CONSTITUTION OF
SOUTH CHINA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (SINGAPORE)
NAME
1.1 This Society shall be known as the “South China University of Technology Alumni Association (Singapore)”, abbreviated as “SCUTAAS”, hereinafter referred to as the “Society”.
PLACE OF BUSINESS
2.1 Its place of business shall be at “#03-331, BLK 135, Jurong Gateway Road, Singapore 600135”, or such other address as may subsequently be decided upon by the Committee of the Society and approved by the Registrar of Societies. The Society shall carry out its activities only in places and premises which have the prior written approval from the relevant authorities, where necessary.
OBJECTS
3.1 Its objects are:
- a) To create opportunities for current students and alumni of South China University of Technology (hereinafter referred to as “SCUT”) to know each other better in Singapore and to bring value to the Society as well as its members.
- b) To enhance the connections between the Society and SCUT; to provide guidance and help for more SCUT students to come to Singapore for study and work.
- c) To promote the inter-communication and co-operation between SCUT and the business, educational associations in Singapore.
MEMBERSHIP QUALIFICATION AND RIGHTS
4.1 Membership shall be restricted to persons residing in Singapore.
4.2 Regular membership is open to any individual having received a degree at any level from the SCUT or its division, any individual having been enrolled at the SCUT as a full-time or part-time student for not less than one semester (including exchange students), any individual having officially been a part-time or full-time SCUT faculty staff (including visiting scholars).
4.3 Subject to Clause 4.4, each Regular Member has:
(i) the right to vote at any Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting (collectively referred to as “General Meeting”) of the Society;
(ii) the right to sit in all Committee meetings of the Society, but without voting rights (save as members of the Society’s Committee);
(iii) the right to address the Society’s Committee, provided written notice is received by the Society’s President not less than seven days prior to such an announced meeting;
(iv) the right to assist any Sub-Committee of the Society subject to the consent of the person(s) in charge of the Sub-Committee;
(v) the right to hold office in the Society; and
(vi) the right to participate in all programmes and events organized and/or sponsored by the Society.
Persons who are below 18 years of age shall not be accepted as members without the written consent of their parent or guardian.
4.4 Only Regular Members who are above 21 years of age shall have the right to vote and to hold office in the Society. Each member has only one vote.
APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
5.1 A person wishing to join the Society should submit his/her particulars to the Secretary on a prescribed form.
5.2 The Committee will review the qualification of the applicant and approve the application in principle or reject the application by notice (by telephone call, by email or by post).
5.3 The applicant shall make the payment of entrance fee within thirty (30) days after the receipt of notice of in-principle approval. The membership of the Society shall take effect on the following business day after the entrance fee is duly received. A copy of the Constitution shall be furnished to the new member thereafter.
ENTRANCE FEES, SUBSCRIPTIONS AND OTHER DUES
6.1 The entrance fee and annual subscription shall be approved by the General Meeting upon the proposal of the Committee.
6.2 Any proposal for raising additional fund required for specific purposes shall be approved by the General Meeting with the consent of not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the voting members present at the General Meeting.
6.3 The income and property of the Society whensoever derived shall be applied towards the promotion of the objects of the Society as set forth in this Constitution and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend or bonus or otherwise howsoever by way of profit to the persons who at any time are or have been members of the Society or to any of them or to any person claiming through any of them.
SUPREME AUTHORITY AND GENERAL MEETINGS
7.1 The supreme authority of the Society is vested in a General Meeting of the members.
7.2 An Annual General Meeting shall be held not be later than the 30th day of June of every year.
7.3 At other times, an Extraordinary General Meeting must be called by the President on the request in writing of not less than 25% of the total voting membership or thirty (30) voting members, whichever is the lesser, and may be called at anytime by order of the Committee. The notice in writing shall be given to the Secretary setting forth the business that is to be transacted. The Extraordinary General Meeting shall be convened within two (2) months from receiving this request to convene the Extraordinary General Meeting.
7.4 If the Committee does not within two (2) months after the date of the receipt of the written request proceed to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting, the members who requested for the Extraordinary General Meeting shall convene the Extraordinary General Meeting by giving ten (10) days’ notice to voting members setting forth the business to be transacted and simultaneously posting the agenda on the Society’s notice board.
