Article I

NAME

SECTION 1. This organization shall be called Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, the three Greek letters being the initials of the essential words in the following motto:

"Worthy to serve the suffering"

Article II

MEMBERSHIP AND AIMS

SECTION 1. This Society shall be composed of (a) undergraduate members, consisting of medical men and women who as undergraduates have given promise of becoming leaders in their profession; (b) graduate members who later have attained such leadership; (c) honorary members consisting of physicians who have attained national distinction in any worthy line of human endeavor and are not eligible for election by any other means, and of persons, whether physicians or not, who have gained unusual recognition in fields related to medicine.

SECTION 2. The Society is organized for educational purposes exclusively and not for profit, and its aims shall be the promotion of scholarship and research in medical schools, the encouragement of high standard of character and conduct among medical students and graduates, and the recognition of high attainment in medical science, practice and related fields.

ORGANIZATION

SECTION 1. The administration of the Society shall be vested in:

a. A Governing Council, comprising the chapter Councillor of each constituent chapter of the Society and the Board of Directors.

b. A Board of Directors elected by the Governing Council.

c. The general officers elected by the Board of Directors.

MEMBERSHIP AND GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

SECTION 1. The service and influence of the Society depend upon the wisdom with which members are elected. Candidates are selected for undergraduate, graduate, faculty, and alumni memberships.

Individual chapters shall establish routine procedures by which Society members of the faculty, housestaff, fellows and student body of that chapter shall cooperate in applying the national criteria for election of undergraduate and housestaff members.

All members of the chapter, undergraduate, housestaff, fellows, and faulty, are eligible to vote. Each candidate shall be balloted upon separately. Elections shall require a majority of those voting.

No candidate shall be denied election because of race, color, creed, ethnic origin, age, or any other characteristic prohibited by the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action laws of a state, province, territory, or nation.

SECTION 2. Undergraduate Memberships:

a. Election shall be limited to those candidates whose scholastic qualifications place them in the upper twenty-five percent of their class. The total number elected, however, shall not exceed one-sixth of the total number in that class expected to graduate.

b. Not more than one-quarter of the quota (25 percent) may be elected in the spring of the year prior to the final year of the medical course. Of the remaining 75 percent, at least 65 percent may be elected in the fall of the final year. A chapter may choose to reserve 5 to 10 percent of the places for another election in the spring of the final year in order to recognize those students whose academic skills and personal characteristics will have benefitted from a longer period of development and observation.

c. Method of election:

Each chapter has the responsibility of defining its own method of election, including determination of those eligible to vote, e.g., faculty members of AOA, student members of AOA, or a combination thereof. If academic records and/or personnel files of eligible candidates are to be reviewed in connection with the election process, it would appear prudent to obtain written permission from the candidates.

Scholastic achievement should be the primary but not the exclusive basis for election of a student. In addition to the academic record, personal characteristics may be considered to the extent defined by the chapter; leadership, fairness in dealing with colleagues, compassion, integrity, and service to the school and community at large may be considered. Each chapter should define its own weighting system for such criteria as grades, faculty and other comments, and personal attributes and attainments. Election should not be a popularity contest or a simple recording of class rank, but a thoughtful and well considered judgment of the present and potential future achievements of a student.

It is advisable to emphasize to potential candidates that, because one-fourth of the class is eligible but only one-sixth can be elected, it is inevitable that some who are academically qualified will not be elected.

d. A student who has taken part of his/her medical course elsewhere shall not be eligible for election to membership unless he/she shall have been in attendance for the major portion of one academic year in the medical school of the electing chapter.

e. A candidate shall not be inducted as a member until after the candidate's fees to the local chapter and general Society have been paid.

SECTION 3. Memberships for Physicians in Training:

House officers, resident trainees, and fellows who were elected to undergraduate membership in the Society are automatically graduate members of the chapter of the medical school sponsoring the training programs in which they are engaged.

In addition, the chapter may elect to membership in the Society no more than three graduate trainees, after the first year of training, per academic year per chapter. Such election shall be based on continued achievement and promise referred to in Article II and Article IV.

