ISSC : By-Laws

ARTICLE I - Name

The name of this organisation shall be the International Society for Sexuality and Cancer, hereafter referred to as ISSC.

ARTICLE II - Duration

The period of duration of the society is perpetual.

ARTICLE III - Purpose and objectives of the Society

The International Society for Sexuality and Cancer is an international, multidisciplinary, academic, clinical and scientific organisation whose purposes are:
• To establish a forum for communication among researchers, practitioners and students about the research aspects, the treatment and care aspects and the prevention aspects of sexual problems in cancer.
• To encourage the highest standards of practice, education and research in the field of sexuality and cancer
• To promote the publication of and encourage contributions to the medical, sexological and scientific literature in the field of sexuality and cancer
• To provide the public with accurate information about the topic of sexuality and cancer

Article IV – Not for Profit

The Society shall not engage in any business of any kind which is solely carried out for profit and nothing in these Articles of Incorporation or in the By-Laws shall authorize the Society to do so.
No part of any income shall ever accrue to the benefit of any private member or individual.

ARTICLE V - Membership

Membership of ISSC is open to any individual or organisation qualifying for one of the following membership categories:
• active membership
• student membership
• senior membership
• affiliated membership
• business membership

Active membership

Active membership is restricted to professionals and researchers working in oncology, sexology or in related fields who have appropriate qualifications in a relevant discipline.

Student membership

Student membership is open to researchers and professionals in training in sexology, oncology or related fields.
a. They shall not be eligible for office nor shall have right to vote.

Senior Membership

Senior membership is open to active members who have retired.

Affiliated membership

Affiliate membership is open to consumer and professional groups from the fields of sexology and oncology and to other non-commercial organisations dealing with sexuality and cancer.

Business membership

Business membership is open to individuals and companies working in businesses, industries and other commercial entities affiliated with the field of sexuality and/or cancer.

For all memberships applications have to be made to the Secretary of the ISSC.
Each person or organisation must attest to his or her ethical, moral and professional standards when signing the application.
The Membership Committee shall review each application for membership and make a recommendation to the Board of Directors.
Applicants to whom membership is denied will be notified by the Secretary of the Society.
Only active and senior members shall have the right to vote, serve on the Board of Directors or serve as committee chairs.
Subscriptions for each membership category shall be determined annually by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE VI - Voting

Election of officers, members of the Board of Directors and committee chairpersons shall be held by voting via electronic vote or by postal mail.
Voting is only allowed by active members and senior members.
The Nominating Committee shall request suggestions for nominations from the general membership through the website at least 90 days prior to the next election. From the names suggested by the general membership and by members of the Nominating Committee, the Nominating Committee shall recommend nominees according to Article VIII, Section 3, which shall be posted online, at least 60 days prior to the next election. The Secretary of the Society shall send a ballot to all voting members by mail or electronic mail at least 60 days prior to the next election.
With this ballot, candidates shall be allowed and encouraged to describe in two paragraphs their qualifications, reasons for wanting to be elected and future plans for the Society. Votes sent by mail and e-mail must be received by the Secretary of the Society at least 30 days before the next election.
Election results shall be announced at the next Business Meeting of the ISSC.
In any election of ISSC, each member of ISSC regardless of membership category may vote only once.

ARTICLE VII - Management of the Society

Section 1: The Board of Directors shall be responsible for the administration and management of the ISSC.

Section 2: The Board of Directors shall consist of:
• the 4 officers (President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer)
• the Immediate Past President
• Committee Chairpersons who will be ex officio members of the Board without voting rights.

Section 3: The Board of Directors has to meet at least twice yearly either in person or electronically.
The Board of Directors shall have a meeting at each biennial Scientific ISSC-Meeting.

Section 4: There will be four officers of the ISSC: the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.
In special circumstances the Secretary and the Treasurer may be the same person.

Section 5: There will be 4 elected committee chairpersons: the Online Services Chairperson, the Meetings Chairperson, the Scientific Program Chairperson and the Education Committee Chairperson.

Section 6: Members of the Board of Directors should represent both oncology and sexology, should represent the various fields of study; and, as far as possible, have an equal gender distribution and geographical distribution.

Section 7: The officers and the elected committee chairpersons shall be elected according to Article VI ("Voting") for the terms of office defined below.
Elections shall be held for officers, committee chairpersons and Board members prior to the annual Business Meeting of ISSC.
Results of the election shall be announced at the first Business Meeting of ISSC which follows the election.

Section 8: Duration of term of officers
No one person shall serve in any capacity on the Board of Directors for more than 6 years.

Section 9: Meetings
The General ISSC Business Meeting shall be held every two years and is open to all members.
In the years with a Scientific ISSC Meeting the General ISSC Business Meeting shall be held during that meeting.
In the years without Scientific ISSC Meeting the General ISSC Business Meeting shall be held during a major scientific meeting within the field of sexology or oncology.

