Article I
Name of the society, nature and field of its activities

• Society name: Egyptian Pediatric Surgical Association
• Headquarter: Ain Shams Children Hospital, Cairo

Section 2: Nature and field of activities:

• Cultural and educational services.
• Health services.

Section 3: Activities include:

• Conferences, workshops, lectures on pediatric surgery
• Issuing a journal for pediatric surgery after approval from related authorities.
• Establishment of specialized pediatric surgery centers, and high institutes, after approval from related authorities.
• Conducting studies and research in pediatric surgery fields.
• Offering free medical service and support for needy children.

Section 4: Geographic work span:
Nation wide, after establishment of sufficient number of chapters covering all cities and towns.

Section 5: Restricted activities:
The activities of the society does not include any activities stated in sections 1,2,3,4 in chapter 11 in  law #84, and also does not include any financial transactions.

Article II
Financial Regulations

• Member subscription.
• Donations, contributions, gifts.
• Governmental aid.
• Other sources approved by the board in accordance with section 17 of law #84 and sections 56,57,58 of its executive amendment.

2- The fiscal year shall be from January 1 to December 31.
3- Financial revenues belonging to the society is directed to its bank account in Bank Masr, Garden City.
4- Financial transactions must be signed by the treasurer and the president of the society or General Secretary

Section 2:

• Financial revenue is to be spent on the fields of activities mentioned in article II, section 3.
• The society has the right to own real estates, providing the approval by the general assembly before purchase, or providing a written consent in the next meeting after purchase.
• The society has the right to invest surplus revenue in profitable projects which guarantees a fixed income.

Section 3:
Hiring working staff for the society:

• Hiring personnel in accordance with law# 137/1981.
• Translocation of employees in other governmental offices (in accordance with section 12 in law# 83)
• Volunteers from society members or others.

Section 4:
The society keeps records of all files, documents and correspondence, all of which should be stamped by the related administration. Every member is entitled to have access to these records in accordance with law #84 and its executive amendment.

Section 5:

• The society keeps records of all transactions done on revenue, which should be using specific forms provided by related administrations.
• If revenues or spent exceeded 20,000 L.E, one of the registered accountants should be involved, who provides an official report to the board a month before the meeting of the general assembly.

Section 6:
Any amendment to the regulations should be approved by the general assembly.

Section 7:

• The society may establish chapters in different locations, also it may run activities outside the governorate that the headquarter is located in, and in this case, the society control over its chapters in different governorates would be under the regulations of law#84 and its executive amendment.
• All new established chapters should follow the regulations of the society, as they are extensions of the society in different governorates.
• The chapters have the right to be represented by one or more members in the board, according to the activity of each chapter.
• The regulation of each chapter should be approved by the board after passing approval of the general assembly.

The regulations should include:

1. Chapter location.
2. Type and nature of its activities.
3. Its geographic span.
4. Chapter revenues.
5. Chapter administration and how they are assigned.
6. Relation between chapter and main society membership.
7. The period on which the chapter would be active (if it has been established on a temporary basis)

Article III
Membership

• A regular member must be an Egyptian citizen
• Should  be licensed to practice surgery in Egypt
• All regular members must be certified by EPSA
• Should be MD certified or has an equivalent qualification
• All regular members should have finished their training in an approved  pediatric surgical training center either  in Egypt or abroad
• An applicant must have a practice devoted entirely to pediatric surgery, except as may be required by emergency care or special circumstances.
• Any exception to the above criteria for regular membership must be made by a recommendation from the Membership and Credentials Committee to the Board of EPSA

Type  2: Associate  Members

•  An associate member must be Egyptian  citizen
• Should be  currently licensed to practice surgery in Egypt
• Associate members should be currently enrolled in an approved pediatric surgical training program in the capacity of assistant lecturer, assistant fellow, or resident.
• Associate membership will be terminated unless he/she has been approved for a regular membership within 5 years.
• Associate member will require sponsorship by a regular member.

