Whereas the need for cohesive action on the part of physicians and dentists of Kerala (India) heritage residing in the United States of America & Canada exists, it is hereby resolved that a non-profit organization be formed to maintain the identity of the said group of physicians and dentists to provide a forum for scientific, educational, cultural, and social interaction among its members
SECTION 1 :
The name of the organization shall be the Association of Kerala Medical Graduates (AKMG). Membership will consist of physicians and dentists of Kerala heritage.
SECTION 2 :
It shall maintain its office in the state designated by the Governing Body.
SECTION 1 :
SECTION 2 :
No part of the net earnings or assets of the Association shall be used to the benefit of or be distributable to it members, officers, or other private persons except those are that authorized and empowered by the Association to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purpose set forth in Section 1 hereof. The Association shall not carry on any activities not permitted: (a) by a corporation exempt from Federal Income Tax under section 501 (C) (3) of the Internal Revenue code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law, or (b) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170 (C) (3) of the internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law.
SECTION 3 :
Upon dissolution of the Association, the Governing Body shall, after paying or making provisions for the payment of all outstanding debts, dispose of all assets of AKMG to organizations formed exclusively for charitable, religious, cultural, or scientific purposes and qualify as tax exempt under Section 501 (C) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law. All remaining assets shall be transferred to an entity as adjudicated by a court with the appropriate jurisdiction in the county where the principal office of AKMG is located.
SECTION 1 :
Active Member: Defined as physician or dentist of Kerala (India) heritage who is practicing medicine or dentistry or is engaged in research, teaching, or other employment,or retired from such occupation in the United States or Canada and is current in payment of membership dues.
SECTION 2 :
Associate Member: Defined as physician or dentist of Kerala (India) heritage who is residing in any of the states of United States or Canada and is currently enrolled in a medical/dental school, or an individual who has completed medical or dental school and who is residing in the United States or Canada, awaiting for a position in an approved training program, or is currently undergoing training in an approved training program. Those undergoing training will be Trainee Associate Members and will pay annual dues at discounted rates. Associate Members awaiting a training position and associate student members will not be required to pay annual dues.
SECTION 3 :
Honorary Member: The Governing Body may, from time to time, award Honorary Membership to physicians or dentists as recognition for their outstanding achievements in the health care field or services to the community.
SECTION 4 :
Courtesy Member: Defined as any physician or dentist, or the spouse of an active member separated due to death or divorce,who cannot be included in any of the above categories but is interested in the activities of this organization and pays annual dues or fees.
SECTION 5 :
Voting Rights: Only Active and Associate Members will have voting rights. Only Active Members can hold elective office.
SECTION 6 :
Approval of membership: The application for membership shall be reviewed for eligibility and good moral and ethical standards by the Governing Body and approved by a simple majority with required quorum.
SECTION 7 :
Revocation of Membership: Membership may be revoked for violations of articles of the Constitution and Bylaws of AKMG, by a two-third (2/3) majority of the Governing Body after due notifications. Such notification shall be made in writing thirty days in advance. Any member or officer may appeal such a revocation and may be re-instated by a two-third (2/3) majority of the Active Members entitled to vote in a meeting constituted for the purpose.
SECTION 1 :
The Governing Body shall be composed of members of the Executive Committee and the Board of Governors.
SECTION 2 :
The Executive Committee of the Association consists of the Immediate Past President, the President, the President Elect, the Vice President, the Secretary and the Treasurer.
SECTION 3 :
The Board of Governors shall be composed of upto fifteen members at-large elected by the General Body. One of the ten members shall be a representative of the students, residents, fellows, and physician/dentists within the first two years after completing their training program. At least one member shall be a representative of young physicians/dentists in the first ten years after completion.
Newly nominated Governors are required to have attended at least two of the last five AKMG Annual Conventions with the exception of the young physicians. A young physician is defined as one who is in training or one within the first two years of practice.
SECTION 4 :
Eligibility: Only voting members of the Association, as described in Article III, Section 1, with two years in good standing in the Association shall be eligible for nomination to any office.
SECTION 1 : PRESIDENT
The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Association and shall perform all duties incidental to the office of the President and such other duties as may be designated by the Governing Body. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Governing Body. The President shall make such appointments as are required or authorized by the constitution and/or by the Governing Body. The President may sign with Secretary or any other proper officer of the Association authorized by the Governing Body any deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts, or other instruments which the Governing Body has authorized to be executed, except in cases where the signing and execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Governing Body to some other agent of the Association. The President shall designate delegated or representatives to other groups; the President shall appoint such special and Ad Hoc Committees as may be necessary to further the Association's objectives; and the President may dissolve any such committee when its purpose has been served, in consultation with the Executive Committee. In time of urgency and/or expediency the President may be vested with the authority to make decisions by consultation with the majority of the Executive Committee Members. The decision shall be conveyed to all the Governing Body Members and ratified at the next Governing Body Meeting.
SECTION 2 : EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Association and implementation of the decisions of the Constitution. The Executive Committee shall fill any vacancy in the office of Secretary and Treasurer by appointment in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and ratified at the next General Body meeting. It shall have the authority to create staff positions and assign appropriate titles thereto. It shall create all standing committees and direct their activities.
