Constitution of The Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

ARTICLE I. Name

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be THE ASIAN SOCIETY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR AND THORACIC SURGERY (hereinafter called the “Society”).

Section 2. The Society shall maintain its office at the office of the Secretary-General.

ARTICLE II. Objects

The objects of the Society shall be:
a) To promote the study of the art, science and practice of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery.
b) To facilitate the exchange of ideas in the field of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery through scientific meetings and by personal contact between cardiovascular and thoracic specialists.

ARTICLE III. Membership

Section 1. The membership of the Society shall consist of physicians and others, and admission to membership shall be limited to those who show active interest in the field of cardiovascular and thoracic diseases.

Section 2. There shall be six categories of membership: Active, Senior, Honorary, Associate, Trainee and Supporting. Admission to membership in the Society shall be through voting by members of the Council.

Section 3. All members of the Society, except Senior and Honorary Members, shall pay annual dues and assessments.

Section 4. All members to remain in good standing must abide by the rules and regulations as set forth in the Constitution.

Section 5. There shall be no numerical limit on any of the types of members.

ARTICLE IV. Election of Members

Section 1. Candidate for Active, Associate, and Trainee Membership shall fill out application forms provided by the Secretary-General.

Section 2. To be eligible for Active Membership, the candidate shall have achieved distinction in the cardiovascular and thoracic fields by meritorious contributions to the knowledge of cardiovascular and thoracic diseases or to their treatment and science.
The candidate for Active member shall have demonstrated a major interest in these fields for at least five years.

Section 3. An Active Member may become a Senior Member upon reaching the age of sixty-five, if his or her intention of unsubscribing the official journal of the Society is expressed by writing to the Secretary-General.

Section 4. Honorary Membership shall be reserved for such distinguished persons who have achieved prominence in medicine and who have contributed to the advancement of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery.

Section 5. Associate member consists of perfusionists, nurses, scientists, physician assistants, data managers, and other health care professionals who support and work directly with cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons. The candidates of Associate member must prepare the appropriate documentation regarding their ongoing position.

Section 6. Trainee member consists of surgeons who are enrolled in an educational or training program accredited by the authority of each area. The candidates of Trainee membership must add the appropriate documentation regarding their ongoing education or training program enrolled. The Trainee membership cannot be held for more than five years and applicants are obliged to state the expected date when specialty training will be completed.

Section 7. Every newly elected Member shall be furnished by the Secretary-General with an official notification of election, copies of regulations of the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery and a certificate of membership, when appropriate.

ARTICLE V. Officers

Section 1. The Officers of the Society shall be, the President of the Society, the President of the Congress, the Secretary- General, the Assistant Secretary-General, the Treasurer, the Councilors and the Historian.
The officers shall be e l e c t e d by the Council and shall be approved at the General Assembly.

Section 2. The term of office of the President of the Society shall be two years, and be eligible for re-election.

Section 3. The term of office of the President of the Congress shall be one year without eligibility for re-election.

Section 4. The Secretary-General shall hold office for four years and be eligible for re-election.

Section 5. The term of the Assistant Secretary-General, the Treasurer, the Councilors and the Historian shall be two years and be eligible for re-election.

Section 6. The President of the Society shall represent the Society and preside at the Business Meetings of the Society.

Section 7. The President of the Congress shall preside at the annual Scientific Meeting of the Society. He/she shall arrange for the annual Scientific Meeting and provide notice of the Meeting to all members of the Society. He/she shall receivetitles and abstracts of papers and present them to the Congress Committee.

Section 8. The Secretary-General shall keep an accurate record of all the business and activities of the Society. He/she shall keep an accurate list of members and their records. He/she shall notify officers and members of their election. He/she shall provide forms and receive applications for membership which, when complete, he/she shall send to the Membership Committee. He/she shall arrange for the business meetings of the Society and shall provide notice of these meetingsto appropriate members.

