ASCC By-Laws 2016 PDF

ARTICLE 1 GENERAL
i) Clinical chemistry/biochemistry shall be defined as the application of chemical
principles and techniques to the detection, treatment and study of disease
states.
ii) The Alberta Society of Clinical Chemists herein referred to as the “Society” shall
be the name of the Society.
iii) The objectives of the Society and its territories of operation shall be as stated
in the Letters Patent:
a) To promote high professional standards among clinical biochemists.
b) To encourage and advance clinical biochemistry.
c) To elevate the standard of practice of clinical biochemistry in order to render
efficient service to the public.
d) To promote sound employee-employer relationships and relations with
affiliated groups and related professions.
e) To represent officially, in policy and practice, clinical biochemistry within the
Province of Alberta.
f) To support continuing medical education and post graduate training in clinical
biochemistry within the province of Alberta
iv) Members of the Society shall subscribe to its Constitution and By-Laws, and
shall be subject to the duties, obligations, rights and privileges contained
therein.
v) The Head Office of the Society shall be situated at the last known address of
an Executive Member or at such place as may from time to time be
established by an extraordinary resolution approved by a two-thirds majority
vote at an Annual General Meeting.
vi) The Society shall be constituted as a provincial section of the Canadian Society of
Clinical Chemists and its operation shall be subject to the Canadian Society of
Clinical Chemists By-Laws.

ARTICLE 2 MEMBERSHIP
Qualification
i) The Society shall consist of Full Members, Affiliate Members, Honorary
Members and Emeritus Members residing within the province of Alberta. An
Emeritus Member that practiced within Alberta and was a Society member
may remain as a member if they move outside of the province.
ii) A person is eligible for Full Membership who has graduated from a University
program approved by the Society with a Masters Degree or Doctoral Degree*,
or equivalent, and who is engaged in professional activity in Clinical
Biochemistry.
*Doctoral Degree includes: PhD, DSc, MD, MB, ChB, DVM or equivalent.
iii) Both Full and Associate Members of the Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists
residing in the province of Alberta, shall be Full Members of the Alberta Society of
Clinical Chemists
iv) Honorary Members and Emeritus Members of the Canadian Society of Clinical
Chemists residing within the province of Alberta shall be Honorary or Emeritus
members, respectfully, of the Alberta Society of Clinical Chemists.
v) A person who has made an outstanding contribution to clinical biochemistry
may upon being nominated by two Full Members, and following
recommendation of the executive be elected by the membership as an
Honorary Member.
vi) Any person who does not qualify as a Full Member, Emeritus Member or
Honorary Member may become an Affiliate Member of the Society after being
nominated in writing and having the said nomination approved by the
Executive.
vii) Applicants for membership shall be sponsored by two Full Members who have
professional knowledge of the applicant, or in the case of absolute unavailability
of such Full Members, by persons of attestable reputation who, on the basis of
personal knowledge, and upon request can submit a professional and
character appraisal of the applicant.
viii) Full Members and Affiliate Members of the Society shall pay to the Treasurer
such annual dues as may be recommended by the Executive and levied
following approval by a two-thirds majority vote at an Annual General Meeting,
or by a postal/telephonic/electronic vote, following recommendation by the
Executive. The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists may collect annual dues
on behalf of the Alberta Society of Clinical Chemists for members who are also
members of the Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists.

Termination
ix) Any member may resign from the Society by lodging a letter stating such
intent with the Secretary.
x) A member or Affiliates’ name shall be deleted from the Membership Register
if dues are more than twelve months in arrears.
xi) Notwithstanding the provision of Section x, the Executive may, for cause
deemed sufficient, defer such payment of dues, with the member remaining in
arrears.
xii) Any person who has ceased to be a member for non-payment of dues may,
upon payment of a reinstatement fee, such as may be determined by the
Executive, and all or part of the arrears, apply for re-admission to the Society.
xiii) After a membership lapse of more than one year, for any reason whatsoever,
such person shall apply as a new member through the usual procedure.
xiv) The Executive shall have the right and privilege to terminate the membership
of any member found to have been in breach of professional ethics. Such
termination shall take place only after a member has been given opportunity
to appear at a hearing or be represented. Such hearing shall be conducted by
the President or his delegate and two other unbiased Full Members. The
member shall have the right to appeal termination to the Executive of the
Society.

Rights & Privileges
xv) Full Members shall have all rights and privileges granted to members, shall
have the rights to nominate, to vote in elections and upon matters pertaining
to the Society affairs, to hold elected office, to chair standing or ad hoc
committees of the Society and receive all mailings of the society.
xvi) Honorary Members shall have all the rights and privileges accorded to Full
Members except that they shall not hold elected office or chair committees
appointed by the Executive.
xvii) Affiliate Members shall have all the rights and privileges accorded to Full
Members, except that they shall not vote, hold elected office or chair
committees appointed by the Executive.
xviii) Emeritus Members shall have all the rights and privileges accorded to Full
Members.

Remuneration
xix) No member of the Society or the Executive shall receive any remuneration for
their services. Members may be reimbursed out of the Society Treasury for all
such costs, charges and expenses sustained or incurred in, or about or in
direct relation to the affairs or the Society, except such costs, charges, or
expenses as are occasioned by default or willful neglect.
Liability
xx) No member of the Society shall in his individual capacity, be liable for any
debt or liability of the Society.

