NAME
1 The name of this society shall be known as "Institution Of Mechanical Engineers (Singapore Branch)" hereinafter referred to as the "Branch".
The "Institution Of Mechanical Engineers" is hereinafter referred to as the "Institution".
PLACE OF BUSINESS
2 The place of business shall be at:
"School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering,
Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798"
or such other address as may subsequently be decided upon by the Branch Committee and approved by the Institution and the Registrar of Societies. The Branch shall carry out its activities only in places and premises which have the prior written approval from the relevant authorities, where necessary.
OBJECTS
3 The objects of the Branch shall be:
(a) To promote technical and professional development of members of the Institution residing in or visiting Singapore, through meetings and other forms of communication, by encouraging members to prepare or discuss papers, through the study of local mechanical engineering practice, and through close coordination with the Institution Head Quarters.
(b) To achieve closer personal acquaintance and spirit of cooperation among Institution members in Singapore.
(c) To provide a local point of contact with indigenous engineering societies on all matters of mutual professional and technical concern.
(d) To undertake such other activities incidental to the achievement of the objects and purposes for which the Institution is constituted as may be considered suitable by the Branch Committee.
MEMBERSHIP
4 There shall be three classes of membership: Corporate, Associate and Affiliate.
(a) Corporate Membership: Fellows, Honorary Fellows and Members of the Institution whose recorded addresses are in Singapore and who hold an engineering degree or are registered Professional Engineers in Singapore shall be eligible to apply as Corporate Members of the Branch.
(b) Associate Membership: Associates whose recorded addresses are in Singapore and who hold at least a Diploma in Engineering from a local Polytechnic, or who have had at least five years experience in a responsible position in engineering and who by their connection with engineering, or science are capable to interact with qualified engineers in the advancement of engineering shall be eligible to apply as Associate Members
(c) Affiliate Membership: All classes of members of the Institution who do not hold an engineering degree, Graduate Members and Student Members whose recorded addresses are in Singapore shall be eligible to apply as Affiliate Members of the Branch.
5 A candidate who is applying for the Branch's membership must submit his/her particulars on a prescribed application form to the Hon. Secretary of the Branch. The Branch Committee will decide on the application for membership.
6 Only Corporate members of the Branch are entitled to vote and hold office. Affiliate members may participate in all activities of the Branch but shall not be permitted to vote or hold office.
7 Membership shall terminate upon the death of any member or the change of a member's primary residential address to outside of Singapore.
FEES AND DUES
8 Members shall pay their annual dues to the Institution (UK). No subscription shall be required from any member of the Branch beyond that payable to the Institution.
SUPREME AUTHORITY AND GENERAL MEETINGS
9 The supreme authority of the Branch is vested in a general meeting of the members presided over by the Chairman.
10 An Annual General Meeting shall be held in March each year.
11 Extraordinary General Meetings
(a) An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by the Chairman and must be called on the request in writing of one-quarter of the total voting membership or 30 voting members, whichever is the lesser, or by order of the Branch Committee within twenty-one (21) days of such request or order.
(b) If the Branch Committee does not within 21 days after the date of 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 10 days' notice to voting members setting forth the business to be transacted and simultaneously posting the agenda on the Branch's noticeboard.
12 At least two weeks notice will be given of any general meeting. Notice of the meeting stating the nature of the business to be transacted, time and venue of the meeting shall be sent by the Honorary Secretary to all members. All members of the Branch shall be entitled to attend, but only those who are Corporate Members of the Branch shall be entitled to vote.
13 The following business shall be transacted at the Annual General Meeting:
(a) The presentation and approval of the accounts of the preceding financial year.
(b) The presentation of the Branch Committee's report.
(c) The election of office-bearers and Honorary Auditors.
(d) The consideration of any other matters that may be properly brought before it.
14 Any member who wishes to place an item on the agenda of a general meeting may do so provided he gives written notice to the Honorary Secretary seven (7) days before the meeting is due to be held.
15 The quorum for any general meeting shall be one-quarter of the total voting membership of the Branch or 30 voting members, whichever is the lesser, and who are personally present.
16 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 alter, amend or make additions to any of the existing Rules.
MANAGEMENT AND COMMITTEE
17 The administration of the Branch shall be entrusted to a Branch Committee of ten (10) members consisting of the following to be elected at each Annual General meeting:
a Chairman
a Vice Chairman
an Hon Secretary
an Hon Assistant Secretary
an Hon Treasurer and
five Ordinary Committee members.
In addition, former chairmen of the branch are entitled to attend committee meetings and to participate in the administration of the branch.
18 The Branch Committee shall be elected as set out in Rules 29 to 33.
19 A Branch Committee meeting shall be held at least once every three months after 7 day's notice to Branch Committee members. The Chairman may call a committee meeting at any time by giving 7 day's notice. At least one half of the committee members must be present for its proceedings to be valid.
20 Any member of the Branch Committee who is absent from three consecutive meetings without satisfactory explanation to the Branch Committee shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the Branch Committee and a successor may be co-opted by the Branch Committee to serve until the next Annual General Meeting. Any changes in the Branch Committee shall be notified to the Registrar of Societies within 2 weeks of the change.
21 The duty of the Branch Committee is to organise and supervise the daily activities of the Branch and to make decisions on matters affecting its running when the general meeting is not sitting. It may not act contrary to the expressed wishes of the general meeting without prior reference to it and must always remain subordinate to the general meetings.
