BYLAWS

TENNESSEE ONCOLOGY DATA ANALYSTS ASSOCIATION

 

Amended and Adopted September 27 & 28, 2018.

ARTICLE I:     NAME

The name of this Association shall be the Tennessee Oncology Data Analysts Association as of September 18, 2014, herein referred to as TODAA. 

ARTICLE II:  PURPOSE

The purpose of the Association shall be: 

·         To promote research and education among the Cancer Registrars of Tennessee so they may be of greater service to their respective cancer programs and patient care.

·         To disseminate information to members regarding educational activities and trends in the cancer field.

·         To offer businesses who serve the cancer registry field fee based opportunities to promote their services at education events and other avenues.

ARTICLE III:  MEMBERSHIP

SECTION I:  Qualifications of Membership

The membership of TODAA shall be open to those who support the Purpose of TODAA as stated by these Bylaws, reflect the Purposes of the Association, and meet one of the following qualifications: 

·         Employed in the cancer registry profession and/or health related field, or a student

·         Involved directly or indirectly in cancer registry or cancer program activities who wish to work actively with TODAA.

·         No persons, otherwise qualified for membership, shall be denied membership in TODAA because of race, religion, sex, origin or political affiliation.

SECTION II:    Classification of Membership

The classes of membership shall be as follows:

·         Active Membership:  An active member shall be any person whose primary occupation is involved with Cancer Registry, or other related fields, and has paid the current dues.  They shall be entitled to all membership privileges including the right to vote, hold office, chair a committee, and serve on committees. 

·         Associate Membership:  An associate member shall be any person interested in the purpose of TODAA who does not meet the qualification of active membership.  They shall have paid the current dues, be entitled to vote and serve on committees, but they cannot hold office or chair a committee. 

·         Distinguished Membership: Any person who has made a significant contribution to the profession of Cancer Registry or rendered distinguished service in the profession or its related field may be elected to lifetime distinguished membership by two-thirds vote of the Active, Associate, and Distinguished Members present and voting.  They shall retain all privileges of Active Membership without payment of dues. 

·         Student Membership:  A student member shall be a person who is enrolled in a college level curriculum and is interested in the purposes of TODAA, but who does not meet the qualifications for active membership.  A student member shall not vote, hold office or chair a committee but shall have paid the current dues and may serve on a committee. 

SECTION III: Privileges of Membership 

·         Professional and educational lectures and programs are available to members.

·         All business meetings are open to the members of the Association.

·         Members will be notified of all activities in which TODAA is a sponsor or co-sponsor.

·         Any member may request attendance at an Executive Committee Meeting. 

SECTION IV:  Application for Membership 

All applications for membership shall be submitted to the Secretary/Treasurer.  The application shall be accompanied by payment of the current annual dues. 

SECTION V:    Forfeiture of Membership 

If dues for the current year are not received by March 1, membership shall be forfeited. 

SECTION VI:  Resignation of Membership 

Any member in good standing may resign by submitting his/her resignation in writing to the Executive Committee. 

SECTION VII:  Reinstatement of Membership 

A former member whose resignation has been accepted by TODAA shall be reinstated upon submission of an application accompanied by the current year’s dues. 

ARTICLE IV:   OFFICERS AND DUTIES

SECTION I:   Officers

The officers of TODAA shall be:

President
Vice President/President-Elect
Secretary/Treasurer
Three (3) Regional Representatives
Immediate Past President 

SECTION II:   Duties

The duties of the officers are: 

·         President:  The President shall preside at all meetings and appoint all standing committee chairs, the Parliamentarian and the Historian.  The President shall perform such other duties as customary usage and parliamentary procedure may require.  The President or his/her designate shall be a non-voting member of all committees except: 1) The President shall chair the Finance Committee and have voting status, and 2) The President shall not serve on the Nominating Committee.  3) The President shall serve as the Liaison to the National Cancer Registrars Association. The NCRA Annual Meeting registration fee shall be paid from the TODAA treasury for the President to attend the Annual Meeting. If the President is unable to attend the NCRA Annual Meeting, the Executive Board shall select an alternate representative.  The President may call a special meeting of the Executive Board. 

