Article I – Name

The name of this organization shall be the “Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society” (hereinafter the “Society”).

Article II – Objectives

1) The objectives of this Society shall be:

a. To improve the science and art of peripheral vascular surgery and the interchange of medical knowledge and information thereon;

b. To promote basic and clinical research for improving the quality and safety of surgery and surgical procedures;

c. To engage in scientific or educational purposes generally as the Executive Committee, from time to time, may determine to be beneficial to mankind;

d. To do any and all things which may be necessary or incidental to these Bylaws.

2) The Society shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on:

a. By a corporation exempt from Federal income tax under Section 501 (C) (3), of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), or;

b. By a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170;

Furthermore, no part of the net income of the Society or its property or assets shall at any time inure to the benefit of any individual member, or of any private individual, or be used to promote the candidacy of any person seeking political office.

Article III – Meeting

The annual meeting of the Society shall be held at the time and place, which shall be designated by the Executive Committee. Special meetings may be called at any time by the president, or a simple majority of the Executive Committee, or by a written call signed by no less than one hundred (100) members.

Article IV – Membership

1) Membership of this Society shall be limited to physicians of good professional standing who have completed a consecutive twelve month clinical residency in peripheral vascular surgery, who have a sustained major interest and active practice in peripheral vascular surgery and who are certified by the American Board of Surgery or its equivalent.

2) There shall be four types of membership:

a) Active
b) Senior
c) Honorary
d) Candidate; see Article XV

3) Active members of the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society will become Senior Members twelve years after completing their vascular surgery training. Senior Members may choose to be active or inactive.

4) Active Senior Members complete terms of elected office, receive Society correspondence, pay dues, attend meetings, sponsor papers for fellows and residents, participate in the business meeting, but do not present papers and are not eligible for election as Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society officers.

5) Inactive Senior Members receive no correspondence, pay no dues, do not attend meetings, do not propose new members and do not sponsor papers and presentations. Inactive Senior Members may become Active Senior Members by requesting in writing reactivation and paying all back dues or three times the current year’s dues.

6) The Executive Committee may select honorary members.

Article V – Election of Members

The process of election of active members to the Society shall be as follows:

a) The society office shall supply application forms for membership.

b) Completed application forms signed by the candidate shall be mailed to the Society office by March 1 of the year before the Spring meeting at which time the candidate shall be considered for election. Two letters of recommendation from society members are required to complete the application.

c) The names of the candidates recommended for membership by the Executive Committee shall be submitted to the members at the annual meeting.

d) Election to membership shall be by secret ballot, by a three-fourths (3/4) affirmative vote of the membership present.

e) A candidate who fails to be elected at one meeting may be reconsidered at the next two annual meetings of the Society.

Article VI – Officers: Elections and Duties

1) The officers of this Society shall consist of a president, president-elect, secretary, treasurer, and recorder; all to be elected as provided in these bylaws.

2) The president shall preside at Executive Committee meetings and the annual meeting. Successors to vacated offices of the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society shall be appointed by the president until the position is filled at the next annual meeting.

3) The president and president-elect of the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society shall be elected for terms of one year each. The secretary, treasurer, recorder, and councilors-at-large shall be elected for three-year terms.

4) The president-elect, in the absence or incapacity of the president, shall perform the duties of the president’s office.

5) In the absence of both the president and president-elect, the chair shall be assumed by a president pro tem, elected by such members of the Executive Committee as are present.

6) The secretary shall keep minutes at the meetings of the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society and the Executive Committee, update the executive committee on membership database and new applicant files and conduct correspondence of the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society. The secretary will issue an annual written report at the annual meeting.

7) The treasurer shall receive all monies and funds belonging to the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society, pay all bills, render bills for dues and assessments, and report to the membership at the annual meeting. The treasurer will prepare an annual report for audit.

8) The recorder shall receive all papers presented before the Society. The recorder shall be responsible for assuring prompt editorial review of manuscripts in concert with other Society members.

9) The councilors-at-large shall be elected for three-year terms, with election of one councilor occurring annually so as to provide overlapping terms.

Article VII – Executive Committee

1) There shall be an Executive Committee consisting of the president, president-elect, secretary, treasurer, recorder, councilors-at-large, and the two most recent past presidents.

2) The program committee chairman, the scholarship committee chairman, the industry partners committee chairman, and the web page editor shall be non-voting members of the Executive Committee.

3) The Executive Committee shall be the governing body of the Society and shall have full power to manage and act on all affairs of the Society.

4) Executive Committee meetings shall be held at the call of the president of the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society.

5) A majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

6) The Executive Committee will meet prior to the annual meeting to nominate officers, councilors, representatives and other committee members for presentation to the membership at the annual meeting.

