BYLAW

BYLAWS

Greater New York City Branch of the Commissioned Officers Association

Of the

United States Public Health Service, Inc.

(Last revised June 2016)

BYLAWS

Article One: Name

This local Branch of the National Association shall be known as the Greater New York City Branch of the Commissioned Officers Association (Greater NYCOA) of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS).

Article Two: Mission Statement

Purpose

The mission of the Greater New York City Branch of the Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service is to promote and protect the public health of the United States by advocating for the Commissioned Corps and its officers stationed within the Central and Northern New Jersey, and New York metropolitan area.

Functions

In meeting its commitment, the local Branch of the National Association will conduct advocacy, collaborate with related organizations, and disseminate public and professional information. The local Branch of the National Association will carry out such functions as mentoring, counseling, facilitation of discussion, social and community activities on behalf of its members. Further, the local Branch of the National Association shall act to facilitate and promote its member’s career development responsibilities and fitness for duty by providing informational and physical infrastructure within which members may ready themselves for various missions as required by the USPHS. The local Branch of the National Association shall work to ensure its members are treated fairly and evaluated in an unbiased fashion through advocacy with the National Commissioned Officers Association, the Office of Commissioned Corps and the Office of the Surgeon General, and a member’s respective agency. Lastly, the local Branch of National Association shall inform all Branch members of corps activities advocated by the National COA.

Vision

"The Greater New York City Branch of the Commissioned Officers Association (Greater NYCOA) of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) is the vibrant, proactive, member-based local

Branch of the National Association that supports and advocates for the USPHS Commissioned Corps and its active, reserve, retired officers, and the associate families."

Article Three: Membership

Section One: Classification. This Local Branch of the National Association shall consist of active, retired commissioned officers of the USPHS, student members and associate and honorary members. There shall be no discrimination in membership or participation in the affairs of this Local Branch of the National Association by reason of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, handicap or age.

Section Two: Qualifications and Privileges.

A. Active Membership. Any commissioned officer, regular or reserve of the USPHS on active duty is eligible for active membership with full rights including the holding of office and voting.

B. Retired Membership. Any officer, regular or reserve, retired from the Commissioned Corps of the USPHS is eligible for retired membership. Individuals in the retired member category shall be entitled to the same rights as active members.

C. Student Membership. Any student, including members of the Commissioned Officer Student Training and Extern Program (COSTEP), enrolled in a degree-granting program that can lead to a commission in the USPHS, is eligible for this category of membership, provided such individual is not otherwise on active duty in the Commissioned Corps of the USPHS. Such members shall not be entitled to vote or hold office.

D. Associate Membership. Any individual who supports the Branch but who is not an active, reserve, retired officer of the Commissioned Corps of the USPHS shall be eligible for this category of membership. Such members shall not be entitled to vote or hold office.

E. Honorary Membership. Any individual who supports the Branch, and who has made significant contributions to the field of public of public health and mission of the Branch or whose affiliation has an advantageous working relationship with the Greater NYCOA is eligible for honorary membership. Such members shall not be entitled to vote or hold office, and shall not be subject to the payment of annual dues. Honorary membership is time limited and terminates automatically at the end of the term, usually at the close of the operating year. It may be extended for an additional period or may also be revoked at any time. Nominations for honorary membership may be made by any Branch member to the President, who shall present such nominations to the Branch for approval by a majority vote when such matters are submitted to the membership for vote.

Section Three: Eligibility. Any individual who has fulfilled the eligibility requirements under one of the categories in Section Two of this Article and who, after duly considering the objectives of the Local Branch of the National Association and the obligations of the bylaws, subscribes to them, shall be eligible for membership. Any person whose name has been dropped from the roll of members for nonpayment of dues may be readmitted after having again made application in regular form with the National Association, the application being accompanied by the regular fee.

Section Four: Branch Membership Year. The period of branch membership shall be from July 1 through June 30 and may be renewed for each annual period by the further payment of appropriate dues. Every application for membership shall be accompanied by the dues for the current year.

Section Five: Payment of Dues-Suspension. Every member shall pay in advance his/her annual dues. Every member in arrears for a period of three months after becoming due shall be dropped from membership. Reinstatement may be made in accordance with the provisions of Section Three of this Article.