·         Vice President/President-Elect:  The Vice President/President-Elect shall assume the duties of the President in his/her absence and shall be the Chair of the Education Committee.  The Vice President will coordinate the Annual State Education conference.  Any commitment from outside businesses to cover any TODAA expense will be in form of a binding contract to protect those serving in office.  The Vice President/President-Elect shall assist the President in his/her duties throughout the year and shall complete the unexpired term of the President in the event of vacancy.  The Vice President/President-Elect shall succeed to the office of President at the conclusion of his/her term of office.  The Vice President/ President-Elect may appoint the Standing Committee Chairs for his/her term of office prior to assuming the office of President. 

·         Secretary/Treasurer:  The Secretary/Treasurer shall be the account holder.  The Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping a record of all proceedings.  The Secretary/Treasurer shall maintain a list of members, attendance records, committee members and committee minutes.  All must be available at the Annual Meeting.  The Secretary/Treasurer is also responsible for distribution of the minutes, and other correspondence as designated by the President or Executive Board.  The Secretary/Treasurer shall serve on the Education Committee. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for the receipt and disbursement of all funds of TODAA.  The Secretary/Treasurer shall serve as Chair of the Membership Committee and be responsible for the collection of dues.  The official membership roster shall be the Secretary/Treasurer’s responsibility, and he/she shall keep a list of names and addresses of all members in good standing. 

·         Regional Representatives:  A Regional Representative shall be elected from each geographic region defined as East, Middle and West Tennessee.  The regions of East, Middle and West Tennessee are defined by the Tennessee State Constitution.  Each representative will be a member of the Executive Committee representing their area and may serve as a chair of any standing committee as appointed by the President.  The representatives shall conduct or otherwise be responsible for providing educational opportunities for the members of their region.  Any commitment from outside businesses to cover any TODAA expense will be in form of a binding contract to protect those serving in office.  All three representatives shall serve on the Distinguished Member Committee. 

·         Immediate Past President:  The Immediate Past President shall assist with the business of TODAA and shall serve as Chair of the Communications Committee.  The Immediate Past President shall install the newly elected officers at the Annual Meeting.

SECTION III:  Eligibility

Any Active or Distinguished Member in good standing shall be eligible to hold office. No persons, otherwise qualified for membership, shall be denied membership in TODAA because of race, religion, sex, origin or political affiliation. 

SECTION IV:  Nomination

·         Nomination for office shall be by the Nominating Committee from the list of eligible members as prepared by the Secretary/Treasurer.

·         Members of the Nominating Committee are eligible for nomination for office.

·         Nominations may be accepted from the membership and shall be submitted to the Chair of the Nominating Committee.

·         Each nominee must read the bylaws and give prior consent to serve before his/her name appears on the ballot.

·         Must ensure that nominations are active or distinguished members.

·         The ballot shall contain a biographical sketch of each nominee.

SECTION V:  Election/Special Election

·         All officers, with the exception of the President and Immediate Past President, shall be elected by the ballot should be sent out at least 28 days prior to the Annual Meeting. The ballot will be open for 14 days for voting and will close 14 days prior to the meeting for verification and calculation.

·         The ballots shall be submitted to the Chair of the Nominating Committee and shall be counted or verified by at least two (2) members of the Nominating Committee.

·         Election shall be by plurality vote, regardless of the number of candidates.  In case of a tie, the two (2) candidates with the higher number of votes shall be re-balloted. 

SECTION VI:  Term of Office

·         Term of Office for the President, Vice President and Immediate Past President will be for one year. 

·         Term of Office for the Secretary/Treasurer will be for 2 years.

·         Term of Office for the Regional Representatives will be for 1 year.

