Any reference to the Michigan Medicine and Trinity Health Ann Arbor Departments of Surgery will include all subsequent renamings and rebrandings of said departments.

Article I - Duties of The Officers

  1. The President will preside at all meetings, will appoint all committees not otherwise provided for, and will serve as Chairperson of the Council. In their absence, the duties of the President will be assumed by the President-Elect.  In the absence of both the President and President-Elect, the Chair will be assumed by the most senior member of the Council present as decided by the Council.
  2. The Secretary/Treasurer will maintain all correspondence of the Society. They will keep adequate files of such correspondence, prepare an agenda for any meeting called by the Council, notify the Council Members of such a meeting, and arrange for the appropriate time and place.  They will keep a file of significant actions taken by the Council and/or the Membership, including amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws and policy decisions not stated in the Constitution and Bylaws.  The Secretary/Treasurer will keep a current mailing list of all the Members including an accurate postal address, electronic mail address, and telephone number.  The Secretary/Treasurer will keep a dues schedule for each Member.  Each Member must inform the Secretary/Treasurer of any change in their contact information.  All dues will be assigned to the Frederick A. Coller Surgical Society and sent to the Secretary/Treasurer.  The Secretary/Treasurer will bill Members annually and close the books each Fall.  The fiscal year will run from January 1st to December 31.  At the conclusion of the fiscal year the Secretary/Treasurer will report the financial status of the Society to the Membership.
  3. The Council Members will attend all meetings called by the President and remain informed of the wishes of the Membership to represent properly the Membership at the Council Meetings.  A Council Member unable to attend a Council Meeting must notify the Secretary/Treasurer.  The President may appoint a temporary substitute as a replacement.

Article II - Meetings

  1. A Clinical Meeting will take place at least every other year at a time and place designated by the Council.  Unless otherwise decided the Clinical Meeting will occur in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  The Local Arrangements Committee will plan the non-scientific portion of the Clinical Meeting with the Council’s approval.  The Program Committee and Coller Research Fellowship Award Committee will make award presentations with approval of the Council.
  2. Active and Retired Members may invite guests to the Clinical Meeting.  The President may invite guests to participate in the Scientific Program.  Guests may not attend the annual Business Meeting of the Society.

Article III - Dues

  1. There will be no initiation fee.  The Council will determine the annual dues to be paid by the Active Members.  Proper consideration will be given to the nonprofit status and the educational goals of the Society.  An Active Member called to extended active duty in the Armed Forces will pay no dues during their service.  Upon graduation all Chief Residents of Michigan Medicine and Trinity Health Ann Arbor will be considered for Active Membership waiving the dues requirement for one year.  Members must notify the Secretary/Treasurer of any changes in contact information or status, and errors in billing.  Retired Members will pay no dues.  Dues will be remitted annually to the Secretary/Treasurer of the Society.  The Secretary/Treasurer or, in their absence, the President may draw upon the Society accounts for expenses incurred in the operation of the Society.
  2. An Audit Committee appointed by the President will complete a biannual audit.  The funds of the Society will be on deposit in an account chosen by the Secretary/Treasurer.

Article IV - Educational Initiatives

  1. Frederick A. Coller Traveling Fellowship Awards:  Traveling Fellowships are authorized as part of the educational program of the Society and will be supported by its funds.  To be eligible for a Traveling Fellowship, surgical residents must be enrolled in a training program for which a Society Member is wholly or, in part, responsible.  They must be advanced enough in training to benefit from the experience.  The resident must complete the Traveling Fellowship prior to the last six months of their training.  Traveling Fellowships will be to clinical institutions within the continental United States unless alternate arrangements are made with the Traveling Fellowship Committee in advance.  Applications for the Traveling Fellowships may be obtained from the Executive Secretary.  They must be completed and filed by June 1 of each year.  The number of Traveling Fellowships awarded in any given year will be determined by the funds available and approved by the Council.  The Traveling Fellowship committee, appointed by the President annually, will review the applications and determine the successful candidates.  Following the completion of a Traveling Fellowship the recipient will report their observations and impressions in writing to the Secretary/Treasurer.  Upon completion of their tour each recipient of a Traveling Fellowship will apply for an Associate Membership in the Society and attend the next Clinical Meeting of the Society.  The recipient will be reimbursed for travel expenses incurred during the Fellowship to an amount previously determined by the Council and documented by receipts submitted to the Secretary/Treasurer.
  2. Frederick A. Coller Research Fellowship Awards:  Recipients of the Coller Research Award, Research Fellowships, and Jobst Awards will apply for Associate Membership in the Society.  Those awarded Research Fellowships will submit their work to the Program Committee for consideration for presentation at the next Clinical Meeting.
  3. Other Educational Programs:  The Council may fund distinguished speakers for the Clinical Meeting and additional educational scholarships, awards, and educational programs as it deems advisable.

