constitution

CONSTITUTION OF THE INTERURBAN CLINICAL CLUB AS AMENDED TO NOVEMBER 2022

  1. The name is to be the “Interurban Clinical Club”
  2. The objects of the Club are:
    • The stimulation of original work and investigation.
    • The development and improvement of methods of teaching.
    • Demonstration of work in the “border-line” subjects.
    • To give the members a better knowledge of physicians, methods, and work of other clinics. These objects are to be sought by meetings which are to be practical and at which few formal papers are to be allowed. The members will have the opportunity of showing work in medicine, either clinical or experimental. Special attention is to be given to the study of methods of teaching. The demonstration of work in other departments (e.g., pathology and physiology) is desired.
    1. The members shall be active, emeritus, or honorary. The active members shall be under 55 years of age, and shall reside in Boston, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia, or Baltimore; the total number shall not exceed 60, and not more than 14 shall be from any one city. The emeritus members shall consist of those previously active members who have become 55 years of age or have changed their residence to some place other than the above-named cities.The honorary members shall be outstanding persons, either medical graduates or not, who have distinguished themselves in medical work, and who have been elected unanimously by the Club.
      (See Amendment 3).
    1. The officers of the Club shall be a President, Secretary-Treasurer, and a Committee of five members, one to be chosen from each of the five cities, Boston, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. They shall be nominated at the annual meeting by a committee appointed by the President and composed of one member from each of the five cities, Boston, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, This report is to be submitted to and acted
    1. The President shall preside at the meetings and exercise the usual duties of the chair. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep a record of the proceedings, conduct the correspondence, collect the fees, and submit an annual report to the Club.
    1. The Council (composed of all the officers) shall determine the date and place of meeting; they shall have the supervision over the affairs of the Club, fix the yearly assessment, and appropriate money for the necessary expenditures
    1. Election of members. Nominations for membership shall be made in writing to the Secretary by any four members of the Club. Such nominations are to be acted on by the Council, and a unanimous vote by its members shall be necessary for the submission of the name to the Club.  Members may be elected at either the spring or the autumn meeting. The number of vacancies will be considered as that number that will exist at the time of the meeting following a physicians nomination to the Club by the Council. The names of candidates approved by the Council shall be transmitted to the members at least two months before the meeting. A four-fifths vote of the members of the Club present at the meeting shall be necessary for election. Not more than five new active members are to be elected in one year. Honorary members are to be elected at any meeting by a unanimous vote, which is to be taken by ballot. (See Amendment 3).
    1. Meetings. Two meetings are to be held in each year, one in the fall and one in the spring. The latter is to be the annual meeting at which the officers shall be elected. As a rule, two days are to be given to each meeting, and if thought advisable by the Council, two cities may be chosen.The local members in each city shall have charge of the meeting there, arrange the program, and the member of the Committee in that city shall act as the local Chairman in making arrangements for the meetings.The meetings are to be as practical as possible, and few formal papers are to be allowed.Demonstrations of methods of teaching, the giving of clinical demonstrations, showing experimental methods, etc., are the important aims of the Club. Free discussion and criticism are to be the features of the meetings. Guests may be invited to the meetings and by invitation contribute to the program.
    1. Absence from three consecutive meetings shall be considered an indication of a wish to discontinue active membership, and those who are absent from three consecutive meetings shall be reminded of this rule. (See Amendment 1).

 

  1. Notice to amend the Constitution may be given at any meeting. This must be made in writing by at least three members, and transmitted to the members of the Club before the next meeting, when action is to be taken on it. A two-thirds vote of the members of the Club present at the meeting shall be necessary for the adoption of the amendment.

AMENDMENTS

  1. (Adopted at 76th meeting, December 5, 1947). The Council shall have the privilege of determining the validity of excuses offered for absences; and in the event of three consecutive absences by a member, the Council may recommend to the Club either that the member remain active or be transferred to emeritus status.

  2. (Adopted at 76th Meeting, December 5, 1947). All active members of the Club (regardless of attendance) and emeritus members who attend the dinner shall share alike the costs of the dinner and entertainment.

  3. (Adopted at 77th meeting, April 2, 1948). Not more than five new members may be elected any one meeting. A total of 35 active members shall not be exceeded, nor more than nine active members from any one city.

  4. (Adopted at 104th meeting, December 1, 1961). Active members who move from one Club city to another Club city shall be transferred to the special category of “Members at Large”, and shall continue to assume the same financial responsibilities as active members until the age of 55.

  5. (Adopted at 122nd meeting, December 4, 1970). Change in Amendment 1: The Council will have the privilege of determining the validity of excuses offered for absences, and in the event of three consecutive absences by a member, the Council may recommend to the Club either that the member remain active or be dropped from membership.

  6. (Adopted at 127th meeting, April 6, 1973). Active members are expected to present a paper at meetings held in the city from which they hold membership.

  7. (Adopted at 150th meeting, December 7, 1984). The active membership of the Interurban Clinical Club shall be increased from 35 to 40. This increase will be accomplished by increasing the maximum number of active members by one member each year for five years. No city shall have more than ten active members.

  8. (Adopted at 153rd meeting, April 4, 1986). The limit of five new members that can be elected in a given year is removed; hence the maximum that can be elected will be determined by the number of active members at the time of each meeting and the ceiling on the number permitted by the Constitution at that time.

  9. (Adopted at the 161st meeting, April 6, 1990). The active membership of the Club shall be increased to 45. This increase will be accomplished by increasing the maximum number of active members by one member each meeting for the next two and one-half years. At the third meeting after the passage of this amendment, the limit of ten active members per city will be increased to 11.

  10. (Adopted at the 172nd meeting, November 3, 1995). Formal acceptance of membership following election to the Club requires attendance at one of the two subsequent meetings to be introduced to the Club.

  11. (Adopted at the 173rd meeting, April 12-13, 1996). The active membership of the Club shall be increased to 60. This increase will be accomplished by increasing the maximum number of active members by five members each meeting for the next three meetings. At the third meeting after the passage of this amendment, the limit of 11 active members per city will be increased to 14.

  12. (Adopted at the 210th meeting, November 7, 2014). Each meeting will have up to three speakers from the student body, either medical (MD) or joint degree (MD/PhD) students, of the institutions within the city.

  13. (Adopted at the 211th meeting, April 10, 2015). The membership from each city is increased to fifteen Active members, with no more than 18 Active members from each city. The total number of Active members shall not exceed 75 at any time.

  14. (Adopted at the 216th meeting, November 3, 2017). Emeritus/Honorary Members can attend the scientific sessions without cost. Emeritus/Honorary Members can attend the dinner at a fixed “Emeritus/Honorary Member rate” that is identical in amount as the “Member guest” rate.

  15. (Adopted at the 223rd meeting, November 3, 2022).  The membership from each city is expanded to include academic medical institutions within a 50 mile radius of Boston, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia, or Baltimore.