ARTICLE VIII - The directors

Section 1: The President

a. The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the ISSC.
b. The President shall determine the agenda and chair the meetings of the Board of Directors and the Business Meetings following Roberts Rules of Order (Ref).
c. The President shall be responsible for appointing non-elected chairs of standing committees and ad hoc committees and for recommending the composition of all committees.
d. The President may call special meetings of the Executive Committee
e. The President shall appoint Ad Hoc/Special Committee(s) authorized by the Executive Committee
f. In addition, the President shall be an ex officio member of all committees.
g. The President receives reports of all committees and makes recommendations accordingly.
h. The President serves for a term of two (2) years and may not be re-elected
i. The term of the Presidency shall run from the end of the Biennial Meeting to the end of the next such meeting.
j. The President shall serve a term of two years and shall serve a two year term as Immediate Past President following the two years as President.
k. This two one year term of office shall commence at the close of the annual business meeting and shall terminate at the close of the annual business meeting two years later.
l. The chair shall alternate between a professional from the sexological field and one from the oncology field.
m. The President has to be elected by the Board of Directors and approved by the General Assembly.

Section 2: The Vice President

The Vice President shall substitute for the President when the President is unable to perform the Presidential functions.
The Vice President shall assist the President in developing the agenda and chair the Board of Directors and general business meetings in the President's absence.
The Vice President shall serve a term of two years. This two years term of office shall commence at the close of the annual business meeting and shall terminate at the close of the annual business meeting two years later.

Section 3: The Secretary

The Secretary shall be the Chief Operating Officer of the ISSC and shall be responsible for maintaining minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors and the annual business meeting of the ISSC.
The Secretary shall be responsible for collecting from the Chairpersons of each committee the minutes of all committee meetings.
In conjunction with a professional administrator, the Secretary shall be responsible for distribution of materials to the Board of Directors.
The Secretary, working with the On-line Services Chairperson and the professional administrator, shall maintain membership records and distribute appropriate materials to the general membership.
The Secretary shall serve as the Clerk of the Society and shall be responsible for filing legal documents for the Society, including but not limited to the various corporation papers and reports.
The Secretary shall be a member ex officio of all committees.
The term of the Secretary shall commence at the close of the annual business meeting in which the Secretary is elected and shall terminate at the close of the annual business meeting two years later.

Section 4: The Treasurer

The Treasurer shall be the Chief Financial Officer of the ISSC and shall be responsible for all financial matters, including the filing of tax reports of the ISSC.
The Treasurer shall be assisted in these duties by the professional administrator, when appointed.
The term of the Treasurer shall commence at the close of the annual business meeting and shall terminate at the close of the annual business meeting two years later.

Section 5: The Immediate Past President

The Immediate past President shall be a member of the Board of Directors and Chairperson of the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee Chair shall be responsible for proposing nominees for the following two years to be voted on by the membership. The term of office of the Immediate Past President shall be two years and shall commence at the close of the annual business meeting and terminate at the close of the annual business meeting two years later.

Section 6: The On-line Services Chairperson

The On-line Services Chairperson is responsible for the proper functioning of the On-line Committee.
The On-line Services Chairperson shall maintain and update the ISSC website in conjunction with the professional administrator employed by ISSC.
The electronic website will be used for ISSC members and for external information according to Article X.
The On-line Services Chairperson shall maintain a list of electronic mail addresses of the members of ISSC and an electronic-mail list of members of the Board of Directors.
The On-line Services Chairperson shall review letters and case submissions by ISSC members and distribute those submissions on the website after these communications are modified, if necessary, for proper English language usage, deletion of derogatory terms and deletion of commercial content when appropriate.
The On-line Services Chairperson must have the knowledge and resources to establish the dedicated e-groups or equivalent as technology advances.
In addition, the On-line Services Chairperson is responsible for training other committee members to assume the Chairperson's responsibilities in the Chairperson's absence.
The On-line Services Chairperson shall serve a term of two years which shall commence at the close of the annual business meeting in which the Chairperson is elected and terminate at the close of the annual business meeting two years later.
After finishing the two-years term, the On-line Services Chairperson can serve another two terms of two years.

Section 7: The Meetings Chairperson

The function of the Meetings Chairperson will change over the years.

Section 7a: In the first 3 years following the constitution of the ISSC the Meetings Chairperson will have solely an external function. The Meetings Chairperson shall track all relevant congresses and impress on the organisers the need for a symposium on sexuality and cancer.
The Meetings Chairperson shall cooperate with the Scientific Program Chairperson to promote a symposium of high intellectual rigour reflecting the aims of ISSC.
The Meetings Chairperson shall cooperate with the Scientific Program Chairperson to streamline the availability of members, topics and presentations.