SECTION 4. Alumni and Faculty Memberships:

The provision for election by each chapter of two alumni members and honoring individuals who have distinguished themselves in their professional careers. Inasmuch as the number of individuals eligible for election in these two categories is so limited, chapters are urged to pay particular attention to evaluating the professional and personal stature of nominees.

a. Alumni: A graduate of a medical school in which a chapter exists, who was not elected as an undergraduate but who, after ten years or more following graduation is judged on the basis of achievement to be qualified, may be elected to membership in that medical school chapter. Not more than two alumni members per academic year per chapter may be elected.

b. Faculty: A chapter may elect to membership one member each year from the Faculty of Medicine with which the chapter is affiliated. Such faculty member must hold an earned doctoral degree (M.D., Ph.D., or equivalent).

SECTION 5. Honorary Memberships: The Board of Directors may elect physicians or others to honorary membership who have attained national or international recognition in teaching or research, or in leadership roles which are pertinent to medicine and who are not eligible for election through any other means. Election shall be by unanimous vote.

SECTION 6. Membership Transfer: Any member elected to undergraduate, graduate, or honorary membership and inducted into another chapter of the Society may automatically become an active member in the chapter nearest the location of continued professional activity by contacting the councillor of that chapter.

SECTION 7. Associations of Alpha Omega Alpha: Groups of society members may form an Association of Alpha Omega Alpha, in cities or districts where a chapter does not exist, upon approval of the Board of Directors.

SECTION 8. A faculty member elected and inducted in another chapter will become an active member in the chapter connected with the medical school on the Faculty of which he or she is now serving. This also applies to members engaged in medical practice or other forms of medical service desiring to become affiliated with the chapter nearest their present location.

SECTION 9. Membership Revocation: The Board of Directors may, at its discretion, revoke the membership of any student, physician in training, alumnus, faculty, or honorary member for proven behavior that is in conflict with the national criteria for election or which is inconsistent with the goals and purposes of AOA as outlined in Article II, SECTION 2.

SECTION 1. The general management of the Society shall be vested in the Board of Directors and the officers elected by it. The Board of Directors shall conduct the business of the national organization of Alpha Omega Alpha in the manner of boards of directors generally.

SECTION 2. The officers shall be the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer. The latter two offices may be combined.

SECTION 3. The President, with approval of the Board, may appoint an Executive Secretary and such assistants to the officers of the Board as from time to time may be required.

SECTION 4. The President shall be elected to serve for a term of three years or until a successor is duly elected and installed. He or she shall be the executive head of the Society and shall, with the approval of the Board of Directors, administer all business of the Society not otherwise provided for by the Constitution.

SECTION 5. The Vice-President shall in like manner be elected to serve three years, or until a successor is duly elected and installed. It shall be his/her duty to cooperate with the President and to serve as presiding officer in his/her absence. In the event of death or resignation of the President, the Vice-President shall serve as such until a new President shall have been elected.

SECTION 6. The Secretary shall be elected to serve for a term of three years. The Secretary shall perform the usual duties devolving upon such officer, keeping a complete record of all members, with their addresses and such other data as the Board of Directors may require.

SECTION 7. The Treasurer shall be elected for a term of three years, and shall perform the usual duties of such officer. At the beginning of each fiscal year, the Treasurer shall present to the Governing Council a written report of the financial standing of the Society, including a detailed statement of all money received and expended during the preceding year. The Treasurer shall be bonded to such sum as the Board of Directors may require.

SECTION 8. The officers will be installed at the time of their election.

SECTION 9. The Board of Directors shall consist of fifteen members elected by the Board of Directors and ratified by the Governing Council. There shall be nine members-at-large, each elected for a three-year term. Members-at-large are limited to three consecutive terms.

No individual shall be eligible for election of re-election to the Board of Directors after he or she has achieved the age of sixty-three years. Retirement from the Board shall become effective at the next regular meeting of the Board of Directors following a director's sixty-fifth birthday.

Directors shall be installed at the time of their election by the Board of Directors, holding office pro tempore pending ratification by vote of the Governing Council.

