Geography & Resource Management Alumni Association - The Chinese University of Hong Kong

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Constitution

Constitution (pdf version)

THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG GEOGRAPHY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION
香港中文大學地理與資源管理學系校友會會章

1.	NAME
1.1	The name of the Association shall be "THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG GEOGRAPHY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (香港中文大學地理與資源管理學系校友會)" (the "Association"). The short form of the Association shall be “CUGRMAA” (中大地理校友會).

2.	ADDRESS
2.1	The address of the Association shall be:
	Department of Geography & Resource Management,
	2/F Wong Foo Yuan Building,
	The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
	Shatin, New Territories,
	Hong Kong.

3.	INTERPRETATION
3.1	In this Constitution, the following expressions have the following meanings:
3.1.1	“Constitution" means this Constitution of the Association as altered from time to time in accordance with the provisions hereof;
3.1.2	“Department" means Department of Geography and Resource Management of the University, which expression shall include any past, present or future Department of Geography and Resource Management of the University;
3.1.3	“Executive Committee" means the Executive Committee as defined in Clause 7;
3.1.4	“Executive Committee Member" means a member for the time being of the Executive Committee;
3.1.5	“General Meeting" means a meeting of the Voting Members of the Association;
3.1.6	“Graduate" means a holder of any degree and/or Postgraduate Diploma with major or minor in History and Geography, Geography, or Geography and Resource Management conferred by the University, and/or Diploma conferred by the constituent Colleges of the University before the establishment of the University;
3.1.7	“Hong Kong" means the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China;
3.1.8	“Honorary Member" means an honorary member for the time being of the Association as provided for in Clause 5.2 hereof;
3.1.9	“Secretary" means the secretary for the time being of, or any person acting in such capacity by the direction of the Executive Committee to perform the duties of the secretary for, the Association;
3.1.10	“Treasurer" means the treasurer for the time being of, or any person acting in such capacity by the direction of the Executive Committee to perform the duties of the treasurer for, the Association;
3.1.11	“Member" means an Ordinary or an Honorary Member for the time being of the Association;
3.1.12	“Ordinary Member" means an ordinary member for the time being of the Association as provided for in Clause 5.1 hereof;
3.1.13	“President" means the president for the time being of the Association;
3.1.14	“University" means The Chinese University of Hong Kong;
3.1.15	“Voting Member" means an Ordinary Member except Honorary Member for the time being of the Association being present in the General Meetings in person or by proxy.
3.2	In this Constitution, if not inconsistent with the subject or context, words importing the singular number shall include the plural number and vice versa, words importing any gender shall include all other gender;
3.3	The headings are inserted for convenience only and shall not affect the construction of this Constitution.

4.	AIMS
4.1	The aims of the Association shall be:
4.1.1	To promote communication and cooperation among graduates, students, Department and the community;
4.1.2	To assist personal and professional furtherance of members;
4.1.3	To provide the Department and the profession with goodwill and support.
4.2	For the avoidance of doubt, each of the above aims shall be construed independently and shall not in any way be limited or restricted by reference to or inference from any other aim or by the name of the Association.

5.	MEMBERSHIP
5.1	Ordinary Membership shall be open to all graduates of the Department.
5.2	Honorary Membership shall be open to staff and former staff of the Department and graduates of other similar programmes of the University who are not also Geography and Resource Management Graduates upon the approval of the membership application by the Executive Committee.

