Constitution

Constitution and Bylaws of the Harvard Odontological Society

Revised February 1956; March 1961; February 1962; February 1974; November 1998; March 2015
Organized in Boston July 2, 1878

Preamble

Whereas, it is desirable to maintain and cultivate the professional and social relations existing among the graduates and faculty of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, we hereby form ourselves into an association for the purpose of renewing and further promoting the Art and Science of Dentistry with all its collateral branches, and have adopted for our government the following Constitution and By-laws.

Constitution

Article I

Name

This Society shall be known by the name of the Harvard Odontological Society.

Article II

Officers

Section 1. The officers of this Society shall be a President, a President-Elect, who shall, ipso facto, become President at the expiration of his/her term of office, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and two Executive Committee Members who, with the above officers, shall constitute the Executive Committee. They shall be chosen annually by ballot to hold their respective offices for the year following their election or until their successors are elected, except for the Executive Committee Members, one of whom shall be elected each year for two years. A majority of the votes polled at the meetings shall be necessary for a choice.
Section 2. The officers of the Society shall constitute the Council.

Article III

Membership

Section 1. The Society shall consist of Active, Corresponding, Life, Honorary, Predoctoral and Advanced Graduate Education Fellow Members.

Section 2. Any graduate of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine or any officers of instruction in the Harvard School of Dental Medicine of at least one year standing is eligible to become an Active Member of this Society. For election he/she must be endorsed by two active members, be favorably reported after investigation by the Executive Committee as to character, personal and professional qualifications, and receive three fourths of the votes of the members present at any regular meeting subsequent to the Committee’s report. He/she shall thereafter pay the annual assessments. Individuals who have studied for a full academic year at the postdoctoral level at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine may be considered as candidates for membership in the Harvard Odontological Society. Final determination for eligibility of any one individual may be placed under the jurisdiction of the Executive Committee should this be deemed necessary.

Section 3. Corresponding members shall reside outside a one hundred mile radius of Boston and shall have the same qualifications for membership as Active Members. They shall be exempt from all dues but shall pay an annual assessment for mailing and the current dinner charge when present. They shall not be eligible to hold office nor have the right to vote.

Section 4. Life Members: Those members in good standing who have been Active Members for twenty-five years or who have honorably retired from practice may, upon application and by three-fourths vote of the members present and voting, be transferred to Life Membership. Such members shall be exempt from the payment of further annual dues and assessments, except for dinners when attending meetings. They shall have the right to vote and shall be eligible to hold office.

Section 5. Honorary Members: Individual who have distinguished themselves in dentistry or related fields may be elected to Honorary Membership by a three-fourths vote of the members present and voting. They shall be entitled to all privileges, conform to all requirements, be subject to all penalties, and be exempt from all dues and assessments, except dinners when present at a regular meeting. Such members shall not be eligible for election or be entitled to vote for any office in the Society, except former members who shall retain their voting power. At no time shall any Corresponding, Life, or Honorary Member pay more in dinner fees, in one fiscal year, than annual dues for Active Membership.

Section 6. Predoctoral Student Members: Individuals currently enrolled at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in the predoctoral dental degree program are eligible to become predoctoral student members of the Harvard Odontological Society. For election, the applicant must be endorsed by two active members, be favorably reported after investigation by the Executive Committee as to character, personal and professional qualifications, and receive three fourths of the votes of the members present at any regular meeting subsequent to the Committee’s report. Predoctoral student members will be entitled to all privileges, conform to all requirements, be subject to all penalties, and be exempt from payment of annual dues and assessments except for dinners at the student rate ($15.00) when attending meetings. They will not have the right to vote or be eligible to hold office. At no time will any predoctoral student member pay more in dinner fees, in one fiscal year, than one-half of the annual dues for Active Membership. Predoctoral student members may maintain their membership status for up to one year after graduation.

Section 7. Advanced Graduate Education Fellow Members: Individuals currently enrolled at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in the Advanced Graduate Education Program are eligible to become Advanced Graduate Education Fellow Members of the Harvard Odontological Society. For election, the applicant must be endorsed by two active members, be favorably reported after investigation by the Executive Committee as to character, personal and professional qualifications, and receive three fourths of the votes of the members present at any regular meeting subsequent to the Committee’s report. Advanced Graduate Education Fellow Members will be entitled to all privileges, conform to all requirements, and be subject to all penalties. The dues will be one half the amount charged for Active Membership. Advanced Graduate Education Fellow Members will be exempt from annual assessments and the current dinner charge when present. They will not have the right to vote or be eligible to hold office. Individuals who have studied for a full academic year at the Advanced Graduate Education level may be considered for Active Membership in the Harvard Odontological Society.

By-Laws

Article I

President

The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society and Council, call special meetings, appoint a nominating committee of three to five to bring in a slate of officers at the November meeting to be voted on at the March meeting, and perform such other duties as usually devolve upon a presiding officer.

