CONSTITUTION OF THE SOCIETY OF TRANSPLANTATION (SINGAPORE)

 

ARTICLE I 

 

A. NAME 

This society shall be known as the “Society of Transplantation (Singapore)”, hereinafter referred to in this constitution as the “Society”. 

 

B. PLACE OF BUSINESS 

Its place of business shall be at “Block 4, Level 2, C28, Transplant Resource Room, Department of Renal Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, Outram Road, Singapore 0316” or such other address as may be subsequently decided upon by the Committee 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.

 

ARTICLE II 

 

A. OBJECTS 

1. The objects of the Society are to: 

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1. Promote and encourage the advancement of scientific knowledge in all aspects of transplantation. 

2. Promote discussions with doctors, allied and ancillary professionals regarding transplantation. 

3. Educate the public and patients regarding transplantation. 

4. Liaise with local and international bodies affiliated to transplantation and to organize meetings for scientific and social purposes. 

5. Compile, print, publish, distribute and disseminate educational materials on transplantation. 

 

2. In furtherance of its objects, the Society may: 

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1. Raise or borrow money on behalf of the Society and to invest any money so derived. 

2. Acquire by purchase, lease or otherwise, land, buildings, tenements or hereditaments and any movable or immovable properties. 

3. Construct, maintain and alter any houses, buildings or works. 

4. Sell, manage, lease, mortgage, dispose of or otherwise deal with all or any part of the property of the Society. 

 

ARTICLE III 

 

A. CLASSIFICATION OF MEMBERSHIP 

The Society shall consist of Ordinary, Life, Associate, Honorary and Corporate Memberships. 

 

1. Ordinary Membership

 

Any medical practitioner registered or provisionally registered in the Register of the Singapore Medical Council who is involved in the field of transplantation is eligible for Ordinary Membership. 

Paramedical professionals who are trained in transplantation are also eligible for Ordinary Membership. 

 

2. Life Membership 

 

Life Membership may be granted on the discretion of the Executive Committee to Ordinary Members who have been in continuous membership for at least ten years or on payment of a sum equivalent to ten years’ annual subscription at ordinary rate. 

 

3. Associate Membership 

 

Any member of the medical, paramedical and other professions who has an interest in transplantation is eligible to apply for Associate Membership. 

 

4. Honorary Membership 

 

Honorary Membership may be conferred on persons who are distinguished in public life or who have rendered meritorious service to the field of transplantation. 

 

5. Corporate Membership 

 

Any organisation which has an interest in the field of transplantation is eligible to apply for Corporate Membership. Each Corporate Member shall nominate a representative to the Society. 

 

B. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP 

An individual or organization wishing to join the Society should submit his/its name to the Honorary Secretary by completing the prescribed form for “Application for Membership”. Any  application for membership shall be duly proposed and seconded by two members of the Society,  both of whom shall be Ordinary, Life or Honorary Members of the Society. Nominations for  Honorary Membership shall be made by the Executive Committee and approved by a simple  majority of the general body at the Annual General Meeting. 

 

C. PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERSHIP 

1. Ordinary and Life Members shall be entitled to all rights and privileges including the right to vote and hold office. 

 

2. Honorary, Associate and Corporate Members shall be entitled to all the benefits and privileges of Ordinary and Life Members, except that they shall not be eligible to vote or to hold office. 

 

3. Any member of the Society may resign by giving to the Honorary Secretary of the Society notice in writing to that effect, providing that any member giving such notice shall be liable to pay his subscription up to and including the current year in which such notice was given. 

 

4. The privileges of membership shall be suspended of any member if he has not paid his subscription on due date provided notice of his arrears has been given in writing. Such privileges shall be restored upon payment of arrears. 

 

D. TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP 

1. The Executive Committee shall have the power to terminate the membership of any member if the member has not paid his subscriptions for two consecutive terms.

