The name of the society shall be THE SCANDINAVIAN FELLOWSHIP FOR ORAL PATHOLOGY AND ORAL MEDICINE (SFOPOM). Danish: Skandinavisk Forening for Oral Patologi og Oral Medicin. Finnish: Pohjoismainen Suupatologian ja Suulääketieteen Yhdistys. Icelandic: Skandinavķska félagiš um meina- og lyflęknisfręši munns og kjįlka. Norwegian: Skandinavisk Forening for Oral Patologi og Oral Medisin. Swedish: Skandinavisk Förening för Oral Patologi och Oral Medicin.
OBJECTS
The objects of the Fellowship shall be - within the Scnadinavian countries - to:
1) promote and encourage study and practice of oral pathology and oral medicine
2) promote and encourage education of oral pathologists, including support of
establishment of authorization of diagnostic microscopy of oral pathologists with a
basic education in dentistry
3) promote and encourage the understanding of the benefit of practicing clinical and
microscopical pathology together
4) facilitate communication between oral and general pathologists
5) represent the speciality towards dental and medical organizations and public
authorities in co-operation with other associations which have similar objects
6) encourage communication and cooperation among oral pathologists of all nations
in pursuance of those objectives through
“The International Association of Oral Pathologists”.
MEMBERSHIP
3.1 There shall be the following classes of membership:
Ordinary membership
Life membership
Honorary membership
3.2 Any individual who is interested in oral pathology shall be eligible for ordinary
membership. One shall become a member of the society upon payment of dues.
3.3 Membership may be automatically terminated by a member by notifying the General Secretary of her or his resignation. Membership may also be discontinued for any member by vote of two-thirds of the members present in person or proxy at a meeting
at which a quorum is present.
3.4 Upon written request filed with the General Secretary such former member may be
reinstated to membership by majority vote at a following meeting at which a quorum
is present.
3.5 Each dues paid member in good standard shall be entitled to one vote on each matter
submitted to a vote of the members.
3.6 Life membership are conferred on members of the society when they retire from
active work in oral pathology.
3.7 Honorary membership may be conferred by a two-thirds majority of members present
and voting (by ballot) in person or proxy at the Annual General Meeting on any person of distinction in pathology or dentistry who has contributed to the advancement of oral pathology and/or oral medicine.
3.8 Nominations for Honorary membership, which must be in written, shall be submitted
in the first instance to the General Secretary who will bring the proposal to be
considered at the next Annual General Meeting.
OFFICERS
4.1 The officers of the society shall be the President, the immediate Past-President, and
THE COUNCIL
5.1 The council shall be the officers.
5.2 The quorum of the Council shall be any two of the three officers.
DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL
6.1 The council shall conduct the affairs of the Society.
6.2 The President shall preside at all meetings of the members and of the Council. She or he may sign with the General Secretary any deeds or other instruments which a majority of the Council or a majority at any General Meeting of the Members have authorized to be executed. The President shall be ex officio the chairman of the organizing committee of the immediate following SFOPOM meeting in a Scandinavian country. She or he shall be ex officio the Scandinavian representative in any organizing committee of a joint meeting of SFOPOM and another society.
6.3 The Past-President shall be the auditor of the society’s accounts. In the absence of the President or in the event of her or his inability or refusal to act, the Past-President shall perform the duties of the President, and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the President.
6.4 The General Secretary shall be executive officer of the society. She or he shall keep the minutes of the meeting of the members and of the Council in one or more books or binders provided for that purpose; give all notices in accordance with the provisions of these bylaws or as required by law; be custodian of the corporate records and of the seal of the society, and affix the seal (if any) of the society to all documents, the execution of which on behalf of the society under its seal is duly authorized in accordance with the provisions of these bylaws; keep a register of the post-office address (telephone number, fax number and e-mail address if any) of each member which shall be furnished to the General Secretary by each member; she or he shall have charge and custody of and be responsible for all funds and securities of the society; collect dues from the members, receive and give receipts for moneys due and payable to the society from any source whatsoever, and deposit all such moneys in the name of the society in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as the Council may select in accordance with the provisions of these bylaws; and in general perform all the duties incident to the office of General Secretary and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to her or him by the President or by the Council.
