of all Philippine psychiatric practitioners in America.
SECTION III:
To foster amongst its members the highest level of competence, skills, professional ethics, and standards.
SECTION IV:
To provide a forum for communication and exchange of ideas amongst psychiatrists of Philippine origin.
SECTION V:
To establish close ties with the American Psychiatric Association, Philippine Psychiatric Society, and other mental health organizations.
SECTION VI:
To advance and to be an advocate for the specific professional needs of the psychiatrists of Philippine origin in mental health related issues.
SECTION VII:
To establish funds and awards to promote the cause of mental health in the USA and Philippines.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
SECTION I:
Classes. There shall be the following classes of membership: General Member, Member-In-Training, Associate Member, Life Member, Corresponding Member, Fellow, Emeritus Member, and Honorary Member.
A. General Member: Psychiatrists of Philippine origin who have completed their training in Psychiatry and are living in the USA or Canada.
B. Member-In-Training: Those physicians of Philippine origin who are enrolled in an approved residency training program in Psychiatry in the USA or Canada.
C. Associate Member: Non-psychiatric physicians, other mental health professionals, and psychiatrists other than of Philippine origin who live in the USA or Canada.
D. Life Members: Members eligible for categories A and B above desiring permanent membership and have paid a one-time due and are exempt from annual membership dues.
E. Corresponding Member: Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals who live outside the USA or Canada.
F. Fellow: Members other than Associate or Corresponding members who have been in the Association for a period of a minimum of five years and have made substantial contributions to the goals and objectives of the Association.
G. Emeritus Member: Any member may be given the status of Emeritus member by the Board of Governors when reaching the age of 65, or earlier where circumstances such as retirement, illness, and the like, may, in the opinion of the Board, justify such action.
H. Honorary Member: Any person elected by the Board of Governors whose research or contribution is of exception eminence in furthering the goals of the Association.
SECTION II:
A. Procedure for Admission-Application for all classes of membership (except Fellow, Emeritus, and Honorary Member) must be submitted upon forms supplied by the Association. The application will be decided upon by the Membership Committee.
B. The authority to grant Fellow, Emeritus, or Honorary membership rests with the Board of Governors.
SECTION III: RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF MEMBERS
All members shall have the usual rights and duties of membership in such organizations except that:
A. Emeritus Members shall not be eligible to become members of the Board of Governors and shall not be required to pay dues.
B. Corresponding and Honorary Members shall not have the right to vote and their attendance at a meeting shall not be determining a quorum.
SECTION IV: TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
Membership may be terminated by resignation; by the Board of Governors where a member’s dues are in arrears for a year; by suspension or expulsion.
SECTION V: DUES
All members except Honorary Members and Emeritus Members shall be responsible for the payment of such dues and levies as are fixed by the Board of Governors from time to time.
SECTION VI: DISCIPLINE
The Board of Governors may, by the concurrence of two-thirds of its members, censure, suspend, or expel any member for conduct which in the opinion of the Board is unprofessional, derogatory to the dignity of the Association, or inconsistent with its purposes, but only after the member affected had a notice in writing of the charges against him and if requested by him, a hearing thereon. The hearing shall be conducted before such persons or in such manner as the Board of Governors may, in consonance with the Constitution or By-Laws, direct.
SECTION VII:
Any member suspended, expelled or dropped from membership may be reinstated by the Board of Governors.
ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS
SECTION I:
The officers of the Association shall be a President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.
SECTION II:
Nominations of officers shall be done by the Nomination Committee and approved by the Board of Governors. For continuity of governance and facility of transition of administration of Association, the Nomination Committee will nominate and keep the order of succession of officers as follows: Secretary to President. This will ensure that there will always be a set of officers who will be familiar with the activities of the Association. Additional nominations may be made by any 10 members by filing such nomination with the Secretary, not less than six weeks prior to the date set for the return of the mail ballot. The members are to be notified of all nominations as provided by the By-Laws.
SECTION III:
The election of officers shall be conducted by mail ballot returnable two weeks prior to the annual meeting of the Association.
SECTION IV:
A. All officers shall assume their respective office at the close of the annual meeting prior to which they have been elected and shall continue in office until the close of the next annual meeting, unless elections are not held during a given year, in which event they shall continue in office until their successors are elected. The Secretary shall assume the Office of the President at the close of the annual meeting which is held after the election.
B. In case of vacancy, the succession should be as follows: Secretary to President. The Board of Governors shall appoint a Secretary in the case of vacancy. Similarly, the Board shall appoint a Treasurer in case of vacancy.
SECTION V: DUTIES AND TENURE
The President shall preside at the meetings of the Association and/or Board. He/She shall also communicate to the Association and the Board such matters and suggestions that are useful to the Association. He/She shall perform other duties incident to the Office of the President. The tenure of the Office of the President shall be two years. In the event of the absence or disability of the President, the Secretary shall act in his/her place.
