Connecticut Cancer Partnership Guiding Principles

ARTICLE I—NAME

The name of the organization shall be the Connecticut Cancer Partnership hereinafter called the Partnership.
The Partnership is a consortium of public and private partners working to prevent cancer, decrease the burden of cancer and improve the quality of life of Connecticut residents through cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, survivorship, palliation/hospice, and access to care. It is an open organization that seeks a broad membership and representation on its committees and subcommittees.

ARTICLE II–PURPOSES

The primary purposes of the Partnership shall be to:

1. Increase integration and coordination of quality services in cancer prevention, detection, treatment, survivorship, palliative, and hospice services in Connecticut.
2. Convene cancer community partners, educate cancer control partners and mobilize advocates for cancer control, including the area of policy, systems and environmental changes
3. Expand access to high quality information and use of services in cancer prevention, detection, treatment, survivorship, palliative, and hospice for all Connecticut residents regardless of geographic, financial and other demographic factors.
4. Improve the quality and coordination of cancer surveillance and other data systems and their use for comprehensive cancer control programming and management.
5. Expand support from private sources, public policy makers and grant makers for comprehensive cancer control in Connecticut.

ARTICLE III—PARTNERSHIP MEMBERSHIP

Section 1–Eligibility for Membership

Membership is voluntary and open to all organizations and/or individuals who support the purposes of the Partnership.

Section 2--Types of Members
A. Organizational

Any organization, public or private, existing in the State of Connecticut interested in any phase of cancer prevention and control may be eligible. Each organization member accepted shall designate a representative member who shall be the principal contact between the member organization and the Partnership and who shall be empowered to represent the member organization at membership meetings of the Partnership. If this appointed person materially changes jobs within the organization or leaves it, the organization shall appoint a new representative member. If the organization has several programmatic departments involved in cancer control, it may request additional memberships.

B. Individual

Any individual interested in working toward cancer prevention and control may be eligible for membership. An individual member shall register with the Secretary of the Advisory Committee or the Secretary’s designee.

C. Conflict of Interest

On any matter brought to a vote at a Advisory Committee meeting, a Member with a conflict between the interests of the Partnership and the Member’s organization will be responsible to declare such a conflict and absent his or herself during discussion and vote on the item.

D. Removal of Members

At the discretion of the Advisory Committee, an individual or organizational member shall be removed from membership status in the Partnership should there be a substantial breach of ethical or moral conduct or if the member no longer qualifies for membership.

E. Speaking for the Partnership

Members can only speak on behalf of the Partnership with the approval of the position on the specific topic by the Advisory Committee.

ARTICLE IV–Advisory Committee (formerly BOARD OF DIRECTORS)

Amended Dec. 6, 2016

  • Since the Partnership continues to be a purely advisory entity without its own funding, two terms used in the present bylaws (“bylaws” and “Board of Directors”) will be changed to be more descriptive of the actual situation. Therefore, the proposed bylaw changes will rename the “Bylaws” as “Guiding Principles” and change the name “Board” to “Advisory Committee”. This aligns with terminology used by our counterparts in other states with a similar organizational structure.

Section 1–Composition

The Advisory Committee  shall be composed of a minimum of five (5) and a maximum of fifteen (15) elected members. In addition to elected members, one permanent voting member shall be appointed by each of the five founding agencies: American Cancer Society, New England Division; Connecticut State Medical Society; State of Connecticut Department of Public Health; University of Connecticut Health Center and the Yale Cancer Center. Committee chairs shall be invited to participate in Advisory Committee meetings but shall not automatically be Advisory Committee members and shall not have voting rights, unless they are on the Advisory Committee  Staff shall attend and provide staffing of the Advisory Committee but shall have no voting rights.

Section 2–Responsibilities

The Advisory Committee shall be the governing body of the Partnership and shall be responsible for the overall policy of the Partnership. The Advisory Committee shall manage the work of the Partnership in pursuit of its mission, to include (but not limited to) the development, implementation, administration, and evaluation of the Partnership’s Connecticut Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan. The power to dissolve the Partnership, convey or distribute any assets, merge with another entity or change the mission of the Partnership is reserved to the Advisory Committee, in consultation with the five founding agencies.