22 The Branch Committee shall pursue the objects of the Branch stated in Rule 3 of this Constitution and shall be responsible for their actions in the control of the Branch.
23 The Branch Committee shall cause to be prepared an Annual Report dealing with the conduct and progress of the Branch and its activities during the past year, ending 31st December. The Annual Accounts of the Branch and the Annual Report shall be approved by the Branch Committee and the Accounts after approval shall be signed by the Chairman and the Treasurer.
DUTIES OF OFFICE-BEARERS
24 The Chairman
(a) The Chairman shall act as Chairman at all general and Branch Committee meetings. The Chairman shall also represent the Branch in its dealings with outside persons.
(b) The Chairman, or a member of the Branch Committee acting in his place, shall have a second or casting vote in all cases of equality of voting on any question at any meeting of the Committee.
25 The Vice-Chairman shall assist the Chairman at all times and deputise for the Chairman in his absence.
26 The Hon Secretary shall keep all records, except financial, of the Branch. The Hon Secretary will keep minutes of all general and Branch Committee meetings and shall maintain an up-to-date Register of Members at all times.
27 The Hon Treasurer shall keep all funds and collect and disburse all moneys on behalf of the Branch and shall keep an account of all monetary transactions and shall be responsible for their correctness. The Hon Treasurer shall keep appropriate records of receipts and expenses and make a full financial report at the Annual General Meeting of the Branch, and shall prepare the necessary tax returns as may be required by the local government. All cheques shall be signed by the Hon Treasurer, and countersigned by the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, or Hon Secretary of the Branch.
28 The Ordinary Committee Members shall assist in the general administration of the Branch and perform any duties assigned by the Branch Committee from time to time.
29 The out-going Chairman shall appoint an Election Committee made up of five Corporate Members of the Branch and who will not be standing for election. The out-going Chairman shall also appoint the Chairman of the Election Committee. Members of the Election Committee shall not be eligible to hold office in the Branch Committee.
30 No later than eight weeks before the Annual General Meeting the Election Committee shall invite the members to nominate Corporate Members of the Branch for the positions of Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Hon Secretary, Hon Treasurer, and Ordinary Members of Committee. The Election Committee may invite further nominations at the Annual General Meeting for the positions which have no nominees.
All officers may be re-elected for consecutive terms except the Honorary Treasurer who shall not be re-elected to the same post for more than two consecutive terms.
31 Each nominee shall be proposed by a Corporate Member and seconded by another two Corporate Members. Nominations shall close four weeks before the Annual General Meeting. The list of candidates for election shall be sent to all members with the notice for the Annual General Meeting. The list shall indicate the names of the candidates, proposers, seconders, age, Membership Grade, company affiliation, company position and, if the candidate has provided it, a curriculum vitae of no more than 100 words.
32 Election at the Annual General Meeting shall be by secret ballot of the eligible voting members present. The appropriate number of candidates receiving the majority of the votes cast shall be declared elected. If there shall be an equality of votes affecting the result of the election, a re-election will be conducted.
33 The result of the election shall be reported forthwith in writing to the Secretary of the Institution, and published in such other manner as the Branch Committee shall determine.
AUDIT AND FINANCIAL YEAR
34 Two voting members, not being members of the Branch Committee, shall be elected as Honorary Auditors at each Annual General Meeting and will hold office for one year and shall not be re-elected for two consecutive terms. They: (a) will be required to audit the Branch's accounts for each year and present a report upon them to the Annual General Meeting, and (b) may be required by the Chairman to audit the Branch's account for any period within their tenure of office at any date and make a report to the Branch Committee.
35 The fiscal year for the Branch shall be from 1st January to 31st December.
PROHIBITIONS
36(a) Gambling of any kind, whether for stakes or not, is forbidden on the Branch's premises. The introduction of materials for gambling or drug taking and of bad characters into the premises is prohibited.
(b) The funds of the Branch shall not be used to pay the fines of members who have been convicted in Court.
(c) 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
(d) The Branch 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 good or services which adversely affect consumer interest.
(e) The Branch shall not indulge in any political activity or allow its funds and/or premises to be used for political purposes.
(f) The Branch shall not hold any lottery, whether confined to its members or not, in the name of the Branch or its office-bearers, Branch Committee or members.
(g) The Branch shall not raise funds from the public for whatever purposes without the prior approval in writing of the Institution and the Head, Licensing Division, Singapore Police Force and other authorities.
AMENDMENTS TO RULES
37 No alteration or additions/deletions to these rules shall be made except at a general meeting, and with the consent of a simple majority of the voting members present at the general meeting, and they shall not come into force without the prior approval of the Registrar of Societies.
INTERPRETATION
38 In the event of any question or matter pertaining to day-to-day administration which is not expressly provided for in the rules, the Branch Committee shall have power to use their own discretion. The decision of the Branch Committee shall be final unless it is reversed at a general meeting of members.
DISPUTES
39 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.
DISSOLUTION
40(a) Establishment or dissolution of the Branch and all related matters with regard to such activity would require the prior approval of the Council.
(b) The Branch shall not dissolve, except with the consent of not less than two-thirds of voting members of the Branch for the time being resident in Singapore expressed, either in person or by proxy, at a general meeting convened for the purpose.
(c) In the event of dissolution, all debts and liabilities legally incurred on behalf of the Branch shall be fully discharged. The remaining funds shall be disposed of in such manner as decided by the general meeting of members or donated to an approved charity or charities in Singapore.
(d) A Certificate of Dissolution shall be given within 7 days of the dissolution to the Registrar of Societies.