Bylaws of the Association – Israeli Chinese Medicine Association
1. Name of the Association and Its Legal Status:
1.1. The name of the association is: “Israeli Chinese Medicine Association”, hereinafter “the Association” or “the Amuta”
1.2. Registered address: P.O. Box 2342, Kiryat Motzkin 2612301
1.3. The association is a registered corporation under “the Amutot Law, 5740-” 1980 (hereinafter: “the Law”).
2. Objectives of the Association:
2.1 To promote the field of Chinese medicine in Israel.
2.2 To enable the community to enjoy the rights to natural medicine – Chinese medicine, by raising awareness of bodies and organizations to the benefits of Chinese medicine for the population.
2.3 To raise public awareness for health maintenance through organizing awareness days, lectures, recommendations for wise nutrition according to Chinese medicine, medicinal herbs, and any other action that will serve this purpose.
2.4 To serve as a unifying and supportive body for Chinese medicine practitioners.
2.5 Promotion of continuing education for practitioners: to initiate and organize learning and enrichment workshops, courses, training sessions, seminars, and conferences in the field and in connection with Chinese medicine and promoting the practitioner’s professionalism.
2.6 To recruit new practitioners in the field of Chinese medicine and provide them with guidance and support in their professional path.
2.7 To regulate the field of Chinese medicine and Chinese herbal medicine in Israel.
2.8 To represent practitioners in Israel before governmental and/or municipal and/or state authorities and/or any other body in Israel and abroad “and/or corporations, on behalf of the association members and/or those who have approached the association and requested it to represent them before state authorities, municipal authorities, and other authorities or bodies in Israel and abroad”. Each such request will be considered and examined on its merits by the association’s committee.
2.9 To work towards creating internal regulation of the Chinese medicine field in Israel, through connection with educational institutions teaching Chinese medicine, setting standards in the field of Chinese medicine, conducting certification exams, granting certification on behalf of the association to educational institutions to teach Chinese medicine, and to graduates of Chinese medicine educational institutions to practice Chinese medicine, supervising schools certified by the association, as well as any other action for this purpose.
2.10 To work towards creating regulation from state institutions on the field of Chinese medicine in Israel, in accordance with the internal regulation that the association promotes. The goal is to create regulation that will benefit those practicing Chinese medicine and the community of Chinese medicine patients, through actions to accept the internal regulation of the association and the standards it will set, as defined in section 2.9 above.
3. Powers of the Association:
For the purpose of implementing the objectives mentioned in regulation 2 above, the association shall have the following powers:
3.1 To represent and/or convey the message of practitioners and/or associations and/or corporations that have requested the association to represent them before state authorities, municipal authorities, health authorities, and other authorities or bodies in Israel and abroad, and which the association has found appropriate that there is a matter related to its objectives.
3.2 To perform any legal action including entering into contracts and agreements of any type and kind to promote the association’s objectives and to appear as a plaintiff and/or defendant in any legal or other proceeding and without derogating from the generality of the above, to acquire, lease, rent, build, establish, furnish, modify, renovate, hold or transfer, exchange, organize, manage and supervise any movable and immovable property (hereinafter: “the Assets”) which may directly or indirectly promote the association’s objectives and especially to sell, realize the Assets in a manner that will generate profits that will be invested in the most efficient way to ensure the promotion of the association’s objectives and in a manner determined by the association.
3.3 To appear before government offices, local authorities and/or other public bodies as a buyer, tenant, lessee, mortgagor, seller, lessor, lender of the Assets, and to do any other legal action in accordance with the association’s objectives and to empower the association’s lawyers to perform the above actions.
3.4 To receive and/or arrange any matter related to loans, gifts, donations, grants, allocations, inheritances, estates, liens, payments and any other support from municipal, governmental, private and/or other institutions granted to associations in the field of natural/complementary medicine, and for this purpose to use all legal means deemed necessary by the association.
3.5 To receive and pay money, sign promissory notes, checks and obligations of all kinds, open, hold and manage accounts in a bank or banks and other financial institutions and do all banking operations necessary for the existence and proper management of the association.
3.6 To establish, incorporate, manage, merge, join or cooperate with an association, fund or any other entity whose objectives are identical or similar to the objectives of the association. Merging with another entity requires the approval of the General Assembly.
