BC Chapter – Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine

This is for consideration of adoption at our next meeting. It has not yet been ratified.

I. PURPOSE

The purpose of these Terms of Reference is to define the governance structure, roles, responsibilities, decision-making processes, and accountability mechanisms of the Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine – British Columbia Chapter Society (the “Society”), in accordance with its Charter and its affiliation with the Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine (“CANM”).

II. GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE

2.1 Governing Body
The Society shall be governed by a Chapter Executive Committee (the “Committee”), which is responsible for the oversight, coordination, and direction of the Society’s activities within the Province of British Columbia.

2.2 Authority and Accountability
The Committee exercises authority delegated under the Charter and remains accountable to CANM.
The Committee shall not exercise authority beyond the scope defined in the Charter or act on behalf of CANM at the national or interprovincial level.

2.3 Collective Responsibility
All decisions of the Committee are collective and binding on the Society.

III. COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE

3.1 Officers
The Committee shall be composed of the following officers:

• Chair: Dr James Curtis
• Vice-Chair: Dr Moira Stilwell
• Treasurer: Dr Isabelle Savoie
• Secretary: CANM National or another individual designated by the Committee, as applicable

3.2 Secretary Role Flexibility
The Secretary function may be fulfilled by CANM National or delegated to an individual appointed by the Committee, depending on operational needs and coordination arrangements with CANM.

3.3 Eligibility
All officers must be members in good standing with CANM and meet any eligibility requirements established by CANM.

3.4 Term of Office
The duration of officer terms and conditions for renewal or replacement shall be defined in the Society’s Bylaws. Each officer term will be effective for a period of 2 years.

IV. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

4.1 Chair
The Chair shall:

• Provide leadership and strategic direction to the Society
• Preside over Committee meetings
• Act as the primary liaison between the Society and CANM
• Ensure compliance with the Charter, these Terms of Reference, and CANM policies
• Oversee the execution of approved activities within British Columbia
  

4.2 Vice-Chair
The Vice-Chair shall:

• Support the Chair in the performance of their duties
• Act in place of the Chair when the Chair is unavailable
• Lead specific initiatives or working areas as delegated by the Committee

4.3 Treasurer
The Treasurer shall:

• Oversee the financial management of the Society
• Ensure accurate financial records are maintained
• Monitor compliance with approved budgets and financial controls
• Prepare financial reports for the Committee and annual financial reporting for CANM

4.4 Secretary
The Secretary shall:

• Support administrative and governance functions of the Society
• Maintain records of meetings, resolutions, and official documentation
• Ensure proper recordkeeping and coordination with CANM, where applicable
• Perform such other duties as assigned by the Committee

Where the Secretary role is fulfilled by CANM National, administrative responsibilities shall be carried out in coordination with the Committee. Administrative support can be provided by paid non-voting members if there is no sitting assigned secretary position.

4.5 Member at large position(s):

To ensure there is appropriate representation of different viewpoints and regional priorities, up to 3 members at large positions can be appointed from chapter members.

Priority for appointments should be as follows:

• Target of at least one technologist member of the committee (named executive position or member at large)
• Target for regional representation of multiple health authorities on the committee (i.e. maintaining regional diversity of opinions from individuals with primary appointments in both PHSA/BCCA and Regional Health Authorities)
• Where possible, one non-technologist, non-physician member at large (i.e. medical physics, radiopharmacy, student)

4.6 Election Process:

To ensure continuity of executive leadership and effective governance, the role of Chair or Vice Chair should ideally be occupied by someone who has previously served on the Committee as an executive officer or member at large.

Eligibility to stand for election to the positions of Vice-Chair or Chair requires that the candidate:

• holds active membership in the Chapter
• has completed at least one term as an Executive Officer or Member at Large
• is in good standing with respect to the Chapter’s governance and membership requirements.

Waiver of these pre-requisites should only be considered in exceptional circumstances, to ensure the continuity or functioning of the Chapter, and solely by resolution of the Chapter Executive, subject to alignment with the Chapter Bylaws and the Affiliation Agreement.

V. MEETINGS AND DECISION-MAKING

5.1 Meetings
The Committee shall meet as required to carry out its responsibilities and at least quarterly.

5.2 Quorum
A quorum shall consist of a majority of the officers of the Committee.

5.3 Voting

Each member of the Chapter who is duly recognized as a voting member in accordance with these Terms of Reference shall be entitled to one (1) vote. Proxy voting shall not be permitted unless expressly authorized by the Chapter Bylaws.

Decisions of the Chapter shall be made by a simple majority of votes cast at a duly constituted meeting, provided quorum requirements are met, unless a higher threshold is expressly required under these Terms of Reference, the Chapter Bylaws, or applicable CANM governing documents.

For the purposes of these Terms of Reference, a BC Chapter Member eligible to exercise voting rights is defined as an individual who meets all of the following criteria:

1. Maintains a primary professional, academic, clinical, or administrative affiliation within the Province of British Columbia,
2. Is employed, appointed, or formally engaged in activities directly related to nuclear medicine practice, education, research, policy, or administration within British Columbia
3. Holds a clearly identified and verifiable professional status, role, or appointment relevant to the mandate of the Chapter.