Section 7b: After 3 years the Meetings Chairperson will also have the following responsibilities:
The Meetings Chairperson shall be responsible for every aspect of the Biennial Scientific ISSC Meeting except for the scientific program.
The Meetings Chairperson shall be responsible for the proper functioning of the Meetings Committee.
The Meetings Chairperson shall work in conjunction with the Scientific Program Chairperson, the President and the Secretary.
The Meetings Chairperson shall reside in the vicinity of the upcoming Scientific ISSC Meeting.
The Meetings Chairperson shall serve a term of two years which shall commence two years before the Scientific ISSC Meeting and terminate at the end of that Scientific ISSC Meeting.

Section 8: The Scientific Program Chairperson

The function of the Scientific Program Chairperson will change over the years.

Section 8a: In the first 3 years following the constitution of the ISSC the Scientific Program Chairperson will have solely an external function.
In consultation with potential business and affiliate members the Scientific Program Chairperson will monitor publications, programs and meetings that could help serve the academic goals of the ISSC.
The Scientific Program Chairperson will cooperate with the Meetings Chairperson to promote the aims of the ISSC by highlighting the need for symposia at appropriate scientific meetings.
The Scientific Program Chairperson will cooperate with the Meetings Chairperson to ensure the availability of members, topics and presentations.

Section 8b: After 3 years the Scientific Program Chairperson will also have an internal function.
The Scientific Program Chairperson will be responsible for the scientific program of the Biennial Scientific ISSC Meeting.
The Scientific Program Chairperson shall work in conjunction with the Meetings Chairperson, the President and the Secretary.
The Scientific Program Chairperson shall serve a term of two years which will commence two years before the next ISSC meeting and shall terminate at the close of that ISSC meeting.
The Scientific Program Chairperson shall serve on the Scientific Program Committee for the year following his/her term of office.

ARTICLE IX - Board of Directors

Section 1: Terms of Office

With the exception of the first 3 years of the ISSC, the terms of office will be as follows:
The term of office of the President and Vice-President shall be two years.
The term of office of the Secretary and Treasurer shall be two years.
The term of office of the Committee Chairpersons is two years.

Section 2:

The Board of Directors shall meet at least during every scientific meeting of the ISSC.
Additional meetings may be held as needed at the discretion of the President.
The Board of Directors shall approve all changes to the by-laws before they are submitted to the membership for approval.
The Board of Directors shall receive the report of the Nominating Committee and shall approve the report prior to submission to the membership.
The Board of Directors shall not conduct business unless at least 4 members are in attendance either in person or On-line or by the telephone.

ARTICLE X - Standing committees

Section 1: The standing committees of the ISSC shall be

1. Nominations Committee,
2. Scientific Program Committee,
3. Meetings Committee,
4. On-line Services Committee,
5. Education Committee
6. Membership Committee
The President and Secretary shall be ex officio members of all committees.

Section 2: Nominations Committee.

The composition of the Nominations Committee will change over the first 3 years.
In the first 3 years of the ISSC, the Nominations Committee shall be composed of the members of Executive Committee.
In later years, the Nominations Committee shall be composed of the Immediate Past President as chairman and six members of the Society.
The Nominations Committee shall compose a list of nominees for each open position in the Board of Directors which shall be presented at the Annual Business Meeting.

Section 3: Scientific Program Committee:

The composition of the Scientific Program Committee will change over the years.
In the first 3 years of the ISSC the Scientific Program Committee will consist of the External Scientific Program Chairperson, The Meetings Chairperson and the President.
The Scientific Program Committee will be elected two years before the Biennial Scientific ISSC Meeting.
The Scientific Program Committee shall consist of the elected Chairperson, the immediate past Scientific Program Chairperson, the Vice President and 2 members appointed by the President and approved by the Secretary and the Scientific Program Committee. The term of service shall be two years. The Committee shall be balanced in composition as to gender and speciality and, if possible, geographic distribution.
The Scientific Program Committee must ensure that the highest possible scientific quality of the meeting is maintained by considering the format of the meeting and the facilities and by majority approval of all the abstracts and invited speakers. The Chair shall report to the President upon request.

Section 4: Meetings Committee:

The composition of the Meetings Committee will change over the first 3 years.
In the first 3 years of the ISSC the Meetings Committee will consist of the Meetings Chairperson, the Scientific Program Chairperson and the President.
The Meetings Committee will change to complete functioning two years before the first Biennial Scientific ISSC Meeting.
The Meetings Committee shall consist of the elected Chairperson, the immediate past Meetings Chairperson, the current Scientific Program Chairperson and 3 members chosen by the Meetings Chairperson and approved by the President. The Chair of the Meetings Committee should live in the vicinity of the meeting. The term of office shall be two years. The Meetings Committee shall work in conjunction with any professional organisation employed by ISSC in co-ordinating the local arrangements of the forthcoming meeting including, but not limited to, the meeting venue, accomodation, social events and meeting registration.
The Chair of the Meetings Committee should be in the vicinity of the oncoming Scientific Meeting.

