Society Bylaws

Constitution and Bylaws

of

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF

PEDIATRIC NEUROSURGEONS

Revised January 29, 2021

Vision Statement

The Mission of the ASPN is to improve the lives of children and adults affected by pediatric neurosurgical conditions, through excellence in clinical care, scientific discovery, education and advocacy.

Our Vision is that all children and adults will be free from the burden of pediatric neurosurgical disease.

ARTICLE I - Name and Objective

Section I:

The organization shall be called "The American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons."

Section II:

Let it be known that the purpose of the Society shall be to improve the neurosurgical care of children and adults with pediatric neurosurgical conditions by advancing and advocating for the specialty of Pediatric Neurosurgery. 

The ASPN shall accomplish this goal by:

• Identifying individuals who meet its criteria for being Pediatric Neurosurgeons and show a continuing dedication to Pediatric Neurosurgery,
• Providing leadership in the identification and dissemination of the knowledge and the science of Pediatric Neurosurgery, including but not limited to conducting regular scientific meetings,
• Providing leadership in the education of all medical professionals, to include monitoring and ascertaining the appropriate neurosurgical care of patients with pediatric neurosurgical diseases (the Society recognizes that in some cases adults suffer from pediatric neurosurgical diseases),
• Providing guidance for the non-medical public, including pediatric neurosurgery patients and their families,
• Being an advocate for children and adults with pediatric neurosurgical conditions, on issues of importance to their neurological health.

ARTICLE II – Membership

Section I:         Election to Membership

A.        Eligibility: A person becomes a candidate for membership in the Society when that person meets the criteria for eligibility and possesses the appropriate credentials, as stated in Article II, Section II – Membership categories. Such individuals can identify themselves to the Society, or can be invited to apply for membership by the Executive Council.

B         Verification and Vote: The Membership Committee of the Society will be responsible for verifying the candidate’s eligibility and credentials. These names will be sent to the Membership Committee of the Society at least one month prior to the annual business meeting of the Society, for subsequent submission to the membership as candidates for membership.  At the annual business meeting, the members will then signify their acceptance of the candidate as a member by open vote.  An affirmative vote of three-fourths of the members present at the annual meeting will carry the motion for membership.  Defeat of the motion will not preclude repeat proposals for membership for that candidate.

C.        Notification: Upon election to membership, the Secretary of the Society will inform the candidate.  The candidate will indicate acceptance of membership by returning a signed statement indicating that the candidate has reviewed the Bylaws of the Society and agrees to abide by the contents and decisions as they relate to the candidate’s continued membership in the Society.

Section II:       Membership categories

The categories of membership shall be Active, Affiliated, Foreign, Senior, Honorary, and Inactive.

Subsection A:  Active Membership

A candidate for Active Membership must:

1. hold an unrestricted license to practice medicine in the United States of America, its territories, or one of the provinces of Canada and give proof of good professional standing
2. be a neurological surgeon, certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, Inc., or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Neurosurgery) of Canada, and a resident of the United States of America, its territories, or Canada
3. have the recommendation of two members of the ASPN
4. demonstrate a primarily pediatric neurosurgery practice by:
   1. meeting the ABPNS credentialing requirements, including case log criteria
   2. if applying more than 2 years after ABPNS certification, submission of surgical logs documenting that ABPNS criteria are met in the preceding 2 years.
   3. In special circumstances, case log criteria may be waived at the discretion of the ASPN Executive Committee.
   4. Attend at least one Annual Meeting as an Invited Guest prior to the Annual Meeting where their membership application will be considered and voted upon by the membership. As an Invited Guest, they must present an oral presentation, the format of which will be determined by the Annual Meeting Chair. The host of the Invited Guest shall provide a letter of support to the Secretary at least six months prior to the Annual Meeting.

Privileges of Active Membership include the ability to:

1. attend Society meetings with voting privileges
2. serve on committees with voting privileges
3. serve as an officer

Obligations of Active Membership include:

1. payment of dues
2. meeting attendance, not less than 1 out of every 3 annual meetings
3. possessing an unrestricted medical license, and maintaining good professional standing
4. maintaining a practice that is primarily Pediatric Neurosurgery, as stated above.  To verify compliance, the Credentials and Membership Committee may request to review an operation log not sooner than every fifth year
5. Re-credentialing to maintain membership every 10 years

• per the ABPNS re-certification criteria.
• If unable to meet re-certification requirements – the member may apply for AFFILIATED membership

Subsection B:  Affiliated Membership

A new candidate for Affiliated Membership must:

1. hold an unrestricted license to practice medicine in the United States of America, its territories, or one of the provinces of Canada and give proof of good professional standing
2. Be a neurological surgeon, and a resident of the United States of America, its territories, or Canada
3. Have demonstrated leadership in Pediatric Neurosurgery – which can include clinical, teaching, research or administrative activities
4. have the recommendation of two members of the ASPN
5. be at least 5 years in practice

There can be no more than 20 Affiliated members (not including formerly Active members) in the Society at any time.