Article II

President-Elect

President-Elect
The President-Elect shall call the meeting to order in the absence of the President, and preside until a President pro tempore be chosen; he/she shall be a member of the Executive Committee and of the Council and shall be expected to attend all meetings of these committees.

Article III

Secretary

The Secretary shall keep a minute record of the proceedings of all the meetings of the Society, and record them in a book provided for that purpose, which record shall be subject at all times, after adoption, to the inspection of the members. He/she shall countersign all bills, notify new members and officers of their election, committees of their appointment, Active Members of any proposed candidates for membership, proposed changes in the Constitution and By-Laws, and Active, Corresponding, Life and Honorary members of the time and place of all meetings, and conduct the correspondence of the Society. He/she shall keep a list of the members on which he/she shall note the date of the election, place of residence, time of death, and resignation or loss of membership of each. He/she shall receive and preserve all books, papers and other property belonging to the Society not appertaining to the duties of other officers, and in the absence of the President, and President-Elect, shall call the meeting to order and act until a President pro tempore be chosen. When absent, he/she shall send the records to the meetings. He/she shall report at each annual meeting, deliver all books, letters, papers, and other property belonging to the Society to his successor in office. In recognition of the services rendered by him/her, the dues of the Secretary shall be remitted during his/her term in office.

Article IV

Treasurer

The Treasurer shall have the charge and general management of all funds belonging to the Society, keeping a correct account of all receipts and expenditures, collect all dues, and give receipts for the same. No bill shall be paid by him/her unless countersigned by the Secretary. He/she shall prepare a statement of his/her accounts at the expiration of his/her term of office and present such with the vouchers thereof to the Executive Committee for approval. He/she shall deliver to his/her successor in office the books, papers, and funds belonging to the Society. In case of absence of the President, President-Elect, and Secretary, he/she shall call the meeting to order at the proper time, and perform the function of presiding officer until a President pro tempore is elected.

Article V

Executive Commitee

Section 1. The Executive Committee shall provide proper places for all meetings of the Society, make all necessary arrangements, investigate the qualifications of candidates in accordance with Article III of the Constitution and Article VIII of the By-Laws, audit the accounts of the Treasurer before the Annual Meeting, superintend the printing of the Society, transact such other business as may be referred to it by the Society.
Section 2. The Executive Committee shall meet either at the call of the President or any three members of the Executive Committee to consider any necessary business.

Article VI

Council

The Council, which is made up of all the officers of the Society, shall constitute a court for the trial of members who violate the Law of Ethics of the Society. Charges against a member must be made in writing to the President, who shall call a meeting of the Council for investigation, at which time the accused or his representative, who must be a member in good standing of the Society, may be present. The result of this investigation shall be reported to the Society, which, at its next regular meeting shall, by three-fourths vote of the members present and voting, take such action as the case warrants.

Article VII

Duties And Pivileges Of Members

Section 1. Every candidate for membership must be a graduate of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, or have studied for a full academic year at the post-doctoral level, or must have served as an officer of instruction for at least one year at that institution.

Section 2. All candidates shall be endorsed by two active members, who shall refer them, through the Secretary, to the Executive Committee for investigation. The names of such candidates shall be announced by the Secretary during the meeting and shall be printed, together with the names of the endorsers, on the notices of the next meeting at which a ballot shall be taken.

Section 3. All members shall be chosen by ballot. Three-fourths of the vote of those present and voting at any regular meeting shall be necessary to elect an Active, Corresponding, Life or Honorary Member. Elections to Active membership shall be void unless the candidate shall sign the constitution and pay the dues for that year or part of the year within three months after his/her election.

Section 4. Any candidate who fails to receive the necessary number of votes which would entitle him/her to membership will not be allowed to make another application for one year following his/her first application. In such an event, the fact that he/she was rejected shall be so stated.
Section 5. A member of good standing may invite guests to any meetings of the Society; on such occasion he/she shall present his/her guest’s name, to the Treasurer for announcement, and shall pay the current dinner assessment.

Section 6. The President-Elect, upon his/her election, shall also be considered the Chairperson of the Program Committee, a committee of three, the Chairperson having the responsibility of appointing the other two members. The duty of the Program Committee is to provide the Society with speakers for the meetings during the term of office that the Chairperson of the Program Committee will be President. All essayists are to speak on subjects of interest to the Society. The Chairperson of the Program Committee may, if he/she wishes, be solely responsible for the selection of the speaker for the Annual meeting.

Section 7. The expense of speakers from without the regular membership may be paid from the Treasurer upon authorization of the Executive Committee. The Society may make an appropriation, or limit the funds to be utilized by the Program Committee for speakers.

Article VIII

Fees

Section 1. Active Members shall pay the established annual dues. Any member who joins at or after the October meeting shall pay pro rata dues.

Section 2. The annual dues for Active Members are payable in advance at the Annual Meeting. If the dues of any member remain unpaid for two months, his/her name shall be erased from the list of Active Members of this Society, provided that the Treasurer has notified him/her by registered letter of his delinquency at least 30 days before such action is taken.

