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Region 7 Bylaws

I. Name

1.1 The full name of this organization shall be Region VII of the American Medical Association-Medical Student Section (AMA-MSS). It shall be referred to as Region VII thereafter.

II. Purpose and Principles

2.1 The purpose of the Medical Student Section shall be to provide medical student participation in the activities of the American Medical Association through adherence to the following principles:

  • to have meaningful input into the decision and policymaking process of the Association;
  • to improve medical education and to further professional excellence;
  • to involve medical students in addressing and solving the problems of health care and health care delivery and to provide a forum for the discussion and dissemination of information;
  • to develop medical leadership;
  • to initiate and effect necessary change;
  • to promote high personal and professional ethics, and a humanistic approach to the delivery of quality patient care;
  • to promote activity within organized medicine on the local, state, and national levels;
  • to work cooperatively with other student groups to meet these objectives.

III. Membership

3.1 Membership shall be limited to those medical students who attend medical allopathic or osteopathic schools in the following states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

3.2 The membership is further limited to those students mentioned in 3.1 who are members in good standing of the AMA.

3.3 Terms of and the eligibility for the membership in the AMA shall be governed by the bylaws of the AMA.

3.4 No dues in addition to those paid to the AMA shall be required to be a member.

IV. Officers

4.1 Region VII shall have the following Officers: Chair, Vice Chair, Community Service Chair, Membership Chair, and Advocacy Chair.

4.2 Responsibilities of the Chair shall include:

  • Presiding over the Meetings of the Region
  • Interpreting these Bylaws
  • Maintaining communication with the Governing Council (GC) of the AMA-MSS
  • Maintaining communication with State leaders
  • Representing the Region to other student groups both within and outside of the AMA

4.3 Responsibilities of the Vice Chair shall include:

  • Assisting the Chair in all his duties
  • Keeping Minutes of the Meetings
  • Serving as an Official Keeper of the Bylaws
  • Assuming the Office of the Chair in case of the Chair’s inability to serve until such time as the Chair may resume his duties.

4.4 Responsibilities of the Community Service Chair shall include:

  • Overseeing the Community Service Committee
  • Coordinating the annual Region Community Service Project
  • Serving as a liaison to the Chair of the AMA-MSS Community Service Committee
  • Assisting individual Chapters in the design and implementation of community service projects

4.5 Responsibilities of the Membership Chair shall include:

  • Overseeing the Membership Committee
  • Serving as a liaison to the Chair of the AMA-MSS Committee on Membership Recruitment and Retention
  • Identifying Chapters with low membership and offering guidance for membership recruitment and retention
4.6 Responsibilities of the Advocacy Chair shall include:
  • Gather information regarding health policy issues from students across Region VII
  • Educate members on health policy and promote lobbying and advocacy events across the Region
  • Work with chapters and state leaders to discuss ways in which issues can be address through authoring resolutions

4.7 The term of each Office shall be 1 year, commencing at the close of each Annual Meeting of the AMA-MSS.

4.8 The Chair and Vice Chair shall direct the programs and activities of the Region VII. During the interval between meetings of the AMA House of Delegates and the Region, the Officers shall act on behalf of the Region VII in formulating decisions related to the development, administration, and implementation of student activities, programs, goals, and objectives. Region VII shall be notified at least quarterly of actions taken by the Officers on its behalf.

4.9 In no event shall the Chair and Vice Chair be from the same state.

4.10 The total length of service in these positions shall not exceed 2 years. A term of service of greater than 6 months shall count as a full year.

4.11 In case of vacancy in the Office of the Chair, the Vice Chair shall succeed. In case of vacancy in the Office of Vice Chair, Region VII shall elect a replacement at the next Meeting. In case of vacancies in both Offices, the Region VII shall elect both Officers at the next Meeting.

4.12 Rule 4.8 may be waived, if the enforcement of the said rule would render all declared candidates ineligible to serve.

V. Other Elected Officials

5.1 Region VII shall elect at each Interim Meeting of the AMA-MSS such number of Delegates and Alternate Delegates to the AMA House of Delegates as it qualifies for under the AMA Bylaws.

5.1.1 Once all positions have been filled, the delegation shall choose a Delegation Chair from amongst its members. In the event the Delegation Chair cannot fulfill his duties, the Delegation shall elect a Chair pro tempore, who in turn shall act as Chair until the originally elected Chair can resume his responsibilities.