3.7 To sign, endorse, discount, transfer, assign, issue and trade in any other way in all promissory notes, bills of exchange and other negotiable or non-negotiable instruments and documents of any kind on behalf of the association.
3.8 To work towards resource and means mobilization to promote the association’s objectives, including receiving: grants, donations, gifts and any other grant intended to promote the association’s objectives and for the benefit of its members.
3.9 To perform all actions necessary to promote the association’s objectives.
3.10 To perform and execute all those things which in the opinion of the committee are necessary to give effect, preserve, assist, promote directly and/or indirectly the implementation of the association’s objectives.
4. Financial Means:
4.1 The association undertakes that donations received against receipts for donations by virtue of Section 46 of the Income Tax Ordinance will be used to promote the association’s objectives.
4.2 The association undertakes to maintain a separate record of all its income and expenses regarding donations by virtue of Section 46 as mentioned above.
4.3 The funds required for the execution of the association’s activities and promotion of its objectives will be as detailed below:
4.3.1 Donations, grants, budgets, estates, inheritances and gifts, whether in money or in kind, transferred to the association from time to time from members of the association as well as from non-members.
4.3.2 Income of the association.
4.3.3 Allocations from governmental, movement, municipal and public institutions.
4.3.4 Loans from various entities.
4.3.5 Income from any investments made by the association or from other utilization of its resources.
4.3.6 Collection of membership fees from association members, as determined by the association committee.
5. Membership in the Association:
5.1 Members will be registered in the member registry maintained by the association.
5.2 The number of members in the association will be unlimited, but not less than two.
5.3 Membership in the association is not transferable and is not transferable by inheritance.
5.4 A person wishing to become a member of the association shall submit to the committee an application in the following wording: “I (name, ID number, and address) request to become a member of the association -” The Israeli Association of Chinese Medicine “. I am familiar with the association’s objectives and regulations. If accepted as a member, I commit to adhering to the regulations and decisions of the general assembly of the association. I am attaching my educational certificates as an integral part of the application”.
5.5 The decision regarding the acceptance or rejection of the applicant as a member of the association is in the hands of the committee or its designated representative. If the committee refuses to accept the applicant as a member of the association, they may appeal the refusal before the next general assembly.
5.6 One who has been accepted as a member of the association by the committee after submitting an application for membership. The term “person” in this section shall include any adult and any corporation.
5.7 Membership in the association is conditional on the payment of annual membership fees, as determined from time to time by the managing committee.
6. Friends of the Association
6.1 A friend of the association is a person who expresses support for the association, its ideas and objectives, and who is not counted among its members.
6.2 The number of friends of the association is not limited.
6.3 A person wishing to be counted among the friends of the association may submit a written request to the managing committee.
6.4 The decision to declare a person as a “friend of the association” is in the hands of the committee.
6.5 The declaration of a person as a “friend of the association” also serves as an “honorary title” initiated by the managing committee.
6.6 The rights of friends of the association will be determined from time to time by the association’s committee.
7. Rights and Obligations of Members:
7.1.1 Every member shall uphold the association’s regulations and act in accordance with them and with any decision of the general assembly of the association and/or the association’s committee.
7.1.2 Every member shall adhere to the “Code of Ethics for Professional Conduct” which has been adopted as a binding standard by the association.
7.2.1 Every member shall be entitled to participate and vote in the general assemblies of the association’s members and shall have one vote in each ballot. Every member shall be entitled to elect and be elected to the committee and the audit committee of the association, subject to the exception in section 7.2.2 below.
7.2.2 The exceptions committee of the association shall be authorized to accept for membership in the association a person who does not meet the criteria set by the committee if it is convinced that this is a special case of a person who has made a unique contribution to the field of Chinese medicine in Israel and has at least 10 years of clinical experience, and presents to the exceptions committee recommendations on their clinical skills from 2 association members who themselves have at least 10 years of seniority. A person accepted under this section shall not be eligible to serve on the association’s committee or audit committee. The final approval for acceptance into the association’s membership is subject to the approval of the association’s committee.
7.3 A member of the association is entitled to participate in the association’s activities and enjoy its services.
7.4 The expiration of membership in the association does not exempt from settling payments due to the association from the member on the eve of the expiration of their membership for the period until the expiration of their membership.
7.5 No member shall have the right to participate in or be entitled to any assets or property of the association, either during their period of membership or after ceasing to be a member.
