Constitution
The following is the Constitution and By-Laws for the Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons. For more information regarding amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws, please refer to Article V, and Chapter IX respectively.

Last Updated: 03/2000

CHAPTER II - ELECTED OFFICERS
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SECTION 1: Elected Officers: The Elected Officers shall be: the President, the President Elect, the Vice-President, the Secretary and the Treasurer.

SECTION 2: Nominations: A Nominating Committee shall consist of five (5) Active Members of the MASOMS and they shall be the Past President acting as the chair and four (4) active members in good standing appointed by the President and approved by the Executive Committee. This Nominating Committee shall submit the name(s) of the candidate(s) for the vacant position(s) for the Elected Offices to the Executive Committee and then on to the MASOMS at the Fall Annual Business Meeting. Nominations may also be made from the floor.

SECTION 3: The election of the President, President Elect, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Member(s) at large shall be held at the Fall Annual Business Meeting. The election shall be by voice vote of the Active and Life Members present and voting at that Business Meeting with a quorum unless the election is contested. A contested election shall be by secret ballot.

SECTION 4: There shall be no voting by Proxy and/or ballot by mail.

SECTION 5: TENURE: The term of office for the Elected Officers shall be for two (2) years or until their successors are elected and installed. The term of office for the Member at Large shall be for three (3) years or until their successors are elected and installed.

SECTION 6: Installation: The Elected Officers and newly elected Members at large shall be installed at the Fall Annual Business Meeting. The term of office commences at the close of the Fall Annual Business Meeting.

SECTION 7: Vacancies: In the event of a vacancy in any elected office, the President shall appoint a successor to that office for the duration of that term with the approval of the Executive Committee.

SECTION 8: Duties of the Officers:

President: To serve as an official representative of the MASOMS in relation to and contact with government, civic, business and professional organizations. The president shall preside at all meetings of the MASOMS. He/she shall act as an ex officio member without the right to vote of all standing committees except the Nominating Committee. He/she shall appoint the regular standing committees of the MASOMS and such other committees, as the MASOMS BY-LAWS shall authorize. He/she shall perform such duties as usually pertain to that office. In case of the death, resignation or removal from office of the President, the succession to that office shall be: the President Elect. Further succession order as needed shall be: the Vice President, the Secretary and then the Treasurer.

President Elect: The President Elect shall act in the capacity of the President when the President is absent and to assist the President as needed. In addition to his or her President Elect duties, the President Elect shall serve as the President during any vacancy. If there is more than Fifty Percent (50%) of the predecessors term left, the President Elect cannot assume the following term as President. An election will be held at the next Annual Business Meeting for the President Elect position. If there is less than Fifty Percent (50%) of the predecessors term left, the President Elect upon completion of his/her first term will assume the following full term as President.

Vice President: The Vice President shall be the Program Committee Chairman and present the education, business and social programs well in advance of these Meeting to the Executive Committee for approval of the site(s), time(s), presenter(s) and estimated cost. Other duties are to assist the President as needed and to function as the President Elect in event of a vacancy.

Secretary: The Secretary shall be the custodian of all records of the Minutes of the Business Meetings and Executive Committee Meetings. Other duties include assisting the President as needed and to function as Vice President in event of a vacancy.

Treasurer: The Treasurer shall receive all monies of the MASOMS. Other duties include to hold, invest and disburse the MASOMS Funds subject to the direction of the Executive Committee and to oversee a Biannual Audit of the MASOMS Funds. All disbursements for the MASOMS shall be made with the signature of the Treasurer only. The Treasurer shall submit a written report of the financial status of the MASOMS at every stated meeting and an annual report at the Annual Business Meeting. Further duties of the Treasurer include assisting the President as needed and to function as the Secretary in event of a vacancy.

Immediate Past President: The Immediate Past President shall assist the President as needed and to function as the Treasurer in event of a vacancy.

CHAPTER III - THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
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SECTION 1: Composition: The Executive Committee shall be composed of the Executive Officers, the Immediate Past President, and three (3) Members at Large.

SECTION 2: Term of Office: At the Annual Business Meeting, one (1) Member at Large will be elected to the Executive Committee. The one Member shall be elected for the term of three (3) years, unless a vacancy occurs. The term for the Member at large elected to fill the vacancy will be for the remaining term of that vacancy only.

SECTION 3: Installation: The Executive Committee shall be installed at the Fall Annual Business Meeting.