6.	GENERAL MEETINGS
6.1	The General Meeting shall be the highest authority of the Association and is composed of all the Voting Members. When the General Meeting is in recess, all matters concerning the Association shall be decided by the Executive Committee. All General Meetings shall be held at such time and place as the Executive Committee shall decide.
6.2	The Association shall (save in the year in which the Association is formed) in each one-year period hold a General Meeting as its annual General Meeting in addition to any other meetings in that year, and shall specify the meetings as such in the notices calling it. At the meeting, the chairman of the meeting shall report on the general affairs and the financial situation of the Association, and the Voting Members shall also elect the Executive Committee for the coming year. Fourteen (14) days’ notice of such meeting shall be given to all Voting Members entitled to attend and vote thereat.
6.3	All General Meetings other than annual General Meetings shall be called Extraordinary General Meetings.
6.4	No business shall be transacted at any General Meeting unless a quorum of Voting Members who are entitled to vote thereat is present personally or by proxy at the time when the meeting proceeds to business, and such quorum shall consist of not less than ten (10) such members.
6.5	If within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting will be called off. It shall stand adjourned to another date, time and venue determined by the President. The number of Voting Members present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting shall constitute the quorum at the adjourned meeting and may transact the business for which the meeting is held.
6.6	The President shall preside as the chairman at every General Meeting of the Association. If at any meeting the President shall not be present within 15 minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting, or if he shall have previously notified the Association of his intention not to be present, one of the members of the Executive Committee shall preside, or if no member of the Executive Committee is present or willing to take the chair, the Voting Members present who are entitled to vote shall choose one of their members to preside.
6.7	The chairman of the meeting may with the consent of any meeting at which a quorum is present (and shall if so directed by the meeting) adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. When a meeting is adjourned for 10 days or more, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given in the manner provided by Clause 13 hereof. Save as aforesaid, it shall not be necessary to give any notice of an adjournment or of the business to be transacted at an adjourned meeting.
6.8	At any General Meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes of the Voting Members personally present or by proxy and, in the case of an equality of votes, the chairman of the meeting shall be entitled to a second or casting vote.
6.9	At any General Meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show of hands, unless a poll is (before the declaration of the result of the show of hands) demanded by at least two Voting Members personally present or by proxy, and unless a poll is so demanded, a declaration by the chairman of the meeting that a resolution has, on a show of hands, been carried or carried unanimously, or by a particular majority, or lost, shall be conclusive.
6.10	If a poll is demanded, it shall be taken in such manner as the chairman of the meeting directs, and the result of the poll shall be treated as the resolution of the meeting at which the poll was demanded.
6.11	Every Voting Member personally present or by proxy at any General Meeting and entitled to vote shall have one vote.
6.12	Minutes of a General Meeting that is signed by the chairman of the meeting shall be conclusive evidence of the proceedings at the meeting.
6.13	Extraordinary General Meetings may be called on receipt of a written request of at least ten (10) Voting Members stating the subject or subjects for discussion. Fourteen (14) days’ notice of such meeting shall be given to all Voting Members entitled to attend and vote thereat.

7.	EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
7.1	The Association shall have an Executive Committee consisting of the following:
	A President
	Not less than two (2) no. of Vice President
	A Secretary
	A Treasurer, and
	Not less than two (2) other Executive Committee Members.
7.2	All Executive Committee Members shall be elected at an annual General Meeting biannually. All Executive Committee Members shall hold office till the annual General Meeting after next same meeting, at which point they shall retire. Retiring Executive Committee Members shall be eligible for re-election.
7.3	The management of the affairs and business of the Association shall be vested in the Executive Committee who may pay all the expenses of, and preliminary and incidental to, the promotion, formation, establishment and registration of the Association as they think fit.
7.4	If any vacancy shall occur in the Executive Committee, the Committee shall have power to co-opt such person (being a Voting Member) as they deem fit to fill the office so vacated until the next annual General Meeting.
7.5	The Executive Committee shall have power at any time to appoint such sub-committees or committees for such purposes as they deem fit and may determine the powers, functions and duties of any sub-committees or committees.
7.6	The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the proper use of funds of the Association.
7.7	The President shall preside at meetings of the Executive Committee or, in his absence, the Executive Committee Members present shall elect one among them to preside over such meetings.
7.8	Unless otherwise determined, the quorum necessary for any meetings of the Executive Committee shall be three (3) Executive Committee Members personally present or in attendance through electronic means, which shall include telephone-conferencing, video-conferencing or such other electronic means which the Executive Committee deems appropriate from time to time, provided that all Executive Committee Members participating in the meeting are able to hear one another.
7.9	Questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes and in case of an equality of votes the chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
7.10	The continuing Executive Committee Members may act notwithstanding any vacancies in that body. If their number is reduced below the number fixed as the necessary quorum, the continuing Executive Committee Members may act for the purpose of (i) admitting persons to membership of the Association (ii) filling up vacancies in the Executive Committee or (iii) summoning a General Meeting of the Association but for no other purpose.
7.11	The Executive Committee may, if they think fit, transact any of their business by circulation of papers, and a resolution in writing approved by not less than three-quarters of Executive Committee Members for the time being in Hong Kong shall be valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Executive Committee duly convened. Any such resolution may be contained in one document or separate copies prepared and/or circulated for the purpose and signed by one or more of the Executive Committee Members. An electronic mail, facsimile transmission or record of on-line internet or intranet communication sent by an Executive Committee Member shall be deemed to be a document signed by him for the purposes of this clause.
7.12	An Executive Committee Member may not receive any salary or remuneration but he shall be indemnified out of the funds of the Association in respect of traveling and other expenditure reasonably and properly incurred in and about the affairs of the Association.
7.13	Save as otherwise provided herein, the President, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer and the other Executive Committee Members shall be elected at the Biannual General Meeting from among the Voting Members of the Association.