8. Expiration of Membership
8.1 Membership in the association expires:
8.1.1 Upon the death of the member.
8.1.2 In the case of a member being diagnosed as mentally ill, in accordance with the decision of the general assembly and after being given the right to a hearing.
8.1.3 In the case of bankruptcy, the member may continue their membership in the association but cannot be counted on the managing committee or as a member of the audit committee.
8.1.4 Upon their withdrawal from the association, which will take effect 21 days after giving written notice of withdrawal to the committee.
8.1.5 Upon their expulsion from the association.
8.2 The general assembly may, upon the proposal of the committee, decide to expel a member from the association for one of the following reasons:
8.2.1 The member has not paid the association what is due from them.
8.2.2 The member has not complied with the provisions of the regulations or any decision of the general assembly.
8.2.3 The member acts contrary to the objectives of the association.
8.2.4 The member has been convicted of an offense that involves moral turpitude or in the case of mental disturbance.
8.3 The committee may suspend a member of the association until a final decision is made by the general assembly regarding their matter and subject to giving that member a hearing.
8.4 A member shall not be expelled for the reasons stated in subsections 8.2.1, 8.2.2, 8.2.3 or 8.2.4, except after the committee has warned the member and given them a reasonable time to rectify the wrongdoing.
8.5 A member shall not be expelled under subsection 8.2.1 – 8.2.4, except after being given a proper opportunity to present their arguments.
8.6 A member whose membership has been revoked may appeal in writing to the ethics committee of the association.
8.7 The association’s committee may, in accordance with the recommendation of the association’s ethics committee, suspend the membership of a member against whom complaints have been received for violating the code of ethics, especially in cases of suspected sexual harassment, indecent act, or rape, or other behavior contrary to the association’s code of ethics.
8.8 A member whose membership has been revoked or who has voluntarily announced the termination of their membership in the association, or whose membership has expired for any other reason, shall not be entitled to a refund for the membership fee paid to the association.
9. Giving Notice to a Member
An invitation, demand, warning, and other notice from the association to a member shall be given in writing and delivered by hand or registered mail to their address registered in the members’ register or by electronic mail. At the member’s written request, the association will change their registered address in the members’ register, as well as the email address as the member updates the association’s secretariat.
10. Institutions of the Association
10.1 Association Committee: The number of members of the association committee shall be a maximum of 9 and not less than two.
10.2 Audit committee or auditing body.
10.3 Association committees as determined by the committee and an advisory council if necessary and according to the committee’s decision.
10.4 The general assembly.
11. The General Assembly – Time and Place
The date, time, and location of the general assembly shall be determined by the committee.
12. Invitation
Notice of a regular general assembly or an extraordinary general assembly shall be sent or given to each member by the committee at least 10 days before the date on which the assembly will take place. The invitation shall specify the day, time, place, and agenda for the assembly. The association’s committee may decide and announce an assembly that will be held online through electronic or other means. The summons to the general assembly will be delivered to members personally via email, according to the updated details in the members’ register.
13. The General Assembly of the Association
13.1 General assemblies are either regular or extraordinary general assemblies.
13.2 A regular general assembly of the association shall be held at least once per calendar year.
13.3 The following matters shall be placed on the agenda of the regular general assembly and discussed there:
13.3.1 Discussion of the committee’s action report for the year in question and discussion of the financial reports to be submitted to the assembly.
13.3.2 Approval of the association’s financial reports
13.3.3 Discussion of the report of the internal audit committee or the auditing body of the association.
13.3.4 Determining the principles and guidelines for the association’s activities in the coming year and approving the budget submitted for these activities.
13.3.5 Election of an audit committee or auditing body.
13.3.6 Discussion of the need for various and/or additional committees to fulfill the association’s objectives.
13.3.7 Appointment of an accountant and determination of their salary.
13.3.8 Changes to the association’s bylaws.
13.3.9 Any other matter that the committee has decided to bring before the general assembly, provided that this matter was specified in the invitation as stated in section 12 above, or, if the committee wishes to discuss a topic not specified in the invitation – in accordance with section 14.1 below.
13.3.10 An extraordinary general assembly shall be convened by decision of the committee after receiving a written request to convene an assembly from the audit committee or the auditing body of the association.