If the Partnership receives financial awards directly, the Advisory Committee will have responsibility for the oversight and administration of those funds. If the status of the Partnership changes, such as becoming a 501(c)(3) organization, the Advisory Committee will have fiduciary responsibility.

Section 3–Election

The Governance Committee shall submit annually a slate of proposed Advisory Committee members to be voted on by the general membership of the Partnership at the annual meeting. Election of the Directors shall be by simple majority vote of the attendees.

Section 4--Term

Advisory Committee members shall be elected for two-year terms, provided that one-half of the initial members shall serve a term of one year. Members’ terms of membership shall be unlimited. Members appointed by founding members shall be appointed for two-year terms, effective in February of odd-numbered years; the terms of their membership shall be unlimited.

Section 5–Staff

The Advisory Committee may employ staff whose duties and compensation shall be specified by the Advisory Committee by contract. It also may screen, supervise and recommend for hire staff by one of the member partners.

Section 6–Vacancies

Should the position of any elected Advisory Committee  member or Officer become vacant, the remaining members shall appoint a successor who shall hold office for the remainder of the term. If the seat of a member appointed by a founding agency resigns, that agency shall appoint a new member to fill the unexpired term.

ARTICLE V—OFFICERS

Section 1–Officers
The elected officers of the Advisory Committee shall be as follows:

Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Past Chair. No person shall hold more than one office concurrently. Only recognized members or Advisory Committee members are eligible to become officers.

Section 2–Responsibilities

Officers of the Advisory Committee shall provide leadership and administrative oversight to the Partnership. They shall serve as officers and members of the Partnership.

Section 3–Election

The Governance Committee shall submit to the Advisory Committee, at the first Advisory Committee meeting after the Annual Meeting, or by proper notice at other meetings as approved by the Advisory Committee, a slate of proposed Officers for the Advisory Committee. Officers shall be elected by simple majority vote of the members from the slate provided.

Section 4–Term

Officers shall serve for a term of two years. They may be elected to the same or different office to serve additional terms.

Section 5–Duties
A. Chair

The Chair shall preside at all meetings of members and the Advisory Committee members and shall have the right to vote. The Chair shall appoint Chairs and members for other Committees. The Chair shall also perform such other duties as the Guiding Principles or the members shall specify and act as the official representative of the partnership.

B. Vice Chair

The Vice Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair in the absence of the Chair, and shall serve as assistant to the Chair in his/her efforts for the good of the Partnership. The Vice Chair shall assume the office of Chair in the event of resignation, disability, or death of the Chair until the next meeting of the Advisory Committee where election of a new Chair is held.

C. Secretary

The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of the proceedings of all meetings of the Advisory Committee. The Secretary shall request staff to maintain Partnership membership registration records. The Secretary shall ask staff to notify Directors and Partnership Members of Advisory Committee meetings and shall perform other duties as assigned by the Advisory Committee.

D. Treasurer

The Treasurer shall monitor the receipt, deposit and disbursement of all funds for the maintenance of the Partnership as directed by the Advisory Committee, shall submit an account of the financial condition of the Partnership as the Advisory Committee may require, at each Advisory Committee meeting, and shall perform other duties as assigned by the Advisory Committee.

E. Past Chair

The Past Chair shall be appointed to provide continuity to the Advisory Committee and can perform duties as requested by the Chair or until there is another Past Chair.

ARTICLE VI–MEETINGS

Section 1 – Annual Meeting

A meeting of the full Partnership membership shall be held annually. Business to be taken up at this meeting shall include elections and such other business as shall be specified in the agenda of the meeting. Notice of the annual meeting accompanied by a detailed agenda shall be sent to members at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the date of the meeting.