The Secretary shall attend all meetings and record all proceedings of the Association and the Board. He/She shall keep the members informed of the activities of the Association. The tenure of the Office of the Secretary shall be two years.
The Treasurer shall collect, receive, disburse, and account for all sums of money due or belonging to the Association. He/She shall also furnish the necessary information about the financial transaction of the Association to the Internal Revenue Services by the end of the 2nd week of January about the previous year.
The tenure of the Office of the Treasurer shall be two years. The Secretary and Treasurer may be the same person.
SECTION VI: DISCIPLINE
Any officer of the Association who does not attend three consecutive meetings of the Board without satisfactory explanation to the majority of the Board may be expelled by the Board.
ARTICLE V: THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS (THE BOARD)
SECTION I:
The affairs of the Association shall be governed by a Board of Governors of six members, three of whom shall be ex-officio members and three of whom shall be at-large members. The ex-officio members shall be the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the three at-large members shall be three past Presidents.
SECTION II: TENURE
The tenure of the ex-officio Board Members shall be two years. The tenure of the at-large members shall be three years. No past President shall serve as at-large member of the Board for more than three consecutive years. At each annual election the Association shall elect the members of the Board to succeed those whose terms have expired or to fill vacancies that may have occurred.
SECTION III: VACANCIES
Vacancies occurring in any year amongst the Board members may be filled by the Board by temporary appointments for terms to expire at the next annual meeting.
SECTION IV: FUNCTION OF THE BOARD
Except as otherwise provided in the Constitution and By-Laws, the Board shall have control and management of the affairs of the Association and the dealing with and disposal of the funds of the Association.
The Association may appoint an Executive Secretary, whose duties shall be such as shall be assigned by the Board.
The Board shall decide upon the qualifications and eligibility of any applicant for membership, but it may delegate this to a membership committee.
The Board may appoint a Membership Directory Committee, Committee for Liaison with APA and Philippine Psychiatric Association, Committee for Education and Research, Nomination Committee, and any other committees which are necessary for the proper functioning of the Association; but not exceeding a total of 13 committees. The Board may vest in any committee such duties as it may see fit.
SECTION V: QUORUM
At any meeting of the Board, four members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.
SECTION VI: ACTION BY THE BOARD
At meetings of the Board resolutions adopted by a majority of those present shall be binding upon and constitute the action of the Board. Records shall be kept of the action taken by the Board and such action shall be reported to the Association at its annual meeting.
SECTION VII: MEETINGS
Any Board member who does not attend three consecutive meetings of the Board without satisfactory explanation to the majority of the Board may be expelled from the Board.
ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS
SECTION I: ANNUAL MEETINGS
The annual meeting of the Association shall be held at such time and place as shall be determined by the Board.
SECTION II: SPECIAL MEETINGS
Special meetings of the Association may be called for at such time and place as shall be fixed by the Board.
SECTION III: QUORUM
At any annual or special meetings of the Association, five percent of the membership or fifteen members (whichever is less) shall constitute the quorum and shall, except as otherwise specially provided in the Constitution or By-Laws, be sufficient for taking action.
ARTICLE VII: CONSTITUTION, BY-LAWS AND AMENDMENTS
SECTION I: AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
Proposed changes to the Constitution must be signed by at least ten members and should be sent to the Secretary at least 2 months before the annual meeting or any meeting called for such a purpose. The Secretary shall send a copy of any proposed changes to each member at least two weeks before the meeting at which they are to be considered. A vote of two-thirds of the regular members present at such meeting shall be necessary for the adoption of any amendments.
SECTION II: AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS
The By-Laws may from time to time be amended by the Board or by the Association. Any By-Law adopted by the Board may be amended or annulled by the Association.
BY-LAWS
A. MEETINGS
The Secretary shall send notification of the annual meeting and of any special meeting to each member of the Association at least 4 weeks before the date of such meeting.
B. REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Organized by members who are in good standing in the parent organization may be formed. The relationship between the regional association and the parent organization shall be regulated by the authority of the Board from time to time.
C. THE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE
Shall consist of the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and a member of the Board whose terms are currently expiring, the President of the Association to act as Chairman. The Nominating Committee shall draw up a slate of annual nominees for the Offices of the Secretary and Treasurer, and for any vacancies on the Board. This slate must be presented to the Board for its final approval no later than three months prior to the election.
D. DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION
If for any reason this Association is dissolved, its assets will be transferred to a non-profit organization.
SECTION I:
The name of this association shall be Philippine Psychiatrists in America, hereinafter to be referred to as the “Association”.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSES
SECTION I:
To promote learning, research, and dissemination of mental health knowledge regarding people of Philippine origin.
