ARTICLE I

The name of the organization shall be the “Northwest Chapter of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine," hereafter to be referred to as the "Chapter." The “American Association of Physicists in Medicine” shall hereafter be referred to as the “Association” or the “AAPM”.

ARTICLE II

Section 1:  The purposes of this Chapter are:

a)                  To promote the application of physics to medicine and biology.

b)                  To encourage interest and training in medical physics and related fields.

c)                  To prepare and disseminate technical information in medical physics and related fields.

d)                  To promote and facilitate member access to the Association.

It is organized exclusively for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law). The Chapter shall be incorporated in Maryland, as a Tax Exempt Non-Stock Corporation, under the address and agency of AAPM Headquarters.

Section 2: No part of the net earnings of the Chapter shall inure the benefit of, or be distributable to, its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the Chapter shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth herein.   

No substantial part of the activities of the Chapter shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the Chapter shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.                                       

Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the Chapter shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on by a) a corporation exempt from Federal Income Tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law or b) a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or any other corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law.

Section 3: In the event of dissolution of the Chapter, the Executive Board of the Chapter shall pay or make provision for the payment of all the liabilities of the Chapter. The residual assets of the organization will be turned over to one or more organizations which themselves are exempt as organizations described in Sections 501(c)(3) and 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or corresponding sections of any prior or future Internal Revenue Code, or to the Federal, State, or Local government for exclusive public purpose, as the Executive Board shall determine.

ARTICLE III

The jurisdiction of the Chapter shall include the states of Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. The Chapter shall have the authority to solicit members in the Northwest Region of the United States without prejudice toward future formation of other chapters within this region.

ARTICLE IV

Upon approval by the Board of Directors of the Association of the petition to form a Regional Chapter and the signature of the petitioners to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Chapter, the Chapter shall become obligated with respect to the relevant provisions of the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Association.

ARTICLE V

The Chapter shall not use the name of the Association nor obligate in any way the Officers or Members of the Association without first obtaining written approval of the duly authorized representative of the Association.

ARTICLE VI

Chapter Membership is open to individuals who are professionally engaged in or retired from a medical physics profession and students training in the application of physics to medicine or biology. Members shall be interested in the purposes of the Chapter as expressed in Article II and shall meet the standards specified in the By-Laws. Only Chapter Members in good standing may hold the offices of President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Representative Board Member to the Association. The privilege of voting for the Representative Board Member and amendments to the Constitution shall be limited to Chapter Members in good standing.

ARTICLE VII

The manner of election of the officers shall be provided in the By-Laws.

ARTICLE VIII

Any and all amendments to this Constitution must be proposed with the concurrence of at least three Members of the Chapter in good standing and shall be submitted in writing to the Chapter Secretary. Amendments will be voted upon only after the Chapter membership has been provided with a written copy of the proposed By-Laws by the Secretary via e-mail.

Amendments shall require approval of 2/3 (two-thirds) of cast ballots of Chapter Members in good standing.

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I

Officers

Section 1. The officers of the Chapter shall be the President, the President-Elect, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the immediate Past President, and the Representative Board Member to the Association. Chapter Officers shall serve as the Executive Committee. Only Chapter Members in good standing may hold office.

Section 2. (Duties of the President). The President shall preside at all meetings of the Chapter and shall preside over meetings of the Executive Committee. He or she shall set the dates for the Chapter meetings and shall call such meetings of the Executive Committee as he or she deems necessary.

Section 3. (Duties of the President-Elect). The President-Elect shall act in the place of the President in his or her absence. He or she shall succeed to the office of President after his or her term as President-Elect has expired.

Section 4. (Duties of the Secretary). The Secretary shall be responsible for all correspondence and records for the Chapter..  The Secretary shall maintain membership records and communicate chapter information to the membership.

Section 5. (Duties of the Treasurer). The Treasurer shall have custody of the funds of the Chapter and shall execute the financial transactions of the Chapter.

Section 6. (Duties of the Representative Board Member to the Association). The Representative Board Member to the Association will represent the Chapter as a member of the Board of Directors of the Association. The Chapter Board Representative must be a member in good standing of the Association.

Section 7. (Duties of the Past-President) The immediate Past-President shall serve on the Executive Committee of the Chapter.

Section 8. The terms of office of the President, President-Elect, and Past-President shall be one year. The term of office of the Secretary, Treasurer, and the Representative Board Member to the Association shall be three years. No officer shall serve more than two consecutive terms.

Section 9. Vacancies occurring during the year among the officers may be filled by qualified persons appointed by the Chapter's Executive Committee. Persons appointed will remain in office until the next annual election cycle.

ARTICLE II

The Executive Committee

Section 1. The Executive Committee will consist of the President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer,, Representative Board Member to the Association, and immediate Past-President.

