RODGER  C. HAGGITT
GASTROINTESTINAL  PATHOLOGY  SOCIETY

Name: The name of the organization shall be the Rodger C. Haggitt Gastrointestinal Pathology Society, herein abbreviated as GIPS.

Objectives: The objectives of the GIPS are to disseminate and to increase knowledge about pathology of the gastrointestinal tract and to encourage the development of gastrointestinal pathology as a subspecialty.

Membership:

A. Categories of Membership—

1. Regular Member – Any individual who has completed postdoctoral medical training with demonstrated interest and involvement in the field of gastrointestinal pathology as determined by the Membership Committee.

2. Associate Member – Any person holding a doctorate (or doctorate-equivalent degree) with an interest in gastrointestinal pathology. This membership is limited to five years and cannot be renewed. Associate members may apply for Regular membership in the usual way at any time if postdoctoral medical training has been completed.

3. Emeritus Member – Any regular member who, upon reaching the age of 65 years, has requested this status by letter to the Secretary-Treasurer, and whose request has been approved by the Executive Committee.

4. Inactive Member – A member can become "inactive" by requesting this status in writing to the Secretary-Treasurer. This status would be considered appropriate for a member who has become ill or incapacitated and is not presently actively practicing pathology. An inactive member would be excused from paying annual dues, but would maintain the full benefit of society membership. This status can change by request to the Secretary-Treasurer.

B. Conferring of Membership—

Nomination of an individual to Regular membership can bemade by any Regular member. An application form (designed by the Membership

Committee) must be countersigned by the sponsoring Regular member and then sent to the Secretary-Treasurer. The Membership Committee will review the applications and recommend approval or disapproval by the Executive Committee of the GIPS.

Nominations for Associate membership can be made by any Regular member. Applicants for Associate membership will not need to provide evidence of their involvement with GI pathology in their application. Such decision of involvement will rest with the sponsoring regular members. The procedures for application, review, and conferring of Associate Membership is otherwise identical to that for Regular Membership.

Membership can be terminated by written resignation addressed to the President or Secretary-Treasurer.

C. Right of Members—

Only Regular members will have the right to hold office and to vote. Each Regular member has one vote.

All members have the right to participate in the scientific sessions and in deliberations and discussions at the business meeting.

No member shall use the name, property, or the organization of the GIPS for personal benefit.

Only currently elected officers shall represent the GIPS in official business.

Governing Body:

A. Elected Offices—

1. President: Term of office one year.

2. President-Elect: Serves one year as President-Elect and the next year as President.

3. Vice-President: Serves one year as Vice-President, one year as President-Elect and the next year as President.

4. Secretary-Treasurer: Term of office three years.

B. Election of Officers-

Any Regular member of GIPS is eligible to hold office. Nominations will be recommended by the Executive Committee and may be offered from the floor by a Regular member at the Annual Business Meeting, or by mail/ electronic

ballot if the election is so held. Election ordinarily will be held at the Annual Meeting, or by mail/ electronic ballot if deemed necessary by the Executive Committee. When the election is held at the Annual Business Meeting, a simple majority vote of the Regular Members in attendance is required to elect the officer. A simple majority vote of the Regular members in case of a mail/ electronic ballot, is required to elect the officer.

C. Duties of Each Officer-

1. The President shall be the principal executive officer of the GIPS. The President shall preside at all meetings, serve as Chair of the Executive Committee, and take responsibility as a representative of the GIPS. The President officially receives donations, bequests, or gifts to the GIPS on behalf of the GIPS. Ad hoc committees are appointed by the President as needed.

2. The President-Elect, in absence or incapacity of the President, shall perform the duties of the President. The President-Elect shall serve on the Executive Committee. The President-Elect shall make all appointments to the Standing Committees, as described in Article V. The President-Elect will also appoint a member of the GIPS to complete the term of any member of a Standing Committee whose position is vacated.

3. The Vice President, in absence or incapacity of the President and President-Elect, shall perform the duties of the President. The Vice President, in the absence or incapacity of the President-Elect, shall perform the duties of the President-Elect. The Vice President shall serve on the Executive Committee.

4. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep minutes of the Annual and Executive Committee meetings, distribute notices to members of GIPS, keep custody of documents of GIPS, including mortgages, deeds, and contracts that the Executive Committee has approved, serve on the Executive Committee, receive membership applications and dues, keep records of financial documents for governmental agencies, banks or other financial institutions with approval of the President for expenses used solely for the GIPS. All such disbursements will be reported at the Annual Meeting, as part of the financial report of the Secretary-Treasurer.

