ARCOS Bylaws
Article I - Name
Association of Residency Coordinators in Orthopaedic Surgery (ARCOS)
Article II - Purpose
ARCOS is an organization established by and composed of orthopaedic surgery residency and fellowship coordinators to provide an educational resource and an interactive platform for the exchange of ideas to enhance education and to meet ongoing requirements established for orthopaedic surgery residency and fellowship training programs.
Article III - Membership
ARCOS is an independent organization with full recognition and support by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). Membership is extended to all orthopaedic surgery residency and fellowship coordinators and is obtained by sending a completed application form and annual dues to the treasurer of the Steering Committee.
The membership application is available online at www.arcosonline.org. All members are invited to attend the ARCOS Annual Meeting. To remain an active member of ARCOS, annual dues must be paid in full.
Article IV - Steering Committee
The Steering Committee shall consist of 11 members, each serving a maximum of five years. There will be a president, president-elect, secretary, treasurer, immediate past president, and six members at large serving on the Committee. The president and immediate past president shall serve a term of no longer than two years. The secretary and treasurer shall serve terms of no longer than three years.
A Nominating Committee shall be formed and consist of the immediate past-president (Chair) and two additional persons from general membership selected by the steering committee. It shall be the responsibility of the nominating committee to nominate a slate of officers to the general membership during the business meeting for election. In addition, the nominating committee must nominate persons to fill vacancies on the steering committee should members at large resign from the committee or fulfill their maximum term.
If steering committee officer positions become vacant during the tenure, the Steering Committee will select a current committee member to complete the time remaining for the length of service of the position.
To serve as a member on the Steering Committee, a member must:
Attend at least three ARCOS Annual Meetings.
Have full support (including financial) from his/her Program Director to participate in both the plenary and annual meetings.
Be able to attend one ARCOS Plenary Meeting and the ARCOS Annual Meeting
Host one Plenary Meeting during the term as Steering Committee member.
Be elected by the general membership during the annual business meeting.
Serve a maximum of five years, not including the two years as immediate past president.
In order to be an elected officer, you must serve on the steering committee at least one year.
Steering Committee members who miss two consecutive meetings will be replaced by action of the President.
It shall be the responsibility of the President to:
Create the agenda for the annual ARCOS meeting.
Preside over the annual ARCOS meeting.
Act as a liaison between ARCOS and any sponsoring group.
Keep Steering Committee members current on upcoming changes and new regulations related to program accreditation.
Be responsible to oversee all correspondence related to planning and implementation of ARCOS.
It shall be the responsibility of the President-Elect to:
Assist the president in planning meetings.
Be prepared to assume the role of president the following year or sooner if the position becomes vacant.
It shall be the responsibility of the Secretary to:
Record minutes at all plenary sessions and at the annual business meeting.
Carry out any duties deemed appropriate by the Steering Committee.
It shall be the responsibility of the Treasurer to:
1. Oversee the financial management of ARCOS.
2. Collect dues and maintain a database of active members.
Article V - Meetings
Plenary Meeting: Steering Committee members will meet twice a year for plenary meetings to plan for the ARCOS Annual Meeting. The date and location of each meeting will be voted on during the previous plenary meeting.
Annual Meeting: The ARCOS Annual Meeting will be held in conjunction with the Annual AAOS Meeting for ARCOS members and non-members. The date and location of this meeting will be dictated by the AAOS. A business meeting will be held during the Annual Meeting. A report will be made to the general membership. A slate of new officers will be nominated and voted on by the general membership. All items for discussion should be submitted to the President at least six weeks prior to the business meeting.
Article VI - Dues
Dues and charges to attend the annual meeting will be established by the Steering Committee based on budget for upcoming events and will not exceed what is minimally necessary.
Article VII - Amendments
To accommodate growth and change within the organization, proposed changes made to the bylaws will be voted on by a 2/3 vote of the Steering Committee and to be ratified by the general membership at the annual meeting. Approval of changes will be by simple majority.