14. Discussions at General Assemblies:
14.1 At a general assembly (ordinary and extraordinary), the general assembly may also discuss topics that did not appear on the agenda, but is not authorized to make decisions on them.
14.2 A regular general assembly will not open unless at least 51% of the association’s members are present in person (hereinafter: “the quorum”). That is, a legal quorum for holding an assembly is the presence of at least 51% of the association’s members. If this quorum is present at the opening of the assembly, it may continue its discussions and make decisions even if the number of attendees decreases.
14.3 If the quorum is not assembled within half an hour of the time specified in the invitation, the assembly will be considered as a postponed assembly, without the need for further invitation or notice, and at this postponed assembly, those present will be entitled to discuss and decide, regardless of their number.
14.4 Every member of the association shall be entitled to participate in the general assemblies of the association.
14.5 The agenda of both regular general assemblies and extraordinary assemblies shall be determined by the committee. Nevertheless, the general assembly will be entitled to discuss a topic that did not appear on the agenda, provided that no vote is held on the said topic.
14.6 At every general assembly, the chairman of the committee will serve as the permanent chairman of the assembly. If the chairman of the committee does not want to be the chairman of a general assembly or if he does not participate for any reason in a general assembly, another association member appointed by the chairman of the committee for that assembly will take his place.
14.7 The secretary of the association will manage the minutes of the assembly. In the absence of the permanent secretary, the “chairman of the committee will appoint a secretary who will manage the minutes of the assembly. The minutes will be signed by the chairman” of the assembly, and once signed by him will constitute prima facie evidence of the legality of the assembly’s convening, management, and decision-making.
14.8 Voting at general assemblies will be by show of hands, but the committee may hold a ballot vote and in this case, the matter put to vote will be decided by ballot.
14.9 Each member participating in the general assembly will have one vote.
14.10 A list of decisions, as attached to the minutes book, stating which decision was adopted unanimously or by a certain majority, together with the minutes of the assembly itself, will serve as prima facie evidence of the truth of the fact without the need for additional evidence. Every list of decisions, of every assembly, will be signed by the chairman of the association’s committee or the chairman of the general assembly in question, if an association member was appointed by the chairman of the association’s committee in his place.
14.11 All matters that will be put to vote at the assembly will be decided by a majority of the votes cast at the assembly. In case of a tie, the vote of the chairman of the committee will be the deciding vote
15. Role of the Committee (Management)
15.1 To implement and execute all decisions of the general assemblies of the association and to manage the association and its ongoing affairs. To establish principles for financing activities and priorities among various action possibilities.
15.2 To elect one of the committee members for the position of permanent “chairman of the committee and he will serve as chairman” in all committee meetings and general assembly meetings.
15.3 To decide on the organizational structure of the association. To select the association’s committees except for the audit committee. To select an advisory council (if necessary). After the election of the managing committee, the members of the various committees of the association and the members of the advisory council will be chosen by the managing committee.
15.4 To outline the association’s courses of action including all matters related to administrative areas, engagements with third parties, public activities, etc.
15.5 To manage the association according to the association’s objectives and the provisions of these bylaws and to fulfill its objectives.
15.6 To perform the association’s duties in accordance with its powers detailed in section 3 above.
15.7 To appoint paid or unpaid officials of the association.
15.8 To represent the association towards all various factors and among others before authorities, institutions, and other bodies.
15.9 To sign on behalf of the association on any contract, arrangement, commitment, and any other document in accordance with the following signing rights: Documents signed by the association or issued in its name, will be signed by such persons as the committee shall determine from time to time, provided that they are from among the association’s members and/or its officers, and they shall also bear the association’s stamp. A signature that will bind the association will be the signature of whoever is determined by the committee from time to time, provided that he is a member of the association or an officer in it. The signature of the authorized signatory will be accompanied by the association’s stamp. Notwithstanding the above, the signature that will bind the association regarding all of the association’s financial matters only will be a signature by 2 authorized signatories whose identity will be determined by the committee from time to time, provided that both of them are also association members and also officers in it. Their signature will be accompanied by the association’s stamp.
15.10 To set for itself the procedures for discussions in the manner in which it will perform its duties always subject to the provisions of these regulations.
15.11 The managers of the association will not be entitled to benefit from assets and/or property and/or profits of any kind of the association, either during their tenure as managers in the association or after they have ceased to serve as managers in the association.
