Name

The name of this organization shall be the Iowa Cancer Registrar’s Association, herein referred to as ICRA.

Purpose

The purposes of this Association shall be:

To promote research and education in Cancer Registry Administration and/or Practice, so that we may be of greater service to the cancer patient.

To raise the level of knowledge and performance of Cancer Registrars through continuing education.

To disseminate information to members of this Association regarding current activities, research, and trends in the cancer field.

To initiate and/or participate in programs to improve and standardize the compiling of Cancer Registry information.

To provide liaison between members of this Association and related professions, governmental agencies, medical and education institutions, the National Cancer Registrars Association, central Cancer Registry administrations, and other groups with needs and/or interests related to Cancer Registry functions.

Any other purpose consistent with the above purposes of this Association.

This Association is hereby declared to be a non-profit organization. It is not, nor shall it ever become, a trade union or collective bargaining agency. No persons otherwise qualified for membership in this Association will be denied membership because of age, race, religion, sex, origin, or political affiliation.

Membership

SECTION I. Classification of Membership

Membership shall be as follows:

ACTIVE: An Active member shall be one who is currently employed by a Cancer Registry; whose major duties comprise Cancer registry administration and/or practice; or any individual who has a special interest in Cancer registry work shall qualify for membership. An Active member in good standing shall be entitled to all membership privileges, including the right to hold office, vote or chair a committee.

STUDENT: A Student member shall be one who is currently pursuing education in the Cancer Registry Field. Student members may attend educational workshops and business meetings, but will not hold office or vote.    

SECTION II. Application for Membership

Application for membership shall be submitted in a manner prescribed by the Board of Directors, together with applicable fees.

SECTION III. Fiscal Year

The Fiscal Year of ICRA shall be from January 1^st through December 31^st.

 

SECTION IV. Dues

Prior to the Annual Meeting the Board of Directors shall fix the dues to be paid by the membership. The dues each year shall be payable on or before January 31^st.

SECTION V. Forfeiture

If the dues for the current year are not received by the Treasurer of this Association within thirty- (30) days from January 31^st, membership will be automatically forfeited.

SECTION VI. Resignation

Any member in good standing may resign by submitting his/her resignation in writing to the Board of Directors.

SECTION VII. Reinstatement

A former member shall be reinstated upon payment of the current year's dues plus the current reinstatement fee.

The reinstatement fee shall be set each year by the ICRA Board of Directors.

SECTION VIII. Expulsion

Any member who violates the Bylaws or the Code of Ethics of ICRA may be expelled from membership by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the entire Board of Directors after a hearing, provided said member has been given a copy of the charges together with sixty (60) days notice in writing of the time and place of the hearing. Service of notice and a copy of the charges may be made either by receipted personal delivery or by registered letter, return receipt requested, mailed to such member's last known address. An appeal regarding the action of the Board of Directors may be taken to the membership at a regularly scheduled business meeting in which event the decision shall be a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the members present and voting and such decision shall be final.

ARTICLE IV

Officers

SECTION I. The officers of this Association shall be:

A. President

B. Vice-President

C. Secretary

D. Treasurer

E. Immediate Past President

SECTION II. Eligibility

Only Active members in good standing for at least one (1) year shall be eligible to hold office.

SECTION III. Term of Office

Shall be two years or until a successor is elected as provided in these bylaws. Officers shall assume office at the conclusion of the Annual Business Meeting at which they are elected.

SECTION IV. Vacancies

A.  All vacancies except the office of the President may be filled for the unexpired term by appointment of the President with approval of the Board of Directors.

B. President: The Vice-President shall complete the unexpired term of the President.

SECTION V. Nomination and Election

A. Nominations for office shall be made by the Nominating Committee from the list of eligible members as prepared by the Secretary or may be made by any member in good standing to the Nominating Committee; nominations by any member in good standing also may be made from the floor at the Annual Membership business meeting; each nominee must give consent to serve before his/her name is placed on the ballot.

B. The election of officers shall be held in connection with the annual membership business meeting held in the even numbered years; all officers shall be elected by mail ballot; ballots shall be prepared and counted by the members of the Nominating Committee; election shall be by plurality vote regardless of the number of candidates; in case of a tie vote the two candidates with the highest number of votes shall be re-balloted; no individual may be elected to two offices at the same time.

SECTION VI. The duties of the officers shall be:

A. PRESIDENT: Shall preside at all meetings; shall appoint all standing committee chairs, except Bylaws and Membership Committee Chair; shall perform such duties as customary usage and parliamentary procedure may require; shall be a member ex-officio of all committees except the Nominating Committee; and shall perform other duties as assigned by the Board of Directors.

B. VICE-PRESIDENT: Shall assume the duties of the President in his/her absence; shall complete the unexpired term of the President in the event of vacancy; shall assist the President in carrying out his/her duties; shall act as chair of the Bylaws Committee; and shall perform other duties as assigned by the Board of Directors.