Voting eligibility shall be determined based on the Chapter’s official membership records as maintained by the Secretary or designated administrative authority and shall be subject to verification at the time of the meeting. In cases of uncertainty, dispute, or ambiguity regarding voting eligibility, the Chapter Executive shall have the authority to determine eligibility on a case-by-case basis, acting in good faith, in alignment with:

• the objectives of the Chapter,
• the CANM Bylaws and national membership policies, and applicable provincial legislation governing societies in British Columbia.
  

The decisions of the Chapter Executive regarding voting eligibility shall be final for the purposes of the meeting or vote in question, without prejudice to future review or policy clarification.

5.4 Polling of specific member groups

On occasion, issues pertaining to advocacy positions or planning of educational activities may disproportionately affect specific member groups (i.e. technologist staffing, physician or technologist compensation), or require adoption of position statements requiring specific member expertise (i.e. taking a position on a medical policy or endorsement of regional policy where medical opinion of Nuclear Medicine physicians is the appropriate membership to poll). The executive committee may from time to time issue polls on specific issues targeted to solicit the opinion of a specific professional subgroup on an issue to facilitate taking positions on such issues.

5.5 Casting Vote
In the event of a tie, the Chair shall have a casting vote.

5.6 Electronic Participation

Meetings may be held by electronic means, provided all participants are able to communicate effectively.

VI. ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC REPRESENTATION

6.1 Advocacy Scope
The Society may engage in non-partisan advocacy activities related to nuclear medicine within the Province of British Columbia, in accordance with its mandate and applicable provincial and federal legislation.
The Society acknowledges its affiliation with the Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine. However, the Society further recognizes that provincial realities, regulatory frameworks, workforce conditions, and health system priorities in British Columbia may differ from those at the national level.
Accordingly, the Society is authorized to define, pursue, and prioritize British Columbia-specific objectives and advocacy positions, which may differ from, expand upon, or exceed those of CANM, provided that such positions do not directly contradict CANM’s core mission, ethical standards, or formal national policy statements.
Within the Province of British Columbia, the Society’s duly adopted objectives, priorities, and advocacy positions shall prevail for the purposes of provincial representation, engagement with provincial stakeholders, and provincial advocacy activities.
The Society shall not represent itself as speaking on behalf of CANM at the national level unless expressly authorized to do so. Where an advocacy position adopted by the Society may reasonably have national implications, CANM shall be informed in advance in accordance with the Affiliation Agreement.

6.2 Public Statements
Public statements, communications, or representations made by or on behalf of the Society on policy, regulatory, workforce, clinical, or system-level matters shall be subject to prior review and approval by the Chapter Executive or a duly delegated committee.

All public statements shall:

• be consistent with the Society’s mandate and duly adopted objectives
• comply with applicable laws and professional standards
• respect and comply with the Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine’s approved graphic charter, visual identity, logos, and branding guidelines, where such elements are used.
  

The Society shall not issue public statements that purport to represent the views of CANM unless expressly authorized to do so.
Public statements that are specific to British Columbia and issued in the name of the Society may be released independently, provided they do not imply national representation or endorsement by CANM.

6.3 Escalation to CANM
Any matter with national, interprovincial, legal, or reputational implications shall be escalated to CANM prior to action.

VII. FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT

7.1 Financial Authority
The Committee shall oversee the Society’s financial activities within the limits established by the Charter and the Society’s Bylaws.

7.2 Approvals and Controls
Spending authority, signing authority, and approval thresholds shall be defined in the Society’s Bylaws and internal financial policies.

7.3 Financial Reporting
The Treasurer shall provide regular financial updates to the Committee and annual financial reporting to CANM.

VIII. REPORTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY

8.1 Reporting to CANM
The Society shall provide the Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine with structured reporting for the purposes of coordination, transparency, and affiliation oversight.

Such reporting shall include:

• Quarterly activity summaries outlining key initiatives, meetings, and advocacy actions
  undertaken by the Society,
• An annual report summarizing the Society’s activities, governance, and high-level financial position for the preceding fiscal year.

Any additional information requested by CANM shall be limited to information that is:

• reasonably related to the Society’s affiliation with CANM
• necessary for governance, compliance, or reputational risk management purposes
• not confidential, proprietary, or subject to legal or contractual restrictions

The Society shall not be required to disclose detailed operational records, internal deliberations, or sensitive financial data beyond what is reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes of affiliation.

8.2 Transparency
The Committee shall maintain accurate and transparent records of decisions, activities, and financial transactions.

IX. AMENDMENT OF TERMS OF REFERENCE

These Terms of Reference may be amended by the Committee, provided that any amendment remains consistent with the Charter and is approved by CANM where required.

X. EFFECTIVE DATE

These Terms of Reference shall take effect upon adoption by the Committee and recognition by CANM.