Section Six: Expulsion. Any member may be expelled for cause, including improper conduct or violation of the ethics of his/her profession, by a >1/2 vote of the Branch membership present at the time of vote and in accordance with the quorum provisions of Article Four, Section Five., after being given an opportunity to be heard. There is no refund of local Branch dues.

Section Seven: Resignation. Resignation of membership shall be in writing to the President of the Branch. There is no refund of local branch dues.

Article Four – Operations & Procedures

Section One: Operational Year. The operational year (OY) shall match the Branch fiscal year, and shall commence July 1st and terminate June 30th of the following year.

Section Two: A general meeting of the Branch shall be held, at least quarterly each operational year through face-to-face or teleconference means at a time and in a manner directed by the Branch Executive Officers (BXOs). The purpose of such meetings shall be to update the membership on the affairs of the Local Branch of the National Association; provide the membership with reports from the officers and committees; provide a forum for discussion of resolutions in a manner designated by the BXOs, and to permit such other activities as deemed necessary and appropriate by the BXOs for the welfare of the Local Branch of the National Association.

Section Three: Notice of all meetings of the Branch shall be provided to the membership through the Local Branch of the National Association’s listserv and other appropriate means as directed by the BXOs. Such notice shall state the general purpose and overall agenda for the meeting.

Section Four: A general summary of the proceedings of the Branch meeting shall be produced under the direction of the BXOs and appropriately distributed to the members.

Section Five: Quorum. The transaction of business of any general membership meetings shall require a quorum of at least six Branch members.

Article Five – Resolutions

Section One: Resolutions are the mechanism developed by the National Association to surface, focus, and promote substantive issues affecting officers such as advocacy, membership benefits, parity with other services, and public health concerns. Resolutions are submitted to the National 4

Association, reviewed, put to the membership for vote, and – if passed - acted upon according to the content of the resolution.

Section Two: Any member of the Local Branch of the National Association may propose a resolution to the Board of Directors of the National Association. Branch members are encouraged (but not required) to submit proposed resolutions to the Branch for review and discussion prior to submitting them to the National Association.

Section Three: A member who desires to submit a proposed resolution to the Branch for review shall send the proposed resolution to the Branch Executive Officers (BXOs). The membership will be informed via list-serv that the resolution is available for review, and solicit comments at the next scheduled branch general meeting.

Section Four: Following review and comment by the branch, the member submitting the resolution may (a) proceed to personally submit the resolution to the National Association, incorporating any comments as desired; or (b) turn the resolution over to the Branch Executive Officers.

Section Five: Resolutions turned over to the BXOs shall be revised by the BXOs according to the comments received from the Branch Membership. The proposed resolution shall then be submitted to the branch membership for vote in accordance with Article 10. Resolutions which pass with a > 1/2 majority of those voting shall be submitted to the National Association by the President on behalf of the Branch.

Section Six: A resolution which does not receive a > 1/2 majority of those voting shall be turned back over to the member who originally submitted it. The member may proceed to personally submit the resolution to the National Association if desired.

Article Six – Branch Executive Officers (BXOs)

Section One: Membership. There shall be 4 Branch Executive Officers (BXOs), composed of officers who are elected from the active or retired member categories of the local Branch of the National Association. The BXOs shall be apportioned as follows:

· President

· President-Elect

· Treasurer

· Secretary

Section Two: Election of Branch Executive Officers (BXOs).

A. Nomination Process. A Nominating Committee consisting of three general members shall be appointed annually by the Branch Executive Officers. The Secretary shall serve as the

Nominating Committee Chair. The Nominating Committee shall nominate a slate of candidates for office for such vacancies as they occur. The Nominating Committee shall ascertain that each candidate is in good standing with the Branch and vouch for the interest and willingness of each candidate nominated to serve if elected. No later than May 1st of each election cycle, eligible members desiring to serve in a BXO office shall submit, or have another general member submit on his or her behalf, nomination materials as indicated by Nominating Committee via email to the Nominating Committee. Thereafter, as soon as practicable and in no case later than May 15th, the Nominating Committee shall review the applications received and submit its nominations to the general Branch membership for a vote via list-serv.

