Forming a Section

Upon formal petition of 100 or more or the minimum number of members of the College as evidenced by participation in a Member Interest Group (MIG), and completion by MIG leadership of the corresponding form, the designated authority appointed by the President will help facilitate development of the section and submit a recommendation to the Board of Directors regarding the petition. The Board of Directors may then charter a section of membership.

The recommendation will include:

1. The petition as submitted by the Member Interest Group applying for section status
2. Prospective section objectives
3. Description of the subject area that will be addressed by the section
4. Description of how the establishment of a section will further the College’s ability to meet its objectives
5. Proposed first-year activities.

The petition shall contain the names of the 100 members, who have agreed by their signature on the petition, to establish a section of membership with the understanding that they will be assessed a basic dues amount. A petition shall be accompanied by a document outlining the proposed objectives of the section, a description of the subject area which will be addressed by the section, a statement of how the establishment of the section will further the College’s ability to meet its objectives, and a statement of proposed first-year activities of the section. The Board of Directors, at their discretion, may make an exception to change the number required for a section from 100 to any number it deems appropriate. The section application form must designate who originated the request.

The Board of Directors will approve a charter for a section, by 2/3 vote. The designated authority appointed by the President will use the following criteria when reviewing a section charter:

1. The objectives of the section will assist and be consistent with furthering and supporting the stated mission, values, objectives, strategic priorities, or policies of the College.
2. The objectives of the section will be related to the clinical or administrative practice of emergency medicine.
3. Qualifications for section membership will not be based on sex, age, race, religion, or any other protected demographic.
4. Membership in a section cannot be limited by geography or employment by a single entity, or intentionally exclusive to any specific segment of ACEP membership. 
5. Sections may not duplicate chapters, MIGS, or membership categories that currently exist.

Upon approval of the Board of Directors, petitioning members will be notified of the decision. Along with this notification, each member will be sent an invoice for the dues amount. Upon receipt of the dues payment, the member will be considered a member of the section.  Following Board approval, a MIG will officially become a section when 100 members or the minimum number of petitioners set by the Board have paid their section dues.

When an approved section fails to attain the required 100 dues-paying members during the period of one year following the Board of Directors approval date, the charter for that section will be revoked, and it will remain a MIG. Section dues paid by those members will be credited toward their membership renewal. In order for the section to be reconsidered for a charter, the MIG must maintain at least 100 members for a period of 12 months before they may reapply and will be reconsidered by the Board of Directors.

In the event two or more existing sections agree to merge, the officers of each section must survey their members to determine their interest in such a merger. If a majority of respondents in each section are in favor of a merger, the officers of the individual sections should develop objectives for the new section. The section leaders must then submit a recommendation to the Board of Directors for a merger of the sections.

The Board sets minimum dues for activities supported by the College.

The following mechanisms for increasing project funds are available to sections:

1. An allocation of 15% of total dues collected per section during the previous year
2. A one-time per project voluntary special assessment
3. Fund-raising from outside sources that do not present a conflict to ACEP.