Section 9. The Assistant Secretary-General shall assist with duties of the Secretary-General. Should the Secretary-General be unable to perform the duties of the office, the Assistant Secretary-General shall assume these duties, if so desired by the Council of the Society.

Section 10. The Treasurer shall be the custodian of the funds of the Society and of any and all securities which are the property of the Society and keep an accurate record of each. He/she shall keep a cash book and bank accounts in the name of the Society. He/she shall keep a journal with a list of all members recording their payment of dues. He/she shall present an annual report for audit.

Section 11. Vacancies in any of the officers shall be filled for the remaining term by the Council.

ARTICLE VI. Committees

Section 1. The standing Committees shall be the Council, the Executive Committee and the Congress Committee.

Section 2. The Council shall be the governing body of the Society and composed of the President of the Society who shall serve as Chair, the President of the Congress, the immediate Past President of the Congress, the President-Elect of the Congress, the Secretary-General, the Treasurer, the Assistant Secretary-General, the Councilors and the Historian. The Council shall manage the business of the Society and consider those items proposed for the agenda of the annual General Assembly.
The Council shall serve as the Membership Committee and encourage membership of the Society.

Section 3. The Executive Committee shall consist of the President of the Society, who willserve as Chair, the President of the Congress, the immediate Past President of the Congress, the President Elect of the Congress, the Secretary General, the Treasurer and the Assistant Secretary-General. The Executive Committee shall manage the affairs of the Society upon approval of the Council.

Section 4. The CongressCommittee shall consist of the President of the Congress who shall serve as Chair, and several Active Members appointed by the President of the Congress. The Secretary -General of the Society shall be an ex officio member of the Congress Committee. The duties of the Congress Committee shall be to arrange, in conformity with instructions from the Executive Committee, the scientific and social programs for the annual Meeting. The Congress Committee shall also serve as the Committee on Local Arrangements acting as host for the annual Meeting.

ARTICLE VII. Meetings

Section 1. The Society shall hold an annual Scientific Meeting.

Section 2. The host city of the annual Scientific Meeting shall be determined by the Council.

Section 3. The General Assembly of the Society shall be held annually.

Section 4. The official language of the meetings of the Society shall be English.

ARTICLE VIII. Fees and Dues

Section 1. The fiscal year of the Society shall date from January 1 of each year.

Section 2. Annual dues of Active, Associate, and Trainee Members of the Society shall be determined by the Council and approved by the General Assembly. The subscription fees to the official journal of the Society shall be payable to the Publisher through the Society.

Section 3. Senior and Honorary membership shall be exempt from all dues and assessments.

Section 4. Bills for annual dues for the next fiscal year shall be rendered by the Treasurer by November 30 and shall be payable by December 31 of the year before each fiscal year.

Section 5. A member of the Society shall be deemed delinquent if his/her dues are not paid for two years. He/she shall be notified of the fact by the Treasurer. After two years of delinquency in payment of dues, a member shall be dropped from the membership roster by action of the Council. A delinquent member may be reinstated with full privileges, upon payment of his/her arrears, by action of the Council.

ARTICLE IX. Resignations and Discipline

Section 1. Any member who has complied with all the requirements of the Constitution during his/her membership may resign by written notification to the Secretary-General.

Section 2. The Council may on its own motion or on a written statement signed by a complainant, take cognizance of any breach of the Constitution by a member and shall issue a warning to the delinquent. If this warning is not heeded within one month from the date of such writing, the Council shall remove the member’s name from the list of membership and its decision shall be final.

ARTICLE X. Amendments

Section 1. A proposal of amendments to the Articles, or portions thereof, of the Constitution must be made in writing, signed by at least ten Active Members and presented to the Secretary-General at least 30 days before the annual General Assembly of the Society.

Section 2. Adoption of proposed amendments shall be by a majority vote of the Active Members present and voting at the annual General Assembly.

Amended at May 25, 2018