By-Laws

• The progression and development of the scientific thinking in the specialties of the Society (adult and pediatric pulmonology, thoracic surgery, critical care, allergy, sleep medicine and respiratory therapy).
• Giving the opportunity for the workers in the Society to contribute the scientific development of its fields.
• Enhancing exchange of scientific thinking in its field amongst different institutions and disciplines in the Kingdom and abroad.
• Offering consultation and performing the appropriate studies to improve the level of performance in the fields of the Society in different institutions/disciplines.
• Participation in Public Health Education in problems and diseases of the chest.
• Issuing booklets, letters, etc. for public health education.
• Establishing and running the following programs:
  1. Anti-smoking campaigns
  2. Tuberculosis control program
  3. Home oxygen program
  4. Other programs related to the specialties of the society
  5. Any of these programs can be run as a separate unit, under the supervision of the Society.
• Cooperating with other societies and institutions with similar activities

The Society will achieve its objectives listed in paragraph 2, by all possible means particularly by:

• Promoting the scientific research and the related topics, publishing the results of such research, distributing and exchanging them with the related disciplines.
• Issuing journal, bulletin and letters indicating the results of the research being done in its fields.
• Arranging scientific trips after approval of the appropriate authority.
• Establishing a library which contains books and periodicals mainly in pulmonary medicine.

All activities under the auspices of the STS should be approved by the board of directors.

The following three types of memberships can be offered:

• Active Membership: This will be offered to those who will meet the membership requirements and having a related discipline degree or interest in any of the specialties of the Society. Active members have the right to vote.
• Affiliate Membership: Interns, residents and fellows in training programs related to the society can be offered such membership while in training. Registration and annual fees are reduced. However, affiliated members cannot attend any of the Society administrative meetings and have no voting rights.
• Honorary membership: This can be offered to those whom the Society would like to select from those who have contributed financially or morally supporting its development in a field or another in the Kingdom or abroad. Selection of the honorary member shall be done by voting on nomination of that member by the Board of Directors. The honorary members shall be exempted from any yearly dues. The honorary member may attend the general assembly meeting and its different committees but he will not have the right to vote in decision-making or in election.

Member Benefits:

• Receiving publications of the Society at no extra charge with free access to the Society’s publications online.
• Priorities to attend Society’s meetings at a discounted rate.
• The opportunity to chair sessions in Society’s meetings and active participation in scientific committees related to the member’s experience and academic interest.
• Names of active members will be submitted for possible sponsorship (when feasible) to attend scientific meetings related to the specialties of the Society locally or abroad.
• Free attendance of the monthly activity (Chest Club).
• CME credit for the Society’s activities.

The following conditions are stipulated for membership enrollment.

• To have a valid registration in Saudi Medical Council
• To apply for joining the Society
• To pay the yearly dues
• To be endorsed by two active members of the Society

The request for active membership shall be discussed and approved by the Board of Directors

The Society membership shall be-terminated upon:

• Request of the member to terminate his membership
• Unfulfilled of the membership requirement
• Delinquency for paying the yearly dues after a whole year and after being informed that the dues are delinquent and he should be paying those dues within the last three months of the year pointed to.
• Any activity that would bring professional or financial harm to the Society, which would be decided after full investigation ordered by the Board of Directors and responsibility of the concerned member has been proven and verified. In any circumstances, the membership will not be terminated till the final decision taken by the Board and the member is notified within two weeks of issuing that decision but the member will not retrieve any membership dues, gifts or donations that he gave to the Society.

It is possible to re-grant membership to an ex-member who lost his membership under item 6(c) above after paying his/her delinquent dues or membership dues for 3 years whatever is least.

The Board of Directors consists of not more than 9 members who will be elected by the general assembly of the Society using secret ballots. The Board of Directors members have to be consultants in good standing in a specialty related to the Society. The functions of the Board of Directors will be to make decisions and to take actions that would guarantee the proper performance of the Society in its functions and achieving its objectives. Board of Directors membership will be for three years, which can be renewable for no more than one 3- year term.

The Board of Directors will hold a routine meeting every three months but emergency meeting(s) may be called upon request of the President of the society, at least half of its members or upon a request of one fifth of the members of the general assembly. The meetings of the Board of Directors will be in order and binding when more than half of its members are present.

The Board of Directors will issue the decisions taken by a majority vote and in case of tie; the President has the right to cast his vote. The decisions of the Board of Directors will not be effective unless they are taken by a majority vote. If a member of the Board fails to attend three consecutive meetings of the Board of Directors without any acceptable reason, he is considered resigned form the membership of the Board.