Section 5: On-line Services Committee:

The On-line Services Committee shall consist of the elected Chairperson and one or two other ISSC members able to take over the On-line services in the event the On-line Services Chairperson is unable to carry out his/her duties.
The On-line Services Chairperson shall have the power to appoint one or two On-line Services Committee members with whom to work. The composition of this committee does not need to reflect balance in geography, gender or scientific expertise.
The term of service shall coincide with that of the On-line Services Chairperson.

Section 6: Education Committee:

The Chair of the Education Committee will be appointed by the President.
The Chair will be responsible for the effect of functioning of the Education Committee as reflected in the aims of the society.
The Committee will consist of the Chair and any number of members identified by the Chair as having a special interest in education.
The term of membership shall be for two (2) years.
 

Section 7: Membership Committee:

The composition of the Membership Committee should reflect a cultural, gender and geographical balance.
Until 50 'active members' have been accepted the Board of Directors is responsible for assessing new applications.
After 50 'active members' have been accepted a Membership Committee will be formed.
At the first Business Meeting where the Membership Committee is formed, a committee member will be elected for a term of two years (this will be the chairperson).
The function of the Membership Committee is to review new applications for membership and make recommendations to the Board of Directors.
Committee members will be elected for two years.

Section 8: Ad hoc Committees:

An Ad hoc committee may be created and appointed by the President for specific purposes and specific periods of time. The President shall obtain approval of the Board of Directors for creation of any ad hoc committee.
If a change in the by-laws is proposed an ISSC By-laws Committee shall be formed. This committee shall be chaired by an appointee of the President and shall include 2 members, appointed by the other members of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE XI - Scientific Meetings

The International Society for Sexuality and Cancer shall ensure that appropriate symposia will be organised during national, regional and international professional meetings in the areas of oncology and sexology. The purpose of these symposia will be to provide opportunities for communication among students, researchers and practitioners about sexuality and cancer and to support the highest standards of ethics and professionalism in research, education and clinical practice.
After having reached a sufficient broad base ISSC will conduct on its own at least one Scientific ISSC Meeting every two years. Locations of future meetings shall be decided by the Board of Directors following application by any 'active member'. The Meeting Chairperson shall be an ISSC member who resides in the vicinity of the meeting venue.
A Conflict of Interest Statement shall be received by the ISSC from every speaker and presenter and retained by the professional administrator.

ARTICLE XII - Electronic website

The ISSC will operate an electronic list and a website. The website will be used for members:
• for communications from the Board of Directors to the general membership
• for dissemination of regular publications of the ISSC
• for online discussion of difficult or unusual cases
• for business matters of the ISSC

In the future part of the website will be used as well as an official source of information to non-members:
• for professionals
• for patients and patient groups

ARTICLE XIII - Subscriptions

The fiscal year of the ISSC shall be from January 1 to December 31. Subscriptions shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
If the ISSC creates its own journal or other publication, subscriptions shall be levied to include a subscription to the publication.
Once the Board has voted to enforce payment of subscriptions, members in arrears shall forfeit all rights of membership including all publications, electronic and paper, and eligibility for any elected office or membership in any committee until the debt is paid.

ARTICLE XIV - Amendments

Proposals for amendments to these by-laws must be submitted in writing to the Board of Directors and approved by a two-thirds majority of the Board of Directors. The proposed amendment then must be sent to the membership 30 days before the next Business Meeting. A two-thirds majority of those members present at the Business Meeting is required to pass an Amendment to these by-laws. Amendments not approved by the Board of Directors may still be presented directly to the general membership as New Business at any Business Meeting of the ISSC but a vote on the proposed amendment may not be held until a Business Meeting which occurs no less than 180 days after the Business Meeting in which the amendment is proposed.

ARTICLE XV - Rules of Order

All official business and scientific meetings of the ISSC shall be conducted in the English language, and governed by Roberts Rules of Order (Ref.). The same rules shall be used for resolution of any issues not provided for in these by-laws. Rules of Order shall not be suspended under any circumstances.

ARTICLE XVI- Disciplinary action

Membership of the ISSC will be discontinued in any circumstance which is at odds with the performance and objectives of the society.

Reference:

Robert HM III, WJ Evans, DH Honemann & TJ Balch (2000). Robert's Rules of
Order; newly revisited. 10th edition. Perseus Publishing. Cambridge,
Massachusetts