15.12 To ensure that no distribution of profits, directly or indirectly, is made to the association’s members.
15.13 Reimbursement of expenses to committee members will be possible only in accordance with the provisions of the law.
15.14 To approve an annual budget, to monitor the financial status of the association, and to determine the credit framework that the association is allowed to take.
15.15 To convene ordinary and extraordinary general assemblies.
15.16 To prepare the financial and verbal reports of the association and present them to the audit committee or the auditing body, and to the general assembly for its approval.
15.17 To establish written procedures that regulate significant routine activities in the association.
16. The Committee – Quorum:
16.1 The committee will consist of 9 members. A quorum for any committee meeting or decision will be at least 5 members out of the 9.
16.2 A committee meeting can also be held via video call, phone call, or any digital or other means.
16.3 A committee member is obligated to attend committee meetings in person only.
17. Committee Elections:
17.1 Committee members shall be elected every two years in elections held by the association from among its members, and they shall serve until the election of a new committee after the end of the term. A regular general assembly may, by ordinary resolution, remove any committee member before the election of a new committee. The general assembly shall also be entitled to elect another member in place of the removed member. The committee shall serve from its election until the next elections; an outgoing committee member may be re-elected to the new committee. The exact date of elections shall be determined by the committee. A member of the association who has been active for at least one year before the election date is eligible for election to the association’s committee.
17.2 Candidates for committee membership must publish a declaration of intent and curriculum vitae before their election to define the basis of their mission and will be obligated to act according to their declaration.
17.3 In case a committee member (including the chairperson) acts contrary to their declarations, they may be removed from committee membership by a regular vote and ordinary majority of the committee members.
17.4 The removal of a committee member from their position against their will, before the election of a new committee, shall be done only for justified reasons and after that committee member has been given prior notice, an opportunity to present their arguments before the general assembly, and reasonable time to correct their ways.
17.5 The voluntary removal of a committee member from their position, before the election of a new committee, shall be done subject to the submission of a written notice by that committee member to the committee; the notice shall take effect within 7 days from the date of receipt by the committee. From the date the notice takes effect until the election date, another association member may fill the position of the outgoing committee member, subject to the decision and approval of the committee.
17.6 If a committee member is temporarily unable to fulfill their role, another committee member may fill their position for that given temporary period. Alternatively, the committee may appoint another association member for this purpose; such appointment shall be temporary until the return of the original committee member to their position.
17.7 If a committee member’s position becomes vacant, the remaining member(s) may appoint another association member to serve as a committee member until the next elections; until such appointment, the remaining member(s) may continue to act as the committee.
17.8 At the end of their term, committee members may be re-elected by the general assembly and serve an additional term as committee members. There is no limit on the number of consecutive terms.
17.9 A person shall not serve simultaneously as a committee member and as a member of the audit committee.
17.10 The following shall not serve as a committee member:
17.10.1 Someone who serves the association for pay.
17.10.2 Someone who is not a member of the association.
17.10.3 Owners and/or shareholders and/or those with managerial positions in a school or college for Chinese medicine or complementary medicine studies.
17.10.4 Those with managerial positions in health insurance funds.
17.10.5 The cooling-off period for each of the above sections (17.10.3-5) is one year.
17.10.6 A committee member may resign at any time from their position by written notice to the committee; a committee member shall cease to serve if declared legally incompetent or bankrupt.
17.11 Election of the association’s chairperson: The committee members shall elect the association’s chairperson from among the 9 members.
17.11.1 Requirements for candidates for the position of chairperson:
17.11.1.1 The chairperson must meet the association’s admission requirements.
17.11.1.2 The chairperson cannot be one of the following:
17.11.1.2.1 Owners and/or shareholders and/or those with managerial positions in a school or college for Chinese medicine or complementary medicine studies.
17.11.1.2.2 Those with managerial positions in health insurance funds.
17.11.1.2.3 Those with managerial positions or shareholders in an economic entity engaged in marketing/selling products or services in the field of complementary medicine, except for complementary medicine treatments.
17.11.1.2.4 The cooling-off period for each of the cases in section 17.11 is one year.
17.11.2 Only a committee member elected in general elections can be elected as chairperson.
17.11.3 The chairperson must be a Chinese medicine practitioner who has completed their studies at least three years ago.