SECTION II:
To enhance friendship and socialization of all Philippine psychiatric practitioners in America.
SECTION III:
To foster amongst its members the highest level of competence, skills, professional ethics, and standards.
SECTION IV:
To provide a forum for communication and exchange of ideas amongst psychiatrists of Philippine origin.
SECTION V:
To establish close ties with the American Psychiatric Association, Philippine Psychiatric Society, and other mental health organizations.
SECTION VI:
To advance and to be an advocate for the specific professional needs of the psychiatrists of Philippine origin in mental health related issues.
SECTION VII:
To establish funds and awards to promote the cause of mental health in the USA and Philippines.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
SECTION I:
Classes. There shall be the following classes of membership: General Member, Member-In-Training, Associate Member, Life Member, Corresponding Member, Fellow, Emeritus Member, and Honorary Member.
A. General Member: Psychiatrists of Philippine origin who have completed their training in Psychiatry and are living in the USA or Canada.
B. Member-In-Training: Those physicians of Philippine origin who are enrolled in an approved residency training program in Psychiatry in the USA or Canada.
C. Associate Member: Non-psychiatric physicians, other mental health professionals, and psychiatrists other than of Philippine origin who live in the USA or Canada.
D. Life Members: Members eligible for categories A and B above desiring permanent membership and have paid a one-time due and are exempt from annual membership dues.
E. Corresponding Member: Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals who live outside the USA or Canada.
F. Fellow: Members other than Associate or Corresponding members who have been in the Association for a period of a minimum of five years and have made substantial contributions to the goals and objectives of the Association.
G. Emeritus Member: Any member may be given the status of Emeritus member by the Board of Governors when reaching the age of 65, or earlier where circumstances such as retirement, illness, and the like, may, in the opinion of the Board, justify such action.
H. Honorary Member: Any person elected by the Board of Governors whose research or contribution is of exception eminence in furthering the goals of the Association.
SECTION II:
A. Procedure for Admission-Application for all classes of membership (except Fellow, Emeritus, and Honorary Member) must be submitted upon forms supplied by the Association. The application will be decided upon by the Membership Committee.
B. The authority to grant Fellow, Emeritus, or Honorary membership rests with the Board of Governors.
SECTION III: RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF MEMBERS
All members shall have the usual rights and duties of membership in such organizations except that:
A. Emeritus Members shall not be eligible to become members of the Board of Governors and shall not be required to pay dues.
B. Corresponding and Honorary Members shall not have the right to vote and their attendance at a meeting shall not be determining a quorum.
SECTION IV: TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
Membership may be terminated by resignation; by the Board of Governors where a member’s dues are in arrears for a year; by suspension or expulsion.
SECTION V: DUES
All members except Honorary Members and Emeritus Members shall be responsible for the payment of such dues and levies as are fixed by the Board of Governors from time to time.
SECTION VI: DISCIPLINE
The Board of Governors may, by the concurrence of two-thirds of its members, censure, suspend, or expel any member for conduct which in the opinion of the Board is unprofessional, derogatory to the dignity of the Association, or inconsistent with its purposes, but only after the member affected had a notice in writing of the charges against him and if requested by him, a hearing thereon. The hearing shall be conducted before such persons or in such manner as the Board of Governors may, in consonance with the Constitution or By-Laws, direct.
SECTION VII:
Any member suspended, expelled or dropped from membership may be reinstated by the Board of Governors.
ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS
SECTION I:
The officers of the Association shall be a President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.
SECTION II:
Nominations of officers shall be done by the Nomination Committee and approved by the Board of Governors. For continuity of governance and facility of transition of administration of Association, the Nomination Committee will nominate and keep the order of succession of officers as follows: Secretary to President. This will ensure that there will always be a set of officers who will be familiar with the activities of the Association. Additional nominations may be made by any 10 members by filing such nomination with the Secretary, not less than six weeks prior to the date set for the return of the mail ballot. The members are to be notified of all nominations as provided by the By-Laws.
SECTION III:
The election of officers shall be conducted by mail ballot returnable two weeks prior to the annual meeting of the Association.
SECTION IV:
A. All officers shall assume their respective office at the close of the annual meeting prior to which they have been elected and shall continue in office until the close of the next annual meeting, unless elections are not held during a given year, in which event they shall continue in office until their successors are elected. The Secretary shall assume the Office of the President at the close of the annual meeting which is held after the election.
B. In case of vacancy, the succession should be as follows: Secretary to President. The Board of Governors shall appoint a Secretary in the case of vacancy. Similarly, the Board shall appoint a Treasurer in case of vacancy.
