Constitution & Bylaws

Name
The name of the Association shall be the “Zimbabwe Association of Neurological Surgeons” hereafter referred to as ‘ZANS’ or ‘Association’.

Emblem

Office and Correspondence Address

Zimbabwe Association of Neurological Surgeons
Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals
P.O. Box A1220
Avondale
Harare
Zimbabwe

Objectives

  1. To create an organisation that can help in facilitating relevant continuing medical education acquisition.
  2. To promote skills and knowledge sharing between professionals.
  3. To create a platform for promoting research in neurosurgery and allied disciplines.
  4. To complement degree awarding institutions by creating a platform for young neurosurgeons and those in training to be mentored.
  5. To provide for a platform for communication with neurosurgery related organisations (e.g., Zimbabwe Brain Tumor Association, Epilepsy Support foundation) and supporting people who want to form such support groups for various neurosurgical disease conditions.
  6. To promote the provision of high quality neurosurgical service to the nation.

Membership

  1. Membership is to be defined into the following categories:
    1. Active Members- Comprising Neurosurgeons serving in Zimbabwe and recognized as Neurosurgeons by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Committee of Zimbabwe (MDPCZ). Proof of being a registered Neurosurgeon in Zimbabwe may be required.
    2. Associate members- Neurologists, radiologists, Anaesthetists and other specialists and Neurosurgeons-in-Training.
    3. Affiliate members- Medical Practitioners, Nurses, rehabilitation staff and any other health allied staff with interest in Neurosurgery.
    4.  International members- shall be neurosurgeons who practice neurosurgery outside Zimbabwe. They will pay the same dues as Active Members, may attend Meetings of the Association at the member registration fee, but may not vote or hold elected office.
  2. Proof for the acclaimed qualifications maybe required.

Officers
The office bearers who will form the Executive Committee of the Association will be:

  1.  President
  2. Vice President
  3.  Secretary
  4. Treasurer
  5. Two active members
  6. Immediate past president

The majority of all votes cast shall be necessary to constitute election of officers. Only paid up active members can vote or take up office in the executive committee.
The terms of office for the officers will be three years. The presidency can be voted in for a maximum of two consecutive terms. All other offices are eligible for re-election for an unlimited number of times consecutively. A person who wishes to contest for the post of the President should have served on the Executive Committee for at least one term in any capacity.

BYLAWS

Article I: Duties of Officers

Section 1: President

It shall be the duty of the President to preside at all meetings of the Association, to give the casting vote, and to see that order is maintained in all deliberations of the Association. He shall be ex-officio a member of all committees that may be set up in the organisation. He shall assume office at the end of the annual meeting at which he is installed and shall continue in office until the end of the annual meeting after election of a new president after three years in office. In the event of a vacancy in any office, it shall be the privilege of the President to appoint an interim officer with the approval of the Executive Committee. The President, with the approval of the Executive Committee, may propose members of the Society to serve as officers, board members or executive committee members of, or in similar capacities for, other organizations when invited to do so by such organizations.

Section 2: Vice-President

In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall preside and assume the usual duties of the President. In the absence of the President, and Vice-President, the Secretary shall preside pro tem.

Section 3: Secretary

The Secretary shall record the proceedings and attendance of each meeting and shall report this record at the succeeding meetings. He shall collect and preserve all records, including the membership roll. He shall send notice to the membership of all meetings in advance, and shall notify all members of appointments and assigned duties. He shall carry on all other correspondence and business essential for the proper function of the Association.

Section 4: Treasurer

The Treasurer shall collect the fees and carry out the fiscal transactions of the Association. The Treasurer shall keep an accurate record of these transactions and render an annual report. The Treasurer shall notify all members who have outstanding balances in payment of fees or dues. He shall ensure that all bank accounts of ZANS are operated jointly with at least 2 members of ZANS within the Executive Committee for withdrawals from the banks.