Article V - Membership Certificate

There will be a certificate of membership available to each member.

Article VI - Changes in the Constitution and Bylaws

  1. Portions of the Constitution or Bylaws may be amended or appealed only upon vote of the Members.  Proposals for changes in the Constitution will be signed by three Members, submitted to the Council, and, in turn, submitted to the Members of the Society.  After presentation to the Society, the proposed changes may be offered for vote following a one month discussion period.  For the change to become effected, an affirmative vote of three fourths of the ballots will be required.
  2. All matters not explicitly covered in the Constitution and Bylaws will be presented to the Council for consideration, recommendation, or action.


Any reference to the Michigan Medicine and Trinity Health Ann Arbor Departments of Surgery will include all subsequent renamings and rebrandings of said departments.

Article I - Name
This society will be called the Frederick A. Coller Surgical Society.

Article II - Objective
The aim of the Society is to perpetuate the ideals and philosophy exemplified by Doctor Coller in patient care, continuing surgical education, clinical and laboratory investigation and the perpetuation of friendships.

Article III - Membership

The Frederick A. Coller Surgical Society shall consist of Active, Associate, Retired and Honorary Members.

        1. Active Members are those elected Members who remain in good standing.  They may attend all Society functions and vote in all Society matters.  They will submit annual dues in support of the Society and its initiatives until retired from active practice.  The number of Active Members will be determined by the Council and changed without altering the Constitution and Bylaws.
          1. Active Members will be elected after fulfilling the following requirements:
            1. Surgical training in a program where a Coller Society Member has a prominent role in the senior portion of that training.  A fulltime faculty appointment in an academic Department of Surgery in any institution wherein a Coller Society Member, serving as Chairperson or Program Director, nominates the applicant.  A fulltime faculty appointment in the Michigan Medicine Department of Surgery or Trinity Health Ann Arbor Department of Surgery. 
            2. Graduating Chief Residents in surgery and related surgical fellowships from the Michigan Medicine Department of Surgery and Trinity Health Ann Arbor Department of Surgery automatically will be considered for Active Membership by the Council and Membership.
            3. Demonstration of a commitment to Dr. Coller’s principles of teaching, continuing education, research, and patient care.
          2. To be properly qualified, a candidate must be nominated by an Active or Retired Member and endorsed by a second Active or Retired Member.  The sponsor may obtain application materials from the Secretary/Treasurer.  These forms should be completed with the pertinent letters and filed with the Secretary/Treasurer.
          3. The Secretary/Treasurer will submit to the Membership a list of the proposed candidates and request comments about them.  In confidential communications to the Secretary/Treasurer, Members must relay any reservations regarding a given candidate.
          4. All applications for Membership will be considered by the Council who will recommend those candidates to be considered for Active Membership to the Members.
          5. A candidate will be elected if three fourths of the ballots cast by the Membership are favorable.
          6. Candidates who are not recommended for Active Membership by the Council will be reconsidered one year later, and, if not recommended then, the candidate may be reconsidered a third time the following year.  If the candidate is not recommended a third time, the application will be dropped.  After one year the candidate may resubmit an application.
          7. The Secretary/Treasurer will notify the successful candidate and sponsor of the benefits and responsibilities of Membership.  Should a candidate fail to be recommended by the Council, the Secretary/Treasurer will advise the sponsor and request additional candidate information.
          8. Should a candidate, recommended by the Council, fail election by the Active Membership, their application will be dropped form further consideration and the sponsor notified.  After two years the candidate may reapply for Membership.  
          9. Newly elected Members will be presented a Certificate of Membership and a copy of the book, “Frederick A. Coller, A Remembrance”.  Unless excused by the Council newly elected Members will attend the next Clinical/Business Meeting of the Society.  Following election to the Society, failure to attend one of the next two Clinical Meetings or nonpayment of annual dues for two consecutive years will indicate a refusal of Membership in the Society.
        2. Associate Members are those elected Members in good standing who may attend the Clinical Meetings but not pay dues, attend the Business Meeting, vote, or hold office.  If the Associate Member fails to apply for Active Membership within three years of eligibility, the Associate Membership will be rescinded.  Following are the criteria for Associate Membership:
          1. A resident physician applying for and/or receiving a Coller Research or Traveling Fellowship
          2. A resident physician in good standing in a surgical training program in the University of Michigan Medicine Department of Surgery, Trinity Health Ann Arbor Department of Surgery, or a surgical training program where a Coller Member has a prominent role in the training of the resident physician.
          3. Completion of the application for associate Membership.
          4. Nomination by letter of an Active or Retired Member of the Coller Society.
          5. Approval by the Council and Membership.
        3. Retired Members are those Members who have retired from the active practice of Medicine and have notified the Secretary/Treasurer of their change in status.  The Retired Member will retain all the privileges and obligations of active Membership, but will no longer be required to pay dues or attend Meetings.  The Secretary/Treasurer will maintain an accurate list of Retired Members available for all Council Meetings.
        4. Honorary Members are those men or women of distinction in Medicine, Science, or the Humanities who have contributed to or expressed special interest in the Society.  They must be proposed by Members, endorsed, and approved by the Council, and then elected by the Membership.  Honorary Members do not pay dues, vote, or hold office.  The Secretary/Treasurer will invite each Honorary Member to the Clinical Meeting for which the Society may pay on site expenses at the discretion of the Council.

