NNLAMS-LaRaMA By-Laws<br>
University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine<br>
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Article I: Name<br>
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	The name of this organization shall be National Network of Latin American Medical Students-La Raza Medical Association (NNLAMS-LaRaMA) of the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine.<br>
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Article II: Purpose<br>
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	The Purpose of this organization shall be the following:<br>
	1.  	Inspire members of this organization to achieve academic excellence.<br>
	2.  	Attain and maintain a professional attitude.<br>
	3.  	Act as role models.<br>
	4.  	Become a lobbying force for Hispanic medical students.<br>
	5.  	Become a liaison between the University of Illinois complex, the Hispanic
community, and the National Network of Latin American Medical Students (NNLAMS) Midwest Region.<br>
	6.  	Render emotional and academic support to our peers.<br>
	7.  	Promote the Hispanic culture in the field of medicine.<br>
	8.  	Assist UIC’s College of Medicine in the recruitment and retention of 
medical students.<br>
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Article III: Membership and Dues<br>
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Section 1: Membership<br>

Annual membership into NNLAMS-LaRaMA shall be open to all UIC College of Medicine students.  Admission of new members shall require a payment of annual dues.  <br>
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Section 2: Honorary Membership<br>

Honorary members are proposed by the officers and selected in recognition of outstanding service.  Nomination of candidates shall be presented and voted upon at any general meeting.<br>
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Section 3: Dues<br>

Dues for annual members shall be $25 per member per year and will be available for review by the Executive Board every year.<br>
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Section 4: Rights and Privilege of Members<br>
A member in good standing is one who has attended at least ½ of the general meetings and does not have an outstanding monetary debt to NNLAMS-LaRaMA.  Only members in good standing may run for positions on the Executive Board, unless there are not enough members in good standing.<br>  
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Article IV: Officers and Duties<br>
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Section 1: Executive Board<br>

The Executive Board will be made up of the President/s(2), Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.  Each position is entitled to one vote on any proposals brought forth at Executive Board meetings.<br>
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Section 2: Committee Board<br>

The Committee Board will be made up of, but is not limited to, the Community Service Chairs(2), Social Chairs(2), Education Chairs(2), Academic Chairs(2), CMSC Representative, M3 Representatives(2), Banquet Chairs, Webmaster, and Historians(2).  Individuals on the Committee Board must report to the Vice-President.  Members on the Committee Board, with the exception of the Vice-President, have no voting power at the Executive Board meetings.<br>
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Section 3: Nominations and Election of Officers<br>

Elections for officers shall be held within the last two months of the spring semester depending upon academic schedules of the General Assembly.  Nominations shall be held at least one week before elections.  Elections shall be closed ballot, with either the current President or Vice-President tallying the votes.  Both incoming and outgoing officers must meet before the end of the semester in order to facilitate the transition between them.<br>
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Section 4: Term of Office<br>

The term of office shall be one year.  No officer shall hold an office for more than two terms.<br>
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Section 5: Early Termination of Office<br>

Early vacancy of any office shall be filled by election of the General Assembly at the earliest meeting, according to Article IV, Section 3 of the NNLAMS-LaRaMA’s By-Laws.  The newly elected officer shall maintain their position until the end of the current term.<br>
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Section 6: Duties of Executive Board<br>

A) 	The Executive Board shall manage the affairs and execute the policies of NNLAMS-LaRaMA.  The Executive Board shall also determine Standing and Special Committees as necessary.<br>
B) 	Executive Board Meetings shall be held once a month during the academic year.  A simple majority shall carry the motion.  Attendance is mandatory.  Officers may be removed from their positions for non-attendance of two consecutive meetings; this shall be done via a motion at a General Assembly meeting.<br>
C) 	Presidents:<br>
	1) The President shall be the presiding officer of all General Assembly and 
Executive Board meetings.<br>
2) The President shall be the ex-officio member of all standing and special committees.<br>
3) The President shall be responsible for setting and securing regular meeting times and locations for General Assembly and Executive Board meetings.<br>
4) The President shall be responsible for serving as a liaison between NNLAMS-LaRaMA and the Health Oriented Latino Association (HOLA), an undergraduate organization at UIC, as well as Medicina Scholars, an HCOE pre-medicine program.<br>
5) The President shall be responsible for organizing a mentorship program with Medicina Scholars and HOLA.<br>
6) The President shall be responsible for the organization of NNLAMS-LaRaMA’s student host program, including recruiting volunteers and notifying Latino medical student applicants about the student host program.<br>
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D)	Vice-President:<br>
1) The Vice-President shall perform all duties and exercise all powers of the President’s office in the absence of the President.<br>
2) The Vice-President shall serve as the chairperson for the Committee Board.<br>  
Duties include:<br>
a) Setting and securing regular meeting times and locations for the Committee Board.<br>
b) Serving as a liaison between the Committee Board and the Executive Board.<br>
c) Preparing an annual report on the Committee Board to be turned in to the President by the last Executive Board meeting of the year.<br>
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E) 	Secretary:<br>
1) The Secretary shall keep minutes of all Executive Board and General Assembly meetings.  Minutes shall be sent out to officers and/or members within one week’s time.<br>
2) The Secretary shall have custody of all records of committee reports.  All records shall be available at any time for inspection by members.<br>
3) The Secretary shall send notice to members about upcoming events and meetings at least one week in advance, upon clearance by the President.  The Secretary is also responsible for keeping attendance at these events and meetings.<br>
4) The Secretary shall keep an updated NNLAMS-LaRaMA roster.<br>
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F) 	Treasurer:<br>
1) The Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping a full and accurate record of all funds and financial transactions.  All expenditures shall require the signature of both the President and the Treasurer.<br>
2) The Treasurer shall be responsible in making a complete report at each Executive Board and General Assembly meeting.<br>
3) The Treasurer shall be responsible for coordinating all fundraising events.  He/She can organize a fundraising committee if deemed necessary.<br>
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Section 7: Duties of Committee Board Officers<br>

