By-Laws

Canadian Society of CytoPATHOlogy / Societe Canadienne de CytoPATHOlogie

Rules and Regulations

Revised July 2018

Article I

Name

Section 1.            The name of this organization shall be:

“THE CANADIAN SOCIETY OF CYTOPATHOLOGY – A Section of the Canadian Association of Pathologists”.  “SOCIETE CANADIENNE DE CYTOOPATHOLOGIE – Section de l’Association Canadienne des Pathologists”.

Section 2.            This society is founded as an organization to include pathologists and cytotechnologists.

Article II

Objectives

The Society shall:

Section 1.            Advise the Canadian Association of Pathologists and other national agencies on matters of policies and procedures relating to the subspecialty of cytopathology.

Section 2.            Promote:

  1. Excellence in clinical cytology practice
  2. Standardization of cytology practice
  3. Quality assurance practices in cytology laboratories
  4. Optimization of health resource management in delivery of cytology services
  5. Innovation and research in cytology
  6. Education

Section 3.            Assist in the development of professional and technical training centers.

Article III

Membership

Section 1.        Ordinary Members

Ordinary membership in the Society is available to:

  1. Ordinary members of the Canadian Association of Pathologists.
  2. Doctors of Medicine certified in any of the specialties recognized by the Executive or engaged in the practice of cytology and are associated with a medical school or an accredited hospital.

Membership is conferred upon receipt of request for membership from the individual directly, or through the Canadian Association of Pathologists and approval of the Executive of the Society.

Section 2.        Affiliated Members

Affiliate membership in the Society is available to cytotechnologists duly registered with either their provincial regulatory authority or the Canadian Society of Medical Laboratory Sciences and sponsored by either an ordinary or affiliated member of Society in good standing.  Membership is conferred upon approval of the Executive of the Society.

Affiliated Members shall not be eligible to hold the offices of Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary or Treasurer and do not hold privileges with the Canadian Association of Pathologists

Section 3.        Honorary Members

Honorary membership in the Society may be conferred on persons of distinction elected by the unanimous vote of the Executive following nomination by two members of the Society in good standing

Section 4.        Emeritus Members

Emeritus membership in the Society shall be ordinary members who fulfill all of the following:

  1. Have retired from active practice and
  2. Were previously members of the Society
  3. Who have been elected to such membership by the Executive Committee upon their own written request

Honorary and Emeritus members shall be entitled to all the privileges of the Society except that each such member shall not be eligible to hold the offices of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, or Treasurer.

Section 5.        Junior Members

Residents and fellows in Pathology who are junior members of the Canadian Association of Pathologists shall be junior members of the Canadian Society of Cytology upon their written request and approval by the Executive.  Their annual membership fee shall be waived.

Section 6.        Termination of Membership

Membership in the Society shall be terminated upon written request from the individual or after failure to pay outstanding dues in full, following 3 notices.

Article IV

Officers

Section 1.        The officers of the Society shall consist of a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.

Section 2.        The Chair shall:

  1. Convene all meetings of the Society and of the Executive;
  2. Develop and organize the scientific programs of the Society;
  3. Represent the Society at all Committees and meetings of other Organizations where were such representation aids in the fulfillment of the objectives of the Society.

Section 3.        The Vice-Chair shall:

  1. Review applications for membership to the Society
  2. Annually receive from the Canadian Association of Pathologists the list of new and renewing members and ensure transference of dues collected by the Canadian Association of Pathologists to the Treasurer
  3. Assume the duties and responsibilities of the Chair when the Chair is unable to act.

Section 4.        The Secretary shall:

  1. Keep all records of the Society
  2. Maintain the membership directory
  3. Send notice of renewal and dues to members of the Society that are not members of the Canadian Association of Pathologists
  4. Notify the membership of meetings
  5. Make available to the Canadian Association of Pathologists, a transcript of all records and minutes.
  6. Administer balloting on behalf of the Society

 

Section 5.        The Treasurer shall:

  1. Present at each annual meeting and executive meeting a report on finances of the Society
  2. Make available to the Canadian Association of Pathologists, the transactions of the Society, and the information regarding the cytology trust fund(s)
    1. With respect to the Canadian Society of Cytopathology Trust Fund, forward to Revenue Canada a Registered Charities Return Information form along with a report of the total accumulation and disbursements of the Trust Fund at the end of each fiscal year.
    2. File CSC taxes to Revenue Canada
    3. Provide the original donor or his/her successors with a statement of the balance of the fund at the end of each fiscal year.

Article V

Executive Committee

Section 1.     Consists of:

  1. The Chair
  2. The Past-Chair
  3. The Vice-Chair
  4. The Secretary
  5. The Treasurer
  6. Members-at-Large: Two medical members and one affiliated (Cytotechnologist)
  7. Junior member representative (senior resident or fellow), non-voting

Section 2.     Be responsible for the affairs of the Society between meetings of the Society.

Section 3.     Report annually to the Society for ratification of actions taken by the Executive between meetings of the Society.

Section 4.     Appoint the Chair of standing and special committees and may name the members of these committees.

Section 5.     Appoint members to the Executive should vacancies occur, the tenure of such appointment to be only until the next regular meeting.

Section 6.     Recommend to the Canadian Association of Pathologists the Canadian Society of Cytology representative(s) for Canadian Association of Pathologists committee(s), whenever requested.

Section 7.     Meet at the call of the Chair and at least once during the year.

Section 8.     Appoint Regional Advisers, if necessary.

Article VI

Representatives to the Council of the Canadian Association of Pathologist.