7) The Executive Committee will appoint a program chairman at its June meeting for the annual meeting, which will take place in two years. The program chairman will be a non-voting member of the Executive Committee through the appointed annual meeting.

Article VIII – Committees and Representatives

1) Standing committees of the Society shall consist of a nominating committee, a program committee, a scholarship committee and an industry partners committee.

2) The nominating committee shall consist of the current president in office, the president-elect and the two most recent past presidents. Its function shall be to make up a slate of officers, committee members and representatives to be presented to the executive committee at the annual meeting.

3) The program committee shall solicit papers and other presentations from members and other individuals and make up the program for the upcoming meeting. The winter program chairman shall be the president-elect (or other designate). The executive committee as per Article VII, item 7, shall appoint the spring program committee chairman. Each program chairman will select six other society members to assist in this task.

4) The scholarship committee shall consist of three at-large members and the two most senior councilors. Its function shall be to review educational grant award applications and to recommend award recipients to the executive committee at the annual meeting. At-large members will serve overlapping terms of three years each and in their final year will be chairman of the committee. The nominating committee will present a new at-large member to the executive committee each year.

5) The industry partners committee shall consist of five members. Its function shall be to organize and sponsor programs to enhance the awareness and treatment of vascular disease, to evaluate diagnostic and therapeutic tools manufactured by industry, and to enhance the rapid and proficient transfer of new knowledge and techniques to its members with assistance from our industry partners. A committee chairman shall be appointed by the nominating committee at the annual spring meeting to serve a three-year term. The chairman will also serve on the executive committee for the duration of the appointed term. Other committee members shall be the president-elect, the treasurer, the secretary and the newly appointed councilor-at-large. In addition, the current society president shall be an Ex-Officio member.

6) Representatives shall be appointed by the nominating committee in concert with the executive committee to serve on American College of Surgeons Board of Governors, American College of Surgeons Advisory Council for Surgical Specialties and the council of the American Association for Vascular Surgery. Each representative shall serve a three-year term unless otherwise noted by the executive committee at its annual Spring meeting.

From time to time, other organizations may seek representation from the Society. Additional representatives shall be appointed in the same manner outlined above.

Article IX – Meetings

1) The annual meeting of the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society shall be held at a time and place selected by the Executive Committee.

2) The business meeting of the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society shall be conducted during the annual meeting. Officers of the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society shall be elected by a majority vote of active members present at the business meeting.

3) All active members are encouraged to attend the annual meeting one year out of every three years. There is no attendance requirement for honorary or senior members.

4) A local arrangements chairman shall be appointed by the executive committee to serve in this capacity for the annual spring meeting to be held two years later. The immediate past-president will serve as local arrangements chairman for the following winter meeting.

Article X – Dues and Fees

1) Dues and assessments shall be levied by the Executive Committee and approved by the membership at the annual meeting.

2) Any member whose dues remain unpaid for a period of two years shall be dropped from membership, provided that notification of such lapse is given at least three months prior to its effective date. The member may be reinstated on approval of the Executive Committee following payment of the dues in arrears.

Article XI – Resignations, Expulsions

1) Resignations of members otherwise in good standing shall be accepted by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.

2) Charges of unprofessional or unethical conduct against any member of the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society, if proffered in writing and submitted to the Executive Committee, must be acted upon within one year. The Executive Committee’s concurrence of disallowance of the charges shall be presented to the membership at the annual meeting. The three-fourths (3/4) affirmative vote of the members present shall be required for expulsion.

Article XII – Quorum

1) The members present at any official meeting of the society shall constitute a quorum necessary to change the constitution and bylaws of the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society, to make assessments, to authorize appropriations or expenditures of money other than those required in the routine business of the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society, to elect officers and members, and to expel members.

Article XIII – Alterations, Repeal

Bylaws may be altered or repealed at the annual meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the members present.

Article XIV – Procedure

Proceedings of the Peripheral Vascular Surgery shall be conducted under Robert’s Rules of Order.

Article XV – Candidate Group

There will be a Candidate group of the society consisting of participants who are in good professional standing in an RRC accredited vascular surgery residency, or other vascular residency recognized by the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society, which contains a consecutive twelve month rotation in clinical vascular surgery. Participants in the Candidate Group will submit an application to the society office including two letters of recommendation from society members and may:

a) Attend the scientific meetings at no cost.

b) Present papers, if sponsored by a Society member

c) Attend the annual banquet.

d) Receive meeting notices and routine correspondence.

Candidate members shall be promoted to active membership upon completion of their vascular surgery residency (or equivalent) and upon receipt by the society office of a copy of the vascular surgery training certificate (or equivalent). At this time, the newly promoted active member will be bound by the requirements of active membership in the society.