5.2 The term of Office shall begin at the opening of the AMA-HOD Annual Meeting at which time, the Delegates and Alternates shall take seats with their State delegations, and the said term shall last for 1 year.

5.3 No person may stand for election to either of these Offices, unless he presents a written endorsement of his State’s delegation to the AMA-HOD.

5.4 In no event more than one person from the same State shall assume the Office of Delegate, and in no event shall more than 2 people from the same State be elected to either Office.

5.5 No person may stand for election for the office of Delegate unless he has attended at least one AMA-MSS National Meeting prior to the Meeting at which the said election shall take place.

5.6 Any vacancies in these Offices shall be filled by a special election held as provided under Rules 5.6.1-5.6.5.

5.6.1. Upon election each Delegate shall be paired with an Alternate Delegate, and such pairing shall last until the expiration of the term for which said Delegate and Alternate have been elected. The decision on pairings shall be made by the delegation according to such formula as they deem advisable. The Chair of the Region shall have the final and ultimate authority to resolve all disputes and assign the pairings if the delegation fails to arrive at consensus. The delegation is strongly encouraged to pair a Delegate with an Alternate from the same state if at all possible.

5.6.2. In the event of vacancy in the office of the Delegate, howsoever caused, his paired Alternate shall succeed to the office of the Delegate and shall remain in office until such time as the Delegate is available to resume his duties. Upon succeeding to the office of the Delegate, the Alternate shall sit with the state that originally provided support for election of the said Alternate.

5.6.3. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Alternate Delegate, howsoever caused, said vacancy occurring prior to a Regional Meeting preceding the Interim or Annual Meeting of the MSS, there shall be an election of a replacement Alternate Delegate. An individual elected under this Rule must, within 30 days after the election, but in any event prior to the next Meeting of the HOD, provide the Regional Chair with a written statement from his state’s delegation to the HOD endorsing such election. Failure to provide such statement shall result in voiding of the election and the position remaining vacant. An individual elected under this Rule shall serve only until such time as the original Alternate Delegate is able to resume his duties.

5.6.4. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Alternate Delegate, howsoever caused, and said vacancy occurring after the Regional Meeting preceding an Annual or Interim Meeting of the MSS, the replacement Alternate shall be appointed by the Chair and Vice Chair of the Region with the concurrence of the Regional delegation. Any candidate for such appointment must be appropriately endorsed by their state delegation as provided for under the Rule 5.3. Such appointee shall serve only until such time as the originally elected Alternate can resume his duties or until the adjournment of the next National Meeting of the AMA-HOD whichever is earliest.

5.6.5. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Alternate Delegate occurring during the Meeting of the House of Delegates, the Chair of the Region or his designee, in consultation with the Regional delegation, shall appoint a Temporary Replacement. Such replacement candidate shall serve only until such time as originally elected Alternate can resume his duties or until the end of the House of Delegates Meeting, whichever is earliest. Rules 5.4 and 5.7 do not apply to individuals selected under this Rule.

5.6.6 In the event of simultaneous vacancies in offices of Regional Delegate and his paired Alternate Delegate, both offices shall be filled in the manner prescribed by Rules 5.6.3-5.6.5.

5.7 The total length of service in these positions shall not exceed 2 years. A term of service of greater than 6 months shall count as a full year.

5.8 Rules 5.4 and 5.7 may be waived if through the enforcement of the said rules Region VII would not be able to seat Delegates or Alternates to which it would otherwise be entitled.

VI. Elections for Region Governing Council Members

6.1 Each election shall be decided by the simple majority vote in accordance with the voting procedures set forth in these bylaws. In the event of more than two people contesting an office, with no candidate getting the requisite number of votes, a run-off vote shall be held between the two candidates with the most votes.

6.2 Each candidate may declare up to the point of election; however, only those candidates that declare by the date specified by the current Chair shall be able to post their CV and Personal Statement on the Region VII listserv.

6.3 To qualify for election, all candidates for Chair and Advocacy Chair must have attended a minimum of 2 AMA-MSS meetings (including National or Regional) and must be able to attend the Annual, Interim, and Region Meetings during their respective terms.

6.4 Candidates may run for either office. Unsuccessful candidates for Chair may run in the election for Vice Chair, which shall be held immediately following the election for Chair.

6.5 All candidates shall be restricted to distribution of their CV and personal statement. No other insignia or campaign materials shall be allowed. Travel to other State Meetings is expressly forbidden, unless a candidate also serves in such capacity that requires him to undertake such travel.

