Constitution & By-Laws
CAMA Constitution
revised January 31, 2011
ARTICLE I. NAME AND SEAL.
Section 1. The name of this Association shall be the Civil Aviation Medical Association.
Section 2. The seal of the Association shall be an appropriate design including the name of the Association. A motto may also be incorporated in the design at the discretion of the Executive Board.
ARTICLE II. MISSION.
Section 1. The Civil Aviation Medical Association (CAMA) is an organization dedicated to civil aviation safety. CAMA, working on behalf of physicians engaged in the practice of Aviation Medicine and other professionals in the field of civil aviation safety, aims to achieve the following objectives:
(A) To promote the best methodology for the assessment of mental and physical requirements of civil aviators.
(B) To actively enlarge our scientific knowledge.
(C) To advocate, through continuing education, both basic and advanced civil aeromedical knowledge
(D) To promote professional fellowship among our colleagues from allied scientific disciplines.
(E) To bind together all civil aviation medical examiners into an effective, active medical body to promote aviation safety for the good of the public.
ARTICLE III. FUNDS.
Section 1. The funds of this Association shall be used to defray the operating expenses of the Association and for the purposes and objectives heretofore set forth.
Section 2. No part of the funds of the Association shall be used to benefit any individual, except by awards or scholarships.
Section 3. Subject to limitations of the Charter and this Constitution, the funds of the association shall be kept or dispersed on the authority of the Executive Board.
ARTICLE IV. ETHICS.
Section 1. The code of ethics of the Association, as stated below, shall apply to all Association members.
(A) Members shall accord the highest priority to the health and safety of those who participate in the civil aviation environment.
(B) Members shall uphold the highest standards of professionalism and perform honestly in all personal and professional interactions.
(C) Members shall strive to expand and disseminate knowledge of civil aviation medicine and its practice to the general public, colleagues and patients.
(D) Members shall respect, at all times, the laws of the land and shall always function, both professionally and personally, within those laws.
(E) Members shall continue to study, apply, and advance scientific knowledge and make relevant information available to patients, colleagues, and the general public.
(F) Members shall respect and guard the privacy of patients and other personal and professional associates.
(G) Members shall always respect and adhere to the Constitution and By-Laws of this association.
ARTICLE V. ADMINISTRATION AND OFFICE.
Section 1. The principal office of the Association shall be located at the office of the Executive Vice President, or at such other place as the Executive Board shall establish.
Section 2. The Executive Vice President, appointed by the Executive Board, shall serve as the general manager of the Association.
ARTICLE VI. MEMBERSHIP.
Section 1. Those members in good standing at the enactment of this Constitution and all members accepted in accordance with this Constitution and the By-Laws of this Association shall comprise the membership.
Section 2. There shall be the following categories of membership:
(A) Active
(B) Retired Active
(C) Life
(D) Sustaining
(E) Fellow
(F) Honorary Life
(G) Corporate Sponsor
Section 3. Qualification for each category of membership shall be established in the By-Laws.
ARTICLE VII. MEETINGS.
Section 1. A scientific meeting of the Association shall be held annually in conjunction with the annual general business meeting of the Association at a time and place designated by the Executive Board.
Section 2. An annual luncheon meeting of the Association shall be held in conjunction with the scientific meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association.
Section 3. Additional scientific meetings may be scheduled at the discretion of the Executive Board.
Section 4. The Executive Board shall regularly meet three times a year as follows:
(A) Once immediately prior to the annual CAMA luncheon meeting.
(B) Once during the annual CAMA scientific meeting.
(C) Once each winter at a date and location to be established yearly by the President and the Executive Vice President.
Section 5. Special meetings of the Executive Board may be called the President or by joint action of any five trustees.
Section 6. A quorum, consisting of a simple majority of the Executive Board, may conduct any and all business of the Association, except as otherwise provided for in the By-Laws.
Section 7. Each Executive Board member shall be given advance notice, in writing, at least one month prior to every regular or called meeting of the Board.
ARTICLE VIII. OFFICERS.
Section 1. The officers of the Association shall be the President; the Executive Vice President; the immediate Past President; the President-Elect; the Secretary-Treasurer; and the Vice Presidents for Management and Planning, Education and Representation, and Communications.
ARTICLE IX. EXECUTIVE BOARD AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
Section 1. The Executive Board shall consist of the Officers and Trustees as delineated herein and in the By-Laws. The Executive Board shall be the policy setting and legislative body of the Association.
Section 2. The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, the Executive Vice President, the Immediate Past President, the President-Elect, the Secretary-Treasurer, and the three other elected Vice Presidents.
ARTICLE X. AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS.
Section 1. The Constitution and/or By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the full Executive Board at a regularly scheduled Board meeting. Written notice of all proposed amendments shall be sent to each Board member at least thirty (30) days before the meeting and the text of those proposed amendments shall be included with the meeting notice sent to each Board Member.
By-Laws
ARTICLE I. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Category of Membership
(A) Active membership shall include any of the following acceptable candidates who are elected to membership:
1. Duly licensed physicians in good standing with their respective medical societies who are interested in civil aviation.