Type  3: Affiliated Membership:

• An affiliated  membership  is applicable  to a person actively engaged in the care of children in medical or other surgical subspecialties such as  of pediatric anesthesia, pediatric ICU, pediatric urology, pediatric plastic, pediatric neurosurgery, pediatric orthopedics, etc,
• An affiliated  member must be Egyptian  citizen
• Should be  currently licensed to practice  medicine or surgery in Egypt
• An affiliated member should  has already amply demonstrated excellence and fitness as a trained specialist in one of the  pediatric subspecialties

Type 4: International Membership:

• A physician who is not an Egyptian  citizen, may be invited by the Board of EPSA  to apply to EPSA as an international member. Such applications must meet the same training, certification, and practice criteria as required of regular members.
• Two letters of recommendation from members plus 2 additional letters from colleagues in his/her practice community must accompany his/her application.
• International members will pay dues and be governed by the bylaws as regular members but will not be eligible to be a member of the board of EPSA.
• An international member is required to attend at least one meeting every 3 years or have a valid excuse (other than inconvenience of distance traveled).

Type 5. Honorary Membership:

• Honorary Membership may be awarded to an international pediatric surgeon   with known outstanding contributions to pediatric surgery by unanimous vote of the Board of EPSA.
• The candidate for honorary membership should have a significant contribution to EPSA .
• No more than one honorary membership should be awarded each year.
• The Honorary member should be nominated at least 6 months prior to the annual scientific meeting .
• The Honorary member will be notified and expected to be the Key note speaker for the forthcoming annual scientific meeting, at which he will receive the honorary membership officially.
• Honorary members will be governed by the bylaws as regular members but will not be subject to dues or the meeting attendance requirement.

Section 2:

• Memberships dues (30 L.E.) are remitted monthly or annually according to preference. Dues should be remitted before the end of the fiscal year.
• New members joining during the fiscal year pay fees equal to the duration remaining of it.

Section 3:
A member may be dropped from membership for:

• Death.
• Failure to adhere to the obligations and objectives of the Association
• Failure to remit dues within 12 months of the announced date will result in loss of membership in the Association. Members over 60 years of age and honorary members will be exempted from this requirement. Members in arrears will receive a registered letter at least one month prior to the date of loss of membership outlining this action. Reinstatement of membership may be obtained by petitioning the Board EPSA. Payment of past dues owed as well as a reinstatement fee equal to the irritation fee for the organization will be required to resume membership.
• The conduct of the member has been injurious to the purposes of the Association as outlined in the Bylaws.
• Conviction of a felony or of any crime related to or arising out of the practice of medicine and involving moral turpitude.
• Limitation or termination of any right associated with the practice of medicine.
• Grossly immoral, dishonorable, or unprofessional conduct.

Article IV
Society Structure and Assigned Functions

Any member who is authorized by at least 25% of the illegible members.

The authorized member according to section 40 of law# 84

Section 2:
General assembly meetings are to be held in the society headquarter. It also may be held in any other place provided mentioning this in the invitation letter.

Section 3:
The general assembly calls for a regular meeting at least once every year for discussing the following issues:

Budget of the year.

The report of the president on the past year activities, and the report of the senior accountant.

Provisional budget of next year.

Election of members of the board.

Assigning a new senior accountant and determining his fees.

Other issues enrolled by the members of the board.

Section 4:

The general assembly calls for an exceptional meeting for discussing the following issues:

Making alterations to the Bylaws

Invalidation of the society and hiring employees for the procedure.

Merging the society in another one.

Dropping membership of one or more members of the board.

Section 5:
The general assembly meeting is considered valid when the absolute majority of members are attending. If not, the meeting is to be postponed 1hour to 15 days, then the meeting is considered valid if more than 10% of the members attended.

Section 6:
A member may attend on behalf of another. This procedure is done using a specific application form, or using any other form provided being signed by the two members and a member of the board.

Section 7:
Decisions taken in the meeting are considered valid after being passed by the majority (half of the attending members +1).

A decision to drop membership of all members of the board is to be passed at least by 75% of the attending members.

Section 8:
Resolutions of the general assembly meeting are to be kept in specific records.

The Board of Governors
Section 9:

• The first board is to be assigned by the founders of the society for a term of maximum 3 years.
• The board is comprised of an odd number (15) of members elected by the general assembly for a 6 years years term. At the end of the period the entire board should resign and another board should be elected by the general assembly.
• One third of the board members should be renewed every 2 years.
• If foreign nationalities are on the board, the number of Egyptian members should be at least equal to the foreigners
• The President, Vice president, Treasurer, and the  Secretary General should be elected by members of the board at the first meeting of the new board.