There shall be three Councillor Directors who are Councillors of the AOA chapters at the time of their election to the Board of Directors. They shall be elected for one three-year term.

There shall be three student members of the Board, one to be elected each year to serve a three-term term. The student shall be elected so that he/she would serve in his/her senior year of medical school, and first two years of residency training. An effort shall be made to get broad representation to the Board of Directors.

SECTION 10. The Board of Directors shall meet at the call of the President of any six members of the Board at such place as he, she or they may decide. It may conduct business by correspondence, and votes so taken shall be binding. A record shall be kept of its action, and report thereon shall be made to the Governing Council.

SECTION 11. The Board of Directors shall be empowered to remove officers for cause and to fill vacancies.

SECTION 12. The Governing Council shall convene upon the call of the President. In the interim between such meetings, this Council is authorized to conduct business by correspondence and the mail vote shall be binding. The voting members of this Council shall consist of the Directors and the Chapter Councillor chosen by each constituent chapter of the Society. A majority of the mail votes submitted in favor shall be necessary for approval.

SECTION 13. The Governing Council shall elect Directors as heretofore provided. It shall consider recommendations presented by the President, Board of Directors or any chapter Councillor, and take such action for the good of the Society as may be indicated, including the power to remove Directors for cause.

SECTION 1. The officers of each chapter shall be: President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer and Councillor. The offices of Secretary-Treasurer and Councillor may be held by the same person.

SECTION 2. The Councillor, who must be a member of the Faculty and of the Society, shall be elected by the chapter to serve for three years, and may be re-elected to successive three-year terms without restriction and at the discretion of the chapter. He/she shall be responsible to the Faculty and to the officers of the Society for the condition of the chapter. He/she will represent the chapter on the Governing Council.

SECTION 3. The other chapter officers, except the Councillor and Secretary-Treasurer, shall be elected by the chapter every year and shall perform the duties usually devolving upon such officers.

SECTION 4. The Secretary-Treasurer, who shall be a member of the Faculty and a member of the Society shall serve for three years and may be re-elected to successive three-year terms at the discretion of the chapter. He/she shall keep careful record of all new members elected and classified so that the records will furnish the full name, date of election and induction and other required data concerning each member. After election of each new member, the full name, date of election and induction, year of graduation and other required data, shall be forwarded to the national Secretary of the Society.

SECTION 5. As soon as chapter officers are chosen, their names and addresses, both school and home, must be sent at once by the chapter Secretary to the Secretary of the Society.

SECTION 1. At least two meetings shall be held each school year at times and places decided upon the chapter President in consultation with the Councillor.

SECTION 2. A meeting for the election of student or undergraduate members shall be held at least once a year. Election of graduate members and the presentation of honorary members previously elected by the Board of Directors can be held at any meeting of the chapter throughout the year. The election of chapter officers shall be held at the spring meeting of the chapter. Other meetings for any purposes may be called at the discretion of the chapter President in consultation with the chapter Councillor.

Annual Alpha Omega Alpha address by a distinguished member of the medical profession or other appropriate speaker should be sponsored by each chapter. Such address may appropriately be given at or following an annual dinner.

SECTION 3. All members of the chapter, whether students or graduates, are entitled to vote at chapter meetings. Chapters shall establish by by-law the number of members constituting a quorum for the transaction of chapter businesses and election of members.

This Society in its inception was an undergraduate organization. It is believed that every effort should be made to arouse and maintain undergraduate interest. Chapters are urged to engage in activities in which undergraduate members may take part.

SECTION 4. Local chapters to undertake to raise funds for their individual programs should submit their proposals in advance to the Board of Directors for its approval.

SECTION 1. The executive committee of a chapter shall consist of the President who shall serve as chairman, the other chapter officers and the Chapter Councillor.

SECTION 2. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for arranging the program of the meetings, for providing a suitable speaker to deliver the annual Alpha Omega Alpha address, for the nomination of candidates for election, and for the discharge of necessary business in the interval between chapter meetings.

