BYLAWS OF THE
NORTH TEXAS CHAPTER
of the
HEALTH PHYSICS SOCIETY

ARTICLE I
NAME

 The name of the organization shall be the North Texas Chapter of The Health Physics Society and hereinafter shall be designated as the Chapter.

ARTICLE II
OBJECTIVES

Section 1.        The objectives of the Chapter are to aid in the work of Health Physics, to improve dissemination of information among individuals in this field and related fields, to improve public understanding of the problems and needs in radiation protection, and to promote within the Chapter=s jurisdiction the activities of the Health Physics Society.

 ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.         Every Member of the National Health Physics Society shall automatically become a Member of the Chapter upon presenting to the Chapter proof of membership in the Society and payment of Chapter dues.

Section 2.        The Executive Council of the Chapter shall serve as the Committee on Admissions and shall be responsible for approving applications for membership involving persons who are not Members of the Health Physics Society.  An applicant may be any person who is engaged in a field of endeavor related to Health Physics or whose interests in the profession would make them a desirable Member of the Chapter.  Application for membership in the Chapter by such persons shall be made on a form approved by the Executive Council.  Election to the membership in the Chapter under the provisions of the section of the Bylaws requires the approval of at least four (4) members of the Executive Council, and persons so elected shall be entitled to all privileges of membership in the Chapter except, as hereinafter provided in Article IV, Section 1, of the Bylaws, the right to become President, President-Elect, or Secretary/Treasurer.

Section 3.        Dues of members become payable on the first day of June each year.  Any member of the Chapter whose dues are unpaid on August 1 of the calendar year in which dues are specified is not in good standing and shall have no vote.  Membership in the Chapter ceases when the dues of the member are not paid within one year after they are due; the person=s name shall be removed from the active membership list, the person shall be so informed, and the person shall receive no further communication from the Chapter.  

Section 4.        Affiliate members are organizations whose interests in the general field of radiation protection are such as to warrant a formal working relationship with the Chapter.  There shall be no voting rights for this membership class.  Requirements for the Chapter affiliate membership shall be determined by the Executive Council.  Dues for this membership class shall be payable as provided to Section 3 of this Article.

ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS

Section 1.        The officers of the Chapter shall be a President, President-Elect, and Secretary/Treasurer.  The officers of the Chapter shall be persons who are Members in good standing of the Health Physics Society. 

Section 2.        The President-Elect shall be chosen by vote of the Membership for a term of one year, at the conclusion of which ascension to the office of President for a one-year term is automatic.  

Section 3.        The Secretary/Treasurer shall be chosen by vote of the Membership yearly.

Section 4.        No officer shall be eligible for election to the same office for more than two consecutive terms.

Section 5.        The term of office for all officers shall begin following installation at the Annual Meeting of the Chapter.

Section 6.        An office shall be declared vacant by the Executive Council in the event that an officer resigns, misses three consecutive meetings of the Executive Council, or ceases to be a Member of the Chapter.  The vacated office shall be filled by the Executive Council in accordance with the procedures set forth in Article V hereinafter provided.

ARTICLE V
ADMINISTRATION 

Section 1.        The Executive Council is the representative body of the Chapter and, as such, shall have, hold, and control all funds, properties, and activities of the Chapter in accordance with the Bylaws governing these matters. 

Section 2.        The Executive Council shall consist of nine (9) voting members including the President, President-Elect, the immediate past President, Secretary/Treasurer, and five (5) elective Councilmen.  The Councilmen shall be elected from the membership of the Chapter for a two-year term each. 

Section 3.        The Executive Council shall hold at least two meetings each year, and the meetings shall be presided over by the President.  Five (5) voting members of the Executive Council shall constitute a quorum, and all decisions of the Executive Council shall require approval of at least a majority of the Council members present at a properly called meeting of the Council. 

Section 4.        A seat on the Executive Council shall be declared vacant by the Council in the event that a Council member should resign, miss three consecutive meetings of the Executive Council, or cease to be a member of the Chapter.  The vacated seat may be filled as provided by Section 5 of this Article.  