2. Other individuals who are active in civil aviation and who are interested in aviation medicine and flight safety.
(B) Retired active members shall be those members who retire from practice but wish to maintain affiliation with CAMA. They shall pay reduced dues as established by the Executive Board, shall have voice and vote, but may not hold office.
(C) Life members shall be those active members who elect to pay a one-time lump sum specified by the Executive Board for lifetime dues.
(D) Sustaining members shall be those active members who contribute an annual sum, established by the Executive Board, to support the activities of the Association.
(E) Fellows shall be those CAMA members who are singled out by the Executive Board for having made outstanding contributions to civil aviation medicine. They must be deemed by the Membership Committee to meet all of the requisite and at least three of the additional requirements listed below:
1. Requisite requirements;
(a) Be a CAMA member in good standing for a minimum of five (5) years.
(b) Be a regular, interested participant in CAMA as demonstrated by frequent meeting attendance, submission of articles to the Flight Physician, committee participation, etc.
(c) Have an active interest in Civil Aviation Medicine as demonstrated by medical practice and participation in aviation medical activities.
(d) Be well respected by peers in National and/or International Aviation Medical organizations.
2. Additional requirements (one or more of the following):
(a) Be an FAA Regional Flight Surgeon, holder of a higher appointment, or have an equivalent medical position in a foreign country.
(b) Be a senior FAA CAMI scientist or equivalent scientist in a foreign country.
(c) Have been elected to a CAMA leadership position.
(d) Be board certified in Aerospace Medicine or have equivalent foreign academic credentials.
(e) Have authored published scientific papers or books on aeromedical subjects.
(f) Have served as a senior medical officer for an airline.
(g) Have served as an Aerospace Medical officer or consultant to an aerospace company.
(h) Have been elected to a leadership position in AsMA or an equivalent medical organization concerned with civil aviation.
(i) Have accomplished, during his/her career, an accumulated body of work in the field of aerospace medicine that is deemed by the selection committee to be on a par with the other listed additional requirements.
(F) Honorary life members shall be those individuals elected by the Executive Board and honored for their contribution to the Association, to aviation medicine, to flight safety, or to humanity. They shall have all the rights of active membership, but shall not be assessed dues.
(G) Corporate sponsors shall be those organizations who, with the approval of the Executive Board, contribute dues set by the Board to further the purpose and objectives of the Association. Each corporate sponsor shall be invited to name a non-voting representative to the Executive Board.
Section 2. Membership Application Procedures
(A) Applications for Active membership shall be submitted to the Executive Vice President with payment for one year's dues. If all qualifications are met and dues are paid, the Executive Vice President shall enroll the applicant as a member.
(B) Active members may, at their discretion, convert their membership status to Retired, Life, or Sustaining membership by notifying the Executive Vice President of their intention, and paying the appropriate dues.
(C) Applicants for Corporate sponsorship shall inform the Executive Vice President of their desire to join CAMA and, once it is determined by that officer through consultation with the Vice President for Management and Planning that their company meets the criteria established by the Executive Board, shall be enrolled upon payment of the appropriate dues.
(D) Selection of Fellows and Honorary Life Members shall be accomplished through a standing Fellows Membership Committee, appointed by the Vice President for Management and Planning. This committee shall be comprised of no fewer than three (3) and no more than five (5) CAMA members and must include at least one Fellow.
1. Responsibilities
a. The committee shall survey the CAMA membership roster at least once each year to identify members who meet the criteria for recognition as Fellows, and forward their names via the Vice President for Management and Planning to the Executive Board at the regularly scheduled board meeting held in conjunction with the annual CAMA scientific meeting. Individual members may also nominate themselves or other members of CAMA to the Executive Vice President as worthy of being considered for designation as Fellows. Subject to a favorable vote by the Fellows Membership committee, their names shall be included with the committee chosen candidates. The Executive Board shall vote a slate of new Fellows to that membership category yearly at the annual scientific meeting. A two-thirds majority of the Board members present at the meeting shall be required to approve the new Fellow candidates.
b. The Committee shall also be responsible for identifying and nominating potential candidates for recognition as Honorary Life Members. Any candidates nominated shall be voted upon for membership according to the same procedure employed for the election of Fellows.
Section 3. Expulsion
Conviction of a felony, or other conduct detrimental to the purpose or image of the Association, or in conflict with the Code of Ethics, shall be grounds for expulsion of a member. Charges shall be filed with the Executive Vice President who shall present them to the Executive board. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board members present and voting shall be required for expulsion, and such decision shall be final.
ARTICLE II. DUES
Section 1.
Dues for each category of membership shall be set by the Executive Board and reviewed annually.
Section 2.
Dues shall be due and payable January 1, for the ensuing year and shall be considered delinquent if not paid by March 1.
Section 3.
A member suspended for non-payment of dues may be reinstated as authorized by the Executive Board.
Section 4.
The Executive Board shall make all decisions that would result in any fee change.