Article II: Fees and dues

7.1) The executive committee shall propose all fees and dues for different categories of members. Membership shall be counted from 1st January to 31st December for purposes of annual subscriptions.

7.2) Members who have not paid their subscription by 31st December shall be sent a registered acknowledgement due notice by the Treasurer of the Association giving them till 31st March to clear all outstanding dues. Non-payment of subscription for 2 years’ annual fees would result in automatic loss of status as a member of the Association.

7.3) Only Members, who have paid their dues by 31st March, would be eligible to vote in that calendar year.

7.4) Members whose names have been erased from the rolls of the Association may be re-admitted only after receiving the prescribed application form and admission fee.

The Meetings

      1. There shall be at least one Annual General Meeting of the Association chaired by the President. It shall consist of a, a) Scientific Meeting b) Business and Administrative Meeting.
      2. Continuing medical education meetings shall be held not less than once a month in venues agreed by the Committee.
      3. The Scientific Sessions would be open to all categories of members of the Association, and others, including practitioners and students of medical and allied sciences on payment of appropriate delegate fees.
        Besides the presentation of papers, the Association shall try to organize special lectures/seminars/workshops/posters and receive and implement suggestions in this regard from the General Body.
      4. The business and administrative meetings of the Association shall consist of Annual General Body Meeting at which all the active members are expected to be present. The order of business shall be as follows:
        1. Presidential address and reading of the minutes of the last meeting.
        2. Report of the Secretary.
        3. Report of the Treasurer and budget for the following year.
        4. Unfinished Business.
        5.  New Business.
        6. New Members.
        7. Election of Officers. (If any office is vacant).
        8. Discussion about future meetings.
      5. Forty percent (40%) members shall form the quorum for the Annual General Body Meeting (AGM).
        If a desired number of the members do not assemble the meeting would be adjourned & reconvened after 30 minutes for which no quorum is necessary.
      6. If 1/5th of members present eligible to vote want a voting on any issue during the AGM it would be done.
      7. When a new is issue is proposed for discussion, the person proposing the discussion should be personally present in the AGM for the discussion to take place unless prior written communication had been done to the secretary.
      8. All amendments to the Constitution and Bye-laws shall be submitted to the Secretary at least 1 month before the General Body meeting, and the Secretary shall forward a copy of the same to every member at least 2weeks before the meeting.

Such proposals shall be accepted if 2/3rd of the members present vote in favour of the proposals.
The Secretary shall then present the opinion on proposals communicated to him in writing by members in absentia.
A final count shall be made of the votes and proposals shall be accepted only if 2/3rd of those who have voted (either in person or in absentia) are in favour of such amendment.

Those who have not been present in person and who have also not communicated their opinion on the proposals to Secretary before the meeting shall be taken to abide by the majority decision as arrived at above.

Article III: Awards
The Executive Committee may formulate and name awards which may be presented for distinguished performance. A certificate and the award will be given during the AGM.

Article IV: Gifts
The organisation shall reserve the right to accept gifts.

Article V: Website
ZANS may construct a website.

A Webmaster may be appointed by the Executive Committee.
The webmaster shall be an active member of good standing who shall be in charge of collecting information, uploading and deleting items as and when necessary.

The EC would provide guidelines for functioning.

ARTICLE XIV – DISSOLUTION

  1. The Association shall not be dissolved except by a resolution passed at a General Meeting of Members by a vote of Two-thirds (2/3) of the members present.

    If no quorum is obtained, the Association must continue until the next Annual General Body Meeting when the proposal to dissolve the Association shall be re-submitted to the General Meeting. The quorum for this second meeting shall be the number of Active Members present.

  2. When the dissolution of the Association has been approved by a General Meeting, no further action shall be taken by the Executive Council or any office bearer of the Association in connection with the aims of the Association other than to proceed forthwith and liquidate all its assets for cash. Subject to the payment of all the debts of the Association, the balance thereof shall be distributed in such manner as may be directed by the meeting at which the resolution for dissolution is passed.