CONSTITUTION

King County Academy of Family Physicians

A Component County Chapter of the Washington Academy of Family Physicians chartered by the
American Academy of Family Physicians
As amended by the Executive Board, February 2, 2006

 Article I

Name:  The name of the organization shall be the King County Academy of Family Physicians.

Article II

This organization is a constituent chapter of the Washington Academy of Family Physicians, which is a chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians, a corporation existing under the laws of the State of Illinois and is possessed only of those rights and powers conferred by said corporation on this organization. No rules, regulations, or policies adopted by this organization shall be in conflict with the rules, regulations, or policies of the Washington Academy of Family Physicians or the charter issued by said Academy to this organization.

Article III

Objects:  The objects of this organization are:

To improve the health of the patients cared for by Family Physicians and to improve the health of the communities in which we practice.

To promote and maintain high standards of the Family Physician.

To encourage and assist young men and women in preparing, qualifying, and establishing themselves as Family Physicians.

To preserve the right of the Family Physician to engage in the scope of medical and surgical practice for which they are qualified, and as granted by state license.

To assist in providing continuing medical education for Family Physicians, and to encourage and assist practicing physicians and surgeons in participating in such training.

To advance medical science and private and public health and to preserve the right of free choice of physician to the patient.

This organization shall have no capital stock.  It is not conducted for pecuniary profit and does not contemplate pecuniary gain or profit to the members thereof.

Article IV

Membership:

Section 1.         The qualifications and conditions of membership and the classes of membership shall be the same as provided in the Constitution and Bylaws of the Washington Academy of Family Physicians, with the exception that members shall practice or reside in King County or a contiguous county. The method of election shall be as provided in the Bylaws. Any active member in good standing shall be eligible to vote and to hold office.

Acceptance of membership in this organization shall constitute an agreement by such member to comply with the Constitution and Bylaws of this organization and those of the Washington Academy of Family Physicians.

Subject to the right to appeal to the Washington Academy of Family Physicians in a manner provided in the Bylaws of said Chapter, a member accepting membership in this organization shall recognize the Board of Directors of the State Chapter to confirm the member’s right to be or remain a member.

All title, and interest, both legal and equitable of a member in and to the property of this organization shall cease in the event of any or either of the following: (a) the expulsion of such member; (b) the striking of the member’s name from the roll of members; (c) the member’s death or resignation.

Section 2:         Any member who changes occupations or status in such a manner as to render the member ineligible to membership to the Academy may be removed from the membership roll by action of the Board.

 Section 3:         Members shall be required to pay dues and/or assessments to this organization in the amount and manner provided in the Bylaws.

 Section 4:         All active members of this organization whose dues and assessments are paid shall be members of the Washington Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Article V

Meetings:       Meetings of this organization shall be held at a time and place to be determined by the Executive Committee.  A meeting in the Spring of the year shall be designated as the Annual Meeting. Special meetings may be called as provided in the Bylaws.

Article VI

Officers:

Section 1.         The officers of this organization shall be a President, a President-Elect, and a Secretary- Treasurer, and Delegates and their Alternates in the number authorized by the State Chapter, and members of the Board of Directors of the Washington Academy of Family Physicians, all of whom shall be members of the King County Academy of Family Physicians.

Section 2.         These officers may constitute the Executive Committee and shall take office on June 1 of each year.

Section 3.         Subject to the action of the members in meeting assembled or by referendum, the control and administration of this organization shall be vested in the Executive Committee.

Section 4.         The Executive Committee is empowered to employ an Executive Director and/or rent offices necessary to carry out the duties of said Committee.

Article VII

Dues:

Section 1.         Dues will be charged as provided in the Bylaws (same as Chapter 2, Section 1 of the Bylaws).

Section 2.         Special assessments may be made by the Chapter as necessary for their duties as provided for in the Bylaws.

Article VIII

Amendments:             Any five or more members may propose amendments to this Constitution by submitting the same to the secretary at least sixty (60) days prior to any regular or special meeting of the Executive Committee. Such proposed amendment is to be referred to a Constitution and Bylaws Committee to be designated by the President in order to determine its constitutionality, and for study and recommendation. The committee shall report its findings at the next regular or special Executive Committee meeting for which the amendment is offered, and a ballot shall then be sent to all members with a synopsis of the pros and cons of the proposed amendment.  An affirmative written vote of the majority of the membership of the Chapter voting shall constitute adoption.

BYLAWS

Chapter 1

Election of Members:

Application for membership shall be made in writing on a form prescribed by the Washington Academy of Family Physicians.

Chapter 2

Payment of Admission Fees and Dues:

Section 1.         Dues for active members shall be set by the Executive Committee a transmitted to the County academy as provided by the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Section 2.         The dues of other than active members shall be fixed by the Executive Committee.

Section 3.         Special assessments may be applied equally to all members by affirmative action of two-thirds of the Executive Committee.

Section 4.         Any member whose dues or assessments are unpaid at the end of the calendar year shall be notified and stricken from the role in accordance with the Bylaws of the American Academy of Family Physicians and shall again acquire membership in the manner set forth in the AAFP Bylaws.