Section 1.     The Chair and one other member of the Executive shall represent the Society on the Council of the Canadian Association of Pathologists.

Section 2.     At least one such representative shall be an ordinary member of the Canadian Association of Pathologists.

Article VII

Meetings

 

Section 1.   The Executive shall meet at least annually before the annual meeting of the Society

Section 2.   The annual meeting of the Society shall ordinarily be held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Canadian Association of Pathologists.

Section 3.   Special meetings may be called by

  1. The Chair
  2. The Executive
  3. Any ten members of the Society

Section 4.   Special meetings shall be notified to the members at least three weeks in advance.

Article VIII

Application for Membership

Section 1.

Ordinary members of the Canadian Association of Pathologists are eligible for membership by notifying the Vice-Chair of the Society.

Any person who is not a member of the Canadian Association of Pathologists but who is qualified in accordance with the rules and regulations as detailed above may submit an application for membership to the Vice-Chair on such forms as may from time to time be prescribed by the Executive.  The applicant shall be sponsored by an ordinary member or affiliated member of the Society.

Article IX

Election of Members

The Vice-Chair shall review the qualifications of the applicant and may recommend election of the applicant to membership upon an affirmative vote of the members of the Executive, subject to the payment of such initiation and other fees as may be required.  A list of names of the newly elected members will be forwarded to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian Association of Pathologists.

Article X

Election of Officers

Section 1.   The officers of the Executive shall be elected by the general membership at the Annual Business Meeting.

Section 2.   A slate of Officers shall be prepared by the Past-Chair in consultation with the Executive and circulated to the membership at least 30 days before the election is to take place.

Section 3.   Nominations from the membership may be submitted to the Secretary provided they are received 60 days prior to the election.

Section 4.   Election of the officers will take place at the Annual Business Meeting and the candidates receiving the majority of votes shall be declared elected.

Section 5.   In the event of a tie the Chair may have the casting vote

Article XI

Tenure of Office

Section 1.   The positions of Chair and Vice-Chair of the Society shall be held for a period of two years.  The Chair and Vice-Chair term may be extended by another year by vote of majority at the Annual Business Meeting.  Thereafter the Chair shall become the Past-Chair and the Vice-Chair shall become the Chair or be released of responsibilities as an Executive member.

Section 2.   A Past-Chair shall be eligible for re-election after a lapse of 2 years as Executive.

Section 3.   The Secretary, Treasurer and Executive members-at-large shall hold office for 2 years and shall be eligible for re-election for another 2 years.

Section 4.   No more than 50% of the Executives should be changed at any one time.

Section 5.   Affiliate member shall hold office for 2 years and shall be eligible for re-election for another 2 years.

Section 6.   Junior member representative shall hold office for maximum 2 years and not eligible for re-election

Article XII

Finances

Section 1.   Fees, levies and assessments shall be recommended by the Executive and must be approved by the membership at the Annual Business Meeting of the Society.  These items may be reviewed from time to time.

Section 2.   The Canadian Society of Cytology shall be reimbursed according to arrangements agreed to by the Canadian Association of Pathologists and the Executive of the Society.

Section 3.   The Treasurer shall be responsible for the banking and auditing of the Society’s assets and disbursements.

Section 4.   The Treasurer and one other member of the Executive shall be empowered to discharge the banking responsibilities of the Society and shall be authorized to endorse documents relating thereto including cheques, promissory notes, etc.

Article XIII

Distant Balloting

Section 1.   The Chair or any other officer of the Society acting on instructions of the Executive Committee or any ten ordinary members or affiliated members of the Society may submit any question for decision by distant ballot.

Section 2.   The ballot shall state clearly the question or questions on which a decision is desired and in such manner that the answer may be given in an affirmative or negative.

Section 3.   The ballot shall be sent to each member of the Society at his/her last known address as shown by the records of the Society and such ballots shall be returned to the Secretary within fifteen (15) days after the date of initial dispatch.  The ballot shall clearly state the date of submission required to be considered valid.

Article XIV

Official Journal

Acta Cytologica and Canadian Society of Cytology Bulletin shall be the official publications of the Society.

Article XV

Committees

Section 1.   The Executive shall appoint a membership committee for a maximum term of three years.

Section 2.   The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the organization of the scientific program at the annual meeting and be responsible to designate a Canadian Society of Cytology representative on the local arrangements committee, when no member of the Executive is present in the region.

 

Section 3.   Executive committee shall be responsible for developing and revising cytology guidelines to current practice and/or shall appoint a subcommittee from ordinary membership to carry the task

Section 3.   Special Committees may be appointed by the Executive and they shall cease to exist when their purpose has been fulfilled.

Article XVI

Quorum

The quorum at any general meeting of the Society shall consist of not less than 10 members, one of whom shall be an officer of the Canadian Society of Cytology.

Article XVII

Amendments

Rules and regulations may be changed by a two-thirds majority vote of those present at the Annual Business Meeting.

Notice of motion of proposed changes shall have been sent to the membership at least 30 days prior to such a meeting.

Article XVIII

Languages

The official languages of the Society shall be English and French

Revised 1989, 1990, 2009 and 2018

Revised by: Executive committee: Dr. Harman Sekhon (Chair), Dr. Fadi Brimo (vice chair),  Dr. Janine Benoit (past chair), Dr. Francis Vice (treasurer), Dr. Cheng Wang (secretary), Dr. Scott Boerner (member-at-large), Dr. Gabor Fischer (member-at-large), Susan Mcrae (affiliate member)