Active members who at the time of re-credentialing are unable to maintain Active requirements (ABPNS certification or ASPN criteria) may apply for Affiliated Membership, as long as they meet all the criteria above.  There is no limit on the number of Active members who can become Affiliated members.

Privileges of Affiliated Membership include the ability to:

1. attend Society meetings with voting privileges
2. serve on committees with voting privileges

3.   Note: Affiliated members may not hold officer positions.

Obligations of Affiliated Membership include:

1. payment of dues
2. meeting attendance, not less than one out of every 3 annual meetings
3. possessing an unrestricted medical license, and maintaining good professional standing
4. re-credentialing to maintain membership every 10 years by the same application process, and continuing to meet the above criteria.

Affiliated members can apply to become Active members at any time – by demonstrating that they meet the current requirements for Active membership.

Subsection C:  Foreign Membership

A candidate for Foreign Membership must:

1. hold an unrestricted license to practice medicine in the candidate’s country of residence (non-United States/non-Canada) and give proof of good professional standing
2. be a neurological surgeon, and not a resident of the United States of America, its territories, or Canada
3. have demonstrated leadership in Pediatric Neurosurgery – which can include clinical, teaching, research or administrative activities
4. have the recommendation of one member of the ASPN
5. be at least 5 years in practice

There can be no more than 10 foreign members in the Society at any time.

Privileges of Foreign Membership include the ability to:

1. attend Society meetings without voting privileges
2. serve on committees without voting privileges

3,   Note: Foreign members may not hold officer positions.

Obligations of Foreign Membership include:

1. exemption from payment of dues
2. exemption from meeting attendance rules
3. possessing an unrestricted medical license, and maintaining good professional standing
4. re-consideration by the Executive Council to maintain membership every 10 years, and continuing to meet the above criteria.

Subsection D:  Senior Membership

Current Active or Affiliated members may become a Senior member by request of the member after attaining the age of 60 years, and will automatically become a Senior member after attaining the age of 70 years.

Privileges of Senior Membership include the ability to:

1. attend Society meetings with voting privileges
2. serve on committees without voting privileges

3.   Note: Senior members may not hold officer positions

Obligations of Senior Membership include:

1. exemption from payment of dues
2. exemption from meeting attendance rules

Subsection E:  Honorary Membership

From time to time, the society may wish to honor certain individuals for their importance to the development of specialty of Pediatric Neurosurgery, but who for one reason or another are not eligible for membership in the Society.  It is not necessary for these individuals to be pediatric neurosurgeons.

Candidates for Honorary Membership should be proposed in writing by two active members to the Credentials and Membership Committee, who shall review the importance of the individual’s contribution to Pediatric Neurosurgery and submit its recommendation to the Executive Council for review.  If approved by the Executive Council, the name will be submitted to the membership by mail no later than one month prior to the annual meeting of the Society and voted on at that meeting.  A two-thirds vote of the membership present is necessary for acceptance.

There may be no more than 5 Honorary Members of the Society who practice neurosurgery and who are under 65 years of age.

Privileges of Honorary Membership include the ability to:

1. attend Society meetings without voting privileges
2. serve on committees without voting privileges

3.   Note: Honorary members may not hold officer positions.

Obligations of Honorary Membership include:

1. exemption from payment of dues
2. exemption from meeting attendance rules – but Honorary members who are over age 60 and have not attended a meeting in five years will be automatically converted to Senior Membership status without meeting voting privileges

Subsection F: Inactive Member

Active, Affiliated and Foreign members who fail to fulfill the requirements for continuing membership in the Society may be automatically classified as inactive by vote of the Executive Council.

Active, Affiliated and Foreign members may request an inactive status because of cessation of primary practice of Pediatric Neurosurgery or long-term illness, or other reasons acceptable to the Executive Council upon review.

Once moved to Inactive Status, the inactive member will be notified by the secretary of the ASPN of their change in membership status by certified mail.