Section 5.        In the event of a vacancy in an elective position, other than one that involves the President or President-Elect, the Council may make an appointment to hold until the un-expired term is filled by election at the next regular letter ballot presented to the membership.  If the office of President becomes vacant, the President-Elect shall assume the duties of the President, but retain the title of President-Elect until such time that he would have ascended to the presidency in his own right.  If the office of President-Elect becomes vacant, that office shall in all cases be filled by a vote of the membership as provided by Article VI of these Bylaws. 

Section 6.        (Catastrophe Clause) In the event that the membership of the Executive Council drops below five (5) members because of death, resignation, or other circumstances, as the first order of business at the first scheduled meeting of the Chapter at which a quorum of the membership in good standing is in attendance, the Acting Chairman of the meeting shall cause the election of a Temporary Chairman who, in turn, shall convene those members of the Nominating Committee who are present.  In the event that one or more of the members of the Nominating Committee are not present, the Temporary Chairman shall appoint proxies for the absentee members.  The Nominating Committee as now constituted shall select two nominees for all vacated elective positions in accordance with provisions of Article VI, Section 4, of the Bylaws, hereinafter provided.  The Temporary Chairman shall present the names of the nominees to the membership at the meeting, allowing additional nominations from the floor.  After the nominations are closed, a secret ballot shall be taken and a majority vote of those present shall be required to elect.  In the event that a majority vote is not obtained on the first ballot, the name of the individual receiving the least number of votes shall be dropped from the ballot and balloting shall continue n this manner until a majority vote is obtained.  Persons elected under this Section of the Bylaws shall take office immediately and the Temporary Chairman shall turn the meeting over to the Acting Chairman of the meeting, at which time the office of Temporary Chairman is dissolved.

Section 7.        It shall be the responsibility of the Executive Council to review the financial status of the Chapter annually for the purpose of establishing the annual dues required for membership in the Chapter. 

Section 8.        The Executive Council shall review the program of the Chapter as presented by the President and other Members, furnish appropriate guidance in these matters, and approve or reject in accordance with Council procedures. 

Section 9.        Meetings of the Executive Council shall be called at the direction of the President.  All sessions of the Executive Council shall require at least ten (10) days prior notification to the members of the Council.  A request to the President made in writing by five (5) members of the Council shall require a meeting to be called.

Section 10.      Ordinarily, the meetings of the Executive Council will be open to the membership.  However, on occasion, the Council may hold sessions which are not open to any person, or groups of persons, whom the Council may designate.

Section 11.      The President will preside over all meetings of the Chapter and may appoint other individuals to assist in the conduct of the meetings.  The President shall appoint necessary committees with the approval of the Executive Council and automatically becomes an ex-officio member of these committees. The retiring President shall submit an oral report of the AState of the Chapter@ to the Membership at the Annual Meeting.  The President shall designate two representatives of the Chapter to represent the Chapter at the Chapter Council meetings during the annual meeting of the National Society.  

Section 12.      The President-Elect shall perform duties as delegated by the President, and in the absence of the President at a meeting of the Chapter or Executive Council will assume the duties of the President.  

Section 13.      The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep a record of all transactions and meetings of the Chapter and Executive Council.  The Secretary shall carry out correspondence of the Chapter, keep an accurate mailing list of the Membership, and post all ballots used in election and amending procedures.  

Section 14.      The Secretary/Treasurer shall be the custodian of all monies of the Chapter, shall receive all monies due the Chapter, and shall pay all authorized bills against the Chapter.  The Secretary/Treasurer shall submit accounts for audit to the Executive Council prior to the Annual Meeting of the Chapter, and shall turn over to their successor all funds and properties of the Chapter.  The Secretary/Treasurer shall submit an annual report summarizing the financial status of the Chapter to the Membership at the Annual Meeting.  The Treasurer may be bonded in such an amount as shall be determined by the Executive Council and by a company approved by the Executive Council.  When bonded, expense of bonding shall be borne by the Chapter.  

Section 15.      The Executive Council shall designate an official spokesperson for the Chapter. No member of the Chapter shall presume to speak for the Chapter on matters of Chapter policy without authorization of the Executive Council.  