Section 10:
All potential candidates for board membership should not have been denied his civil rights for any reason.

Section 11:
A board member has no right to work for the society on any paid job (subcontracting).

Section 12:
The board establishes the general policy of the society and it has all authorities with this respect, except in selling society property or engagement in mortgages based on this property.

Section 13:
The board assembles once every 3 months. This meeting is valid when the absolute majority is attending. Board resolutions are to be passed at least by half of the members+1.

Section 14:
If a place of a board member became vacant in the period between general assembly meetings, the board upgrades the candidate who had more votes in the last election after the ones have been elected.

Section 15:
Duties of the board:

Election of officers (president, vice-president, treasurer and secretary general) and definition of their duties.

Preparation of bylaws to be submitted to the general assembly.

Foundation of committees necessary for conducting activities and definition of their duties.

Hiring working staff.

Conduction of money-raising campaigns to support the society.

Approval of contracts.

Preparation of the last year and next year budget, issuing the annual report of society activities during the past year

Calling for meetings of the general assembly.

Discussion of the report submitted by the senior accountant and supplying answers to any remarks in this report to submit it to the general aasembly.

Section 16:
The board has the right to authorize an executive committee  or add hock committee

including the president/vice-president, treasurer, secretary general and other elected members (total not more than 5members) to execute some or all of his duties. This committee assembles at least once a month. Its meeting is considered valid when at least 3 members attend the meeting.

Resolutions of the committee are to be kept in specific record submitted to the board.

The executive committee has the following duties:

Approval of financial transactions

Approval of hiring working staff.

Approval of resolutions of other committees before being submitted to the board

Officers (President/Vice-President, Secretary General, and Treasurer)

Section 17:
Duties of the president:

Heading of the general assembly and board meetings.

Representing the society before administrative and judicial authorities.

Approval of the board meeting agenda and follow up execution of resolutions.

Signing on behalf of the society on contracts and agreements approved by the board.

Signing (together with the secretary general) on the proceedings of the general assembly meetings.

Signing (together with the treasurer) on checks and financial transactions.

Giving decisions on urgent issues presented by the secretary general, which can not be postponed to the next meeting of the board or executive committee.
Section 18:
Duties of the vice president:

The vice president has the same duties of the president in case of his absence.

Section 19:
Duties of the secretary general:

Preparation of the board meeting agenda, submitting invitations of the meeting to the board meeting, preparation of a report on the meeting and its resolutions to submit it to the next board meeting to be approved.

Institution of a record of the names and addresses of the general assembly members.

Signing the reports on general assembly and board meeting, together with the president.

Following up execution of board meetings resolutions.

Preparation of an annual report on the activities of the society and presenting it to the board after being submitted to and approved by the executive committee.

Preparation of the general assembly regular and exceptional meeting agenda, and sending invitations to the meeting to members

Submitting general assembly and board resolutions to related administration.

Supervising the procedures for election of members of the board.

Supervising working staff.

Managing society correspondence and submitting to the president, board or executive committee, according to duties of each.
– Other duties assigned by the board.

Section 20:
Duties of treasurer:

Supervision of all society revenues and expenditure and keeping records of them.

Approval of any financial transaction.

Execution of all board directions regarding financial issues.

Signing all checks, together with the president.

Preparation of the annual financial report to be submitted to the board

Supervision of the budget project for next year, together with the secretary general.
Section 21:
The society is committed to assigning a senior accountant if its revenues and expenditure exceeds 20,000 L.E.

The senior accountant has the following duties:

Revision of all records kept by the society, during which he has the right to ask any other data or explanations essential to fulfill his mission.

If, for one reason or the other, the senior accountant was not able to fulfill his mission, and the board did not facilitate it, he is to present a report to the related administration. The board, in this case has to present this report before the general assembly meeting. The senior accountant has the right to ask the administration to call for an exceptional meeting for the general assembly to present his report.

Construction of the financial system of the society.

Perform inventory and submit a report to the board.

If any deficiency appeared in the performance of the senior accountant, the board has the right to call for an exceptional general assembly meeting to take action with this respect.

Article V
Termination of the Association

• The board of the association  or the general assembly may decide to terminate the association if becomes obvious that the association has failed to implement efficiently the required functions mentioned in this bylaws document.

• The association can be merged with another related Association, if this will be in the best interest of pediatric surgery in Egypt.