17.12 A committee member shall resign from their membership in the committee by written notice addressed to the committee. The resignation shall take effect when it reaches the registered office of the association or via email – at the moment it is received at the association’s secretariat address.
17.13 The general assembly may remove a committee member from their position for reasons of unsuitability, provided they have been given a proper opportunity to present their arguments.
17.14 Removal of members – A committee member (including the chairperson) commits to act as required by the association’s bylaws and commits to dedicate their time and energy for this purpose. A serving committee member (including the chairperson) can be removed by a majority of 7 members, except in the case where the member acts contrary to their pre-election declarations, where a regular majority is sufficient. Among the circumstances for removing a committee member (including the chairperson) from their position are – lack of function, lack of commitment, absence from meetings, and any reason that interferes with their functioning in the association’s committee. The procedure will be to convene the committee, raise the proposal and its circumstances to the agenda, and then vote.
17.15 Transfer of members from their positions – For any committee member holding a position on behalf of the association (including chairperson, treasurer, and committee chairs), the committee members may transfer them from their position in case of dissatisfaction with their performance. The procedure will be to convene the committee, raise the proposal and its circumstances to the agenda, and then vote. A regular majority is sufficient for changing a position, and the committee member will continue to serve as a regular committee member.
18 . Committee Meetings
The committee may regulate its own meeting times, invitations to them, and how they are conducted.
The committee shall keep minutes of its meetings and decisions.
19. Decisions:
Committee decisions shall be made by a majority of votes of those voting; if the votes are tied, the proposal shall not be accepted; a unanimous decision of all committee members may also be made without a committee meeting.
21. Association Committees:
21.1 The committee may choose permanent committees and temporary committees for advising the committee and making recommendations.
21.2 The committee may appoint its members to committees, replace them, and reappoint them according to its sole discretion.
21.3 The committee shall determine the minimum number of members required in each committee.
21.4 The committees shall convene at times determined by it.
22. Audit Committee and/or Auditing Body:
22.1 The regular general assembly of the association shall appoint an audit committee and/or auditing body as defined in the Associations Law of 1980.
22.2 A person shall not serve on the audit committee and/or auditing body while they are a committee member.
22.3 The audit committee and/or auditing body shall be responsible, among other things, for:
22.3.1 Examining the propriety of the association’s actions and its institutions, including the conformity of the association’s actions to its objectives. In this context, the audit committee is required to examine the propriety of the activities of office holders in the association and to examine proper management of the association, economy, efficiency, effectiveness, and integrity.
22.3.2 To examine the achievement of the association’s goals efficiently and economically.
22.3.3 To monitor the implementation of decisions made by the General Assembly and the Board.
22.3.4 To suggest ways to the Board for correcting deficiencies in the management of the association.
22.3.5 To examine the financial affairs of the association, its accounting records, and salary payments, including the allocation of the association’s funds to promote its objectives.
22.3.6 To examine any other matter related to the association’s activities.
22.4 The members of the Audit Committee and the Auditing Body have the right to inspect any document held by the association or receive information from its members or employees if such information is deemed necessary for the performance of their duties. This applies even more so to Board members within the framework of their legal responsibility to act in the best interest of the association, within its objectives and in accordance with the bylaws and decisions of the General Assembly.
23. Dissolution:
23.1 The dissolution of the association shall be in accordance with Section 43(a) of the Associations Law, 1980.
23.2 If assets remain after the dissolution of the association and after all its debts have been fully paid, these assets shall be transferred to other associations or public institutions, as defined in Section 9(2) of the Income Tax Ordinance, whose objectives are similar to those of the association and which prohibit the distribution of their income and property among their members.
23.3 The identity of the association(s), institution(s), or other entities mentioned above shall be determined by the Regular General Assembly at or before the time of the association’s liquidation. If and to the extent that it is not possible to give effect to these provisions, the above assets shall be donated to charitable purposes close to the objectives of the association.
24. Insurance and Indemnification:
Subject to Sections 263 and 345 of the Companies Law, the association shall be entitled to enter into a contract to insure the liability of all officers and/or functionaries and/or association members and/or managers and/or board members and/or audit committee members and/or general assembly members in the association (hereinafter: “officer”), all or some of them, in accordance with the decisions of the association’s board.
25. Establishment of Branches:
The association may, by decision of the General Assembly, establish branches and determine their organization and management procedures.