7.5 At least two (2) weeks’ notice shall be given of an Annual General Meeting and at least ten (10) days’ notice of an Extraordinary General Meeting. Notice of meeting stating the date, time and place of meeting shall be sent by the Secretary to all voting members. The particulars of the agenda shall be posted on the Society’s notice board four (4) days in advance of the meeting.
7.6 Unless otherwise stated in this Constitution, voting by proxy shall not be allowed at all General Meetings.
7.7 The following items shall be included in the agenda of the Annual General Meeting:
- a) The previous financial year’s accounts and annual report of the Committee.
- b) Where applicable, the election of office‑bearers and Honorary Auditors for the following term.
Any member who wishes to place an item on the agenda of the General Meeting may do so provided he gives notice to the Secretary one (1) week before the meeting is due to be held.
7.8 At least 25% of the total voting membership or thirty (30) voting members, whichever is the lesser, present at a General Meeting shall form a quorum. Proxies shall not be constituted as part of the quorum.
7.9 In the event of there being no quorum at the commencement of a General Meeting, the meeting shall be adjourned for half an hour and should the number then present be insufficient to form a quorum, those present shall be considered a quorum, but they shall have no power to amend any part of the existing Constitution.
MANAGEMENT AND COMMITTEE
8.1 The administration of the Society shall be entrusted to a Committee consisting of the following to be elected at alternate Annual General Meeting: 1 President, 1-10 Vice Presidents, 1 Secretary, 1-3 Vice Secretary, 1 Treasurer, a certain number of Committee Members.
8.2 Names for the above officers shall be proposed and seconded at the Annual General Meeting and election will follow on a simple majority vote of the members. All office-bearersmay be re‑elected to the same or related post for a consecutive term of office. The former Presidents will take up the roles of Honorary Presidents. The term of office of the Committee is two years.
8.3 Election will be either by show of hands or, subject to the agreement of the simple majority of the voting members present, by a secret ballot. In the event of a tie, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote.
8.4 A Committee Meeting shall be held at least once every three (3) months after giving seven (7) days’ notice to Committee Members. The President may call a Committee Meeting at any time by giving five (5) days’ notice. More than half (½) of the Committee Members must be present for its proceedings to be valid.
8.5 Any member of the Committee absenting himself from two (2) meetings consecutively without satisfactory explanations shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the Committee and a successor may be co-opted by the Committee to serve until the next Annual General Meeting. Any changes in the Committee shall be notified to the Registrar of Societies within two (2) weeks of the change.
8.6 The duty of the Committee is to organise and supervise the daily activities of the Society. The Committee may not act contrary to the resolution of the General Meeting and shall always remain subordinate to the General Meetings.
8.7 The Committee has power to authorise the expenditure of a sum not exceeding S$500 per month from the Society’s funds for the Society’s purposes.
DUTIES OF OFFICE‑BEARERS
9.1 The President shall chair all General and Committee meetings. He shall also represent the Society in its dealings with outside persons.
9.2 The Committee Members shall assist the President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary, Treasure, and Vice-Secretary.
9.3 The Vice‑Presidents shall assist the President.
9.4 The Secretary shall keep all records, except for financial records, of the Society and shall be responsible for their correctness. He will keep minutes of all General and Committee meetings. The Vice Secretary shall assist the Secretary.
9.5 The Treasurer shall keep all funds and collect and disburse all moneys on behalf of the Society and shall keep an account of all monetary transactions and shall be responsible for their correctness and completeness. He is authorised to expend up to S$100 per month for petty expenses on behalf of the Society. He will not keep more than S$500 in the form of cash and money in excess of this shall be kept by a trustee appointed by the Committee. Any cheque withdrawals from the bank will be signed by the Treasurer and either the President or the Executive President or the Secretary.
AUDIT AND FINANCIAL YEAR
10.1 Two (2) voting members, not being members of the Committee, shall be elected as Honorary Auditors at each Annual General Meeting. The accounts of the Society shall be audited by a firm of Certified Public Accountants if the gross income or expenditure of the Society exceeds $500,000 in that financial year, in accordance with Section 4 of the Societies Regulations.