6.6 Candidates shall be given 2 minutes to speak and 2 minutes to answer questions to the membership of the Region I prior to the balloting.

VII. Election for Delegate/Alternate Delegate

7.1 Delegates shall be elected in accordance with the voting procedures outlined in these bylaws.

7.2 Rules 6.2, 6.4, and 6.5 shall apply to the elections of Delegates/Alternates.

7.3 Candidates may run for either office. Unsuccessful candidates for Delegate may run in the election for Alternate Delegate, which shall be held immediately following the election for Delegate.

7.4 If two candidates from the same State receive enough votes to be elected Delegates, pursuant to Rule 5.4, the person with more votes shall become Delegate.

7.5 The ballots shall be cast in the following manner. Each ballot shall be marked with the number of candidates equal to the actual number of Delegates allotted to the Region VII. All the votes shall then be counted and the people with most votes shall be elected subject to all other rules.

VIII. Meetings

8.1 Region VII shall meet at the Interim and Annual Meetings of the AMA-MSS and at one additional time during the year at such time as designated by the Chair.

8.2 Members shall be given 30 days notice of the Regional Meeting that occurs at a time other than the Annual or Interim Meeting of the AMA-MSS.

8.3 Nothing in this Section shall be construed as prohibiting meetings on a more frequent basis.

IX. Quorum

9.1 One-third of all chapters within Region VII shall constitute a quorum provided that at least 3 states are represented.

9.2 The Chair shall have the power to declare those chapters that have missed 5 consecutive Meetings to be inactive for the purposes of quorum only. Inactive chapters shall not count towards the total number of chapters when determining quorum. A chapter shall become active automatically upon sending a delegate to any of the Region VII meetings.

X. Region Business

10.1 All decisions regarding Region business, its endorsements of candidates or resolutions, or any other matters shall be decided by a simple majority vote, unless otherwise specified in these bylaws.

XI. Voting

11.1 There shall be a proportional allocation of votes to the states based on their representation at each Regional Meeting. This shall hold for elections of Chair, Vice Chair, Community Service Chair, Membership Chair, and Regional Delegates and Alternate Delegates, any Resolutions introduced for Regional support, and amendments to these bylaws.

11.2 For those instances specified in Rule 11.1, each State shall receive 1 vote for every three chapters or portion thereof that send a delegate to the Regional meeting.

11.3 Each State is free to decide in what manner its votes will be cast or allocated.

11.4 For any Regional business not specifically covered by Rule 11.1, each chapter shall be entitled to one vote.

XII. Committees

12.1 The Community Service Committee shall aide the Community Service Chair in the design and implementation of the annual Region VII Community Service Project. The Committee shall be made up of the Community Service Chair and 1 representative each from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, 1 from Upstate New York, and 1 from Downstate New York/New York City. Committee members shall be appointed by their respective states at the Annual Meeting of the AMA-MSS and will serve a term of 1 year.

12.2 The Membership Committee shall aide the Membership Chair in recruitment and retention activities. The Committee shall be made up of the Membership Chair and 1 representative each from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, 1 from Upstate New York, and 1 from Downstate New York/New York City. Committee members shall be appointed by their respective states at the Annual Meeting of the AMA-MSS and will serve a term of 1 year.

12.3 The Chair and Vice Chair shall from time to time jointly appoint additional such committees as they deem appropriate and necessary for the proper functioning of Region VII.

12.4 The additional committees shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Officers of Region VII and shall produce such reports as are requested of them by the Chair and Vice Chair.

12.5 All additional committees shall be deemed dissolved at the close of each Annual Meeting of the AMA-MSS.

XIII. Parliamentary Authority

13.1 The parliamentary authority of Region VII shall be the same as used by the AMA-MSS.

XIV. Amendments

14.1 These bylaws may be amended by the vote of 2/3 of the Region VII meeting pursuant to Rule 11.2

14.2 All amendments shall be submitted at least 30 days prior to the meeting and shall be posted on the Region VII listserv.

14.3 All amendments needed to bring these bylaws in compliance with those of the AMA and/or the AMA-MSS shall be automatic, and require neither vote nor discussion. The membership must be made aware of such changes pursuant to Rule 4.5

XV. Supremacy and Severability

15.1 These bylaws are superseded by the bylaws of the AMA-MSS and the AMA wherever conflict arises.

15.2 If any portion of these bylaws is found to be incompatible with the bylaws of the AMA and/or the AMA-MSS, such finding shall not affect any other portion of these bylaws.

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