An Inactive Member:

1. may not attend the annual meeting and is without voting privileges
2. may not serve on committees and is without voting privileges
3. may not hold office
4. will be exempt from dues

Inactive Members may request reinstatement by application to the Credentials and Membership Committee.  Submission of materials demonstrating that they meet the criteria / requirements for Active, Affiliated or Foreign Membership shall be required for consideration of the request.  Alterations in membership status shall require an affirmative recommendation from the Credentials and Membership Committee and approval by the Executive Council of the Society.

Upon reinstatement, the year of entry to the ASPN will be listed as the year of reinstatement.

Section III:  Membership Obligations

Membership of the Society is a privilege not a right, and is contingent upon continuing compliance with the Articles of the Constitution and Bylaws as well as an active participation on the part of the members.

Continued Active and Affiliated membership will require compliance with the following:

• Attendance at 1 out of 3 annual meetings monitored in three-year intervals.  Exception will require written request for excuse to be sent to the Executive Council through the Secretary who must approve it.  Three consecutive absences without written excuse from the Executive Council will result in change to Inactive status. The Secretary will notify the member after the second unexcused absence of the implication of a third such absence.
• Payment of annual dues.

Continued Active, Affiliated, and Foreign membership will require compliance with the following:

• Continuing to meet the eligibility criteria for the membership status.  To verify compliance, the Credentials and Membership Committee may request to review a member’s status not sooner than every fifth year.
• Good professional standing and maintenance of an unrestricted license to practice medicine in the United States or Canada or current country of residence.

Section IV:  Resignation

Any member wishing to resign from the Society shall submit their resignation in writing to the Secretary, who shall present it to the Executive Council at the subsequent meeting of the Council.

Section V:  Expulsion

All proposals for expulsion from the Society will be reviewed by the Executive Council. The member in question will be asked to resign after that Council's finding of substantial reason and its majority vote for this action.

Expulsion from the Society may be proposed by any member, by presenting charges in writing to the Executive Council, or the Executive Council as a whole may initiate expulsion proceedings upon its own recognition of a member's default of failures as noted in Article II, Section IV.

Any member proposed for expulsion must be notified and provided with a listing of the charges against the member at least three months before the Executive Council reviews and votes upon these charges. The member will be allowed self-representation, either in person or by written response to the Executive Council's review. The member will then be excused from the Council's final deliberations and vote, and will be provided prompt written notification of the Executive Council's action. If a member is asked to resign from the Society and does not agree that this is appropriate, the member may appeal to the membership at large, which will decide the issue by open vote at the next business meeting. A 75 % majority vote of members present will be required for expulsion.

ARTICLE III- Officers

Section I:

The officers of The Society shall consist of a President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and two Members-at-Large.

Section II:

The term of office for President and President-Elect each shall be one year, while the term of office for Secretary, Treasurer, and Members-at-Large shall be two years.

Section III:

The officers shall be elected by majority vote of The Society at its annual meeting and shall take office on the first day after conclusion of the annual meeting.

Section IV:

The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society as well as all meetings of the Executive Council. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees, and is empowered to appoint Ad-Hoc Committees who will report to the membership.

Section V:

The President-Elect shall act instead of the President, in the latter's absence or inability to serve.

Section VI:

The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings and notify candidates of their election to membership. The Secretary shall conduct the correspondence of the Society and send a written report of the proceedings of each meeting to each member upon request. The Secretary will be responsible for providing the agendas for the Executive Council meetings as well as the annual membership meetings following consultation with the President. The Secretary shall keep a registry of members with the date of their election to membership. The Secretary shall notify the Society membership of the location of the subsequent meeting one year in advance of that meeting.

Section VII:

The Treasurer shall collect and disburse the funds of the Society. The Treasurer shall keep the financial statements, and send a statement of dues to the members and render an annual report to the Society.

Section VIII: Appointed officers

Appointed officers shall consist of an Annual Meeting Chair, Parliamentarian, and Historian.

Subsection A - Annual Meeting Chair

The Annual Meeting Chair is responsible for site selection, all organization and conduct of the annual meeting for which that Chair is responsible, with the approval of the Executive Council.

Subsection B - Parliamentarian

The Parliamentarian shall be appointed by the President. The Parliamentarian shall be knowledgeable in matters of parliamentary procedure and shall advise the officers and members in such matters.

Subsection C – Historian

The Historian shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Council and serve at their pleasure. The Historian shall preserve the archives of the Society and shall from time to time, prepare a report at the request of the Executive Council.

Subsection D – Chair of the Joint Pediatric Section of the AANS and CNS

The Chair of the Joint Pediatric Section of the AANS and CNS will be invited to serve as an “ex officio” member of the ASPN Executive Committee and participate in their deliberations as a non-voting member.