8.	SUB-COMMITTEES
8.1	The Executive Committee may appoint any sub-committee for any purpose arising out of or in connection to any of the duties, functions and aims handed down under the Constitution. Any member can become member of these committees.

9.	PATRON
9.1	Any person of distinction may be invited by the Executive Committee to become a patron of the Association. The person who has agreed to be a patron of the Association shall remain as patron until he resigns or leaves Hong Kong for good.

10.	MEMBERS' RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS
10.1	Members shall have the obligation to observe the Constitution and to abide by the decision of a General Meeting.
10.2	The Voting Members shall have the right to elect the Executive Committee and to hold office, attend and vote at any meetings of the Association which they are entitled to attend.
10.3	Save as otherwise determined by the Executive Committee no Member shall be entitled to enjoy the rights attached to his membership until he shall have registered or settled any claim the Association may have against him.
10.4	If any Member violates any terms of this Constitution or any Member has behaved in a manner which may bring disrepute to the Association, the Executive Committee may by resolution call upon such Member to resign from the Association forthwith and, if he fails to resign, may by resolution remove his name from the roll of Members or may suspend his membership for such period of time as the Executive Committee deems expedient.

11.	FEE & DONATION
11.1	No fee would be needed for the application for membership of the Association.
11.2	The Donation for all kinds of Members shall be variable and dependable on each member. Further donations could be made at variable time.
11.3	Donations once paid shall not be refundable and cannot be applied for tax exemption.

12.	FINANCE
12.1	The purposes to which the funds of the Association may be applied are towards the attainment of its aims.
12.2	The Executive Committee shall apply at its discretion sums of money from the Association towards the attainment of the aims of the Association.
12.3	The Executive Committee shall cause all sums of money received by the Association to be deposited in a licensed bank. Any cheques for the withdrawal of Association money shall be valid provided they are signed by the President and the Treasurer or the President and the Secretary or such persons as the Executive Committee may from time to time appoint.

13.	NOTICE
13.1	A notice may be given by the Association to any Member either personally or by post or electronically to his last known address or email address or other contact details supplied by him to the Association for the giving of notice to him. Where a notice is sent by post, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected at the expiration of forty-eight (48) hours after the letter containing the same is posted, and in any other case at the time at which the notice is sent.
13.2	Notice of every General Meeting shall be given in any manner hereinbefore authorized to all Members entitled to attend and vote thereat except those Members who have not supplied to the Association an address or other contact details for the giving of notices to them. No other person shall be entitled to receive notices of General Meetings.
13.3	Members changing their address or contact details shall give due notice to the Association and furnish the Association with an address or contact details to which notices and letters may be sent. All notices and letters sent by post or otherwise to such address or contact details (in default of notice of change) shall be considered as having been duly received by the Member.

14.	AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION / DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION
14.1	Any amendment to the Constitution must be approved by a simple majority of the Voting Members personally present or by proxy at a General Meeting.
14.2	Should the Association dissolve, the decision shall be assented to by a two-third majority of the Voting Members personally present or by proxy at a General Meeting. Any remaining assets shall be donated to charities as decided by the aforesaid majority of the Voting Members at the General Meeting.

15.	OBJECTION TO ASSOCIATION
15.1	Any objections to the Association must be initiated by at least thirty (30) members personally present or by proxy at a General Meeting. All terms and conditions deemed to be approved if no formal rejections within two (2) years.