D. An Officer may not succeed him/herself in office.

Standing Committees and Appointed Officers:

A. Executive Committee–

1. The Executive Committee shall consist of the current officers, the past President, and chairs of the standing committees.

2. The Executive Committee shall:

. Represent the GIPS in official business.

. Carry out the directives and policies approved by the membership.

. Approve or disapprove all requests for change in membership status.

. Organize and coordinate all meetings of the GIPS.

. Exert leadership in the development and implementation of scientific programs according to the above-stated objectives of the GIPS.

. Deal specifically with matters related to the incorporation of the GIPS.

B. Membership and Nominating Committee-

1. The Membership Committee shall consist of two to four members appointed by the President-Elect. The term of office will be three years. One member of the Committee will be appointed or reappointed each year by the President-Elect to serve as Chairperson.

C. Education Committee-

The Education Committee shall consist of two to four members appointed by the President-Elect. The term of office will be three (3) years. The President-Elect will appoint one member of this Committee to serve as Chairperson for three (3) years. This committee shall plan all scientific meetings of the GIPS, and will prepare the programs for such meetings to be distributed by the Secretary-Treasurer and by the appropriate officials of any other organization sponsoring such programs. The Executive Committee will provide the Education Committee with an annual budget to defray costs of invited speakers as deemed appropriate by the Education Committee and as approved by the Executive Committee.

D. Training Programs and Awards Committee-

The Training Programs and Awards Committee shall consist of two to four members appointed by the President-Elect. The term of office will be three years. One member of the Committee will be appointed or reappointed each year by the President-Elect to serve as Chairperson. This Committee will:

1. Encourage organized graduate training programs in Gastrointestinal Pathology, and will collect and disseminate information about such programs, and will identify and assist in the development of sources of support for trainees.

2. Review all applications for awards, and recommend to the Executive Committee recipients of the GIPS awards for research in Gastrointestinal Pathology.

3. Select the recipients of the annual GIPS prize for the most meritorious clinical and molecular platform or poster presentations by a pathologist-in-training, on a subject of Gastrointestinal Pathology, at the Annual Meeting of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology.

E. Editor of the Web Site -

The Editor will be appointed by the President-Elect, with the approval of the Executive Committee, for a term of three years. The Editor will sit on the Executive Committee and will maintain and update the GIPS Web Site.

F. Publications Committee -

The Publications Committee shall consist of two elected Co-Chairs and additional manuscript reviewers that the Co-Chairs solicit as needed. The Co-Chairs will function as editorial board members for GIPS-sponsored or affiliated publication(s), subject to the approval of the publication(s)’ Senior Editor and publisher and election by the GIPS Regular Membership. The GIPS Executive Committee shall be empowered to establish GIPS’ publication affiliations or sponsorships subject to simple majority vote approval by the Regular Membership. The Co-chairs/Coeditors will be elected positions for three year terms, and they may not succeed themselves in office. Nominations for these positions will be solicited from the Regular Membership at the Annual Business meeting on each (third) election year, and/or will be provided by the GIPS Membership and the Nominations Committee. As Standing Committee Co-Chairs, they will also serve on the GIPS Executive Committee. They will be responsible for supporting the journal and the relationship between GIPS and the journal and reporting back to the membership at the annual

meeting on all publications activities.

Scientific and Business Meeting: This meeting shall be held annually. The time and place will be determined by the Executive Committee. A quorum must be present to conduct business, but the scientific meeting can proceed in absence of a quorum.

Amendments: Amendments to the by-laws may be suggested in writing to the Secretary-Treasurer by any Regular member at least two months prior to the Annual Meeting. If approved by the Executive Committee, these amendments need to be accepted by a two-thirds majority vote of the Regular members at the Annual Meeting.

Dues and Assessments: The amount of annual dues shall be determined each year by the Executive Committee. Special assessments may be made by the Executive Committee. New applicants shall be subject to assessments and dues if they participate in GIPS activities while being considered for membership.

After acceptance, new applicants shall be required to pay an initial fee not to exceed that of the annual dues.

Any member in arrears of dues for more than one year, failing satisfactory explanation, shall be dropped from membership. Such member may be reinstated on approval of the Executive Committee.

Liquidation: Motion for liquidation must be made in writing to the Executive Committee at least two months prior to the Annual Meeting. A 2/3 vote of Regular members present at the annual meeting is required. In the event of liquidation, after payment of obligations, all remaining assets pass to the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (changed from the International Academy of Pathology, March 15, 1992).