Article IX

Meetings

Section 1. Regular meetings of the Society shall be held on the third Thursday evening of each month at 6:30 P.M. unless otherwise determined by the Executive Committee. There shall be no less than three Regular Meetings each year. The Executive Committee shall have full power to determine the number, time, and place of the meetings, subject to the above restrictions. Special meetings may be called by the President, at his/her discretion, or upon the written request of ten active members, due notice thereof being sent to all members by the Secretary.

Section 2. The Annual Meeting of the Society shall be held on the third Thursday in March at 6:30 P.M.

Section 3. All officers of this Society shall be elected annually (except as provided in Article II, Section I, of the Constitution) at a meeting prior to the Annual Meeting, or at any special one previous to the Annual meeting called for such a purpose, and such officers, when elected, shall be installed into their respective offices at the close of business at the Annual Meeting.

Article X

Quorum

A quorum shall consist of ten Active Members.

Article XI

Rule Of Debate

The standard of parliamentary usage shall be the Scott Foresman Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 1990 Edition.

Article XII

Alteration And Amendment of the Constitution and by-Laws

Any alteration or amendment to the Constitution and By-Laws must be made in writing and signed by the member offering the same. It must be presented at a regular meeting and can be acted upon at the next regular meeting, when a three-fourths ballot vote for its adoption shall be necessary.

Article XIII

Order of Business

1. Call to order by presiding officer.
2. Reading of records of the previous meeting.
3. Reports of Committees.
4. Unfinished business.
5. New business.
6. Adjournment for reading of essay, discussion and dinner.

Article XIV

Ethics

The Code of Ethics, as generally adopted by the profession, is substantially recognized by this Society, and any violation of it shall be investigated by the Council as prescribed by the Constitution and By-Laws.

Article XV

Regulations for Members In the National Services

Any member in active national service shall be retained as an active member of the Society without cost to him/her except for dinners he/she is able to attend.
On request, any member of the Society entering active national service shall be entitled to a refund of dues paid in excess of the dinner charges at the time of induction or departure for such service.
The non-payment of dues by Active Members in national service should not be allowed to affect eligibility for life membership.
Twenty-five years of active membership makes a member eligible for life membership even though some of the period be spent in active national service during which payment of dues is not required.

Article XVI

No Inurement to the Benefit of any Individual: Construction of the Constitution and BY-Laws of the Society

Section 1. This organization was created and is operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Section 2. No part of the net earnings of the Association shall inure to the benefit of or be distributed to its members or any private individuals. No substantial part of the activities of the Association shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the Association shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles the Association, dispose of all the assets of the Association exclusively for the purpose of the Association, or to such organization or organizations that exist and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or
organizations under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the Federal Government or to a State or local government for a public purpose.

Article XVII

Satellite Chapters

Authority is hereby granted by the Harvard Odontological Society for the establishment of satellite chapters. Each such chapter shall be known by the name “Harvard Odontological Society of [City].” The parent chapter shall continue to be known as the Harvard Odontological Society.
The criteria for eligibility for membership in a satellite chapter are the same as those for the parent chapter. Any individual eligible for membership in the Harvard Odontological Society and practicing or residing in a city may initiate the creation of a new chapter in that city, but prior to doing so shall request in writing, and shall obtain the written consent of the majority of the Harvard Odontological Society’s Officers. Upon attaining a membership of at least six (6) persons, such number being the minimum to fill the requisite six (6) officer positions in a chapter, a satellite chapter may apply in writing to the Harvard Odontological Society for recognition. The President or, in his/her absence, another one of the Officers, shall present the request at a regular meeting to the members of the Harvard Odontological Society. Recognition shall be granted by a vote of the majority of the members present at the meeting.
Individuals who are Corresponding Members of the Harvard Odontological Society and who join a satellite chapter may remain a member of the parent chapter at no additional corresponding member dues.
Each satellite chapter may establish its own by-laws, provided that no by-law may conflict with or supersede that of the Harvard Odontological Society. The Harvard Odontological Society’s decisions shall be binding on any question where a conflict or the appearance of a conflict arises.
In order to remain in good standing, a satellite chapter must meet at least twice annually. Minutes of each meeting must be forwarded to the Secretary of the Harvard Odontological Society no later than three (3) weeks following a meeting.
Each chapter may set its own dues, but $50.00 of each member’s dues shall be forwarded to the Harvard Odontological Society.
A “written” communication shall include letters, faxes and e-mails, but no other form of communication, such as text messages or postings on social media.
A majority of members attending a regularly scheduled meeting of the Harvard Odontological Society may revoke a satellite chapter’s charter for cause if the chapter is not meeting its obligations under the by-laws or is not living up to the ideals of the Society. A chapter will be given notice of an intention to revoke its charter, and will be given an opportunity to appeal an adverse decision to the full membership. It may do so in person.