ARTICLE VI
ELECTION AND BALLOTING PROCEDURES

Section 1.        Except as heretofore provided for in Article V, Section 6, of the Bylaws, nominations for all elective positions and the election procedure governing the processes of election and balloting shall be in accordance with the provisions of Article VI of the Bylaws.  

Section 2.        Nominations for all elective positions shall be made by a Nominating Committee consisting of a Chairman and three (3) other members appointed by the President and approved by the Executive Council.  No member of the Executive Council shall be eligible to serve on this committee.  Three (3) members of the committee shall constitute a quorum, and decisions of the committee shall require the affirmative vote of at least three (3) members of the committee.  

Section 3.        The President-Elect, Secretary/Treasurer, and two or three (alternating) Councilmen shall be elected annually by the Members of the Chapter and shall serve until their successors are elected and installed.  Newly elected Officers and Councilmen shall be installed by the outgoing President or his duly authorized representative during the Annual Meeting following the letter ballot.  

Section 4.        The Nominating Committee shall select at least two nominees for each elective office, and in no case shall an individual=s name be placed in nomination for more than one elected position during any one election.  No member shall be placed in nomination without consent.  

Section 5.        The Nominating Committee shall submit in writing the names of the nominees to the Secretary/Treasurer not later than sixty (60) days prior to the Annual Meeting of the Chapter.  

Section 6.        All letter ballots shall be prepared at the direction of the Secretary/Treasurer and mailed to each Member of the Chapter in good standing.  Ballots for elective positions shall be mailed at least forty (40) days prior to the Annual Meeting, and provisions shall be made for the names of the write-in candidates on the ballot.  A ballot shall be closed on the thirtieth (30) day following the mailing of the last ballot to the Membership.

Section 7.        The Member shall return his ballot by mail to the Secretary/Treasurer with the Member=s name and return address displayed upon the mailing envelope.  Following the closing of the ballot, the Secretary/Treasurer shall convene not less than five (5) members of the Executive Council for the purpose of tabulating and certifying the vote.  The Secretary/Treasurer shall examine the names on the envelopes and certify the eligibility of the Member to vote.  The ballots shall be removed from the envelopes in such a manner as to preserve the vote as secret, and no ballot shall be voided if the intent as to the choice of the member is clear.  The envelopes, ballots, and tally sheets shall be retained by the Secretary/Treasurer and sealed in a suitable container until the close of the next regular Meeting of the Chapter, after which time the envelopes, ballots, and tally sheets shall be destroyed.  A majority of the Membership voting for an elective position or an amendment shall be required to elect or amend.  Ties shall be settled by lottery.  Following certification of the results of the poll, nominees shall be notified promptly of the outcome of the election. 

ARTICLE VII
CHAPTER MEETINGS 

Section 1.        The Chapter shall hold at least three (3) Regular Meetings to include the Annual Meeting each calendar year.  The date, time, and place for each Regular Meeting shall be established by the Executive Council except as otherwise provided for in the Bylaws.  

Section 2.        The Annual Meeting of the Chapter shall be held during the First Quarter of each calendar year.  

Section 3.        Other meetings of the Chapter may be called by the President with the approval of one (1) or more members of the Executive Council.  A petition directed to a member or members of the Executive Council bearing the signatures of at least ten (10) percent of the members in good standing shall require a meeting of the Chapter to be called.  

Section 4.        Members in good standing shall be notified by mail of all meetings at least ten (10) days in advance of the date, time, and place set for the meeting.  The notification shall include a program listing of scheduled activities of the meeting.  

Section 5.        A quorum at a Chapter meeting shall consist of ten (10) members or twenty (20) percent of the Membership, whichever constitutes the greater number.  

Section 6.        All meetings of the Chapter are open to the entire Membership except when otherwise specified in writing by the Executive Council, any Member is privileged to bring guests to Chapter meetings provided reservations are made if required and registration fees are paid when applicable.  

Section 7.        The Executive Council shall develop a standard procedure for governing the order of business for all meetings of the Chapter, establishing session time limits where applicable, and Robert=s Rules of Order shall be the guide for any parliamentary procedure not especially provided for in the said rules of the Chapter.  A change in the standard procedure governing the order of business at a meeting of the Chapter requires the approval of a majority of the Membership at the meeting.  