        Article IV - Termination of Membership

        Membership in the Society may be terminated under the following circumstances:

          1. The resignation of a Member may be accepted by the Council who will notify the Members of the Society.
          2. Unethical or unbecoming conduct by the Member will be considered by the Council and appropriate disciplinary measures, such as reprimand, suspension, or expulsion may be taken.
          3. The Secretary/Treasurer will report the status of all dues paying Members to the Council at the Fall Meeting.  The Council will consider action for delinquent Members and drop from Membership those persistently delinquent without reason.  If the delinquency is the result of ill health or financial difficulty, the Council may forgive the delinquency and maintain the Active Membership.

            Article V - Officers

            1. The officers shall consist of a President, President-Elect, Secretary/Treasurer, and eight elected Councilors.  The most recent Past-President will serve as an additional Councilor for two years.  The Councilors and officers will constitute the Council.  Any Council vote resulting in a tie will be broken by the vote of the President.
            2. The President and President-Elect will serve for two years only.  The Secretary/Treasurer may be reelected in order to maintain the continuity necessary for the conduct of the business of the Society.  The Councilors will serve for four years and may be reelected after an interval of two years.
            3. Election of Officers:  All Officers and Councilors will be nominated by a committee consisting of the four outgoing Councilors, the outgoing President, and the two past Presidents.  The Nominating Committee will consider the candidate’s age, geographical residence, and interest in the Society when creating the slate for election.  The President will notify the Nominating Committee well in advance of the Fall Meeting.  The Committee will report its recommendations to the Council for approval.  Following this the Committee will present the slate of nominees to the Membership for a vote.  Each nominee will be declared elected if they receive votes from three fourths of those present.  Four of the eight Councilors will retire at each biennial Clinical Meeting and be replaced by four new Councilors.
            4. Council Members:  In addition to the eight elected Councilors, the Council will include the Chairperson of the Michigan Medicine Department of Surgery and the Trinity Health Ann Arbor Department of Surgery (or the Program Director, if the Chairperson is not a Coller Society Member), and the President of the Frederick A. Coller Education and Research Foundation, as ex officio members.
            5. Non-Voting Members: In addition to the eight elected Councilors, the Council will include two residents as non-voting members. The Chairperson of the Michigan Medicine Department of Surgery and the Trinity Health Ann Arbor Department of Surgery will each nominate one resident to sit on the Council for two years only.
            6. Webmaster:  The Webmaster will be appointed by the Council on the recommendation of the President.  The Webmaster should be familiar with websites and electronic communication and will be responsible for oversite of the Society website.  They will serve as the liaison between the Council and Executive Secretary regarding website content and function.  The term of the Webmaster will be two years with no term limit.  The ideal candidate will be interested in a long-term commitment for this important function.    The Webmaster will attend the Council Meetings for transmission of information, but will have no vote.