SECTION VII:  Vacancies 

All vacancies, except the office of President and Vice President/President-Elect may be filled for the unexpired term by appointment of the President with the approval of the Executive Committee. 

·         President:  The Vice President/President-Elect shall complete the unexpired term of President. 

·         Vice President/President-Elect:  A vacancy in this office shall be filled by a special election of the voting members.  

 

ARTICLE V:    EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

There shall be an Executive Committee composed of the following elected officers:  President, Vice President/President-Elect, Secretary/Treasurer, three (3) Regional Representatives, and the Immediate Past President.

SECTION I:   Powers and Duties

The Executive Committee shall: 

·         Carry on the business of TODAA between meetings of the Association and shall report through the President at the Annual Meeting.

·         Select the time and place for the Annual Meeting as stipulated in ARTICLE VI: SECTION II: A.

·         Approve committee appointments.

·         Fill vacancies in office as stipulated in ARTICLE IV: SECTION VII.

·         Serve as the Finance Committee 

●       Has the power and responsibility to assume duties for an office in the event that the person in that office

       is no longer able to conduct their responsibilities for whatever reason. 

 ●     Shall be empowered to remove from office, by two-thirds affirmative vote of the Executive committee,

        any office or committee chair who fails to perform the duties of his/her office as required by the bylaws.

SECTION II:   Meetings 

The Executive Committee shall meet monthly, and on request by two (2) or more members of the Board.

SECTION III:   Business Communication: 

Matters requiring action between meetings of the Executive Committee which, in the opinion of the President, do not warrant a called meeting may be decided by mail, email, faxed, or conference call by a majority vote.  All such action shall be ratified at the next meeting. 

SECTION IV:  TODAA Annual Meeting Registration Fee 

The seven members of the Executive Committee shall have their registration fee to the TODAA Annual Meeting paid by TODAA.  If any member of the Executive Committee does not attend the Annual Meeting or if any Executive Committee member’s employer pays the registration fee, funds shall not be disbursed directly to that member for any financial benefit. No Executive Committee member will be eligible for any incentives held to pay for annual meeting registration fees or prizes given for registration. 

ARTICLE VI:   MEETINGS 

SECTION I:   Educational Meetings 

Meetings of TODAA shall consist of any professional lectures, workshops, seminars, or special events sponsored by the Association. (proposal for 2019 to be added: the regional and annual meetings are to be held in the state of TN with the exception of a regional meeting planned with another state association.)

 

SECTION II:  Annual Meeting 

·         The Executive Committee shall determine the time and place of the TODAA Annual Meeting.  The Annual Meeting shall be for members and guests of the Association.

·         The Annual Meeting shall consist of:  The business meeting, the installation of officers, and an educational meeting. 

·         The voting members of the Association shall conduct the business meeting under the direction of the Executive Committee to carry out the official business of TODAA. 

·         Official notice of the Annual Meeting shall be distributed at least thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled meeting, to include the agenda, and any other subjects requiring consideration.

·         A quorum shall be a majority of the voting members registered at the Annual Meeting.

·         The installation of officers shall be conducted at the Annual Meeting by the Immediate Past President.  The newly elected officers shall assume office at the beginning of the calendar year. 

ARTICLE VII:  COMMITTEES

SECTION I:   Committees

Bylaws Committee
Nominating Committee
Education Committee
Communications Committee
Distinguished Member Committee
Ways and Means Committee
Membership Committee
Finance Committee 

 

All committee chairs should be appointed no later than March 1.

SECTION II:  Duties

Bylaws Committee shall: 

·         Consist of a Chair appointed by the President, as stipulated in ARTICLE IV: SECTION II: A., and two (2) members selected by the Chair and approved by the President.

·         Receive all proposed amendments from members of the Association and, together with the amendments proposed by the Committee itself, shall submit these to the membership for review and comment thirty (30) days prior to the Annual Meeting.