A) Committee Board meetings shall be monthly and prior to the Executive Board meeting of that same month.  Meetings can be open or closed.  Open meetings may be attended by any member of NNLAMS-LaRaMA.  Closed meetings may only be attended by Board members and specified individuals.<br>
B) Members of the Committee Board shall attend all meetings of the Committee Board or they must submit a written report at least 24 hours in advance to the Vice-President. Attendance is mandatory.  Members may be removed from office for non-attendance of two consecutive meetings; this shall be done via a motion at a General Assembly meeting.<br>
C) Special meetings can be called at any time by any member of Committee Board.<br>
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D) Academic Chairs:<br>
1) The Academic Chair, in collaboration with the SNMA education chairs, shall be responsible for the organization and distribution of M1 and M2 Survival Packets.<br>
2) The Academic Chair shall also be responsible for the organization of Med Day, each school semester, with SNMA (Student National Medical Association) and other campus organizations.<br>
3)  The Academic Chair shall be responsible for mailing out scholarship applications to graduating high school students and incoming first year medical students.<br>
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E) Education Chairs:<br>
1) The Education Chair shall be responsible for the organizations of mock exams/review quizzes for M1’s in conjunction with other campus organizations.<br>
2)  The Education Chair shall be responsible for the organization of medical school mock interviews for UIC premedical students.<br>
3)  The Education Chair shall be responsible for the organization of the Big Sib/Little Sib program, including matching little sibs with big sibs and planning the Big Sib/Little Sib social with SNMA.<br>
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F) Community Service Chairs:<br>
1) The Community Service Chair will be responsible for setting up community service projects for NNLAMS-LaRaMA organization.<br>
2) The Community Chair shall be the main contact for Hispanocare and all other community organizations.<br>
3) The Community Chair shall be responsible the recruitment of volunteers at community health fairs.<br>
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G) CMSC Representative:<br>
1) The CMSC Representative must attend and serve as a liaison at all Chicago Medical Student Council (CMSC) meetings.<br>
2) The CMSC Representative must report issues discussed at CMSC meetings to the Executive Board and/or General Assembly.<br>
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I) Social Chairs:<br>
	1) The Social Chairs must implement at least one interactive social event 
per semester that will increase unity and/or morale amongst members.<br>
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J) Historian (M1):<br>
1) The Historian shall be responsible for updating myphotoablum.com, the official online photo album that chronicles NNLAMS-LaRaMA events throughout the academic year.   The Historian shall also keep a scrapbook that includes but is not limited to pictures, newspapers clippings, flyers, etc.<br>
2) The Historian must work on a budget with the Treasurer in order to afford for film, processing, albums, and/or other necessities.<br>
3) The Historian shall be responsible for putting together a slideshow for the annual NNLAMS-LaRaMA banquet.<br>
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K) M3 Representative:<br>
1) The M3 Representative shall be responsible for organizing panel talks including how to succeed/study during the M2 year, how to study for boards, and what to expect during 3rd year. <br>
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L) Webmaster:<br>
1)	The Webmaster shall be responsible for maintaining and updating the official NNLAMS-LaRaMA website. <br>
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M) Banquet Chairs:<br>
1) The Banquet Chairs will be responsible for the organization of the annual M4 banquet and for any committees formed for the event.<br>
			
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Section 8: Impeachment<br>
A) Petition for impeachment of any officer must be in writing and state the specific charges upon which the petition is based.<br>
B) Petitions for impeachment must be submitted to the Executive Board who will have 24 hours to notify the accused of the petition brought against him/her.  At this point, if the accused person is on the Executive Board, he/she can not be present at any discussions concerning the impeachment unless otherwise requested by the Executive Board.<br>
C) Impeachment proceedings shall be initiated at the following Executive Board meeting no longer than 30 days after receipt of the petition to impeach.<br>
D) The Executive Board shall decide whether to impeach or to enforce another suitable alternative.  This shall be the final decision on the matter.<br>
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Article V: Meetings<br>
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Section 1: General Meetings and Voting<br>
General meetings will be held once a month for paid members and other interested individuals.  Only paid members are allowed to bring motions to the floor and vote on motions brought to the floor.  The motion will be carried by the majority vote.<br>
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Section 2: Emergency Meetings<br>
Emergency meetings, either for the Executive Board or for the General Assembly, shall be called at the discretion of the President or by the President at the request of three or more officers.  Twenty-four hour notice shall be given to the General Assembly or the Executive Board.<br>
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Article VI: Amendments<br>
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These by-laws may be amended once a year, preferably at the start of the academic year.<br>  
Requirements for amendment are:<br>
1) A quorum of at least 50% of the voting members are present.<br>
2) Notice of at least one week has been given to the General Assembly in 
which the proposed amendments are fully described.<br>
3) Absentee ballots can be given to the President up until the beginning of the meeting in which the voting shall be conducted.<br>
4) Amendments shall be passed with at least a 2/3rd majority, including absentee 
ballots.<br>

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Revised 11/22/2005