American Society for Radiation Oncology

ARRO - Constitution

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Constitution

Name of the Group
1. This organization shall be called "Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology," to be abbreviated "ARRO.
Purpose of the Group
1. The Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology exists as a perpetual unincorporated not-for-profit society organized for purposes consistent with 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to improve the quality of education for physicians in radiation oncology by:
  1. Disseminating information to all radiation oncology residents.
  2. Formalizing resident input to professional organizations and committees affecting radiation oncology residents and residency training.
  3. Providing a forum for radiation oncology residents for the exchange of information each year in conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO).
  4. Other means not inconsistent with 501(c)(3) as the Executive Committee may from time to time adopt.
Membership and Organization
1. Membership in ARRO is automatic, without dues, for any resident or fellow in an accredited radiation oncology training program within the United States. ARRO membership has been extended to include all residents and fellows until one year following the completion of training. A resident representative should be designated from each institution for purposes of communication.
2. Local and State Chapters: are not authorized
3. Organization:
  1. The Executive Committee will consist of six voting members, three non-voting members and one or more faculty advisors.
  2. The business of the organization will be conducted by the Executive Committee who may, by simple majority of those voting (if four voting members are present) adopt, alter, or repeal By-Laws.
  3. Composition of the Executive Committee: Three voting members who, at the time of election, will have participated in at least six months of training as a resident in radiation oncology and who will have at least two years of training in radiation oncology remaining, will be elected from the membership every year for a two-year term. Only one resident from each training program will be eligible each year for election to the Executive Committee. When a resident from a given program is elected, no resident from that program will be eligible for election for the following two years.
  4. Functions, Offices, and Responsibilities of the Voting Members of the Executive Committee:
    1. During the annual spring planning meeting, members of the Executive Committee will select a Chairperson from among the incoming Senior Executive Committee members. The Chairperson's duties shall include providing meeting notices, agendas and meeting places for the Executive Committee. In shaping the agendas, the Chairperson shall seek input from all Executive Committee members, and shall be responsible for incorporating any external proposals that may have been submitted to the Executive Committee for consideration. The Chairperson will represent ARRO to the ASTRO Board of Directors, and to the Council of Affiliated Regional Radiation Oncology Societies (CARROS).
    2. One of the incoming Senior Executive Committee members shall fill the position of Vice Chair of Education. This officer will serve as the Chairperson in the event that the elected Chairperson of the ARRO Executive Committee cannot attend a meeting. This chairperson will have oversight of all educational aspects of ARRO, as well as the residents on ASTRO subcommittees under the Educational and Research Councils.
    3. One of the incoming Senior Executive Committee members shall fill the position of Vice Chair of Healthcare Policy. This chairperson will have oversight of ARROs relationship with outside organizations as well as the residents on subcommittees under the Government and Health Policy Councils.
    4. Junior members of the Executive Committee shall fill the positions of Educational Officer, Election Officer, and Events Officer.
      1. The Events Officer will coordinate the agenda and speakers for the resident events at the ASTRO annual meeting.
      2. The Election Officer will be responsible for conducting the annual ARRO Executive Committee elections according to the procedure documented in the Bylaws of this association.
      3. The Educational Officer will be responsible for surveying the educational needs of radiation oncology residents and help coordinate resources to meet those needs.
      4. The Junior Executive Members will also distribute the responsibilities of maintaining the ARRO website, composing and distributing the ARROgram. In addition, a member will also be responsible for preparing and mailing the annual ARRO resident and chief resident surveys. These survey results maybe published in 2-3 year cycles. This officer will have priority to report or comment on the survey results of the previous years’ in a journal.
      5. Officers may designate any of the above responsibilities to another member of the Executive Committee who indicates his/her willingness to assume the designated responsibility. Any new projects and initiatives approved by the Executive Committee will also be assigned and maintained by Members who are willing to assume the responsibility.
    5. Members of the Executive Committee will select an Alternate Delegate from ASTRO to the American Medical Association – Resident Fellow Section (AMA-RFS) from among the incoming Junior Executive Committee members. The Alternate Delegate from ASTRO to the AMA-RFS will proceed to become the Delegate from ASTRO to the AMA-RPS during the second year of his/her term on the Executive Committee. The delegate will attend the annual and interim meetings of the AMA-RFS and will act as a full voting member.
    6. Members of the Executive Committee will select a representative to the Association of Directors of Radiation Oncology Programs (ADROP), the Society of Chairman in Radiation Oncology Programs (SCAROP), and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) If an incoming Senior Executive Committee member had served in this office in the prior year, the Executive Committee may renew the term through reappointment.
    7. Every other year, a Junior Executive Committee member will be selected to be the representative to American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO) for a two-year term. This representative will need to attend all ACRO board meetings which will be funded by ACRO.
    8. Every other year, a Junior Executive Committee member will be selected to serve on the Residency Review Committee (RRC) for Radiation Oncology for a two-year term. This individual must be pre-selected in January after elections and attend the ACGME orientation training in February. The official appointment with the ACGME will be from June-June and is currently a 2 year position. There will be one overlapping RRC meeting in which the old and new resident member will attend together. If the ACGME changes the duration of this appointment, the ARRO representative will match the appointment duration. This representative will also represent radiation oncology on the ACGME Counsel of Review Committee Residents which is composed of the resident member of each of the specialty RRCs. In total, there will be 4-5 ACGME funded meetings a year that will require attendance, therefore the ARRO representative must ensure that appropriate time is granted from their respective residency program prior to accepting this position.
    9. Every other year, a Junior Executive Committee member will be selected to serve as Representative to the American College of Radiology (ACR) for a two-year term. The ACR representative shall attempt to attend both the Intersociety Commission Summer Conference and the ACR Annual Meeting each year. If this officer is unable to attend the annual meeting, then he/she must designate another Executive Committee member to do so in his/her place. The Intersociety Commission meeting at RSNA need not be attended unless it is of significant interest to the Executive Committee.
    10. Each member of the Executive Committee, while functioning in his/her assigned offices and designated roles, shall submit a report (oral or written) in a timely manner on any meeting he/she has attended. The report may be brief and succinct, and should be presented to other members of the Executive Committee at the next meeting or conference call.
    11. Additional resident representation on other ASTRO subcommittee will be selected via an application process, nomination by the ARRO Executive Committee, followed by approval by the individual subcommittee board members. If these subcommittee positions are not filled, ARRO Executive Committee Members may serve as representatives for one year.
    12. All major written communications related to the business of the Executive Committee shall include the ARRO advisors and ASTRO Liaison
    13. Reports on any telephone or face-to-face communications may also be filed with the ASTRO liaison.
  5. Non-voting Executive Committee members: The Executive Committee members completing their two-year term will remain on the Committee as "Immediate Past Members" for one year. Thus, the ARRO Chairperson shall assume the status (upon completion of their current two-year term) of "Immediate Past-Chair," etc. Immediate past members of the Executive Committee shall serve in an advisory capacity and shall participate in executive sessions of the ARRO Executive Committee; however, immediate past members shall not have voting privileges.
  6. Faculty Advisor(s): The faculty advisor(s) will be nominated by a member of the Executive Committed and chosen by a majority vote of the Executive Committee present at any Executive Committee meeting. Advisors will serve a four-year term, will be non-voting members of the Executive Committee, and may attend Executive Committee meetings at the invitation of the Committee.
    