B. Nomination of Candidates: Each eligible individual Branch member may nominate himself or herself or other eligible Branch members for only one vacant Branch Executive Office (BXO) per election cycle.

C. Election Process. The Nominating Committee shall place the names of the nominees on a ballot which shall be provided to the membership entitled to vote no later than May 15th. Elections shall be made by majority of votes received from the eligible voting members. Results of the election shall be announced via list-serv by June 15th, or the following business day. A ceremony will be held in July whereupon the newly-elected officers shall assume their elected positions immediately following that meeting. The newly elected President shall report the names and elected positions of the new officers to the National COA by July 1st or the following business day.

D. Term of Service. Each BXO shall hold office for one year, or until a successor has been elected or appointed.

E. Vacancies of a Branch Executive Office. In the event of a vacancy which occurs by resignation or other reasons, the BXOs shall appoint an officer with that officer’s consent from the same constituency to serve the unexpired term.

Section Three: Duties of Branch Executive Officers (BXOs).

A. The duties of the BXOs shall be to direct and control the business management and affairs of the Branch, its several officers and agents. The BXOs shall have authority to enter into contracts, incur liabilities, and expend funds and to attend to such other matters connected with the conduct of the Branch as it may deem necessary. The authority provided to the BXOs are subject to the right of the membership entitled to vote as provided in Article Three, Section Two to direct and control the Executive Officers in the exercise of these powers. The BXOs shall keep the members routinely informed of its activities. The Executive Officers shall have recorded the proceedings of each regular and special meeting.

B. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Local Branch of the National Association, and shall ensure the appointment of suitable committees. The President shall conduct communications with the members of the Local Branch of the National Association as appropriate. The President shall also serve as Chair of the meeting, as described in Article

Four, Section One. Additional duties of the President shall be to provide direct oversight of the Ceremonies Committee, and other priority Work Groups of the Branch, including but not limited to the Parade and Anchor & Caduceus Work Groups.

C. The President-Elect shall assume the functions of the President in his/her absence, and serves any functions or duties as requested by the President. This individual assumes the office of President after one year.

Additional duties of the President-Elect shall be to provide direct oversight of the Community Service Committee, Officer Development Committee, and other priority Work Groups of the Branch, including but not limited to the Strategic Planning Work Group. Other duties or functions may be requested by the President.

D. The Secretary shall record all proceedings, and maintain attendance records for all general meetings and BXO meetings, and prepare written minutes for those meetings to distribute afterward. This officer shall distribute announcements and manages the list-serv. This officer shall assume the functions of the President if the President and President-Elect are absent.

Additional duties of the Secretary shall be to provide direct oversight of the Communications and Nominations Committee. The Secretary shall serve as the Nominating Committee Chair during his/her term in office. Other duties or functions may be requested by the President.

E. The Treasurer shall be apprised of all funds received, held and disbursed by the local Branch of the National Association and records kept thereon. The Treasurer shall be directly responsible to the Branch members for all expenditures and shall make a report of all receipts and disbursements to the Branch members at each official Branch meeting and at each Branch executive officers monthly meeting. In the absence of the Treasurer, the President-Elect shall act for the Treasurer. This officer shall assume the functions of the President if the President, President-Elect, and Secretary are absent.

Additional duties of the Treasurer shall be to provide direct oversight of the Merchandising Committee, Social Committee and Audit Committee. Other duties or functions may be requested by the President.

Section Four: Meetings. Regular leadership meetings shall be conducted via face-to-face, teleconference, or combination of both and other means, and should occur at least quarterly and/or as needed during the calendar year at a time and place selected by the President. Special meetings of the BXOs may be called by the President, or by at least three BXO members.

Section Five: Quorum. The transaction of business by the BXOs shall require a quorum of at least three members.

Section Five: Branch Executive Officers Positions. Positions may be added or subtracted to the BXOs by ways of Article ten.

Article Seven - Committees

Section One: Standing Committees. Unless otherwise provided, the BXOs shall designate operating committees to accomplish branch objectives. These committees shall be organized and conduct business in a manner consistent with the NYCOA. The composition, duties and responsibilities of all Committees shall be determined by the BXOs. The standing committees shall include, but are not limited to: Audit, Ceremonies, Communications, Community Outreach, Merchandising, Nominations, Officer Development, and Social. Section Two: Special Committees and Work Groups. Special committees and workgroups may be formed as needed to address short-term objectives or projects. These ad-hoc committees may include, but are not limited to, Anchor & Caduceus Work Group, Parade Work Group, and Strategic Planning Work Group.