C. SECRETARY: Shall keep a record of all proceedings of the Association; shall keep on file all committee reports; shall keep the official roster and call the roll where required; shall keep attendance records; shall have on hand at each meeting a list of all existing committees and their members; shall prepare an order of business for use of the presiding officer; shall send out a notice of each meeting; shall conduct the general correspondence of the Association; and shall perform other duties as assigned by the Board of Directors.

D. TREASURER: Shall be responsible for the receipt and disbursement of all funds of the Association and keep an accurate record thereof; shall prepare a fiscal year financial report to be presented at the time of audit and at the annual business meeting and shall prepare a treasurer's report for any other business meeting; shall act as chair of the Membership Committee; and shall perform other duties as assigned by the Board of Directors.

E. IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: The Immediate Past President shall assist with the business of ICRA; and shall perform other duties as assigned by the Board of Directors.

Meetings of the Membership

SECTION I. There shall be at least one meeting of this Association each year. The time and place shall be determined by the Board of Directors.

SECTION II. The Association shall from time to time sponsor professional lectures, workshops, etc.

SECTION III. Notification

The official call of any business meeting shall be by mail or email at least fifteen (15) days prior to a scheduled meeting, to include agenda and any matter requiring special consideration.

SECTION IV. Quorum

The quorum shall be at least one-third (1/3) of the Active members, three of whom shall be elected officers.

SECTION V. Cancellation

In the event of circumstances prohibiting holding an official meeting, the Board of Directors may cancel the meeting and notice shall be given to all members as soon as possible.

Board of Directors

SECTION I. Composition

The Board of Directors shall be composed of the elected officers of this Association.

SECTION II. Powers and duties

The Board of Directors shall act for the Association between business meetings of the membership and shall be responsible for the management of the business and professional affairs of the Association. The Board of Directors shall:

A. Select the place and date of the Annual Meeting or appoint a committee for this purpose.

B. Approve application for membership when necessary or upon request.

C. Have authority to discipline any member for violation of professional ethics or the provisions of the bylaws. The procedure for such is stated in the bylaws.

D. Authorize the appointment of Committees to carry on the business of the Association.

E. Vote expenditures of monies for special purposes.

F. Fill all vacancies by appointment by the President with approval of the Board of Directors.

G. Be empowered to remove from office, by two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote, any officer or committee chair who fails to perform the duties of his/her office as required by the bylaws.

H. Prepare an annual operating budget at the beginning of each fiscal year and present an audited financial report to the membership at the annual business meeting of the membership. An Active member in good standing not serving as an officer selected by the Board of Directors may serve as an auditor for the time specified.

SECTION III. Meeting of the Board of Directors

A. The Board of Directors shall meet prior to the Annual meeting of ICRA, and at such times as deemed advisable during the year on call of the President or a majority of the Board.

B. A quorum shall be a majority of the members of the Board of Directors.

SECTION IV. Action without a Meeting

By direction of the President, matters requiring action between meetings of the Board of Directors may be decided by mail, email, or telephone vote, such proceedings are to be filed with the minutes of the Board of Directors.

Committees

SECTION I. Standing Committees

Unless otherwise stated in these bylaws the Board of Directors shall be empowered to create, combine, dissolve or change any standing or any special committees. The composition, size, and duties of the Committees shall be set forth in the Standing Rules. Unless specified otherwise, the chairman of each Committee shall appoint the Committee members.

SECTION II. Special Committees

As deemed necessary, Special Committees may be created by the membership or Board of Directors to carry on the affairs of ICRA.

SECTION III. Eligibility

Only Active members in good standing for at least one (1) full year prior to appointment shall be eligible to be appointed as Chairman of a Committee.

SECTION IV. Vacancies

Vacancies in Committee Chairs and Presidential appointments shall be filled by appointment by the President. All other vacancies shall be filled by the Committee Chairman.

SECTION V. Committee Reports

Each Chair is to submit a written report of Committee activities to the President prior to the annual meeting.

Parliamentary Authority

The Rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern this Association and all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws, special rules of order, and any Standing Rules ICRA may adopt.

Amendments

SECTION I. Amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed by the Board of Directors and/or Committees. Individual voting members may propose amendments provided such amendments are accompanied by written endorsement of at least three (3) Active members.

SECTION II. Any proposed amendments to the Bylaws shall be submitted in writing to the Vice President at least sixty (60) days prior to any membership business meeting.

SECTION III. An affirmative vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the Active members present and voting at a regularly scheduled membership meeting shall be required to adopt any amendments.

SECTION IV. A copy of the proposed amendments shall be sent (mail or email) to all members at least fifteen (15) days prior to a membership business meeting.

Standing Rules

SECTION I. Unless specified otherwise, the Board of Directors shall establish and amend the Standing Rules necessary to carry on the business of ICRA.

SECTION II. The Board of Directors shall notify the membership of any changes to Standing Rules in the official ICRA publication following such changes. Standing Rules shall be published and made available to the membership.