Section IX:  Election of Officers.

The recommendations of the Nominating Committee will be presented to the Society at the Annual Meeting.  Given varied terms, elections will be held annually for President, President-Elect, one Member-at-Large, and either Secretary or Treasurer. Voting for officers will be conducted as a group, with an absolute majority of votes required for the group. If there is objection to the group vote, then voting may occur individually by office. In the latter case, additional nominations may be solicited from the floor and voting will be conducted in such a fashion that a count of the tally for each nominee be determined.  A secret ballot will be held if there is more than one nominee for a single office and such a ballot is requested by any two members.  In this case, an absolute majority of votes cast is required for each office.  If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, then a run-off election between the two candidates with the most votes will be held.

ARTICLE IV - Executive Council

Section I:  Executive Council

The elected Executive Council of the Society shall be composed of its officers and its immediate past-President. The Executive Council shall meet at each annual meeting and at the discretion of the President at other times.

Section II:

The Executive Council shall levy assessments as deemed advisable. It shall appropriate money for necessary expenses. It shall make suggestions and recommendations to the Society as it deems fit in order to execute the purposes of this Society. The Executive Council shall recommend to the membership at large all members of the standing committees. The Executive Council will be empowered to provide an independent audit as it deems fit.

ARTICLE V – Committees

Section I:

The Standing Committees of the Society shall be as follows:

A.  Bylaws Committee - The Chair of this committee shall be proposed by the Nominating Committee and elected by the membership at large. The Bylaws Committee will investigate proposed amendments to the bylaws and provide the membership with its recommendations at the meeting at which amendments are to be acted upon.

B.  Education Committee - The Chair of this committee shall be proposed by the Nominating Committee and elected by the membership at large. The committee shall formulate and enact educational programs in Pediatric Neurosurgery.

C.  Credentials and Membership Committee - The Chair of this committee shall be proposed by the Nominating Committee and elected by the membership at large.

Proposals for membership (new, reactivation, or status change) in the Society shall be submitted to the Credentials and Membership Committee who shall act in accordance with the provisions of Article II, Section II and determine the completeness, accuracy and that the appropriate criteria for membership have been met.  Upon verification of the credentials of the candidate, the Credentials and Membership Committee shall formulate a recommendation to the membership of the Society one month prior to the annual meeting. All candidates with completed credentials shall be acted upon within one year of the date of receipt of the completed application.

D.  Nominating Committee - shall consist of the three most recent past-Presidents of the Society, the President-Elect of the Society, and two individuals from the active Society membership.  These members will serve for two years and be elected to the Nominating Committee at every other Annual Meeting.  The Chair of the Nominating Committee shall be the immediate past President of this Society.  The Nominating Committee shall nominate candidates for each office of the Executive Council and the Chair of each standing committee.  The Nominating Committee shall report its recommendations to the Society at each annual meeting.  The two active Society members of the Nominating Committee will be determined at the Annual Meeting preceding the election of the officers and committee chairs for whose nominations the committee will be responsible.  Voting for these positions will occur as described for the election of officers.  The two nominees with the most votes will become the active Society members of the Nominating Committee.  If a tie vote occurs such that two top nominees cannot be determined, a run-off election between the nominees involved in the tie will be held.  The active Society members of the Nominating Committee will begin their term at the end of the meeting at which they are elected.

E. Mission and Goals Committee - shall consist of the Executive Council and past Presidents of the Society and other members appointed at the discretion of the President. This committee shall convene at a minimum of once per year in addition to and not in conjunction with the annual business meeting. This committee shall convene at the recommendation of the President who will serve as committee Chair. It shall be the duty of the committee to continually review the mission and goals of the Society. It shall recommend changes in the structure and function of the Society consistent with its purpose. They shall act in an advisory capacity to the Executive Council.

F.   Awards Committee - shall consist of the Executive Council. The president may also appoint nonvoting advisory members as deemed necessary. The Committee may adopt, create, and offer awards for study, fellowship, contributions or developments in the field of Pediatric Neurosurgery. The cost of such awards may be defrayed from funds of the Society or those which may be donated, entrusted, or bequeathed to the Society for such purposes.

G.  Liaison Committee for Specialty Education - the composition of this Committee shall be:

1.         The President who will preside as Chair

2.         The President-Elect

3.         One senior member to be appointed by the Executive Council.

4.         One Member-at-Large to be appointed by the Executive Council. It shall be the purpose of this Committee to pursue the highest educational standards possible for Pediatric Neurosurgeons. For these purposes it may function in liaison with any organization which is legitimately involved with undergraduate or graduate medical education in the United States or Canada. The overriding purpose of this committee is to foster and develop the highest standards of care for children and adults with pediatric neurosurgical disorders of the nervous system.