SECTION 4: Powers:

a. The Executive Committee shall be the administration body of the MASOMS, vested with full power to conduct all business of the MASOMS subject to the laws of the State of Delaware, the Articles of Incorporation and the Constitution and By-Laws of this organization and the mandates by the Membership.

b. It shall have the power to establish Policies and Regulations consistent with the By-Laws and to govern procedure and conduct of this organization.

c. It shall conduct all business of the MASOMS during the interval between membership meetings.

SECTION 5: Duties:

a. To report annually at the Fall Meeting to the MASOMS the activities of the Executive Committee,

b. To approve the appointment of Members to committee positions,

c. To review the annual written reports of all committees and to make recommendations concerning such reports to all members of the MASOMS,

d. To create or abolish committees other than those set forth in the By-Laws,

e. To perform such other duties as may be prescribed in these By-Laws,

f. To approve all awards, honors or other special commendations given in the name of the MASOMS.

SECTION 6: Sessions:

a. The Executive Committee shall meet at least two (2) times per year and a majority of the committee shall constitute a quorum.

b. Special sessions: the President may call Special Sessions at any time. The President shall call such a Special Session upon request of any three (3) Members of the Executive Committee, within seven (7) days of that request and meet within twenty-one (21) days of such a request. Notice of any Special Session must be forwarded to each Member of the Executive Committee at least ten (10) days in advance of the time scheduled for that session.

SECTION 7: Officers: The President and Secretary of the MASOMS shall act as Chair and Secretary of the Executive Committee.

CHAPTER IV - COMMITTEES
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All Committees shall be composed of five (5) MASOMS Members in good standing and with geographic distribution if possible. The President with approval of the Executive Committee shall appoint these Committee Members. The President shall appoint the Committee Chair. A quorum of the Committee shall be a majority of the Members excluding ex officio Members.

Standing Committees of the MASOMS shall be:

1. Nominating Committee

Duties: To present a slate of candidates for all positions for election at the Annual Fall Business Meeting. Nominations are permitted from the floor provided the nominee accepts the nomination and the nominee is cleared by the Treasurer as a Member in good standing.

2. Membership Committee

Duties: Shall conduct an investigation of the Professional and Ethical qualifications of each candidate for all classifications of Membership. Other duties shall be to actively recruit new Members from the practitioners in the region.

3. Ethics Committee

Duties: Shall be responsible for maintaining the code of professional conduct of the ADA and the AAOMS and to hold hearings on alleged violations or inquiry and make recommendations to the Executive Committee on any violation on inquiry.

4. Program Committee

Duties: Shall be to identify the educational needs of the Members and to develop high quality educational programs to be available to all Members. This Committee shall be under the direction of the Vice President and shall establish educational programs for each semi annual meeting.

5. Constitution and By-Laws Committee

Duties: Shall be to review the Articles of the Constitution and By-Laws in order to keep them relevant with the societies programs. Other duties of this Committee shall include a review of any proposed changes or amendments to the Constitution or By-Laws.

6. Legislative Committee

Duties: Shall monitor and investigate local, state and national legislative matters. Other duties shall include developing a liaison with AAOMS and ADA efforts in matters affecting MASOMS Members.

CHAPTER V - FINANCE
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The fiscal year of the MASOMS shall begin on the First (1st) day of January.

Annual dues shall be payable in advance and due on the First (1st) day of January and will be considered delinquent if not paid within the following Three (3) month time frame ending on the Thirty-first (31st) of March of that same year. A late fee of Twenty-five (25) Dollars will be assessed after the Thirty-first (31st) of March of that same year.

CHAPTER VI - ANNUAL MEETING
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SECTION 1: Time and Place:

The Executive Committee shall determine the time, place and cost to the Membership of the Meeting(s).

SECTION 2: A Quorum:

Ten percent (10%) of the total active membership shall constitute a quorum.

CHAPTER VII - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
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The Sturgis Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure, as most recently revised, shall be Parliamentary authority for all activities of the MASOMS, not otherwise governed by the Rules, By-Laws or Procedures of the MASOMS.


CHAPTER VIII - CODE OF ETHICS
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Members of the MASOMS shall be governed in ethical matters by the Code of Ethics of the American Dental Association and the Pledge of the American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons.


CHAPTER IX - AMENDMENTS
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SECTION 1: Amendments to the By-Laws must be submitted to the Executive Committee and the Constitution and By-Laws Committee at a regular Meeting of the MASOMS.

SECTION 2: All proposed Amendments must be mailed to the Membership thirty (30) days prior to the stated or Special Meeting.

SECTION 3: The By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the active and life members present and voting at a stated or Special Meeting when a quorum is present.

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