SECTION III. Any Standing Rule adopted by the Board of Directors may be rescinded by two-thirds (2/3) of the voting membership at a meeting of the membership.

ICRA Standing Rules

SECTION I. MEMBERSHIP

All applications for membership shall be submitted in writing to the Chairman of the Membership Committee. The application shall include a resume of the applicant's years of experience and/or education in the field of medicine or Cancer registry.

Upon review by the Chairman of the Membership Committee, applicants shall be notified of the action taken. Application with action taken shall be kept on file by the Chairman of the Membership Committee. If membership is not accepted, dues shall be refunded.

Dues shall be paid on a yearly basis and shall be due January 31^st and are delinquent thirty (30) days following this date.

SECTION II. COMMITTEES

PROGRAM COMMITTEE: Shall consist of the Chair and two (2) or more members who shall prepare and arrange the educational program. Free registration will be given to the program chair (and to program co-chair if applicable, with approval of the executive board). The hosting facility will receive 10% of the gross profits from the educational workshop, with these proceeds to be used as that facility deems appropriate.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE: Shall consist of the Chair and two (2) members who shall be responsible for recruiting nominees and conducting the election.

PUBLIC RELATIONS/COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE: Shall consist of the Chair and two (2) or more members and shall be responsible for the publication of this Association; shall see that it contains reports of the affairs of the Association, decisions of the Executive Committee, education items, committee reports, biographical sketches of members, results of elections and other items of interest, exclusive of the financial report; shall make provision for publication of positions wanted and personnel wanted; shall carry out projects designed to bring the Association and its activities to the attention of the public and other allied professions.

BYLAWS COMMITTEE: Shall consist of a Chair and two (2) or more members. The Chair shall be the Vice-President; shall receive all proposed amendments; shall submit them together with any which the Committee itself proposes with its recommendation for action to the membership of the Association at least fifteen (15) days prior to be voted upon.

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE: Shall consist of a Chair and two (2) or more members. The Chair shall be the Treasure, shall approve and process applications for membership, conduct membership drives, keep on file membership applications, bill membership for dues, keep a current membership list and encourage active member involvement in ICRA.

EDUCATION COMMITTEE: Shall consist of the Chair and additional members as needed. Duties include: Coordination of education and workshop materials such as CEU’s, speaker information and program topics. The chair will review program evaluations and submit a summary report to the executive board. Librarian: Shall serve on the education committee and be responsible for disbursements of educational materials to the membership. Historian: Shall serve on the education committee and be responsible for collection and maintenance of photographs and historical items used for display at special events.

SECTION III. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION

The Iowa Cancer Registrar's Abstract shall be the official ICRA publication.

SECTION IV. POLICY ON ICRA STIPEND AWARDS

The Board of Directors has the option of sending either the current ICRA President to the NCRA Meeting or sending another member of the Board of Directors (by drawing); and/or conducting an ICRA membership-wide stipend drawing for a local or regional workshop(s).

The Board of Directors will set the amount of money awarded each year based on the ICRA treasury resources, the meeting location, and the expenses of the NCRA Meeting for that particular year. (Recommend: cover at the minimum the cost of travel, hotel, and registration fee).

The ICRA President or member who attends the NCRA Meeting using ICRA funds will be required to join NCRA (If they are not already a member) before they will be allowed to accept the stipend money, and will be required to sign a "Letter of Intent."

The ICRA President or member who attends the NCRA meeting using ICRA funds will be required to attend the NCRA Annual Business Meeting and represent our state organization. They will also be required to report back to the ICRA membership by written report (to be published in the ICRA Newsletter) of activities of the meeting and educational sessions they attended.

The Board of Directors has the option of offering a stipend(s) to local or regional workshops based on the ICRA treasury resources. A drawing will be conducted with at least three ICRA members present with at least one being a member of the Board of Directors. All current ICRA members will be eligible for any drawing regardless of receiving ICRA stipend money in the past.

SECTION V. Policy on CTR AWARD

This award was created to be an incentive to strengthen the Cancer Registry profession by encouraging professional development of ICRA members. Each new Board of Directors has the option of continuing with the monetary award to ICRA members who successfully sit for the exam and become new CTRs. The Board of Directors will set the amount of money awarded each year based on the ICRA treasury resources. An ICRA member eligible to receive the CTR award must be a current ICRA member for two consecutive years, who is currently working in the Cancer Registry field in Iowa, or a hospital associated with Iowa, and is a first time CTR. 

 SECTION VI. Recommendations for ICRA Educational Workshops

ICRA sponsored Educational Workshops are vital to the mission of ICRA’s goal to raise the level of knowledge and performance of Cancer Registrars through continuing education. To encourage membership in ICRA, it is recommended that ICRA Workshop Fees be designated for “ICRA Members” at a reduced price to the “Non-member” workshop fee. Also, the use of a workshop “deadline date” for registration and “late registration fee” is recommended to help with timeless to aid in the planning of room size, meals, handouts and other resources needed to carry out a successful workshop.