26. General:
Notices to members of the association and to board members may be sent in writing or delivered by hand or registered mail to the address provided by the member to the association, or by email, or by other means of communication as decided by the board from time to time.
27. Indication of Academic Degrees in Certificates Awarded by the Association:
27.1 In any certificate awarded by the association, the academic title of the certificate recipient will be indicated, provided that the recipient specifies this in a request to the association’s secretariat.
27.2 The certificate recipient wishing to have their academic title indicated must provide the association’s secretariat with a copy of the relevant academic certificate.
27.3 The full academic title will be indicated on the certificate, for example, a Doctor of Medicine degree will be written as
“Dr. MD” or for example, a doctorate in another field as “Dr. PhD” etc.
28. Election Procedures:
28.1 General:
The procedure is intended to regulate the election process for the association’s board.
28.2 Election Committee: The Election Committee shall consist of at least 3 members, preferably including a member of the Audit Committee, a CPA, and a lawyer. The committee shall not include board members.
28.3 Election Notice:
28.3.1 An election notice shall be published up to 3 months before the election date.
28.3.2 Curriculum vitae and the “I believe” statement must be submitted to the association’s secretariat email.
28.3.3 The deadline for submitting candidacies will be set approximately two months before the election date.
28.3.4 All candidates will be published together in a uniform and identical manner on the association’s website.
28.4 Election Process:
28.4.1 The opening and closing hours of the polling stations will be published in advance to allow all members to exercise their right to vote.
28.4.2 Each valid association member is entitled to one vote and may vote in personal and secret elections.
28.4.3 Any member wishing to vote must identify themselves to the Election Committee members. Each member must come equipped with an identification document that includes a photo.
28.4.4 The association secretary will confirm their eligibility to vote, including confirmation of valid membership fee payment up to the election day.
28.4.5 The association secretary will provide the voter with a signed form that includes the list of candidates.
28.4.6 The voter will mark the candidates they choose from the list.
28.4.7 The voter will insert the completed form into the ballot box.
28.4.8 Voting can be done by proxy or by registered mail, as detailed below:
28.4.8.1 Voting by proxy: A member wishing to appoint a proxy shall give the proxy a signed power of attorney form (a power of attorney form will be available on the association’s website and can also be obtained from the association’s secretariat) along with a photocopy of their ID card. A proxy must be a valid association member. Each proxy may only represent one association member.
28.4.8.2 Voting by registered mail: Voting can be done by sending a registered letter to the association’s address. The envelope must contain a photocopy of the member’s ID card, in addition to the member’s signature on a remote voting form (a remote voting form will be available on the association’s website and can also be obtained from the association’s secretariat), as well as a completed form with the list of candidates. The form with the list of candidates marked with their choice must be placed by the member in an additional envelope inside the envelope containing the photocopy of their ID card and the signed remote voting form (double envelope). The registered letter must arrive at the association’s address at least one week before the election date. The association secretary will keep the election envelopes and add them to the voting forms in the ballot box after verifying the validity of their membership in the association. Each letter must be personal from the sending member; a letter containing voting forms from more than one member is invalid.
28.4.9 Alternatively, the association’s board may decide to conduct the voting online instead of or in addition to the above, according to the board’s decision.
28.5 Vote Counting: The Election Committee will count the valid voting forms and announce the voting results at the end of the election period. A form containing more than 9 candidates will be disqualified. The names of the elected candidates will be displayed in alphabetical order or random order and not according to the number of votes cast for each candidate.
28.6 Appeals: Any appeal should be directed to the Audit Committee.
28.7 The election procedure will be published in advance and widely distributed.
28.8 Protocol: The association secretary will prepare a protocol that includes:
28.8.1 List of members who submitted candidacy.
28.8.2 List of members approved for election.
28.8.3 Number of valid votes and number of invalid votes.
28.8.4 Names of elected members.
28.9 Logistics:
28.9.1 The association secretary will ensure the existence of a ballot box.
28.9.2 The Election Committee will confirm that the ballot box is sealed.
28.9.3 The Association Secretary shall prepare a sufficient number of copies of the voting form.
28.8.4 The Association Secretary shall ensure the availability of a list of members who have paid membership fees up to the election day.
28.9.5 Alternatively, in case of online voting, the Association Secretary shall ensure the execution of the vote.