 

2. The Executive Committee shall have the power to expel from membership of the Society any member: 

 

• who has been convicted in a court of law and sentenced to imprisonment for a period of over one year without the option of a fine.

• whose name has been removed from the Medical Register of Singapore.

• who has been barred from practising his profession by a professional body. 

• whose conduct is detrimental to the honour, interests and reputation of the Society. 

• who has willfully and persistently refused to comply with the Constitution of the Society. 

 

3. Any member aggrieved by the decision of the Executive Committee shall have the rights to appeal to a General Meeting. The decision of the General Meeting by way of a simple majority shall be final and binding on such members. 

 

E. SUBSCRIPTIONS AND OTHER FEES 

1. No entrance fee is payable. 

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2. The Subscription Fees are payable as follows: 
 

1. Ordinary Member $50/- (for two years term) 

2. Associate Member $25/- (for two years term) 

3. Corporate Member $200/- (for two years term) 

4. Honorary Member shall pay no subscription 

 

3. Subscriptions are payable in advance for a two years term on 1st January. If a member falls into arrears with his subscriptions or other dues, he shall be informed by the Honorary Treasurer. If he fails to settle his arrears within four weeks of their becoming due, the President may order that his name be posted on the Society’s notice board and that he be denied the privileges of membership until he settles his account. If he falls into arrears for more than three months, the Committee may take legal action against him provided that they are satisfied that he has received due notice of his debts. The privileges of membership shall be restored to the said member upon payment of arrears. 

 

4. The rate of subscriptions may only be varied upon approval at an Annual General Meeting of the members. Any special subscriptions for particular purposes may only be raised from members with the consent of the general meeting of the members. 

 

ARTICLE IV 

 

A. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 

1. The supreme authority of the Society is vested in a General Meeting of the members presided over by the President. 

 

2. An Annual General Meeting shall be held in October. 

 

3. An Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held every year for the following purposes: 

 

• To receive from the Committee and consider its report of the activities of the Society during the preceding year. 

• To receive from the Committee and consider its audited Statement of Accounts for the preceding year. 

• To elect the office-bearers for the following term when due. ​

• To appoint Honorary Auditors for the following term when due. 

• To decide on any resolution which may be duly submitted to the meeting as provided for under Sub-Section A5 of this article.

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4. At least twenty-eight days before the date fixed for the Annual General Meeting of the Society, the Honorary Secretary shall inform all members in writing of the date, the time and the place fixed for the meeting. 

 

5. Any member who wishes to place an item on the agenda of the Annual General Meeting may do so provided he gives notice to the Honorary Secretary twenty-one days before the meeting is due to be held. 

 

6. At least fourteen days before the meeting, the Honorary Secretary shall notify all members of the agenda of the Annual General Meeting. 

 

B. THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING 

1. An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society shall be convened by the Committee at any time for any special reason. An Extra-Ordinary General Meeting shall be convened by the Committee upon the receipt of a request to do so in writing from one-quarter or more of the membership of the Society eligible to vote. The request must state the purpose of the meeting. The Extraordinary General Meeting shall be held within twenty-one days of receipt of the request by the Honorary Secretary. 

 

2. If the Committee does not within twenty-one 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 ten days’ notice to voting members setting forth the business to be transacted and simultaneously posting the agenda on the Society’s notice board. 

 

3. At least fourteen days before the date fixed for the Extra-Ordinary General Meeting of the Society, the Honorary Secretary shall inform all members in writing of the date, the time and the place fixed for the meeting. The notice shall state the business of the Meeting. 

 

4. No business shall be dealt with by an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting other than that for which it is specifically convened. 

 

C. THE QUORUM 

1.  At least one-quarter of the total membership of the Society eligible to vote shall form a quorum. 

 

2. In the event of a lack of a 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 alter, amend or make additions to any of the Constitution or existing rules of the Society. 

 

D. THE MINUTES 

Minutes of all General Meetings shall be circulated to all members within one month of the date of the meeting. 