SECTION V: DUTIES AND TENURE
The President shall preside at the meetings of the Association and/or Board. He/She shall also communicate to the Association and the Board such matters and suggestions that are useful to the Association. He/She shall perform other duties incident to the Office of the President. The tenure of the Office of the President shall be two years. In the event of the absence or disability of the President, the Secretary shall act in his/her place.
The Secretary shall attend all meetings and record all proceedings of the Association and the Board. He/She shall keep the members informed of the activities of the Association. The tenure of the Office of the Secretary shall be two years.
The Treasurer shall collect, receive, disburse, and account for all sums of money due or belonging to the Association. He/She shall also furnish the necessary information about the financial transaction of the Association to the Internal Revenue Services by the end of the 2nd week of January about the previous year.
The tenure of the Office of the Treasurer shall be two years. The Secretary and Treasurer may be the same person.
SECTION VI: DISCIPLINE
Any officer of the Association who does not attend three consecutive meetings of the Board without satisfactory explanation to the majority of the Board may be expelled by the Board.
ARTICLE V: THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS (THE BOARD)
SECTION I:
The affairs of the Association shall be governed by a Board of Governors of six members, three of whom shall be ex-officio members and three of whom shall be at-large members. The ex-officio members shall be the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the three at-large members shall be three past Presidents.
SECTION II: TENURE
The tenure of the ex-officio Board Members shall be two years. The tenure of the at-large members shall be three years. No past President shall serve as at-large member of the Board for more than three consecutive years. At each annual election the Association shall elect the members of the Board to succeed those whose terms have expired or to fill vacancies that may have occurred.
SECTION III: VACANCIES
Vacancies occurring in any year amongst the Board members may be filled by the Board by temporary appointments for terms to expire at the next annual meeting.
SECTION IV: FUNCTION OF THE BOARD
Except as otherwise provided in the Constitution and By-Laws, the Board shall have control and management of the affairs of the Association and the dealing with and disposal of the funds of the Association.
The Association may appoint an Executive Secretary, whose duties shall be such as shall be assigned by the Board.
The Board shall decide upon the qualifications and eligibility of any applicant for membership, but it may delegate this to a membership committee.
The Board may appoint a Membership Directory Committee, Committee for Liaison with APA and Philippine Psychiatric Association, Committee for Education and Research, Nomination Committee, and any other committees which are necessary for the proper functioning of the Association; but not exceeding a total of 13 committees. The Board may vest in any committee such duties as it may see fit.
SECTION V: QUORUM
At any meeting of the Board, four members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.
SECTION VI: ACTION BY THE BOARD
At meetings of the Board resolutions adopted by a majority of those present shall be binding upon and constitute the action of the Board. Records shall be kept of the action taken by the Board and such action shall be reported to the Association at its annual meeting.
SECTION VII: MEETINGS
Any Board member who does not attend three consecutive meetings of the Board without satisfactory explanation to the majority of the Board may be expelled from the Board.
ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS
SECTION I: ANNUAL MEETINGS
The annual meeting of the Association shall be held at such time and place as shall be determined by the Board.
SECTION II: SPECIAL MEETINGS
Special meetings of the Association may be called for at such time and place as shall be fixed by the Board.
SECTION III: QUORUM
At any annual or special meetings of the Association, five percent of the membership or fifteen members (whichever is less) shall constitute the quorum and shall, except as otherwise specially provided in the Constitution or By-Laws, be sufficient for taking action.
ARTICLE VII: CONSTITUTION, BY-LAWS AND AMENDMENTS
SECTION I: AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
Proposed changes to the Constitution must be signed by at least ten members and should be sent to the Secretary at least 2 months before the annual meeting or any meeting called for such a purpose. The Secretary shall send a copy of any proposed changes to each member at least two weeks before the meeting at which they are to be considered. A vote of two-thirds of the regular members present at such meeting shall be necessary for the adoption of any amendments.
SECTION II: AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS
The By-Laws may from time to time be amended by the Board or by the Association. Any By-Law adopted by the Board may be amended or annulled by the Association.
BY-LAWS
A. MEETINGS
The Secretary shall send notification of the annual meeting and of any special meeting to each member of the Association at least 4 weeks before the date of such meeting.
B. REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Organized by members who are in good standing in the parent organization may be formed. The relationship between the regional association and the parent organization shall be regulated by the authority of the Board from time to time.
C. THE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE
Shall consist of the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and a member of the Board whose terms are currently expiring, the President of the Association to act as Chairman. The Nominating Committee shall draw up a slate of annual nominees for the Offices of the Secretary and Treasurer, and for any vacancies on the Board. This slate must be presented to the Board for its final approval no later than three months prior to the election.
D. DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION
If for any reason this Association is dissolved, its assets will be transferred to a non-profit organization.