SECTION 1. A chapter may be chartered at a College or School of Medicine which meets the Society's requirements. An application signed by the Dean and members of the Faculty of Medicine who are members of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society shall be sent to the President, and forwarded by him/her to the Chairman of the Committee on New Chapters for investigation as to the merits of the same. Upon receipt of favorable report from this Committee, the President or the Secretary shall submit the application and recommendation to the Board of Directors. If the application is approved by the Board of Directors it shall be submitted to the Governing Council. If a majority of this Council vote in approval of an application, the proposed charter shall be granted.

SECTION 1. The charter of any chapter may be suspended by vote of the Board of Directors. During such suspension the chapter shall not elect or induct new members.

SECTION 2. The procedure for withdrawal of a charter shall include: (a) an investigation convincing to the Board of Directors that such action is desirable and three-fourth affirmative vote of the Board to that effect; (b) submission of findings and recommendations of the Board to the Governing Council by the President; (c) two-thirds affirmative vote of the Governing Council; and (d) formal declaration by the President of withdrawal of the charter. Specifically, any chapter inactive for five years will be so notified and disenfranchised after expiration of a one year's grace period to allow the given chapter to consider and implement reactivation. Further, the charter of the chapter in a school that loses its accreditation will be invalidated and the chapter cannot elect new members.

SECTION 1. The official badge of this Society shall be in the form of a key or key-pin, and shall be invariable, having engraved thereon the three Greek letters AOA and the date of organization of the Society. On the reverse may be placed the name of the school, the name of the member owning the key and the date of his/her election.

SECTION 2. The certificate of membership in this Society shall be of such design and wording as the Board of Directors may approve. It shall bear the seal of the Society and the signatures of the President and the Secretary.

SECTION 3. The seal of this Society shall consist of a circular wreath of laurel in the inside of which near the wreath shall be placed the motto in Greek. Inside of this the words, Alpha Omega Alpha and below this "Organized in 1902."

SECTION 1. Proposals for amendment of the Constitution shall be submitted through the President to the Governing Council sixty days before the effective date of said amendment. A majority vote in favor shall be necessary to adopt.

1. Committees

a. A standing Committee on New Chapters shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors. This committee shall, upon direction by the President, investigate all applicant bodies and institution and also evaluate policies and make recommendations thereon to the Board of Directors.

b. An Executive Committee shall be appointed, consisting of the officers, and additional members as appointed by the officers. The duties of the Executive Committee shall be to transact the business of the Society in the interim between meetings of the Board of Directors.

c. The Board of Directors shall appoint such other committees, temporary or standing, as may from time to time be required.

2. Fees and Dues

a. The chapter charter fee shall be one hundred and fifty dollars ($150.00), payable to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Society before installation of the chapter.

b. The initiation fee to the Society will be established by the Board of Directors and may change from time to time as it may deem necessary.

c. Annual sustaining dues, which shall include an annual subscription to The Pharos, shall be set by the Board of Directors and shall be payable to the Secretary-Treasurer upon receipt of notice.

3. Fiscal Policy

a. The Board of Directors must approve an annual budget. There shall be an annual audit.

b. The fiscal year shall extend from September 1 to August 31.

4. Publication Policy

a. The Pharos shall be the official organ of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.

b. The Editor of The Pharos shall be appointed by the Board of Directors, and an Advisory Editorial Board recommended by the Editor shall be submitted for review and approval by the Board of Directors.

c. Advertisements will not be included in The Pharos.

d. The editor of The Pharos shall be an ex officio member of the Board of Directors of the Society and shall also serve as Executive Secretary of the Society at the discretion and direction of the Board of Directors.

5. Form of Charter

The form of the granting of charters shall be as follows:

"Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, by virtue of the authority granted to it by the State of Illinois, herewith grants to....the power to establish a chapter of this Society at....subject to the Constitution governing said Society. In token of these presents are herewith affixed the signatures of the President and the Secretary, with the corporate seal of the Society."

6. Amendments to By-Laws

Proposals for amendment of the By-Laws shall be submitted through the President to the Board of Directors of the Society. A majority vote in favor shall be necessary to adopt.

Revision of Constitution adopted 1992.