Constituent Society Revitalization Resources
The Constituent Society Revitalization Task Force developed a toolbox to provide resources for struggling constituent societies.
This toolbox contains resources for building and/or strengthening a constituent society infrastructure. The Toolbox provides a “one-stop-shop” that includes information, templates, and websites to aid constituent societies if searching for a specific resource.
If you are concerned that your constituent society is in danger of folding or you need to strengthen certain infrastructure elements, the following information is found on this website. Click on each link below for more information.
Successful Constituent Society Traits
Characteristics describing a successful constituent society
- A membership roster that includes significant numbers in all membership categories
- Each constituent society will determine its significant membership numbers based on the state’s number of hospitals/clinics and student programs. The membership chair will be responsible for tracking this information yearly.
- Composition and activity of the Board of Directors (BOD)
- All BOD positions, determined by constituent society bylaws, should be filled. There should also be both an Ascending Professional and Developing Professional Forum representative on the BOD.
- The BOD will conduct at least quarterly meetings each year. The format can be in-person, virtual, teleconference, etc.
- A House of Delegates and/or business meeting open to the members at large should occur once a year. The meeting should include a State of the Society address.
- For the president’s position, a different individual should have held the office in each of the last five terms without repetition.
- Attendance of the president and president-elect at the ASCLS Annual Meeting, including the House of Delegates, is mandatory.
- Adequate constituent delegate representation at the ASCLS House of Delegates is paramount.
- Ideally, there should be more than one candidate for each office on the election ballot each year, and the candidates should include new faces and voices.
- The BOD should conduct a yearly leadership/planning meeting open to the members at large that results in a strategic plan that is reviewed annually.
- The SOP for the organization must be thorough, organized, and revised yearly to reflect changes made in the organization’s practices.
- A review and revision of the bylaws is completed yearly.
- Communication with society membership
- Evidence of a written and/or electronic newsletter disseminated to the membership at least bi-annually.
- An active website that is updated quarterly and links to the ASCLS website and other websites such as AABB, AACC, NCA, ASCP-BORASM, etc.
- A mechanism (example: list serve or email blast) to enhance communication between the hospital/clinical laboratories and educational programs in the state should be in place.
- There must be an electronic means to communicate with members.
- Continuing education offerings
- Offering continuing education opportunities.