 

ARTICLE V

 

A. MANAGEMENT AND COMMITTEE 

​1. The administration of the Society shall be entrusted to an Executive Committee which will manage the affairs of the Society. The Executive Committee (hereinafter referred in this constitution as the “Committee”) shall consist of the following to be elected at each alternate Annual General Meeting: 

 

• President

• Vice-President 

• Honorary Secretary 

• Honorary Treasurer 

• Seven Ordinary Committee Members 

 

2. Names for the above officers shall be proposed and seconded at the General Meeting.  Election will follow on a simple majority vote by secret ballot by members of the Society who are entitled to vote. 

 

3. All officers except the Honorary Treasurer are eligible for re-election for a consecutive term of office. The Honorary Treasurer shall not be re-elected to a consecutive term as Honorary Treasurer. 

 

4. All members of the Committee shall hold office for a period of two years which shall constitute one term of office. 

 

5. In the event of any casual vacancy arising in respect of the Office of the President, Vice President, Honorary Secretary or Honorary Treasurer, the Committee shall elect one of its Committee members to fill the vacancy. In the event of any casual vacancy arising in respect of the Committee Members, the Committee shall have the discretion and power to co-opt an Ordinary or Life Member to fill the vacancy till the next General Meeting. 

 

B. DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEE 

1. A Committee meeting shall be held at least once in three months after ten days’ notice to committee members. The President may call a committee meeting at any time by giving three days’ notice. At least one half of the Committee members must be present for its proceedings to be valid. 

 

2. Any member of the Committee absenting himself from three 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 change in the Committee shall be notified to the Registrar of Societies within two weeks of the change. 

 

3. The duty of the Committee is to organise and supervise the daily activities of the Society and to make decisions on matters affecting its running when the General Meeting is not in sitting. It may not act contrary to the expressed wishes of the General Meeting without prior reference to it and always remains subordinate to the General Meeting. 

 

4. The Committee may, at any time, in any form or manner, and for any amount, raise or borrow, for the purposes of the Society, any sums of money in such a manner as it thinks fit. However, the Committee shall not incur any liability or otherwise, on behalf of its members, beyond the net asset value of the Society. 

 

5. The Committee may, at its discretion, issue statements to the press or grant interviews on matters pertaining to the Society. No individual member of the Society, except with the approval of the Committee, may release statements or grant interviews on behalf of the Society. 

 

C. POWERS OF THE COMMITTEE

​1. The Committee is empowered to act on behalf of the Society to meet the Objects of the Society as stated in Article II of this Constitution. 

 

2. The Committee shall have the power to call an Extraordinary General Meeting of the members to seek the direction of the general body of members in matters of major importance. 

 

3. The Committee shall have the power to conduct a postal vote to assess the opinion of the general body of members in matters of major importance. The results of the postal vote shall not be binding until it is ratified by the General Meeting. 

 

4. The Committee shall have the power to nominate Honorary Members. 

 

5. The Committee shall have the power to expel or reinstate members of the Society. The aggrieved member shall be entitled to appeal to a General Meeting against the decision of the Committee. 

 

6. The Committee shall have the power to appoint, pay and dismiss any employees of the Society. 

 

D. DUTIES OF THE OFFICE BEARERS 

Office bearers of either sex shall be referred to by the term “he” hereinafter in the Constitution: 

 

1. The President shall act as chairman at all general and Committee meetings. He shall also represent the Society in its dealings with outside persons/ organisations. The President shall have a casting vote in addition to his vote as a Committee member. 

 

2. The Vice-President shall assist the President and deputies for him in his absence. 

 

3. The Honorary Secretary shall keep all records, except financial, of the Society. He will keep minutes of all general and committee meetings. He shall maintain an up-to-date Register of members at all times. 