Section II:

The term for elected officers and Committee Chairs shall begin the first day after the conclusion of the annual meeting at which the election occurred.

Section III:

In case of vacancies out of course occurring among officers or members of the Bylaws, Education, Credentials and Membership, or Nominating Committees, the Executive Council of the Society shall appoint substitutes to serve until the next annual meeting.

Section IV:

Any standing Committee shall meet at the call of its Chair.

Section V:

In the conduct of Committee business, active committee member is entitled to one vote, either in person or by proxy.

Section VI:

Any standing committee which has been inactive or failed to produce a new work product for more than 3 years will either be dissolved or changed to an “ad hoc” committee status, at the bequest of the Chair and the executive committee

ARTICLE VI - Fees

Section I:

There shall be annual dues to be paid yearly upon acceptance to membership in the Society.

Section II:

The annual dues shall be established by the Executive Council with the approval of two-thirds of the members present at the next regular business session.

ARTICLE VII – Meetings

Section I:

The Executive Council shall be responsible for arranging all general meetings of the Society.

Section II:

At least one annual meeting open to all members shall be held at a location and date to be determined by the Executive Council and announced at the preceding annual meeting.

Section III:

For each annual meeting, an Annual Meeting Chair will be appointed by the Executive Council and announced at a preceding annual meeting.  The Annual Meeting Chair will be an ex-officio member of the Executive Council and will work with the Executive Council to determine the format and content of the annual meeting, with the approval of the Executive Council.

Section IV:

Each annual meeting will include the following sessions:

• The meeting of the Executive Council.
• The Scientific Session of the Society presided over by the annual meeting Chair.
• The business meeting of the Society presided over by the President of the Society and attended by the active, affiliated, and senior members of the Society.

Section V:

A quorum for Society business shall be constituted by the members present at the annual Society business meeting.  Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, shall govern the conduct of the meeting of the Society.

Section VI:

The order of business for the Executive Council and business meeting shall be as follows:

1. Call to order

2. Reading and approval of the minutes

3. Unfinished business

4. Report of the Officers and Committees

5. Report of Nominating Committee

6. Election of Officers

7. New business

8. Adjournment

Section VII:

Each active member of The Society may propose the name of one guest for invitation to each annual meeting. The proposed guest's name must be submitted in writing to the Secretary of the Society at least six months prior to the meeting. The Executive Council shall determine which guests are invited and shall direct the Annual Meeting Chair accordingly.

Section VIII:

The Executive Council may also invite official guests of the Society to participate in the scientific meeting.

ARTICLE VIII – Publications

Section I:

The Executive Council shall, when deemed appropriate, authorize publication of the proceedings and/or postgraduate courses.

Section II: 

All contractual agreements relative to publications of The Society shall be between the Society and the publisher. The Executive Council shall represent the Society in all such matters, unless specifically delegated by them to the Editor.

Section III:

The Executive Council with the Publication Committee shall determine the vehicle for the publication of refereed articles that is the official voice of the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons.

ARTICLE IX – Amendments

Section I: 

Suggested amendments to these Bylaws must be proposed in writing and signed by at least five active members in good standing and must be submitted to the Secretary of the Society at least four months prior to the annual meeting at which the amendments are to be acted upon.  If there is more than one proposed change, related changes would be identified by the submitting members and Executive Council, then considered and voted upon as grouped changes; unrelated changes will be considered and voted upon individually.  The proposed amendments should be submitted in a format that specifies the “current” wording, highlights the “proposed” change, and includes a paragraph description of the “intent/reason/benefit” intended by the submitting group.

Section II: 

An amendment or grouped amendments presented to the membership shall be voted upon by a minimum of 45% of the total membership eligible to vote, and adoption of the amendment or group of amendments requires affirmation by 2/3 of these votes.  The vote shall take place in person at the annual meeting, or by mail or email on special recommendation by the Executive Council.  In the latter case, the amendment shall be mailed or e-mailed to the eligible voting members of the Society by the Secretary, not less than two months prior to the vote deadline.

 Section III: 

Rules and regulations can be formulated by the membership and attached to the bylaws. Enactment of a Rule and Regulation requires a majority vote of members present at the duly constituted business meeting of the Society. Similarly, abolition of a Rule and Regulation requires a majority vote of members present at a duly constituted business meeting of the Society.