CONSTITUTION OF ASIAN SOCIETY FOR EMERGENCY MEDICINE
NAME
1 This Society shall be known as “Asian Society for Emergency Medicine”, hereinafter referred to as the “Society”.
PLACE OF BUSINESS
2 Its place of business shall be at Department of Emergency Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, Outram Road, Singapore 169608” or such other address as may subsequently be decided upon by the Board 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.
OBJECTIVES
3.1 Its objectives are:
a To promote the science and art of Emergency Medicine in Asia;
b To promote, study, research and engage in discussion in all areas of Emergency Medicine;
c To assist in the training and establishment of guidelines in the Emergency Medical Care;
d To represent the views of the members of the Society and to acquaint the Asian and International Community and other bodies of such views whenever necessary and appropriate;
e In furtherance of the above objects, the Society may encourage and assist in the co-ordination of activities of Emergency Medicine in Asia.
MEMBERSHIP QUALIFICATION AND RIGHTS
4.1 Membership shall comprise of the following categories:
Society Membership
a. Ordinary Membership is open to all national societies representing Asian nations in the field of science of Emergency Medicine and which are legally constituted in the individual countries of Asia. Each member society shall nominate 2 persons above 18 years of age to represent the member society and he shall have the rights to vote and hold office in the Society.
Honorary Membership
b. Honorary Membership shall be conferred by the Society on such persons who have given outstanding contributions to emergency medical care in such conditions as may be prescribed from time to time by the Board of Directors. Honorary Members shall be entitled to all the benefits of Society Membership except the rights to vote and hold office in the Society.
APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
5.1 Any person or society wishing to join the Society should submit his/their particulars to the Hon Secretary on a prescribed form.
5.2 The Board of Directors will decide on the application for membership.
5.3 For the nomination of an Honorary Member, 10 signatories are required. The Board of Directors shall decide if the nominee is suitable for election to Honorary Member. If deemed suitable, the Board of Directors shall circulate the nomination to all Society Members for voting. Within one year of the circulation, 80% of Society Members must vote in support of the nomination for the nominee to be selected as an Honorary Member. Failure to garner the required support shall render the nomination null and void.
5.4 A copy of the Constitution shall be furnished to every approved member upon payment of the entrance fee.
ENTRANCE FEES, SUBSCRIPTIONS AND OTHER DUES
6.1 The entrance fee is US$200/-.
6.2 Annual subscriptions are payable as follows:
Society Membership - US$100
6.3 Annual subscriptions are payable in advance within the first month of the year. If a member falls into arrears with his subscription or other dues, he shall be informed immediately by the Treasurer. If he fails to settle his arrears within 6 months of their becoming due, the President may order that he be appropriately informed in writing to his last known address and that he be denied the privileges of membership until he settles his account. If he falls into arrears for more than 2 years, he will automatically cease to be a member and the Board may take legal action against him provided that they are satisfied that he has received dues notice of his debts.
6.4 Any additional fund required for special purposes may be raised from members with the consent of the general meeting of the members.
SUPREME AUTHORITY AND GENERAL MEETINGS
7.1 The Supreme authority of the Society is vested in a General Meeting of the members presided over by the President.
7.8 At other times, an Extraordinary General Meeting must be called by the President on the request in writing of not less than 50% of the total voting membership, and may be called at anytime by order of the Board of Directors. The notice in writing shall be given to the Hon Secretary setting forth the business that is to be transacted. The Extraordinary General Meeting shall be convened within 60 days from receiving this request to convene the Extraordinary General Meeting.
7.9 If the board does not within 60 days 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 60 days’ notice to voting members setting forth the business to be transacted and simultaneously posting the agenda to all voting members.
7.2 At least 90 days notice shall be given of an annual General meeting and at least 60 days’ notice of an Extraordinary General Meeting. Notice of meeting stating the date, time and place of meeting shall be sent by the Hon Secretary to all voting members. The particulars of the agenda shall be posted to members at least 21 days in advance of the meeting.
7.3 Unless otherwise stated in this Constitution, voting by proxy shall not be allowed at all General Meetings.
7.4 The following points will be considered at the Annual General Meeting:
a The previous financial year’s accounts and annual report of the Board.
b Where applicable, the election of office-bearers and Honorary Auditors for the following term.
c To decide on any resolution which may be duly submitted to the meeting as provided for under para 7.8 below.
7.5 Any member who wishes to place an item on the agenda of a General Meeting may do so provided he gives notice to the Hon Secretary 14 days before the meeting is due to be held.
7.6 At least 50% of the total voting membership present at a General Meeting shall form a quorum. Proxies shall not be constituted as part of the quorum.
7.7 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 of the existing Constitution.