Chapter 3

Notice of Meetings:

Section 1.         Notice of general or special meetings shall be given by the Secretary to all members at least ten (10) days prior to the date of such meeting, either by letter or e-mail mailed to the members address as it appears on the Secretary’s records, or by publication in the official publication, if any, of the organization.

Section 2.         Special meetings may be called by the Executive Committee or by the President.  Special meetings shall be called by the Secretary upon the written request of any ten (10) or more members at a place determined by the Executive Committee. These meetings shall be held not less than fifteen (15) days or more than thirty (30) days following date of such request, and notice of said meeting shall be in the mail to all members not less than ten (10) days prior to the meeting.

Chapter 4

Election:

Section 1.         A Nominating Committee of five (5) shall be appointed by the President, with the approval of the Executive Committee, whose duties shall be to present one or more nominations for each office – President-Elect and Secretary-Treasurer, Delegates, and Alternates in the number specified by the WAFP.  This committee shall be appointed not less than ninety (90) days prior to the Annual Meeting each year and shall be chaired by the current President as one of the five (5) members.

Section 2.         The Nominating Committee shall report to the membership by writing or e-mail a minimum of fifteen (15) days prior to the Annual Meeting. Nominations from the floor will be made at the Annual Meeting.

Section  3.          Voting shall be by written ballot at the Annual Meeting.  Results shall be published to the membership.

Section 4.         The Executive Director shall be responsible for the telling and recording of the votes. Ballots will be retained by the Executive Director until installation of the new officers takes place.

Section 5.         Election shall be by a majority vote of the ballots received.

Chapter 5

Duties of Officers:

Section 1.         The President shall preside at all meetings of the organization and the Executive Committee or Board.

Section 2.         The President-elect shall preside at all meetings of the organization and of the Executive Committee or Board in the absence of the President.

Section 3.         The President-Elect shall become acquainted with all the routine of the organization so that the President-Elect will thereby be better fitted to assume office on the expiration of the term of the President.

Section 4.         The Secretary-Treasurer shall perform all duties which the title of the office ordinarily connotes; working with the Executive Director to give notice of and keep a record of all meetings of the membership and of the Executive Committee, and maintain the records of members; be the custodian of all official documents of the organization, in such an amount as the Executive Committee may require.  The Secretary-Treasurer shall present a financial report at each Annual Meeting and at such times as the Executive Committee may require.

Section 5.         Delegates and Alternates Delegates shall be elected for a 2-year term. Any Delegate or Alternate shall be eligible for unlimited additional 2-year terms, if qualified.   Any vacancies occurring at any time shall be filled by appointment of the President, from a list of Alternates until the next election; candidates for the office of Delegate to be selected only from the list of Alternates.  It is recommended that each Delegate and Alternate attend a minimum of three-fourths of the Board Meetings of the King County Chapter held during the year.  The office of any Delegate or Alternate Delegate failing to meet this requirement in any year may be declared vacant, and such vacancy filled by appointment of the President until the next regular election.

Section 6.         Any member holding office in the County Chapter shall not be barred from holding a State or National office.

Section 7.         The Executive Committee shall meet annually following the annual meeting of the organization and at such other times and places as the President may direct.  Special meetings of the Executive Committee shall be called by the Secretary upon written request of any two members of the Executive Committee at a time and place to be determined by the Secretary, but not more than thirty (30) days following the receipt of such written request.

Section 8.         No action of the Executive Committee shall be considered valid unless taken at a regularly constituted meeting of the Committee and recorded in the minutes.

Section 9.         Those members of the Executive Committee present at any duly authorized meeting shall constitute a quorum.

Section 10.       Vacancies of those elected to, or appointed by, the Executive Committee, may be filled by the Executive Committee, provided, however, that such appointment shall terminate at the next annual meeting at which time the Nominating Committee shall present a nominee for the unexpired term, if any.

Section 11.       The Executive Committee shall serve for one year, or until their successors have been installed.

Chapter 6

Constitution

Section 1.         The President, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee, may appoint any of the following committees:

1.   Membership Committee: 

Functions of the Membership Committee:  1) To investigate and consider all complete applications for membership in the various classifications and to report to the Board of Directors within one month their findings and recommendations.  In event of deferment by the Board, and acceptance or denial recommendation must be re-submitted by this Committee to the Board within three (3) additional months.   

2. All other standing and special committees that circumstances shall require.

Chapter 7

Ethics:

The Principles of Medical Ethics of this organization shall be the same as those of the Washington Academy of Family Physicians, and the disciplinary procedures shall be handled in the same manner specified in the Constitution of the Washington Academy of Family Physicians.

Chapter 8

Rules of Order:

In absence of any provision in the Constitution or these Bylaws, all meetings of this organization and of the Executive Committee shall be governed by the parliamentary rules and usages contained in the current edition of “Sturgis’ Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure.”

Chapter 9

Amendments:

Any five or more members may propose amendments to these Bylaws by submitting the same to the Secretary at least sixty (60) days prior to any regular or special or board meeting, such proposed amendment to be referred to the Constitution and Bylaws Committee to determine its constitutionality, and for study and recommendation. The Committee shall report its findings at the next regular or special board meeting for which the amendment is offered, and a ballot shall then be sent to all members with a synopsis of the pros and cons of the proposed Amendment.  An affirmation written vote of a majority of the membership of the Chapter voting shall constitute adoption