Constitution

CONSTITUTION OF AUSTRALIAN ALUMNI SINGAPORE
6th January 2010

I Name
 
(1) This association shall be known as “Australian Alumni Singapore” (here in after “the Association”).

II PLACE OF BUSINESS
   
(1) Its place of business shall be at 279 River Valley Road, #06-01 FDAWU Tower, Singapore 238320 or such other address as decided by the Management Committee, subject to the approval of the Registrar of Societies.
 III OBJECTS
 
(1) Its objects are:
 
 
(a) to provide facilities for returned students from Australia to meet together;
 
(b) to further the legitimate and collective interests of its members;
 
(c) to provide assistance to students intending to study in Australia and to those newly returned;
 
(d) to promote goodwill between Singapore and Australia;
 
(e) to express considered and informed opinions on current affairs;
 
(f) to liaise with other graduate organizations and educational institutions;
 
(g) to promote networking, integration, friendship and goodwill among the various graduates and members from different Australian tertiary and professional institutions as well as the business community.
IV MEMBERSHIP
 
(1) Ordinary memberships shall be open to persons resident in Singapore who are graduates of universities or other institutions of higher learning in Australia or persons who have completed a course of study from a recognized Australian professional body or organization including their campuses and branches outside Australia.
 
(2) Associate memberships shall be open to persons who are resident in Singapore with connections or links with Australia, provided that the Management Committee shall always have the sole discretion to accept or refuse any application by any person to be admitted as an Associate member of the Association.
 
(3) Honorary memberships may be bestowed on distinguished persons who, in the sole opinion of the Management Committee, have contributed to the well being of Singapore, Australia or the Association.
 
(4) Life memberships shall be open only to persons who qualify for ordinary memberships or hold ordinary memberships in the Association.
 
(5) Institution memberships shall be open to Australian institutions of higher learning, professional bodies and their campuses, branches and alumni bodies outside Australia.
 
(6) Only ordinary, life and institution members are voting members.  Each member shall have one vote, provided the member has paid the membership subscription for the year in which the meeting is held.
 V APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIIP
   
(1) Application for membership to the association must be made in an application form prescribed by the Management Committee.
 
(2) Membership applications must be accompanied with the prescribed entrance fee and membership subscription.

 VI ENTRANCE FEE AND SUBCRIPTION
   
(1) The entrance fee and annual membership subscription for each type of membership shall be prescribed by the Management Committee. The annual membership subscription is payable in advance on 1st January.
 VII ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
   
(1) The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held in the month of March each year.  The quorum for an Annual General Meeting shall be one-fifth of the total voting members for the year or thirty (30) voting members, whichever is the lesser. Proxy vote is not allowed.  In the event of a lack of quorum at the commencement of the Annual General Meeting, the meeting shall adjourn for thirty minutes, after which, if the number then present is insufficient to form a quorum, those voting members present shall constitute a quorum but they shall have no power to amend any of the existing Rules.  Only matters proposed for discussion and included in the original agenda for any Annual General Meeting shall be considered and discussed during the Annual General Meeting..
 
(2) The Secretary must give at least one month’s prior written notice to all members of the Association before the Annual General Meeting can be convened and such notice must contain a request for nominations for election to the Management Committee and request to all or particular groups of members for any resolution, motion, or other proposal that they wish to be tabled as part of the agenda for the Annual General Meeting.  Provided that any such resolution, motion or other proposal so provided shall be included in the agenda of any Annual General Meeting, only if:
 
 
(a) it is in writing;
 
(b) it reaches the Secretary at least two weeks before the date when the Annual General Meeting is scheduled to be held; and
 
(c) it is seconded in writing by another voting member of the Association.
 VIII BUSINESS OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
   
(1) The business to be transacted at the Annual General Meeting includes:
 
 
(a) to receive the Annual Report;
 
(b) to receive the Statement of Accounts for the previous financial year;
 
(c) to elect Management Committee members and an Auditor;
 
(d) to consider any resolution, motion or proposal that has been properly tabled as part of the agenda for the meeting; and
 
(e) to discuss general business.
 IX EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
   
(1) An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Association may be called:
 
 
(a) by order of the Management Committee, or
 
(b) upon the written request of at least one-fifth (20%) of all the voting members of the Association or fifteen (15) voting members, whichever is the lesser.
 
(2) Seven clear days’ notice must be given to all voting members before an Extraordinary General Meeting called can be convened.  If any Extraordinary General Meeting is called in accordance with Article IX (1b), it shall be held not later than twenty-one (21) days after the date of such written request is received by the Secretary.
 
(3) The quorum for any Extraordinary General Meeting shall be one-fifth of all the voting members or thirty (30) voting members, whichever is the lesser. Proxy vote is not allowed.
 
(4) Except for any resolution or motion involving:
 
 
(a) the alteration / amendment / deletion of this Constitution; or
 
(b) the proposed dissolution of the Association;
any resolution or motion proposed at an Annual General meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be considered adopted by the Association, if it is approved by at least a simple majority of all the voting members present at such Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting.
X MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
 
(1) Nine (9) Management Committee members of natural persons shall be elected at the first Annual General Meeting after this Constitution comes into effect.  There shall be no more than 3 Management Committee members from each University.  If a member has studied in more than one University, the member shall determine which University is to be counted for this purpose.
 