MANAGEMENT AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS
8.1 The administration of the Society shall be entrusted to a Board of Directors comprising of members to be elected at each alternate Annual General Meeting.
8.2 Names of the nominated representatives to the Board of Directors shall be proposed and seconded at the Annual General Meeting and election will follow on a simple majority vote of the voting members. The elected members of the Board of Directors shall then be elect among themselves at a meeting of the Board of the following office bearers of the Society:
A President
An Immediate Past President
A President Elect
An Honorary Secretary
An Assistant Honorary Secretary
An Honorary Treasurer
An Assistant Honorary Treasurer
Ordinary Board Members
8.3 All office-bearers, except the President, can be re-elected. The Hon Treasurer and Assistant Hon Treasurer may only be re-elected once to the same or related post for a consecutive term of office. The term of office of the Board is 2 years.
8.4 Election will be either by show of hands or, subject to the agreement of the 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.
8.5 A Board Meeting shall be held at least once every 2 years after giving one month notice to Board Members. At least ½ of the Board Members must be present for its proceedings to be valid. In any decision made by the Board of Directors, voting shall be by ballot. In the event of a tie, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote.
8.6 Any member of the Board absenting himself from three meetings consecutively without satisfactory explanations shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the Board and a successor may be co-opted by the Board to serve until the next Annual General Meeting. Any changes in the Board shall be notified to the Registrar of Societies within four weeks of the change.
8.7 The duty of the Board is to organise and supervise the daily activities of the Society. The Board may not act contrary to the expressed wishes of the General Meeting without prior reference to it and always remains subordinate to the General Meetings.
8.8 The Board has power to authorise the expenditure of a sum not exceeding the approved budget from the Society’s funds for the Society’s purposes.
DUTIES OF OFFICE-BEARERS
9.1 The President shall chair all General and Board meetings. He shall also represent the Society in its dealings with outside persons.
9.2 The Immediate Past President shall be the previous President of the Society and he shall assist and advice the President and shall bring to completion projects he initiated during his term of office as President.
9.3 The President Elect shall assist the President and deputise for him in his absence.
9.4 The Hon Secretary shall keep all records, except financial, of the Society and shall be responsible for their correctness. He will keep minutes of all General and Board meetings. He shall maintain an up-to-date Register of Members at all times.
9.5 The Assistant Hon Secretary shall assist the Hon Secretary and deputise for him in his absence.
9.6 The Hon Treasurer shall keep an account of 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. He is authorised to expend up a fixed amount each month to be determined by the Board in the form of cash and money in excess of this will be deposited in a bank to be named by the Board. Cheques, etc. for withdrawals of <$1000 SGD from the bank will be signed by the Treasurer or Secretary while withdrawals of ≥$1000 SGD will require two signatures from the President, Vice-President, Treasurer or Secretary.
9.7 The Assistant Hon Treasurer shall assist the Treasurer and deputise for him in his absence.
9.8 Ordinary Board Members shall assist in the general administration of the Society and perform duties assigned by the Board from time to time.
AUDIT AND FINANCIAL YEAR
10.1 Two voting members, not being members of the Management Committee, shall be appointed as Honorary Auditors at the Annual General Meeting and will hold office for a term of two years only and can be re-elected for a consecutive term.
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 Management Committee.
10.3 The financial year shall be from 1st January to 31st December.
PROHIBITIONS
13.1 Gambling of any kind, whether for stakes or not, 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.
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 attempt to restrict of interfere with trade or make directly or indirectly any recommendation to, any arrangement with its members which has the purpose or is likely to have the effect of fixing or controlling the price or any discount, allowance or rebate relating to any goods or service which adversely affect consumer interests.
13.5 The Society shall not indulge in any political activity or allow its funds and/or premises to be used for political purposes.
13.6 The Society shall not hold any lottery, whether confined to its members or not, in the name of the Society or its office-bearers, Board or members unless with the prior approval of the relevant authorities.
13.7 The Society shall not raise funds from the public for whatever purposes without the prior approval in writing of the Head, Licensing Division, Singapore Police Force and other relevant authorities.
AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION
14 No alteration or addition/deletion to this Constitution shall be made except at a general meeting and with the consent of two-thirds of the voting members present at the General Meeting, and they shall not come into force without the prior sanction of the Registrar of Societies.
INTERPRETATION
15 In the event of any question or matter pertaining to day-to-day administration which is not expressly provided for in this Constitution, the Board shall have power to use their own discretion. The decision of the Board shall be final unless it is reversed at a General Meeting of members.
DISPUTES
16 In the event of any dispute arising amongst members, they shall attempt to resolve the matter at an Extraordinary General Meeting in accordance with this Constitution.
DISSOLUTION
17.1 The Society shall not be dissolved, except with the consent of not less than 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 days if the dissolution to the Registrar of Societies.