Bylaws of FESSH
Aims and Purpose
The Federation of European Societies for Surgery of the Hand (F.E.S.S.H.) is an organization which represents national hand surgery societies in Europe. Its object is to improve the standard of hand surgery throughout Europe. It seeks to develop surgical resources by advising European authorities of the requirements and appropriate quality of hand care.The purpose of F.E.S.S.H. is to rationalise and unify the training and educational structure for qualification of European hand surgery specialists. The standard would be the amount and level of knowledge approved for the speciality of hand surgery within Europe.
Acting Methods
F.E.S.S.H. organizes scientific meetings and instructional courses. It sponsors and encourages research and educational exchange between accredited hand surgery centres mainly within Europe.F.E.S.S.H. promotes its qualification criteria for the speciality of hand surgery as a guideline for an approved speciality within the E.C.
Membership
The members of the Federation will be National Societies of Surgery of the Hand belonging to the countries that are members of the Council of Europe.There is two types of membership.
1 | Full Membership
Full members need to fulfil the rules of the Federation and it is necessary that their country is a full member of the Council of Europe. The member should be representative of hand surgery in that country. Full members pay fees, participate in the Delegates Assembly and have a right to vote.
2 | Corresponding Membership
Corresponding Membership is available to societies not belonging to the Council of Europe. This form of membership entitles the society to information concerning F.E.S.S.H. activities that should be disseminated to their members. Corresponding membership does not require the payment of fees and there are no voting rights. The members of these societies may participate in the scientific activities.
Application for full Membership and Corresponding Membership must be complete and received by the Secretary General at least eight months prior to the Delegates Assembly.
Loss of full membership
Loss of full membership may occur under three circumstances:
1. Decision by the Society to withdraw from F.E.S.S.H.
2. Structural changes no longer allowing the Society to fulfil the rules of the Federation.
3. Non payment of the dues for a period of more than three years.
In each case the Delegates Assembly takes the decision on the recommendation of the Council.
Organisation
1 | Delegates AssemblyThe members of the Delegates Assembly represent the Full Member Societies and are elected by their National Societies for a suggested period of three years. Re-election is possible but the maximum period shall be six years. The Delegates Assembly should meet once a year. Any decision requires a two-thirds majority of votes of the delegates present. Vote is by raising hands. A single person can ask for a secret vote.
The Delegates Assembly controls the membership, elects the Secretary General for a period of three years and the Treasurer for a period of four years. They can be re-elected once for a further term.
2 | Council
The Council consists of:
» a Secretary General
» a Treasurer
» the chairmen of the standing committees
» the chairmen of the temporary committees
The secretary general and the treasurer are elected by the Delegates Assembly. A recommendation will be put before the Delegates Assembly by the council. They need not necessarily be delegates. The Delegates Assembly may consider other nominations.
Candidature should be proposed to the Secretary general 8 months prior to the delegates Assembly. If they are delegates they will be required to relinquish that position and a new nomination will be required from the National Society.
The Federation shall have three standing committees:
» Hand Surgery Training Committee,
» Examination Committee
» Journal Committee,
Other ad hoc committees as may from time to time be deemed necessary. The chairmen of the committees are chosen by the council. The chairmen of the standing committees are required to submit a report on the activities of their committees to the Delegates Assembly each year.
The Council meets at least twice a year and more frequently on the request of the Secretary General. The Council will receive nominations for the position of Secretary General and Treasurer at least eight months prior to the date of the Delegates Assembly. The Council will review and make recommendations to the Delegates Assembly.
The Council represents F.E.S.S.H. at other associations and at official European authorities (E.C., Harmonization Committee, UEMS, Council of Europe, etc.). It makes proposals for membership, congresses, qualification minima, scholarships and exchange programs for F.E.S.S.H. It is responsible for the actioning of the decisions of the Delegates Assembly.
The official representatives of F.E.S.S.H. are the Secretary General, the Treasurer and the chairmen of the appropriate committees.
3 | General Assembly
A General Assembly, open to all members of the societies members of FESSH, is organised at every scientific congress of F.E.S.S.H.
Funding
Funding of the Federation is mainly derived from:» Membership fees from the member societies and is based on their membership numbers.
The Delegates Assembly determines the membership fee per capita. Fees are paid each year for
the current year.
» Revenues from the meetings. The organising committee of each Scientific Congress pays to the
Federation a fixed percentage of the income received by registered participants. The Delegates
Assembly determines this percentage.
» Royalties from books edited by FESSH and from the JHS
» Gifts and sponsorship are acceptable means of funding for F.E.S.S.H.
Meetings
During the year of the triennial scientific congress of I.F.S.S.H. there will normally not be a congress of F.E.S.S.H., unless the I.F.S.S.H. congress is so remotely sited that comparatively few European surgeons are able to attend. This congress will then be held in the first half of the year and will be hosted by one of the full member societies.The Delegates Assembly will decide four years in advance the location of the scientific congress following recommendations by the Council. Application must be complete according to the rules.
The Council selects for each congress:
» a Scientific Committee chaired by a prominent surgeon and four members, one being nominated
by the President of the congress
» an Instructional Course Chairman responsible for the Instructional Course
day. The subject of this day is the decision of the Council.
The meeting will comprise of an Instructional Course day and two or three days of scientific papers. The format and organisation is the responsibility of the President but requires approval of the Council.
The European Federation of Hand Therapists will meet, if possible, at the same location as the F.E.S.S.H. meeting agreed between the two Federations.
» Rules & Application for organization of FESSH Congress