(2) One–third of the elected Management Committee members shall retire by rotation each year and shall be eligible for re-election provided no member shall serve for more than six years continuously.
 
(3)
The elected Management Committee members shall elect from among themselves to fill the following positions of office bearers for a term of two years:

President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer

The office bearers other than the Treasurer are eligible for re-election provided they continue to be Management Committee members.  The President shall not serve for more than two consecutive terms.  The first term of office is deemed to commence from the first election/appointment after the effective date of this Constitution.
 
(4) Nominations for election at the Annual General Meeting to the Management Committee must be submitted to the Secretary two weeks before the Annual General Meeting.  Each nomination must be signed by a proposer and a seconder, both the proposer and seconder must be voting members.
 
(5) The Immediate Past President shall be an ex-officio member of the Management Committee with voting right.
 
(6) The Management Committee may co-opt up to two Management Committee members with voting right for the current term.  The Management Committee may also fill casual vacancies for the remaining term of the respective vacancy.
 XI DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
   
(1) The Management Committee shall regulate their own meetings.  At least six (6) members must be present to form a quorum.  If any disagreement on any matters discussed at a Management Committee Meeting should arise, then such matters shall be put to a vote by the members of the Management Committee.  Any matter shall be deemed decided if voted in favour by a majority of the Management Committee members who are present at the Management Committee meeting.
 
(2) Decisions of the Management Committee may be made by resolutions in writing or email, and approved by a majority of the Committee members.
 
(3) The Management Committee shall be responsible for:
 
 
(a) conducting the business of the Association;
 
(b) appointing sub-committees that shall have powers of co-option;
 
(c) managing the financial affairs of the Association but they shall not have any power to donate, loan or borrow moneys exceeding twenty percent (20%) of all the existing funds of the Association;
 
(d) furnishing an Annual Report that shall include an audited financial statement for the previous financial year;
 
(4) The President shall act as Chairperson at all General and Management Committee meetings and shall have a casting vote.  He/She shall also represent the Association in its dealings with outside persons.
 
(5) The Vice-President shall assist the President and deputise for him/her in his/her absence.
 
(6) The Secretary shall maintain all records except financial, of the Association and shall be responsible for their correctness.  He/She will keep minutes of all General and Management Committee meetings.
 
(7) The Treasurer shall keep all funds and collect and disburse all monies on behalf of the Association and shall keep an account of all monetary transactions.  He/She shall be responsible for their correctness.
 
(8) Any member of the Management Committee who is absent from three (3) consecutive meetings without satisfactory explanation shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the Management Committee.
 XII PATRONS
   
(1) The Management Committee may appoint up to three (3) patrons and fix their terms of appointment.

 XIII COUNCIL OF ADVISORS
   
(1) The Management Committee may appoint up to five (5) distinguished persons to the Council of Advisors and fix their terms of appointment.

 XIV FINANCES
   
(1) The funds of the Association shall comprise of subscriptions, donations, gifts and other moneys received by the Association from time to time.
 
(2) The financial year shall be from 1st January to 31st December.
 
(3) The Treasurer shall be the custodian of funds received on behalf of the Association.
 
(4) All moneys received by the Treasurer shall be deposited in the name of the Association with a bank approved by the Committee.
 
(5) All cheques must be signed by any two of the following office bearers: Treasurer, President, Vice-President and Secretary. Any two of these office bearers may approve expenditures of up to $2,000 each. All expenditures exceeding $2,000/- each must be approved by the Management Committee.

XV ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION
 
(1) The Constitution shall only be altered or amended by at least two-thirds majority vote of all voting members of the Association who are present at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting, which is properly convened. No proposed alteration or amendment to this Constitution shall be permitted unless the resolution proposing the alteration or amendment has been properly tabled or proposed according to this Constitution.
 
(2) Alterations or amendments to the Constitution shall come into force immediately after the approval of the Registrar of Societies.

 XVI PROHIBITIONS
   
(1) This Association shall not be associated with, or affiliated to any particular political  party.
 
(2) The premises of the Association shall not be used for gaming or other purposes considered illegal or immoral.

 XVII DISSOLUTION
   
(1) The Association shall not be dissolved except by a resolution passed by not less than sixty percent (60%) of all the voting members of the Association:
 
 
(a) at an Extraordinary General Meeting convened for the purpose, which is attended by at least sixty percent (60%) or more of all the voting members, provided that if only sixty percent (60%) of all the Association’s voting members are present, no resolution shall be passed unless all those present unanimously vote in favour of the dissolution of the Association or
 
(b) by postal vote, provided that all voting members have been given fourteen (14) days notice of any impending resolution to dissolve the Association and have sent their votes to the Secretary by post and such votes having been received before the deadline set for counting the votes.  Voting members who do not respond to any voting exercise by way of postal vote shall be deemed to have rejected the resolution(s) proposed.
 
(2) Upon the Association being dissolved as provided above, all debts and liabilities legally incurred on behalf of the Association shall be fully discharged and the remaining funds shall be donated to an approved charitable organization in Singapore.
 
(3)
A Certificate of Dissolution shall be given by the Secretary within seven (7) days of the passing of the resolution to dissolve the Association to the Registrar of Societies.

This Constitution was adopted by the Annual General Meeting held on 29 September 2009 and approved by the Registrar of Societies on 6 January 2010 (effective date).