ARTICLE 3 ORGANIZATION
A. Government
i) The rules contained in “Roberts Rules of Order, Revised” shall govern the
proceedings of the Society in all situations in which they are applicable, and
in which they are not inconsistent with the Societies Act, or the By-Laws of
the Society, or the standing rules of the Society.
ii) The governing body of the Society, known and referred to as the Executive,
shall consist of three (3) members:
a) a President who shall serve for a term of two years
b) a Secretary who shall serve for a term of two years
c) a Treasurer who shall serve for a term of two years
Normally the President, Secretary and Treasurer shall not be replaced in the
same year. Any two members shall constitute a quorum at meetings of the
Executive.
iii) The Executive shall be charged with the duty of conducting the business,
discipline and management of the Society and its affairs, and may exercise all
such powers of the Society as are not required by the Societies Act or by
these By-Laws to be exercised by the membership at a General meeting or as
specifically provided.
iv) The Society Executive shall act as By-Laws, Membership, and Meetings
Committees, and shall normally deal with all committee reports.
v) The Executive shall appoint such Standing Committees, from time to time, as
may be required. The Executive may also appoint such ad hoc or Special
Committees as may be required to conduct the business or implement the
objectives of the Society.
vi) The President of any Committee shall render to the Executive, at the request
of the Executive, a written report of the Committees activities. All such reports
shall be subject to the approval of the Executive. A report containing a
recommendation shall be the subject of a motion by a member of the
Executive
vii) The Executive may, and is hereby authorized to borrow money upon the
credit of the Society, limit or increase the amount to be borrowed, issue
debentures or other securities for such sums and at such prices as may be
deemed fair and expedient, and mortgage hypothecate, charge or pledge all or
any of the real and private property, and rights and undertakings of the
Society to secure any such debentures or other securities or any money
borrowed or any other liability of the Society.
viii) The funds and property of the Society shall be used and dealt with for
legitimate objectives only, and in accordance with the By-Laws.
ix) The Executive must be Full Members in good standing with the Canadian
Society of Clinical Chemists.
B. President
i) The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society and at the Executive
and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees, except the Committee on
Nominations, and shall in general represent the Society, declaring its will, and
in all things promote the objectives of the Society.
ii) In the absence or inability of the President to preside at any meeting, the
President shall designate another member of the Executive to preside there
at.
iii) The President shall authenticate, by signature when necessary, all the acts
proceedings of the Society.
iv) The President may call meetings of the Executive, as required, to conduct the
affairs of the Society.
v) The President may invite non-voting observers or appointees to be present at
any or all of the deliberations of the Executive, such observers or appointees
having no speaking privileges except by resolution of the Executive.
C. Secretary
i) It shall be the duty of the Secretary to attend all meetings of the Society and
of the Executive, and to keep accurate minutes of the proceedings at such
meetings. The Secretary further shall have charge of the Society Seal, which
seal, whenever used shall be authenticated by the signature of the Secretary
and the President. The Secretary shall send to the membership
announcements of all general meetings, including a detailed agenda, attend
to correspondence and perform such other duties as ordinarily pertain to that
office. The Secretary shall be under the direction of the Executive and
President.
ii) The Secretary shall receive and process all applications for membership or
changes in membership status and shall propose lists of new members and
changes in membership status to the Executive for approval.
iii) The Secretary shall also keep a record of all the members of the Society and
their last known contact information.
D. Treasurer
i) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all annual membership dues and other
assessments as may be levied by the Society.
ii) The Treasurer shall be charged with the general supervision of all the funds of
the Society, record all monetary receipts and disbursements and prepare a
complete financial statement for submission to the Annual General Meeting.
iii) All disbursements of Society funds shall be made by the Treasurer, and
another member of the Executive when appropriate, at the President’s
discretion.
iv) The books, accounts and records of the Treasurer shall be audited at least
once each year by a duly qualified accountant or by two members of the
Society appointed for that purpose by the membership at the Annual General
Meeting or by the Executive at an Executive Meeting. A complete and proper
auditor’s report on the standing of the books for the previous year shall be
submitted by such auditor at the Annual Meeting of the Society.
v) The fiscal year of the Society shall correspond to the calendar year ending the
31st December of each year.

ARTICLE 4 MEETINGS AND ELECTIONS
i) The Society shall hold an Annual General Meeting on or before the 31st day of
December in each year at a place to be determined by the Executive.
ii) A Nominations Committee, consisting of President and two members, shall
be elected to serve for a one (1) year term, by the membership at the Annual
Meeting. The Nominations Committee shall be responsible to accept and
present nominations for such vacancies as may, from time to time, occur on
the Executive.
iii) Members shall be elected to fill such positions on the Executive, as have
become vacant, at the Annual General Meeting. The members of the Executive
so elected shall serve until their successors are elected and installed. Any
vacancy on the Executive occurring during the year shall be filled at the next
meeting of the Executive as provided herein.
iv) One quarter of the voting members in good standing shall constitute a quorum
at any meeting.
v) Meetings of the Society may be called at any time by the Secretary upon the
instructions of the President or the Executive dated twenty days prior to such
meeting.
vi) A special meeting shall be called by the President or Secretary upon receipt of
a petition signed by one-quarter of the voting members in good standing,
setting forth the reasons for calling such meeting.

ARTICLE 5 BY-LAWS
i) The By-Laws of the Society may be rescinded, altered or added to by a
“Special Resolution” passed by a majority of not less than three-fourths of
such members entitled to vote as are present in person, by telephone or by
electronic communication, at a membership meeting of which one month’s written
notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution
has been duly given.

ARTICLE 6
i) Adoption of these By-laws shall not result in change of membership status for
any member of the Society.

2024 ASCC Annual General Meeting

Friday October 18, 2024 Virtual, Via Zoom

https://ucalgary.zoom.us/j/92991019864?pwd=cfbS6WbEBSafxq6yQfbdtxV0DXEXiI.1

Meeting ID: 929 9101 9864

Passcode: 391416

PLEASE NOTE – ALL INDICATED TIMES ARE IN THE MOUNTAIN TIME ZONE

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• For any questions or concerns, please email ascc.executive@gmail.com