Section Three: Members of the standing and special committees need not be members of the Branch Executive Office.

Section Four: Solicitation for Nominations Process. The solicitation process for the nomination of candidates for Committee Chairs and Chair-Elects shall be overseen by the Nominating Committee, and shall occur simultaneously with the annual election of BXOs as described in Article Six, Section Two. The Secretary shall serve as the Nominating Committee Chair. The Nominating Committee shall nominate a slate of candidates for positions for such vacancies as they occur. The Nominating Committee shall ascertain that each candidate is in good standing with the Branch and vouch for the interest and willingness of each candidate nominated to serve if selected. No later than May 1st of each appointment cycle, eligible members desiring to serve in a Committee Chair or Chair-Elect position shall submit, or have another general member submit on his or her behalf, nomination materials as indicated by Nominating Committee via email to the Nominating Committee. Thereafter, as soon as practicable and in no case later than May 15th, the Nominating Committee shall review the applications received and submit its nominations to the current BXOs for appointment.

Each eligible individual Branch member may nominate himself or herself or other eligible Branch members for one or more vacant Committee Chair or Chair-Elect position per selection cycle.

Section Five: Appointment Process. The Nominating Committee shall submit the names of the nominees to the current BXOs no later than May 15th. Committee Chairs and Chair-Elects shall be appointed by BXOs. Results of the appointments shall be announced to the Branch via list-serv by June 15th, or the following business day.

Section Six: Term of Service. Each Committee Chair and Chair-Elect shall serve staggered, one year terms commencing July 1st of each OY, or until a successor has been selected. Chair-Elects shall assume the rols as Chair at the conclusion of the current Chair’s one-year term.

Section Seven: Vacancies of a Committee Chair or Chair-Elect Position. In the event of a vacancy which occurs by resignation or other reasons, the BXOs shall appoint an officer with that officer’s consent from the same constituency to serve the unexpired term.

Article Eight – Finances

Section One: Fiscal Year. The fiscal year (FY) of the Branch shall match the Branch operational year, and shall commence July 1st and terminate June 30th of the following year.

Section Two: Treasurer. The Treasurer shall collect dues and be responsible for the proper collection and handling of the funds of the Branch, present a statement of account and transactions at each meeting of the Branch.

Section Three: Auditing of Accounts. At the close of each fiscal year the BXOs shall arrange for the auditing of all accounts of the Local Branch of the National Association by an Audit Committee appointed by the BXOs. This audit shall be completed in May/June of each fiscal year and the results reported promptly to the BXOs.

Section Four: Annual Budget. The BXOs shall draft a budget annually to be presented to the membership at a regularly scheduled meeting

Article Nine - Dues and Assessments

Section One: The annual membership dues of the Branch shall be $20.00. Dues shall be payable in advance on the first day of July in each year. In addition, members of the Local Branch shall maintain membership in the National Association.

Section Two: Any officer transferred into the geographical area of this Branch who was a member in good standing with dues paid in the local branch in the geographic area of the officer's previous assignment will be entitled to membership rights in this Branch without further assessment of dues for the balance of the fiscal year.

Article Ten - Method of Amendment

These bylaws may be altered, amended or changed, or new bylaws may be adopted by a majority vote of those members present when such matters are submitted to the membership for vote. In taking a vote, the President or presiding officer will establish the general procedures for voting. Proposals may be submitted by any individual member, who shall then submit it in writing to the Branch President. The President shall refer all proposals received to the BXOs, which shall review the proposals and take action in the same manner as prescribed in Article Five for addressing proposed Resolutions. At least annually the President shall submit to the membership for a vote those proposals that have been reviewed by the BXOs and recommended for submission to the membership. All proposals are submitted to the membership for a vote in the following meeting. The BXOs shall review these bylaws every year at the beginning of their elective terms, submitting corrections and amendments to the President in accordance with this Article.

End of BYLAWS Section