The agendas for council meetings and the general business meetings of the members are prepared by the General Secretary.
6.5 The fiscal year of the society shall be from 1 January till 31 December. The accounts of the society shall be kept by the General Secretary and be audited by the Past- President before being presented to the members for approval at the Annual General Meeting.
6.6 The Council, by resolution adopted by a majority of the Councillors in office, may designate and appoint one or more committees. Among the members of each such committee at least one shall be member of the society exclusive the General Secretary who shall ex officio be member of such committees.
6.7 Each member of a committee shall continue as such until the next regular meeting of the members of the society and until her or his successor is appointed, unless the committee shall be sooner terminated. The members of the Committee appoint a chairman among them.
6.8 The committees make recommendations to the council. In case the recommendation leads to decisions no such decisions shall take effect until they have been confirmed at an Annual General Meeting by a majority of the members then present (in person or proxy) voting in favour of it.
MEETINGS
7.1 An Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held every year. The meeting are held by turns in Scandinavian cities, but the succession may be deviated from, and the council may decide to hold a meeting outside Scandinavia being a joint meeting with another society or not. A general business meeting shall be included in the Annual General Meeting.
Members of the International Association of Oral Pathologists who are not registered members of SFOPOM may attend the meeting of SFOPOM without the right of voting.
7.2 All Annual General Meetings in Scandinavia shall be called by the President in office. Written of printed notice stating the place, day and hour of any meeting of members shall be delivered either personally or by mail to each member entitled to vote at such meeting, at a time reasonably calculated to give each such member adequate notice of such meeting.
7.3 When International Association of Oral Pathologists (IAOP) holds a congress in Europe, the Annual General Meeting of SFOPOM shall consist of a business meeting only for all SFOPOM members present at the congress. The General Secretary is responsible for reservation of a meeting room on such occasions and shall deliver either personally or by mail written or printed notice stating the place, day and hour of such a meeting to each member entitled to vote at the meeting at a time reasonably calculated to give each such member adequate notice of such a meeting.
7.4 The members holding twenty percent (20 %) of the votes which may be cast at any meeting of members shall constitute a quorum at such meeting. If a quorum is not present (in person or by proxy) at any meeting of members, the majority of the members present may decide which matters should be adjourned for a following meeting and which matters should require voting by mail. In the latter case the General Secretary shall be responsible for mailing ballots and information to the members entitled to vote.
7.5 Scientific meetings may be held at any time.
DUES
8.1 At the Annual General Meeting the General Secretary proposes the amount of annual dues payable to the society by members. A majority of the members present at the meeting (in person or by proxy) shall decide the amount of the fee whether a quorum is present or not.
8.2 The annual dues shall be payable in advance before the end of December in each year.
8.3 When any member of any class shall be in default in the payment of dues for a period of twenty-four (24) months from the beginning of the period for which such dues become payable, her or his membership may thereupon be terminated by the General Secretary who shall inform the member in written or print about the measure to be taken at least six months before the end of the period.
8.4 Honorary members and Life members will not be required to pay dues.
DISSOLUTION
9.1 The society may be dissolved by a resolution at an Annual General Meeting for which a three-fourth majority of members then present (in person or proxy) has voted in favour.
9.2 Notice of any resolution by the council to dissolve the society shall be sent to members at least six weeks before the Annual General Meeting.
9.3 In the event of the society being dissolved the Council shall transfer its assets to a purpose to be nominated by the Council.
10.1 Any member of the society has the right to propose amendments of the bylaws. Such suggestions shall be mailed to the General Secretary for consideration by the Council. The Council shall have power to alter the articles but no such alteration shall take effect until the same has been confirmed at an Annual General Meeting by at least two-thirds of the members then present voting in favour of it and on condition that a quorum is present in person or proxy. Notice of any alterations to the articles shall be sent to members six weeks before the Annual General Meeting.
ADOPTED effective as of 10 August 1977