 

4. The Honorary 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. ChequeS and other documents of money for withdrawal from the bank shall be signed by the Honorary Treasurer and one other member of the Committee, namely the President, Vice-President or Honorary Secretary. 

 

5. The Ordinary Committee Members shall assist in the running of the various activities of the Society as decided upon by the Committee. 

 

ARTICLE VI 

 

A. AUDIT AND FINANCIAL YEAR 

1. Two voting members, not members of the Committee, shall be elected as Honorary Auditors at the Annual General Meeting. They will hold office for a term of two years only and shall not be re-elected for a consecutive term. They: 

 

1. will be required to audit each year’s Statement of Accounts for presentation by the Honorary Treasurer at the Annual General Meeting. 

2. 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. 

 

2. The financial year shall be from 1st August to 31st July.

 

ARTICLE VII 

 

A. TRUSTEES 

1. If the society at any time acquires any immovable property, such property shall be vested in trustees subject to a declaration of trust. 

 

2. The Trustees of the Society shall: 
 

1. not be more than four or less than two in number. 

2. be elected by a General Meeting of members. 

3. not affect by any sale or mortgage of property without the prior approval of the General Meeting of members. 

 

​3. The office of the Trustees shall be vacated: 

 

1. if the trustee dies or becomes a lunatic of unsound mind. 

2. if he is absent from the Republic of Singapore for a period of more than one year. 

3. if he is guilty of misconduct of such a kind as to render it undesirable that he continues as a Trustee. 

4. if he submits notice of resignation from his trusteeship. 

 

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 weeks before the General Meeting at which the proposal is to be discussed. The result of such a general meeting shall then be notified to the Registrar of Societies. 

 

5. The addresses of immovable properties, names of Trustees and any subsequent change must be notified to the Registrar of Societies. 

 

B. PROPERTIES 

1. All properties and all income of the Society however derived shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the objects of the Society as set forth in Article II. 

 

2. The Committee shall act on behalf of the Society to manage all properties acquired by the Society. 

 

ARTICLE VIII 

 

A. PROHIBITIONS 

​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. 

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​2. The funds of the Society shall not be used to pay the fines of members who have been convicted in court.

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​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. 

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4. The Society shall not attempt to restrict or 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. 

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5. The Society shall not indulge in any political activity or allow its funds and/or premises to be used for political purposes. 

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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, Committee or members unless with the prior approval of the relevant authorities. 

 

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. 

 

ARTICLE IX 

 

A. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION 

1.  Amendments to the Constitution and Rules shall only be made at the Annual General Meeting of the Society. 

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2. The proposed amendments to the Constitution and Rules shall be made in writing to the Honorary Secretary at least twenty-one days before the date of the Annual General Meeting. 

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​3. The proposed amendments shall be circulated to all members of the Society at least fourteen days before the date of the Annual General Meeting. 

 

4. Any resolution proposing any amendment of the Constitution and Rules of the Society shall be null and void unless at least two-thirds of the voting members present vote in favour of such resolution. 

 

5. No amendments shall take effect until such amendments have been approved by the Registrar of Societies. 

 

ARTICLE X 

 

A. INTERPRETATION 

In the event of any question or matter pertaining to day-to-day administration which is not expressly provided for in the rules, the Committee shall have power to use its own discretion. The decision of the Committee shall be final unless it is reversed at a general meeting of members. 

 

ARTICLE XI 

 

A. DISPUTES 

In the event of any dispute arising amongst members, they shall attempt to resolve the matter at an Extraordinary General Meeting in accordance with the rules in the constitution. Should the members fail to resolve the matter, they may bring the matter to a court of law for settlement. 

 

ARTICLE XII 

 

A. DISSOLUTION 

1. The Society shall not be dissolved, except with the consent of not less than three-fifth 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. 

 

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 donated to an approved charity or charities in Singapore. 

 

3. A Certificate of Dissolution shall be given within seven days of the dissolution to the Registrar of Societies.