SECTION 3 : PRESIDENT-ELECT/VICE PRESIDENT
The President-elect shall perform the functions of the President in his/her absence and other duties assigned by The Executive Committee. The President-elect shall succeed the President in case of death, disability, or resignation of the President before the term of office is complete, which in turn will be notified to the next General Body. In that context the Vice President shall perform the functions of the President-elect.
SECTION 4 :
A) SECRETARY
The Secretary shall:
B) TREASURER
The Treasurer shall:
SECTION 5 : GOVERNING BODY
The Governing Body shall have the duties and powers as ordinarily delegated to the governing board of an association or corporation. It shall govern and direct the activities of the Association including the activities of the Executive Committee. The Governing Body shall set the membership dues for the Association.
SECTION 6 : GENERAL BODY
The General Body shall consist of all Active and Associate Members of the Association and shall be the ultimate authority of the organization.
SECTION I : GENERAL BODY MEETING
SECTION 2 :
The Governing Body of AKMG shall meet at least once a year. Fifty percent shall constitute a quorum.
SECTION 1 :
Amendment(s) to this Constitution may be effected by two-third (2/3) of the active members present at a regular meeting of the General Body, provided that such amendment has been emailed to all members at least thirty days prior to this meeting.
SECTION 2 :
Any proposed amendment shall be submitted to the Governing Body in writing by one-third of the Governing Body members or by the Constitution and Bylaws Committee.
SECTION 3 :
The Constitution can be amended only by the General Body.
SECTION 1 :
ALL committees shall be appointed by the President, with the approval of the Governing Body.
SECTION 2 :
The special and Ad Hoc Committees shall be created by the President and shall be dissolved by the President upon completion of their functions.
SECTION 1 :
To oversee and to operate the Trustee account of AKMG.
SECTION 2 : ELECTION
The board shall consist of three members elected by the General Body of AKMG. The immediate past President of the Association shall be a non-voting, Ex-Officio member of the board.
SECTION 3 : TERM
The term of the three members shall be a maximum of three years and the past President's term shall be for one year. A member may be re-elected for a maximum of six years of consecutive service. Every year one member shall be elected by the General Body to replace the retiring member of the board of trustees.
The board shall elect its chairperson who will be responsible for book-keeping and operational activities for the account. They will provide the Secretary/Treasurer of the Association with a copy of the statement of the Trustee Account on a regular basis and assist them with all the information necessary in filing the year-end tax return.
At least one other trustee must co-sign with the chairperson to validate any transaction of the Trustee Account,
SECTION 4 : RECALL/REPLACEMENT
The Board of Trustees can be totally or individually recalled by a two-third (2/3) majority vote of the General Body.
SECTION 5 : TRUSTEE FUND
Purpose :To safeguard the life membership dues of the Association separate from the routine operational account. Any life membership that is collected in the future should directly be deposited into the Trustee Account. The revenue from this account shall be transferred to the operational account on an annual basis as needed. The President shall be allowed to transfer up 7.5% from the Trust Account to the Operating Account in any given fiscal year with the approval of the Governing Body.
SECTION 1 : DUES
Active and Associate Trainee members shall pay annual dues which shall be determined and reviewed as needed by the Governing Body. Honorary members and Associate Student Members are not required to pay dues. The fiscal year shall be the calendar year. Annual dues shall be due and payable on or before December 1 of the preceding year. If the dues are unpaid after January 15 of the fiscal year, a notice will be sent. After February 28 if dues remain unpaid, all rights and privileges of the member/members shall be suspended until such dues are paid in full. A couple may pay 150% of the annual dues paid by an individual Active Member and receive full benefits for both members as described in Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution. Any individual or couple paying 10 years of annual dues in advance shall be considered a Life Member with the following benefits: (i) no further annual dues are expected from the member/members for the rest of their life and (ii) they receive an automatic exemption from paying any dues for attending the Continuing Medical Education programs held in connection with the Annual Meeting, however, they may be required to pay for certification of attendance at such programs.
SECTION 2 : ELECTION
SECTION 3 : TERMS OF OFFICE
SECTION 4 : COMMITTEES
The following shall be the Standing Committees of the Association. The Chairperson of each of these Committees shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Governing Body. The remaining member of the Committee shall be selected from the general membership by each Chairperson and approved by the Executive Committee:
1. Constitution and Bylaws
2. Membership
3. Medical Education and Research
4. Nomination
5. Publications and Public Relations
6. Convention
SECTION 5 : SPECIAL COMMITTEES
In addition to the Standing Committees, the President can appoint special committees as deemed necessary. Such committees should be approved by the Governing Body at its next meeting.
SECTION 6: QUORUM
The quorum for any meeting of the Governing Body shall consist of a simple majority. The quorum for any meeting of the General Body shall be one-third of the total membership or fifty, whichever is less.
SECTION 7: PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
In the absence of any provision in the Bylaws of this Association, members of the Governing Body and all Committee members shall be guided by the Parliamentary Rules as contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order.
SECTION 1 : FUNDS OF ASSOCIATION
SECTION 2 : SURPLUS FROM ANNUAL CONVENTION
1. 25% to AKMG – HS
The latest version after amendments at General Body on August 5th, 2022 at Toronto, Canada.