Community and Volunteer Service - Florida Academy of Family ...

Dear Colleague:Proposed Revision to Corporate BylawsDuring the course of the last 15 months, the Florida Academy ofFamily Physicians leadership has worked diligently to revise theAcademy’s Bylaws. A thorough revision of the Bylaws has notoccurred for many years. We believe we have made significant revisionsthat will make our organization more efficient, accessible andresponsive to its members.The pages of this edition of Florida Family Physician following thiscommunication contain, for your review and consideration, a revisedand updated set of Bylaws for the Academy. The Board of Directors,along with the FAFP attorney, has updated the Bylaws to reflect thecurrent mission and operation of the Academy and to correct internalinconsistencies. AAFP Counsel has also reviewed and acceptedthe revisions.While the revisions are extensive, none negatively impacts the membership’sinherent ability to govern the Academy. Consistent withthat philosophy, the new Bylaws will not become effective untilapproved by the FAFP membership at the July 27, 2007, membershipbusiness meeting, which will be conducted during the 2007 SummerBreak Away at The Breakers, Palm Beach.If you have questions or concerns, please send your comments inwriting to the FAFP office C/O Tad Fisher, EVP, 6720 AtlanticBoulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32211.Thank you for your assistance as we strive to position the FAFP tobetter service family practice physicians in the coming years.Sincerely,Neil R. Oslos, MD, PresidentSandra L. Argenio, MD, Chair, Board of DirectorsFlorida Academy of Family Physicians Corporate BylawsSECTION 1 – Mission Statement, Purposesand PowersSECTION 1.1 – Mission StatementThe missions of the Florida Academy of FamilyPhysicians, Inc. (hereinafter sometimesreferred to as the “Academy” or “FAFP”) are topromote excellence in health care for Floridacitizens, to advance and represent the specialtyof family medicine, and to serve the uniqueneeds of its members.SECTION 1.2 – Purposes• Promote high quality, cost-effective healthcare for all Florida citizens.• Assist members with their needs related to thepractice of medicine in their communities.• Educate our patients, our community and thepublic about family medicine and other healthrelated issues.• Provide continuing medical education opportunitiesfor our members.• Assist in attracting, encouraging and supportingmedical students and residents for careersin family medicine.SECTION 1.3 – PowersTo accomplish the foregoing aims, ideals andobjectives, this corporation shall have power toown, operate, manage and maintain buildingsand properties for use in carrying out its purposes.Further, it shall conduct such cultural, educationaland social activities as will best promoteand carry out its purposes and which are bestadopted to promote and stimulate interest of theMembership in its activities.SECTION 2 – ProfitThis corporation shall have no capital stock. It isnot conducted for pecuniary profit. Any incomewill be used solely for its purposes without profitto any of its members.SECTION 3 – DissolutionUpon dissolution or other termination of thisnon-profit corporation, its entire assets shall bedistributed to an organization qualified andaccepted under Internal Revenue Code 26,USCA, Section 50l(c)(6).CHAPTER I – MEMBERSHIPSECTION 1 – Classification of MembershipThe Florida Academy of Family Physicians shallbe composed of the same classifications ofmembership, and the requirements for electionto each classification of membership shall be thesame as outlined in the current revised edition ofthe Bylaws of the American Academy of FamilyPhysicians or as provided in these Bylaws,except 12 Florida Prescribed hours must beincluded in the 150 hours of continuing medicaleducation required for reelection to Active andSupporting membership.SECTION 2 – Qualifications and EligibilityAny doctor of medicine or osteopathy who hasmet the qualifications and conditions of eligibilityof membership as set forth in the current,revised edition of the Bylaws of the AmericanAcademy of Family Physicians shall be eligiblefor the same category of membership in theFlorida Academy of Family Physicians. The categoryof Active member in the Florida Academyof Family Physicians further requires an activeFlorida medical license.SECTION 3 – Election to MembershipApplication for membership shall be made inwriting on a form of application prescribed bythe American Academy of Family Physicians.Election to membership shall be by approval ofthe Board of Directors.SECTION 4 – Rights and PrivilegesMembership in the Florida Academy of FamilyPhysicians confers no vested right to the holderthereof, but is a conditional privilege revocablefor cause. Each doctor of medicine or osteopathy,by accepting membership in this Academy,becomes subject to all provisions of theseBylaws and subject to the disciplinary proceedingsauthorized thereunder.All rights, title and interest, both legal and equitable,of a member in and to the property of thisAcademy shall cease and terminate in the eventof any or either of the following: (a) the expulsionof the member; (b) the striking of his or hername from the role of members; (c) his or herdeath or resignation. Membership shall be automaticallyterminated with loss for disciplinaryreasons of Florida license to practice medicine.Also a member whose license to practice medicinehas been suspended for one year or moredue to disciplinary reasons will have his or herAcademy membership terminated immediately26