ARTICLE III. ELECTIONS, OFFICERS, TRUSTEES, DUTIES AND TERMS OF OFFICE
Section 1. Officers
(A) The Executive Vice President shall be elected by the Executive Board and the terms of employment and compensation shall be determined by the Board.
(B) The other officers of the Association shall be elected by the Association membership during the annual business meeting in odd numbered years. The officers shall serve for two years or until their successor has been elected. The President shall appoint a nominating committee, subject to the approval of the Executive Board, to submit nominations at those annual meetings. Nominations may also be made from the floor by individual members. All nominees must be members of the Association in good standing. Election shall be by a majority vote of those members in attendance.
(C) In the event of any officer being unable to serve the full term for which he/she was elected, the President shall convene a meeting of the Executive Committee to select an interim replacement. That individual shall serve until the next regular election of officers as provided for in sub-section (B) above.
Section 2. Trustees
(A) The Trustees shall number twenty-four (24). Each shall serve for a term of three years. In order to provide for continuity and orderly turnover of the Board, one-third (8) Trustees shall be elected at each annual scientific meeting of the Association.
(B) In the event of the inability of a Trustee to serve, the Board, by a majority vote, may elect a successor for the remainder of that Trustee€™s term.
Section 3. Specific Terms of Office
(A) The elected Officers and Trustees shall serve from the date of their election during the general business session at a CAMA annual scientific meeting until their successors are elected during the general business session of the annual scientific meeting in the year that their term of office expsires.
Section 4. Duties
(A) The President shall preside at the meetings of the Association, all meetings of the Executive Board, and all meetings of the Executive Committee. He/she shall appoint the editor and the associate editors of the Association Bulletin, all ad-hoc committees, and have those other duties and powers customary to the office.
(B) The Executive Vice President shall serve as the general manager of the Association and shall support the Executive Board, and the Bulletin editor(s) in the performance of their responsibilities.
(C) The President-Elect shall also serve as the First Vice-President and preside at all meetings in the absence of the President. In the event of a vacancy of the office of the President, the President-Elect shall assume the office of the President.
(D) Each Vice President shall serve as the chairman of the section for which he/she is elected. He/she shall report to the President periodically, at least twice yearly, regarding all interim activities in his/her section. In the event of the absence or inability of both the President and the President-Elect to serve, the Executive Board shall designate one of the Vice Presidents to assume the duties of the President.
(E) The Secretary-Treasurer shall be responsible for the minutes and other records of the Association. He/she shall serve as secretary to all meetings of the Association and to all meetings of the Executive Board and Executive Committee. He/she shall share, with the Executive Vice President, the responsibility for receiving and disbursing the funds of the Association and maintaining records of those actions.
(F) The Executive Board shall serve as a committee of the whole to consider any/all issues confronting the Association, to deliberate and enact any actions of the Association, and to review the documents and policies of the Association periodically, at least once every ten years. It shall be the duty of each Trustee to inform himself/herself concerning timely matters to be presented to the Executive Board.
Section 5. Attendance and Quorums
(A) Any Trustee or Officer who fails to attend two consecutive meetings without providing an explanation to the President or Executive Vice-President before the second missed meeting may be deemed insufficiently interested and may, by a majority vote of the Executive Board, be replaced.
(B) A majority of the duly elected members shall constitute a quorum of the Executive Board and shall have full authority to transact any/all business of the Association.
ARTICLE IV. COMMITTEES
Section 1. Executive Committee
(A) The elected officers of the Association plus the Executive Vice-President and the Immediate Past President shall constitute the Executive Committee, and a simple majority shall constitute a quorum. The Executive Committee shall be empowered to conduct the business of the Association between meetings of the Executive Board.
Section 2. Ad Hoc Committees
(A) The President, with the advice and approval of the Executive Board, may appoint ad hoc committees to assist in the work of the Executive Board. The President shall appoint the chairperson of each ad hoc committee.
Section 3. Standing Committees
(A) Standing committees, appointed and supervised by the elected Vice-Presidents and reporting to those Vice-Presidents shall be organized as follows:
1. Vice-President for Management and Planning
- Fellow Membership
- Constitution and By-laws
- Awards
- History
- Long Range Planning
2. Vice-President for Education
- Arrangements
- Scientific Program
- CAMA Luncheon at the annual ASMA meeting
- Safety and Human Factors
- Education/Training
3. Vice-President for Representation & Communication
- Public Relations and Issues
- Government Liaison
- International Activities
- Medical/Legal ?
ARTICLE V. PUBLICATIONS
Section 1. Print
(A) A CAMA Publication shall be printed at regular intervals as determined by the Executive Board. The Editor and associate editors, appointed by the President, shall be responsible for its content. They shall be guided by widely accepted standards of objective journalism. The editor or an associate editor shall, insofar as is practical, attend all meetings wherein Association business is conducted.
Section 2. Website
(A) Subject to the approval of the Executive Board, the Association may post a site on the Internet. A Webmaster, approved by the Executive Board, shall be responsible for maintaining the CAMA web site. Contents of the site shall be approved by the President with guidance and advice from the Executive Board.