SAN FRANCISCO SURGICAL SOCIETY CONSTITUTION
and
BY-LAWS
Amended 2026
ARTICLE I. NAME
The name of the Society shall be “The San Francisco Surgical Society.”
ARTICLE II. MISSION
The mission of the Society is the cultivation and improvement of the science and art of surgery, regional networking, the exchange of ideas, and the collaborative discourse amongst the Fellows. The Society recognizes that these missions are best achieved when our membership reflects the cultural, ethnic, and gender identities of the diverse population in the San Francisco Bay Area.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
l. ACTIVE FELLOWS shall be limited to one hundred and twenty-five (125). The date of admission of Active Fellows to the San Francisco Surgical Society shall be January 1 of the year after which they are elected, and at this time, they must be practicing as an independent surgeon in good standing working in the San Francisco Bay Area within 50 miles of San Francisco.
2. SENIOR FELLOWS shall be those who have reached the age of 70, or those who have been Active Fellows for 15 years and signify a desire to be placed upon the Senior list. Senior Fellows shall retain all rights and privileges and full membership in the Society, with the exception that they shall not hold office and they shall be entitled to reduced dues as determined by the Council.
3. INACTIVE FELLOWS shall be those who were previously Active Fellows but who have moved beyond the 50-mile limit, are incapacitated, or fail to pay dues. Proposals for membership shall be submitted to the President and shall be proposed by a Fellow who shall certify as to the qualifications of the Candidate. Candidates are required to:
1) be active in the practice of surgery for at least 1 year after completion of training,
2) be board-certified and in good standing,
3) practice within 50 miles of San Francisco proper,
4) be sponsored by an active member of the Society in good standing who is willing to write a letter of support for the candidate.
The President shall transmit the Candidate and Sponsor to the Council. The Council shall consider the Candidate and if the Candidate shall receive a favorable majority vote of the Council, the Council shall refer the Candidate for election. A two-thirds favorable vote of the voting members shall be required for membership, to be conducted in a Fall Election by electronic ballot. Thereafter, the Candidate shall become a member by the payment of regular fees and dues set by the Society effective January 1.
Membership shall continue until termination by death, resignation, suspension, or expulsion.
A member in good standing may resign at any time by submitting his resignation in writing to the Council.
Any member whose dues are delinquent for a period of 3 years shall be listed as Inactive and may be reinstated by an affirmative vote of the Council and upon resumption of dues payment.
Any member may be reprimanded, suspended, or expelled for cause after recommendation by the Council and a two-thirds vote of voting members.
ARTICLE IV. COUNCIL
The Council shall consist of: President, Immediate Past President, Treasurer, and three Councilors. The term length of the President is one year, Councilors: 3 years, and Treasurer: 5 years. Councilors are elected in staggered fashion, one per year. The Council may be supported by an Executive Assistant.
The President shall organize and preside over Council and Society meetings, oversee elections in fall, and serve the interests of the Society. The President shall also set the annual meeting calendar.
The Immediate Past President will advise the President on matters confronting the Society and maintain continuity of the Society’s usual practices and procedures.
Councilors shall represent the Membership broadly and shall be eligible to become President. Any Active Member in good standing may apply to be a Councilor. Councilors will each sponsor a regular meeting of the Membership by arranging for a speaker. The Council shall encourage Councilors to apply in order to foster broad representation from San Francisco’s constituent health care systems such as Stanford, UCSF, Sutter, Kaiser, Zuckerberg San Francisco General, Highland Hospital, and so on; ideally no more than once Councilor from each organization shall serve at any one time. Councilors may serve multiple terms over time, but not consecutively.
The Treasurer shall maintain the Society’s monies and provide an annual audit to the Council and the Membership in the winter meeting.
The Council will meet at least quarterly to discuss the Society’s business, select speakers for events, and review finances.
A majority of the members of the Council shall constitute a quorum.
The Council shall have the authority to conduct financial business of the Society, including the expenditures of the Society’s funds.
Councilors are nominated (by self or other) from Active Members via communication with the President and are listed in the Fall ballot.
Any former Councilor who has completed their term may be nominated (by self or other) for President and will appear on the Fall ballot.
Nominees for President, Councilor, and Treasurer must be Active Members in good standing and paid up in dues.
ARTICLE V. ELECTIONS
A Fall Election will be conducted by the Membership each year. Majority rules. The Election shall include:
a) Proposed New Members
b) Election of one Councilor. If more than one Member has been nominated, the winner will be the one with the highest number of votes.
c) Election of a President. If more than one Councilor has been nominated, the winner will be the one with the highest number of votes.
d) Any proposed Constitutional amendments
ARTICLE VI. AMENDMENT
Any member may introduce an amendment to the Constitution in writing at any regular meeting or special meeting. The amendment shall be read to the Society by the President, but may not be acted upon at that meeting. At the Fall Election, the proposed amendment shall be voted upon and a two-thirds affirmative vote shall be necessary for its adoption.
ARTICLE VII. MEETINGS
There shall be four meetings per year spaced quarterly: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter.
The date, time, and venue will be selected by the Council. The date of any stated meeting may be changed at the discretion of the Council by giving notice at least two weeks before the meeting.
Each Councilor will sponsor one meeting per year by inviting a guest speaker and encouraging member participation. The final (Winter) meeting of the year will be sponsored by the President. The President may serve as speaker at this meeting if he or she chooses, otherwise a guest speaker may be invited. The Winter meeting will also include the Treasurer’s annual report and announcement of election results from the Fall Election.
ARTICLE VIII. ANNUAL DUES
The dues shall be set annually by the Council, to include the cost of the dinner meetings. Dues are paid in January for the calendar year. At the discretion of the Council, the dues of an individual member may be reduced or remitted. Senior Fellows shall be entitled to reduced dues as determined annually by the Council.
ARTICLE IX. INVITED GUESTS
Any Fellow may invite a guest with notification to the Executive Assistant twenty-four (24) hours prior to the meeting. The expense of the guest’s dinner shall be charged to the host. The guest shall be Introduced to the Society formally. The President may invite guests to participate in the discussion.