    ARRO shall have a formal system for rotation of advisors. Ideally the rotation of advisors shall be staggered every other year. ARRO shall endeavor to have a balanced representation among advisors from both academic and community practice physicians. Advisors completing their term will be given the status of "Advisor Emeritus" and shall be invited to the ARRO Executive Committee, at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
  7. Insurance and Indemnification: The organization authorizes these officers to secure reasonable insurance or bonding for indemnification of expenses, judgments, fines or settlements, including attorney's fees, at the organization's expense, if such officer was or is a party, or is threatened to be made a party, in any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, other than action against him by ARRO, by reason of the fact that he is or was an officer in the organization. The Executive Committee is also empowered to provide additional indemnification if such expense, judgment, fine or settlement, including attorney's fees, exceeds the coverage of such insurance of bonding.
Executive Committee Meetings
The Executive Committee will meet at least twice a year, once in conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) and a spring planning meeting to be held in connection with a national oncology meeting to be selected by the Executive Committee.
1. Terms : All members of the Executive Committee serving at the time of adoption of this Constitution will serve a term if they had been elected under this Constitution.
2. Vacancies: In the event of a vacancy on the Executive Committee by death, removal or resignation, the position may be filled by the physician receiving the fourth highest number of votes in the preceding year's Executive Committee elections. The appointee will serve out the term of the vacancy, and the appointment cannot result in two voting members from the same institution serving conterminously.
3. Compensation : No Executive Committee member, or any member of ARRO, shall receive any financial compensation, nor will assets of the organization inure to the benefit of any member.
4. Powers : With the vote of the Committee, ARRO will have such powers as permitted by law to accomplish its purpose, including the power to hold property in the name of an Executive Committee member as trustee of the organization.
Affiliation
ARRO will be formally affiliated with the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology for administrative and financial support. ASTRO will handle financial and administrative matters in accordance with an agreement to be reached from time to time with the Executive Committee, who appoint the Chairperson as their agent to reach such agreements. ARRO will be an independent organization, not subject to the control of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. ARRO will be affiliated with ASTRO for scientific and educational liaison.
Adoption and Amendment of the Constitution
This Constitution shall be adopted by unanimous vote of the Executive Committee and shall thereafter be amended by a 3/4's vote of the voting membership of the Executive Committee.
Dissolution of the Organization
Upon unanimous vote of the Executive Committee members in attendance at a meeting called for the purpose of considering dissolution, the organization will cease to exist and all property of any kind whatever will become the absolute property of the American Cancer Society, or its successor, as long as such organization continues to qualify for tax exempt status, or if not, to a similar organization that so qualifies.

Revised September 2009

Last updated on 8/27/2009 10:06:05 AM