Sec. 5. Each county society shall judge of the quali fication of its own members, but, as such societies are the only portals to this Association, every reputable and legally registered white physician who does not practice or claim to practice, nor lend his support to any exclusive system of medicine, shall be eligible to membership. Before a charter is issued to any county society, full and ample notice and opportunity shall be given to every such physician in the county to become a member. Sec. 6. Any phycician who may feel aggrieved by the action if the society of his county in refusing him membership, or in suspending or expelling him, shall have the right to appeal to the Council, and its decision shall be final, when ratified by the Association. Sec. 7. In hearing appeals the Council may admit oral or written evidence, as in its judgment will best and most fairly present the facts, but in case of every appeal, both as a board and as individual Councilors in district and county work, efforts at conciliation and compromise shall precede all such hearings. Sec. 8. When a member in good standing in a component society moves to another county in this State, his name, on request, shall be transferred wihout cost to the roster of the county society into whose jurisdiction he moves. Sec. 9. A physician living on or near a county line may hold his membership in that county most convenient for him to attend on permission of the component society in whose jurisdiction he resides. Sec. 10. Each component society shall have general direction of the affairs of the profession in its county, and its influence shall be constantly exerted for bettering the scientific, moral and material condition of every physician in the county; and systematic efforts shall be made by each member, and by the society as a whole, to increase the membership until it embraces every qualified physician in the county. Sec. 11. At some meeting in advance of the annual session of this Association, each county society shall elect a delegate or delegates to represent it in the House of Delegates of this Association, in the proportion of one delegate to each fifty members, or fraction thereof, and the Secretary of the society shall send a list of such delegates to the Secretary of this Association at least ten days before the annual session. Sec. 12. The Secretary of each component society shall keep a roster of its members, and of the non-affiliated registered physicians of the county, in which shall be shown the full name, address, college and date of graduation, date of license to practice in this State, and such other information as may be deemed necessary. In keeping such roster the Secretary shall note any changes in the personeel of the profession by death, or by removal to or from the county, and in making his annual report he shall be certain to account for every physician who has lived in the county during the year. Sec. 13. The Secretary of each component society shall forward its assessment, together with its roster of officers and members, list of delegates, and list of non-affiliated physicians of the county, to the Secretary of this Association each year thirty days before the annual session. Sec. 14. Any county society which fails to pay its assessment, or make the report required, on or before April 1 of each year, shall be held as suspended, and none of its members or delegates shall be permitted to participate in any of the business or proceedings of the Association, or of the House of Delegates until such requirement has been met. CHAPTER VIII.-MISCELLANEOUS. Section 1. No address or paper before the Association shall occupy more than fifteen minutes in its delivery; and no member shall speak longer than five minutes, nor more than once on any subject, except by unanimous consent. Sec. 2. All papers read before the Association, or any of the sections, shall become its property. Each paper shall de deposited with the Secretary when read. Sec. 3. The deliberations of this Association shall be governed by parlimentary usage as contained in Robert's Rules of Order, when not in conflict with this Constitution and By-Laws. CHAPTER IX. The present membership of the Association shall constitute the nucleus in their respective counties for the organization of county societies. They shall have a preliminary organization and invite all reputable white physicians in their county to join them in forming a permanent organization. At the meeting for permanent organization they shall elect officers and adopt a constitution and by-laws, the same not to conflict with that of the State Association. Those counties not now having membership in the State Association may call a meeting of the regular white physicians, organize a society and secure a charter from the Secretary of the State Association. CHAPTER X.-AMENDMENTS. These by-laws may be amended at any annual session by a majority vote of the Association, after the amendment has laid on the table for one day. |