The Board of Directors shall issue the rules and regulations to execute the by-laws and in case of availability of position in the Board of Directors, a new member will be chosen by the Board of Directors subject to the approval by the general assembly. The choice of a new member should take into consideration the rank of the candidate in the initial vote by the general assembly.

In addition to what has been stated in these by-laws, the Board of Directors will suggest the annual budget of the Society, prepare the yearly activity, decides each membership dues, its future functions and presenting it to the general assembly at its ordinary meeting for approval. The Board of Directors shall review responsibilities for the President, the Vice-president and the Treasurer.

The Society will have regional representatives in the main regions of Saudi Arabia. Regional representatives (RRs) will be elected by the STS members in every region. The elected members have to be approved by the Board of Directors. They will serve a term of 3 years and may be reappointed or elected for no more than one additional 3-year term. The role of the regional representative on behalf of the Society in his/her region is:

• To represent the Society in his/her region
• To promote the Society and its activities in his/her region.
• To coordinate the Society’s activities in his/her region.
• To encourage qualified specialists to join the Society.
• To encourage affiliate membership by communicating with those in charge of specialty training/teaching programs (program directors) and allied health personnel in specialties relate to the Society.
• To review and make recommendations on applications of the membership in his/her region.
• To act as liaison between his/her region’s members and the Society.
• To submit to the Board of directors a short, written annual report of activities in his/her region.
• Regular attendance of the six monthly administrative meetings of the Society (tickets and accommodation will be arranged by the Society).
• 30% of the money generated by the each region under the umbrella of the STS will go to support the regional medical activities. The rest will go to the STS central budget.

To be elected by the general assembly for a period of three years renewable once only. The President will be the President of the Society as well. The Vice-president will assist him/her in his/her duties and will act as President during his/her absence. The President will represent the Society in all its formal communications with official and un-official authorities in the Kingdom and abroad.

The General Assembly shall comprise of all eligible members and hold a routine meeting once a year. However, emergency meeting(s) of the General Assembly may be called upon by a request of the Board of Directors or one-fifth of the members of the General Assembly. The meetings agenda shall be prepared by the Board of Directors. The meeting of the general assembly will be in order and binding when it is attended by the majority of its members.
The duties of the General Assembly are as follows:

• Issuing the by-laws to conduct the internal affairs of the Society
• Approving the Society’s annual budget and its accounts
• Approving the annual report concerning its activities prepared by the Board of Directors
• Electing the members of the Board of Directors
• Approving the annual plan submitted by the Board of Directors
• Discussing all topics in the agenda, and taking the required decisions.
• Selection of an honorary president of the Society according to the nomination by the Board of Directors

The General Assembly shall nominate an Honorary President after nomination from the Board of Directors. The Honorary President shall be required to be a public figure known to have interests in the Society’s fields. The honorary president shall preside the Society’s meeting, which he will attend.

The Society’s main resources are as follows:

• The early grant to be given by the Scientific Council of the University.
• Registration fees and the yearly duties of each member
• The gains from its publications
• Registration fees from the courses and programs arranged by the Society.
• The grants and donations obtained from the Saudi Government or other governmental institutions or private organizations. These donations are subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors will nominate from its members a Treasurer who will be responsible before the Board of Directors for different financial affairs. The Treasurer of the Society will prepare its Budget. He/she will submit his/her report to the Board of Directors, which will ultimately be submitted to the general assembly for its approval.

The financial year will start from the 1st of the month of January. For control of accounts, the same method will be followed as in governmental institutions.

The University financial auditing party will review the treasuring and the budget before the end of every financial year and present it to the Board of Directors and ultimately to be presented to the General Assembly.

• Until there is a formation of different committees, the various functions of the Society will be performed by an ad hoc committee formed by the founders comprising of six members; one of them will be the temporary President.
• The functions of this ad hoc committee will completely be terminated when the first meeting of the General Assembly is held and a new President and the Board of Directors are elected. The temporary president will present to the General Assembly at its first meeting a detailed report of the work done by the ad hoc committee so far.
• The Society will preserve in its allocation, the necessary files to facilitate conduction of the different functions in itself.
• The President of the Society will represent the Society in all its formal communications with official and un-official authorities in the Kingdom and abroad.
• Amendments/additions can be accepted upon a decree by the General Assembly

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