10.2 They:
- a) Will be required to audit each year’s accounts and present a report upon them to the Annual General Meeting.
- b) May be required by the President to audit the Society’s accounts for any period within their tenure of office at any date and make a report to the Committee.
10.3 The financial year shall be from 1st January to 31st December..
TRUSTEES
11.1 If the Society at any time acquires any immovable property, such property shall be vested in trustees subject to a declaration of trust.
11.2 The trustees of the Society shall:
- a) Not be more than four (4) and not less than two (2) in number.
- b) Be elected by a General Meeting of members.
- c) Not effect any sale or mortgage of property without the prior approval of the General Meeting of members.
11.3 The office of the trustee shall be vacated:
- a) If the trustee dies or becomes a lunatic or of unsound mind.
- b) If he is absent from the Republic of Singapore for a period of more than one (1) year.
- c) If he is guilty of misconduct of such a kind as to render it undesirable that he continues as a trustee.
- d) If he submits notice of resignation from his trusteeship.
11.4 Notice of any proposal to remove a trustee from his trusteeship or to appoint a new trustee to fill a vacancy must be given by posting it on the notice board in the Society’s premises at least two (2) weeks before the General Meeting at which the proposal is to be discussed. The result of such General Meeting shall then be notified to the Registrar of Societies.
11.5 The address of each immovable property, name of each trustee and any subsequent change must be notified to the Registrar of Societies.
VISITORS AND GUESTS
12.1 Visitors and guests may be admitted into the premises of the Society but they shall not be admitted into the privileges of the Society. All visitors and guests shall abide by the Society’s rules and regulations.
PROHIBITIONS
13.1 Gambling of any kind, excluding the promotion or conduct of a private lottery which has been permitted under the Private Lotteries Act Cap 250, is forbidden on the Society’s premises. The introduction of materials for gambling or drug taking and of bad characters into the premises is prohibited.
13.2 The funds of the Society shall not be used to pay the fines of members who have been convicted in court of law.
13.3 The Society shall not engage in any trade union activity as defined in any written law relating to trade unions for the time being in force in Singapore.
13.4 The Society shall not indulge in any political activity or allow its funds and/or premises to be used for political purposes.
13.5 The Society shall not hold any lottery, whether confined to its members or not, in the name of the Society or its office‑bearers, Committee or members unless with the prior approval of the relevant authorities.
13.6 The Society shall not raise funds from the public for whatever purposes without the prior approval in writing of the Assistant Director Operations, Licensing Division, Singapore Police Force and other relevant authorities.
AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION
14.1 The Society shall not amend its Constitution without the prior approval in writing of the Registrar of Societies. No alteration or addition/deletion to this Constitution shall be passed except at a General Meeting and with the consent of not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the voting members present at the General Meeting.
INTERPRETATION
15.1 In the event of any question or matter pertaining to day-to-day administration which is not expressly provided for in this Constitution, the Committee shall have power to exercise their own discretion. All decisions of the Committee shall remain in force and effect unless any of them is repealed or amended by the General Meeting.
GOVERNING LAW AND SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES
16.1 The Constitution shall be governed in all respects by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Singapore.
16.2 In the event of any dispute arising amongst members or between member and the Society, such dispute shall be settled by amicable negotiations between the members. Should attempts at amicable negotiations fail, any such dispute shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts in Singapore.
DISSOLUTION
17.1 The Society shall not be dissolved, except with the consent of not less than three-fifths (3/5) of the total voting membership of the Society for the time being resident in Singapore expressed, either in person or by proxy, at a General Meeting convened for the purpose.
17.2 In the event of the Society being dissolved as provided above, all debts and liabilities legally incurred on behalf of the Society shall be fully discharged, and the remaining funds will be disposed of in such manner as the General Meeting of members may determine or donated to an approved charity or charities in Singapore.
17.3 A Certificate of Dissolution shall be given within seven (7) days of the dissolution to the Registrar of Societies.