Nominating Committee shall: 

·         Consist of a Chair appointed by the President, as stipulated in ARTICLE IV: SECTION II: A., and three (3) members elected from their geographic areas:  one (1) from East, Middle and West.

·         Prepare, distribute and count/verify the ballots as stipulated in ARTICLE IV: SECTION IV and V. 

Education Committee shall: 

·         Consist of a Chair, who shall be the Vice President/President-Elect as stipulated in ARTICLE IV: SECTION II: B., and two (2) members: one (1) member shall be the Secretary/Treasurer as stipulated in ARTICLE IV: SECTION II: C., and one (1) member shall be selected by the Chair and approved by the President.

·         Schedule at least one (1) educational workshop per year which shall be open to all the membership.  The membership shall be notified of all upcoming educational programs scheduled by the Committee. 

Communications Committee shall: 

·         Consist of a Chair, who is the Immediate Past President as stipulated in ARTICLE IV: SECTION II: E., and at least two (2) members selected by the Chair and approved by the President.

·         Work with the Executive Committee to advance the communications of TODAA through the website and other appropriate means.

·         Be responsible for all communications of TODAA including but not limited to the compilation of a quarterly association newsletter and the maintenance of the TODAA website. 

·         Designate, with the approval of the Executive Committee, a Website Administrator who may be a TODAA member, a TODAA non-member, or a business to maintain the TODAA website, update the website with timely information, and enhance the website for usability.

·         Facilitate the review and revision of Policies and Procedures for each office and committee annually.  The review/revision shall be completed 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting, and revised Policies and Procedures shall be published on the TODAA website for the benefit of incoming officers, committee chairs, and all members. 

Distinguished Member Committee shall: 

●    Consist of the three (3) Regional Representatives, as stipulated in ARTICLE IV: SECTION II: D. The President    

      shall appoint a Chair from these representatives who will work with the Communications Committee to

      send a request out to the membership calling for recommendations once every three years for

      distinguished member candidates, to honor one (1) member for his/her outstanding contributions to

      TODAA from the membership. These recommendations will be forwarded to the president and will be

      submitted to the Executive Committee at least sixty (30) days before the Annual Meeting.  Note:  If a

      nomination is submitted for the president or one of the serving Executive Committee members, they will

      not be notified until the Annual Meeting.  The results will be reported at the annual meeting.

Ways and Means Committee shall: 

·         Consist of a Chair appointed by the President, as stipulated in ARTICLE IV: SECTION II: A., and two (2) members selected by the Chair and approved by the President.

·         Coordinate all TODAA promotions, public relations, and other duties as directed by the President. 

Membership Committee shall:
●       Consist of the Secretary/Treasurer, who shall chair the Committee, as stipulated in ARTICLE IV: SECTION II:  

       C. and two (2) members selected by the Chair and approved by the President.

·         Approve and process applications for membership, conduct membership drives, maintain a file of all membership applications, and be responsible for coordinating and maintaining the membership directory. 

Finance Committee shall: 

·         Consist of the membership of the Executive Board.

·         Majority Executive Committee approval is required on all financial matter of TODAA-these will be noted in the Executive Committee minutes.

SECTION III:  Special Committees 

·         The President shall appoint such special committees as the need arises.

·         No special committee shall sit beyond the term of office of the President who appointed it. 

SECTION IV:  Committee Membership 

The Chair of each committee shall be an Active or Distinguished Member in good standing.  The members of the Committee shall be Active, Associate, Distinguished, or Student Members in good standing. 

SECTION V:  Reports 

Each standing committee chair shall submit a report to the President prior to the Annual Meeting.  The President shall deliver these reports to the Executive Committee.  At the President’s discretion, the President or the Chair may give the report(s) at the Business Meeting to the general membership. 

SECTION VI:  Vacancies 

Vacancies in committee chairs, presidential appointments and elected committee membership shall be filled by appointment by the President.  The Committee Chair shall fill all other vacancies. 