Section 2–Special Meetings

A special meeting of the Partnership shall be held if deemed necessary by the Board of Directors or if at least one-fourth of the membership petition the Secretary in writing, stating the time, place, and purpose of the meeting.

Section 3–Meeting Notices

Notice of all meetings of the members stating the time, place, and purpose shall be sent to all Partnership members at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the date of the meeting.

Section 4–Quorum

A. Membership

At any meeting of membership, a simple majority vote of the members present shall decide all business unless otherwise stated in these Bylaws.

B. Advisory Committee

One-third of the Advisory Committee Members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The vote of a simple majority of those present shall be the act of the Advisory Committee. No proxy votes shall be allowed. Telephonic attendance of an Advisory Board member shall be permitted provided it is in accordance with Connecticut General Statutes § 33-1095. Allowances must be made to ensure that all parties can hear. Non-board members shall have the privilege of the floor, but may not vote.

Section 5--Voting
At a meeting of the Partnership, each member present shall be entitled to one vote.

Section 6–Advisory Committee Meetings

A. Frequency

The Advisory Committeeshall meet at least four times per year. Special meetings of the Advisory Committee may be called by the Partnership Chair or by five (5) members of the Advisory Committee members.

B. Notice

Board meetings shall be open to any member of the Partnership. Notification of Advisory Committee meetings (other than regular meetings on dates set at the annual meeting) shall be given to each Director at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting. If a special meeting has been called, only seven (7) days prior notice need be given to the Advisory Committee.

C. Executive Sessions

The Advisory Committee may decide to go into Executive Session if deemed appropriate.

ARTICLE VII–COMMITTEES

Section 1–Board Committees

The Advisory Committee may establish Committees as needed to carry out its business and to assist it in the conduct of the Partnership’s affairs. Committees may be composed of persons from the Advisory Committee, the general membership, partnering organizations, and outside advisors. Unless specifically delegated authority to bind the Partnership, Committees may only make recommendations to the Advisory Committee. Minutes of all committee meetings shall be submitted to staff. The Partnership shall receive annual reports of the actions of the Committees.

Section 2–Standing Committees

There shall be two standing committees: a Governance Committee and an Executive Committee.

The Governance Committee shall have five members and a chair appointed by the Chair of the Advisory Committee with approval of the Advisory Committee. The Governance Committee shall be responsible for nominations and by-laws.

The Executive Committee shall be composed of no more than 10 members of the Advisory Committee. Membership shall include the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer and any of the five appointed representatives of the founding members who are not serving as officers. Additional members could be nominated by the Governance Committee and presented to the Advisory Committee for election at its first meeting following the Annual Meeting. The Executive Committee shall have the authority to make decisions in between meetings of the full Advisory Committee. The vote of a simple majority of those present shall be the act of the Executive Committee. No proxy votes shall be allowed. All decisions of the Executive Committee must be reported at the next Advisory Committee meeting. In emergencies, the Chair can communicate with executive committee members to make decisions.

Section 3— Other Committees

The Chair may create other committees as necessary.

Section 4--Appointments

Except as provided elsewhere in these Bylaws, the Chair of the Advisory Committee shall, with the approval of the Advisory Committee, appoint chairs and members of board and other committees.

Section 5—Terms

Committee Chairs’ terms shall be two years and may be renewed. Terms of membership on Advisory Committee and Other Committees shall be unlimited.

ARTICLE VIII — AMENDMENTS

Section 1–Amendments

These Guiding Principles may be amended, repealed, or replaced by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of those Partnership members present at a duly called general membership meeting and by a simple majority vote of the five founding agencies. Proposed amendments shall be distributed to members along with due prior notice of the meeting. The amendments shall be distributed to all members of the Partnership after approval.

Section 2–Effective Date of Amendments

Amendments to these guiding Principles shall take effect at the adjournment of the meeting at which they are adopted unless otherwise provided.

Section 3--Guiding Principles Review

The Governance Committee shall review these Guiding Principles every two years and present changes to the Partnership for adoption as needed