Section 2.  The Executive Committee will conduct the business of the Chapter during the time between Chapter meetings.

 Section 3. The Executive Committee shall appoint the members of the Program Committee and may appoint such other committees as it considers necessary.

ARTICLE III

Membership Application and Qualifications

Section 1. Chapter Members shall be Full, Resident, Junior, Associate, Student, or Emeritus Members in good standing of the Association.

Section 2. The requirements for eligibility for membership for persons who are not members of the Association shall be as set forth in Article VI of the Chapter Constitution, and an academic degree in physical science or engineering shall be required. In special cases the Executive Committee may consider as eligible for membership individuals who fail to meet the academic requirement who can demonstrate adequate experience and who have contributed significantly to the field of medical physics.

Section 3. When circumstances change such that a Member no longer qualifies according to the requirements of the Chapter, his or her membership shall terminate at the end of the fiscal year. Membership in any of the classes may be terminated following prolonged nonpayment of dues, at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE IV

Chapter and Executive Committee Meetings

Section 1. There shall be at least one regular Chapter and Executive Committee meeting per year. Meetings may be held jointly with other related professional organizations.

Section 2. The President may call additional Chapter and Executive Committee meetings.

Section 3.  The order of business for any Executive Committee meeting shall be prepared by the President and approved by the Executive Committee.

Section 4. Except as provided, the parliamentary procedure of the Executive Committee meeting shall be in accord with the current edition of "Robert's Rules of Order.”

Section 5. Two elected officers and three members shall constitute a quorum for a Chapter meeting. Three elected officers shall constitute a quorum for an Executive Committee meeting.

ARTICLE V

Finance

Section 1.  The business year of the Chapter shall coincide with the business year of the Association.

Section 2. The annual dues amount shall be determined by the majority of the Chapter Members present at the Chapter Meeting prior to the next dues increase and will be effective for the next annual dues cycle.

Section 3. The President shall appoint an Audit Committee consisting of two Members in good standing. They shall report the results of their audit at the Annual Chapter meeting.

ARTICLE VI

Nomination and Election of Officers

Section 1. Nomination for officers shall be made by a Nominating Committee consisting of a chairperson and two other members appointed by the Chapter's Executive Committee.

The Nominating Committee shall select at least one nominee for each office to be filled. No Member shall be nominated without his or her consent.

Nominations for officers may also be made by at least two Members after consent has been obtained from the nominee and must reach the Secretary at least six weeks before the Annual Association meeting.

The Secretary shall prepare a ballot to be distributed to the voting membership not less than four weeks before the Annual Association Meeting. The closing date for the receipt of ballots by the Secretary shall be no later than one week before the Annual Association Meeting.

The Secretary shall report the results of the election prior to the Annual Association Meeting.

ARTICLE VII

Amendments

Any and all amendments to these By-laws must be proposed with the concurrence of at least three Members of the Chapter in good standing and shall be submitted in writing to the Chapter Secretary.  Amendments will be voted upon only after the Chapter membership has been provided with a written copy of the proposed By-Laws by the Secretary via e-mail.

Amendments shall require approval of 2/3 (two-thirds) of cast ballots of Chapter Members in good standing.

CHAPTER FORMATION PETITION

We, the undersigned, being full members of the AAPM do hereby petition the Association for the formation of a chapter to be known as the Northwest Chapter of AAPM in accordance with Article VI, Section 1, of the By-Laws of the Association and the provisions of the foregoing Constitution and By-Laws of the Chapter.

                                    

                                    

ATTESTATION

The Northwest Chapter of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine is duly authorized by the Board of Directors of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine to function as a Chapter of the Association in accordance with the provisions of the foregoing Constitution.

AMENDMENT NOTES

This Document was amended May 14, 2024 to change the previous Secretary-Treasurer position to two distinct positions, Secretary and Treasurer.

Respectfully,

Ross Brody, Secretary Treasurer

This Document was amended November 1, 2018.

Here is what has been amended in the new version:

• Removed the Provinces of Alberta and British Columbia from Chapter membership
• Removed the corporate chapter membership option
• Clarified the requirements of AAPM membership for Chapter membership
• Streamlined the process of alterations to the Chapter Constitution/Bylaws 
• Included the Secretary-Treasurer-Designate to the Chapter Officers
• Changed wording from “he/his” to “he or she / his or her”
• Added requirement of AAPM membership in good standing to serve as Representative Board Member to AAPM
• Removed obsolete designation of “vice-president” and “second vice-president”
• Streamlined the requirements and application process of membership
• Defined the role/duties of Secretary-Treasurer-Elect
• Designated a quorum for Executive Committee meetings/conference calls as three Chapter officers
• Updated the timing of dues increases
• Clarified and updated officer election process and timing
• General formatting/grammar/spelling corrections

Respectfully,

Sarah Geneser, Secretary Treasurer