Chapter Positions

Customarily, the officers of the chapter—who must be active members of the College—include:

• President
• President-Elect or Vice-President(s)
• Secretary*
• Treasurer*
• Councilor(s)**

*The offices of secretary and treasurer may be combined.

**Depending on chapter bylaws, the chapter council may also include 3–9 elected councilors whose elections are staggered to provide for overlapping terms of service.

Below you will find the typical duties of chapter leaders.

• Monitor the progress of the chapter in view of its short and long-term goals and objectives.
• Preside at the annual meeting of the members and all meetings of the council, or governing body.
• Serve as a spokesperson for the chapter in representing the interests of surgery at the state/ provincial and/or community level.
• Extend chapter influence by partnering with other chapters when possible or state or provincial medical associations, and lay organizations.
• Set in place chapter committees when necessary and appoint appropriate chapter committee chairs, providing guidance when necessary, to enable them to fulfill their responsibilities.
• Maintain a working relationship with the College when conducting chapter activities and programs and communicate local needs and ideas to the College.
• Represent the chapter at national meetings.
• Recognize the achievements of chapter members.
• Encourage the involvement of Resident, Medical Student, and Affiliate Members of the College to join and participate in chapter activities and events.

Many chapters have adopted the “president-elect” system to provide for the orderly progression of the President-Elect to the presidency a year after election. In some chapters, the Vice-President progresses to the presidency. Still other chapters provide for progression from Vice-President to President-Elect and then to President. All of these practices are acceptable. The presidential designee should use the period prior to assuming the presidency to prepare for assuming this leadership role. Regardless of the chapter’s system of progression, the bylaws should clearly provide for the individual next in line to assume the president’s duties and responsibilities if the president is unable to complete the term or is absent at the time of a called meeting of the council or chapter. The president-elect, the vice-president, or both, are usually members of the council or governing body of the chapter.

• Record, distribute, and maintain minutes of all meetings of the chapter and its council or governing body.
• Submit the Chapter’s Annual Report Form to the ACS Division of Member Services via Chapter Services (on forms provided for this purpose) within 10 days after the chapter’s annual meeting.
• Coordinate the activities of the council in nominating Governor(s)-at-Large (GALs). In April of each year, the secretaries of chapters where Governor-at-Large vacancies will occur will receive one nomination form for each pending vacancy or new seat. Upon receipt of the form(s), the secretary should:
• Complete and submit the nomination form(s) to the appropriate staff person in the Division of Member Services responsible for collecting the information after the chapter. council discussed thoroughly those to be nominated for Governor-at-Large positions.
• Determine if the balloting by the chapter council will be via council meeting, teleconference, fax or email ballot.
• Conduct the actual balloting for nominees for Governorship.
• Tabulate the votes of the council members, providing a recommendation for a nominee, as well as a name for an alternate for each vacancy.
• Confirm the final Governor-at-Large nominee (or slate of nominees) with the chapter council.
• Complete and sign the Governor-at- Large nomination form(s) and return it to the appropriate staff member in the ACS Division of Member Services no later than June 30. (Failure to return nomination forms by the deadline set may result in the state, province, territory or country forfeiting a Governor’s seat.)
• The ACS Nominating Committee of Fellows is responsible for final selection of Governor nominees during the annual Clinical Congress. All final Governor nominees are voted on by Fellows of the College attending the Annual Meeting of the Fellows at Clinical Congress.
• Maintain a current roster of all Fellows of the College within the chapter’s geographic area, noting those who are members of the chapter. Information on how to access rosters of College members in a chapter’s geographic region is provided to all chapter administrators and/or a designated chapter officer. Distribute meeting notices, reports, and other communications, as requested by the chapter council, to chapter members.
• Coordinate printing and/or distribution of the chapter annual meeting program and the chapter newsletter.
• Arrange, as necessary, for selection of meeting sites for an annual chapter meeting and other committee meetings. If possible, this should be done at least one year prior to the proposed meeting date(s).
• Immediately notify Chapter Services of future chapter meeting dates, and locations, as soon as possible so that the meeting can be publicized in the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons and on the College’s online Chapter Meetings/Event Calendar. The contact information for the person handling arrangements for the meeting should also be reported at this time.
• Distribute pertinent College communications to chapter officers, council members, and other surgical leaders.

• Administer the funds of the chapter, via checking account(s) or bank account(s).
• Be responsible for the distribution of membership dues notices and review annually any delinquent members with the council, so that a plan for re-recruitment may be formulated
• Maintain accurate financial records for all expenses, donations, and revenues and archive all bank statements and canceled checks.
• Prepare monthly financial reports, annual tax returns and/or annual IRS report forms, for review by the council as well as by state and federal revenue agencies. [Note: These reports may be prepared for the treasurer by an accountant or the chapter administrator, if so assigned.]
• Secure necessary council authorization to open and maintain checking and savings accounts and signature authorizations. (Banks are usually willing to assist with the necessary signature cards and forms of resolution. It is good form to have at least two signatures per account on file with the bank. Should one of the signators leave the chapter council, then another qualified signator should take their place.)
• Respond to inquiries from members surrounding chapter financial matters.
• Oversee all audits of chapter funds and reports, including the chapter president in the audit process.

• Assist the officers in conducting the business of the chapter, completing duties as assigned.
• Help to establish a dues structure (updating when necessary), subject to approval by chapter Fellows at the chapter’s annual business meeting.
• Recommend changes to chapter bylaws, with the chapter forwarding any changes to Chapter Services staff in the Division of Member Services for review. (Recommendations for proposed changes will be offered to the chapter by Chapter Services, and approval must be given before amended bylaws are offered to the members for a vote at the business meeting.)
• At minimum, have at least one face-to-face meeting per year as a full council, if possible, in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Chapter.
• Conduct meetings via teleconference as a full council not less than once every other month, and communicate electronically as needed.
• Advise the chapter president regarding committee appointments and make recommendations concerning the organization of new chapter committees or ad hoc committees.
• Review reports from:
• Governor(s)
• Chapter officers
• Chapter committee chairs
• Young Fellows Association representative(s)
• Resident-Associate Society representative(s)
• State specialty society representative(s)
• Chairs of trauma and cancer committees or Cancer Liaison Fellows
• College officials or staff, if invited to participate
• Other non-members as needed
• Recommend date(s) and place(s) of next annual meeting of the chapter.
• Nominate Governors-at-Large (GALs) with the Chapter Executive’s direction.
• Conduct such other business within the authority of the council as determined by its bylaws or articles of incorporation.
• Establish the agenda for the annual chapter’s business meeting.

Examples of Chapter Council Positions

Young Fellows Representative

Resident-Associate Society Representative

Chairs of the chapter’s various committees

Representative from the national medical association–surgical section