CONSTITUTION of the TENNESSEE
ATHLETIC TRAINERS’ SOCIETY
Approved by the membership January 18, 2020
ARTICLE I - Name
The name of this organization shall be the Tennessee Athletic Trainers' Society (TATS).
ARTICLE II - Objectives
The objectives of this Society shall be:
(1) The advancement, encouragement, and improvement of the athletic training profession in all its domains and to promote a better working relationship among those persons interested in the profession of athletic training.
(2) To provide assistance for the educational and professional development of its members.
(3) To better serve the common awareness of its members by providing a means for free exchange of ideas within the profession and sharing them in the interest of public welfare and the healthcare community.
(4) To facilitate communication and to serve as a foundation for interaction between its members.
ARTICLE III – Membership - Classifications
Section 1. Membership shall be granted automatically to individuals who are residents of or whose place of primary practice of athletic training is in the state of Tennessee. All members must meet applicable requirements for licensure in the State of Tennessee and will be in compliance with all state and local laws, rules and regulations. Individuals within SEATA or the NATA must meet qualifications as outlined in the By-Laws and be approved by the Executive Board of TATS.
Section 2. Qualifications for membership and the rights and obligations of members shall be as outlined in the By-Laws. No individual shall hold more than one (1) class of membership at the same time.
ARTICLE IV – Membership - Responsibilities
Section 1. All members, regardless of classification, shall serve to advance the Tennessee Athletic Trainers' Society (TATS) and its best interests in every reasonable manner and to accept as binding upon themselves its Constitution and By-Laws.
Section 2. All members will abide by the Code of Ethics of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) and the Standards of Professional Practice as set forth by the Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC). Changes in status in SEATA, NATA, Tennessee Board of Athletic Trainers or the BOC due to nonpayment of dues/fees or violations of either the Code of Ethics or Standards of Professional Practice will automatically be reflected as the same status in the Tennessee Athletic Trainers' Society.
ARTICLE V - Dues
The dues of all classes of members shall be as outlined by the By-Laws.
ARTICLE VI - Suspension of Membership
Section 1. Membership suspension may be recommended by any member of TATS for just cause. Membership of any member may be caused to cease by a majority vote of the Executive Board.
Section 2. Members whose status changes in either SEATA, NATA or BOC as suspended, reprimanded or as an otherwise adverse status shall be suspended automatically until such status is resolved with either SEATA, NATA or BOC respectively. Reinstatement of membership in the Tennessee Athletic Trainers' Society shall be approved by the Executive Board.
Section 3. Members whose status changes regarding state licensure requirements as suspended, reprimanded or as an otherwise adverse status shall be suspended automatically until such status is resolved with the respective state licensing board or authority. Reinstatement of membership in the Tennessee Athletic Trainers' Society shall be approved by the Executive Board.
Section 4 Appeals: A person whose membership is suspended in accordance with Section 1 shall be allowed, either in person or through a member of TATS to appeal through the Secretary in writing for reconsideration. Information in the appeal shall be presented to the Executive Board and the Board shall, by majority vote, decide whether to submit the question of the membership suspension to the TATS membership for another vote in accordance with Section 1.
ARTICLE VII – Governing Body - Officers of the Society and Members of the Executive Board
Section 1. The governing body of TATS shall be the Executive Board. The Executive Board will consist of TATS officers and three (3) Regional Representatives. Chairs/Co-Chairs of all standing committees shall act as non-voting members. All powers and duties of its members are prescribed in the By-Laws and Policies & Procedures Manual. The Executive Board shall have full authority to conduct business on behalf of TATS.
Section 2. The officers are the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer and shall have voting power on all business conducted by the Executive Board. All powers and duties of officers are as prescribed in the By-Laws and TATS Policies & Procedures Manual.
Section 3. There shall be three (3) Regional Representatives who shall serve on the Executive Board. They shall have voting power on all business conducted by the Executive Board. All power and duties are prescribed in the By-Laws and TATS Policies & Procedures Manual.
Section 4. The Parliamentarian shall be an ex-officio member of the Executive Board and shall not have voting privileges as a member of the Board. In accordance with Roberts Rules of Order, a member serving as Parliamentarian shall retain their right to vote with the body of the membership only. Duties of the Parliamentarian are as prescribed in the By-Laws and TATS Policies & Procedures Manual.
ARTICLE VIII – Election to and Removal from Office
Section 1. Candidates for office shall meet the qualifications and be elected as prescribed in the By-Laws.
Section 2. Removal of Executive Board members: Any TATS Executive Board member may be impeached and removed from office on the following grounds: embezzlement, malfeasance in office, or conduct contrary to or in violation of this Constitution and its By-Laws. Before impeachment proceedings can be instituted, a brief containing the charges shall be drawn up and presented by a TATS member to the Executive Board sitting in executive session. The brief must then be adopted by a majority vote of the Executive Board prior to the formal presentation of the charges to the membership. Impeachment and removal from office of any officer shall require a two-thirds vote of the participating voting membership of TATS by electronic vote within three (3) months of Executive Board adoption of the brief.
ARTICLE IX - Executive Board and Conduct of Business
Section 1. The Executive Board may submit items of TATS business to the voting membership for a vote by online voting throughout the year as necessary. Approval of items so submitted requires a “yes” majority of the responses from the voting membership of TATS.
Section 2. The Executive Board shall meet at the TATS Annual Clinical Symposia & Members Meeting and at any other time that the President determines it necessary to call a Board meeting. A quorum for an Executive Board Meeting shall be five (5) of the voting members of the Executive Board. Any action approved by the Executive Board must be agreed upon by a majority of the voting members with at least a quorum present unless otherwise spelled out in the Constitution.
Section 3. An Annual Members Meeting shall be held in conjunction with the TATS Annual Clinical Symposia and Members Meeting. The location and time of the Annual Members Meeting shall be made known in advance through normal TATS lines of member communications. The Annual Members Meeting shall be held for the purpose of announcing TATS’ financial status based on its current financial statements, for the delivery of the President’s Annual Report, and for the reporting of other information as the Executive Board may determine is important to TATS and its Members.
ARTICLE X - Amendments to the Constitution
Section 1. All proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be submitted in writing to the President. The President shall distribute copies of the proposal to all voting members through electronic mail at least three weeks prior to an online vote by the membership. A two-thirds (2/3) majority of the votes cast shall be necessary for the adoption of the proposed amendment.
ARTICLE XI - Amendments to the By-Laws
Section 1. The By-Laws may be amended through online voting of the membership by a simple majority of votes cast. All proposed amendments shall be presented in writing to the President. The President shall distribute copies to all voting members through electronic mail at least three (3) weeks prior to an online vote by the membership.
ARTICLE XII – Roberts’ Rules of Order
Section 1. The most current edition/version of Roberts’ Rules of Order shall guide any procedures or decisions not otherwise addressed in the TATS Constitution or By-Laws.