SECTION VII:  Quorum 

A majority of committee members of any committee shall constitute a quorum. 

ARTICLE VIII: FINANCE 

SECTION I:   Calendar Year 

The Calendar year of the Association shall be from January 1 through December 31. 

SECTION II:  Dues 

·         Serving Executive Committee members will provide all financial information to the membership and allow the membership to vote on dues changes.  (of note this will be re-visited in 2019 to state:  Any change in membership dues will be made by a majority vote of the voting members at the annual business meeting)

·         Payment of dues shall be a condition of membership for all with the exception of Honorary Members.

·         Dues shall be paid on a yearly basis and shall be considered delinquent on January 31.  If dues for the current year are not received by March 1, membership shall be forfeited.

SECTION III:  Audit 

The Secretary/Treasurer’s records shall be presented for audit one month after the final education meeting is held, in order that all deposits and checks have had time to clear.  The Secretary/Treasurer will copy and mail all financial information to the auditor selected by the Executive Committee.  The auditor will forward the financial information and audit results to the newly elected Secretary/Treasurer within one month.  The results of the audit will be reported at the January Executive committee meeting via the new Secretary/Treasurer.

SECTION IV:  Auditor 

An Active Member, not serving as an officer, selected by the Executive Committee shall serve only the time specified as required to complete the audit and to report to the Executive Committee through the President. 

SECTION V:  Earnings 

No part of the net earnings of TODAA shall be distributed to any members or officers of the Association or accrued to the benefit of any individual. 

SECECTION VI: Control

No officer or committee shall expend any money except by the order of the President with the approval of the Executive Committee. Necessary expenses incurred by the officers and committees in the service of the Association may be reimbursed from the treasury by order of the President, with approval of the Executive Committee. 

 

The Secretary/Treasurer will be the account holder.

A receipt of purchase must be submitted to the Secretary/Treasurer prior to any reimbursements are distributed. 

The Vice President will be the only debit card holder. A receipt for all purchases must be submitted to the Secretary/Treasurer. The debit card will be cancelled by the Secretary/Treasurer after the Annual Education Conference. 

The Secretary/Treasurer will request a new debit card from the bank after the annual meeting for the upcoming Vice President.  The Secretary/Treasurer will also have the new Vice President and new Secretary/Treasurer instated on the account and the previous Secretary/Treasurer and the previous Vice President removed from the account.

SECTION VII:  Disbursement 

Upon dissolution of TODAA, all funds in the treasury shall be disbursed to a charity, American Cancer Society, and/or other allied groups.  The recipient(s) will be selected by two-thirds vote of the Association. 

ARTICLE IX:   AMENDMENTS 

SECTION I:   Procedure 

The Bylaws of the Association may be amended at any regular meeting of the Association by a majority vote of the Active, Associate, and Distinguished Members present and voting. 

SECTION II:   Review 

All proposed amendments shall be reviewed by the membership at least one (1) month prior to the meeting at which time the proposed amendments are to be considered. 

SECTION III:  Adoption 

Upon adoption of the amendments by the members, copies of the amended Bylaws shall be distributed to all members in good standing. 

SECTION IV:  Corrections 

The Bylaws Committee shall be authorized to correct article and section designations, punctuation, typographical/grammatical errors, and cross-references in these bylaws.  The Bylaws Committee shall not otherwise alter the content of these bylaws.

ARTICLE X:    PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE 

SECTION I:   Parliamentary Authority 

Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall be the parliamentary authority. 

SECTION II:  The Parliamentarian shall: 

·         Be appointed by the President and be informed on Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.

·         Advise the presiding officer and the Executive Committee on points of Parliamentary Law and shall decide points of order when challenged by members of TODAA.

·         Be any person, member or non-member, who is qualified to serve.  If the Parliamentarian is a member of TODAA, he/she shall have no voting privileges while serving in this advisory capacity.