ARTICLE VIII  
FINANCIAL 

Section 1.        The Executive Council shall review the financial status of the Chapter annually and establish membership dues in the amount to be determined by the Executive Council.  

Section 2.        All funds shall be paid into the office of the Secretary/Treasurer where they shall be entered in the books of the Chapter and deposited in a bank approved by the Executive Council. 

Section 3.        All expenditures shall be made in accordance with a budget of appropriations as adopted by the Executive Council. 

ARTICLE IX
COMMITTEES AND APPOINTMENTS 

Section 1.        The President shall appoint, with the approval of the Executive Council, individuals or committees to assist the officers and the Executive Council in the development and administration of the programs, projects, policies, and so forth.  In making such appointments, consideration shall be given to maintaining a balance of representation from the various organizational groups within the geographical jurisdiction of the Chapter to include industrial, governmental, educational, and other professional interests.  

Section 2.        All committees shall be responsible for keeping records of the activities of the committee when directed by the President and shall submit such records to the Secretary of the Chapter. 

Section 3.        The Standing Committees shall be as follows:  

            (1)               A Committee on Admissions shall be comprised of the members of the Executive Council as set forth in Article III, Section 2, of these Bylaws.

            (2)               A Program Committee shall consist of the President-Elect as Chairman and two (2) other members.  The Program Committee shall, at the direction of the Executive Council, handle the arrangements for all Chapter Meetings.  The Chairman of the Program Committee shall be responsible for providing the Secretary with an agenda for each meeting which will be circulated to the Membership at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting.

            (3)               A Public Relations Committee consisting of a Chairman and at least two (2) other members shall publicize the activities of the Chapter.  

            (4)               A Nominating Committee shall be appointed and shall function in accordance with the provisions set forth in Article VI governing the activities of the Nominating Committee.  

Section 4.        As provided by Article V, Section 11, the President shall appoint such other committees as are deemed desirable for the effective operation of the Chapter.  

Section 5.        The membership of all committees appointed by the President under the provisions of this Article shall terminate automatically at the close of the presidential term in which the appointments were made.  

Section 6.        (Proxy clause) Absentee Members of Committees, at meetings of the Executive  Council and at Chapter Meetings, are authorized to be represented in any and all such meetings by proxy.  Except as specified in Article V, Section 6 (Catastrophe Clause), the absentee Member shall be required to submit a letter of authorization naming the person authorized to act in his stead.  The person so named must be a Member in good standing of the Chapter, but need not be a member of the same body of the Chapter as that of the absentee Member.  The absentee member may, or may not, set forth conditions limiting the authority of his proxy.  The letter of authorization shall be submitted to the Chairman of the body involved for recognition and certification, after which it shall be turned over to the Secretary/Treasurer of the Chapter to become a matter of record.

ARTICLE X
AMENDMENTS

Section 1.        Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed (i) at any business meeting of the membership if accepted by a majority vote of the members present and voting, (ii) by petition bearing the signatures of at least ten (10) percent of the voting members of the Chapter, or (iii) by the Executive Council.  Proposed amendments shall be reviewed by the Executive Council, or by a committee appointed by the President and approved by the Executive Council, put in proper context, and then circulated to the membership of the Chapter by the Secretary within ninety (90) days following the proposal to amend.  A minimum of a twenty-one (21) day review period will be afforded Chapter members to respond to the proposed amendments.  Chapter members who wish to respond may do so by writing the Chapter President or his appointee.  All responses will be presented to the Executive Council prior to presentation to the voting membership.  The proposed amendments shall be put to a vote by the members in good standing prior to the close of the first business meeting of the Chapter following the twenty-one (21) day review period set out above.  After presentation of the proposed amendments to the voting members in good standing present at the meeting, the floor will be open for discussion.  Each member who requests to speak will be afforded two (2) minutes to discuss the amendments.  The floor will be closed by a notion for a vote and a second.  Voting may be conducted by any acceptable voting method and adoption requires approval of a majority of the voting members voting.