Constitution

The name of the Association shall be the “Singapore Psychiatric Association” (hereinafter in this Constitution referred to as “The Association”).

The place of business of the Association shall be at the SAMH Centre Apartment Block 69 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh #01-365 Singapore 310069 or at any other place as many from time to time be decided by the Management Committee, subject the approval of the Registrar of Societies.

The objectives of the Association shall be :

– To advance the Science and Practice of Psychiatry.

– To promote study and research in psychiatry and allied disciplines.

– To promote amongst members the achievement and maintenance of the highest possible standards of professional competence and practice.

– To maintain a high standard of ethical conduct amongst its members.

– To serve as a consultative body on matters of public and professional interest concerning Psychiatry.

– To promote international contacts with psychiatric and mental health organisations throughout the world, and to assist and participate in international conference on Psychiatry and allied disciplines.

1. Members shall be of three categories :

– Ordinary membership shall be open to Psychiatrists with recognised qualifications.

– Associate membership shall be open to persons who do not qualify for ordinary membership but who are able to further the interests of the Association in their disciplines.

– Associate members shall pay a reduced subscription and have all the privileges of Ordinary Members except the right to vote and to hold office.

2. a. An application for membership (Ordinary and Associate membership) shall be made on a prescribed form.

    b. The election of Ordinary and Associate Members of the Association shall be by the Management Committee and no person shall become a member of the Association unless and until so elected.

    c. In the event of objections of five or more members of the Management Committee an application shall be rejected.

    d. The Management Committee shall not be required to give any reason for the rejection of an application.

3. a. Ordinary Members shall pay a yearly subscription of $30.00 (Singapore) or such other sums as a General Meeting shall from time to time to determine.

    b. Associate Members shall pay a yearly subscription of $10.00 (Singapore) or such as a General Meeting shall from time to time to determine.

    c. A copy of the Constitution of the Association shall be given to every member who has paid his subscription.

    d. Each Ordinary Member shall be entitled to one vote ant any General Meeting.

4. The Management Committee may from time to time prescribe the circumstances under which any member may be expelled from the Association and expel such members; Provided that in all cases before a member is expelled he shall be given a written notice sent by registered post of the proposal to expel him and shall be given an opportunity of being heard.

1. The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held once in every calendar year before the end of May:

a. To receive and if approved adopt the annual report;

b. To receive and if approved adopt the audited statement of accounts of the preceding financial years;

c. To elect the officers and other members of the Management Committee;

d. To elect two Honorary Auditors or a professional Auditor, approved by the Comptroller of Income Tax. The Honorary Auditors shall not be eligible for office for a second consecutive term;

e. To deal with any other items in the Agenda.

2. i. A notice convening the Annual General Meeting shall be sent to all members not less than twenty-one (21) days before the Meeting and

    ii. The Agenda, Annual Report and Accounts shall be sent to all members not less than seven (7) days before the meeting.

3. Each individual member shall have one vote except the Chairman who shall have a casting vote.

4. a. Members who have emigrated from Singapore would not be counted for the purpose of forming a quorum at any meeting.

    b. The quorum for the Annual General Meeting shall be ten or one quarter of the total paid up ordinary membership of the Association, whichever is higher.

    c. In the event of there being no quorum the meeting shall be adjourned one hour later, but those present shall have no power to amend the Constitution.

5. a. An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Association may be called by the Management and shall be so called within seven days of receipt by the President of a requisition in writing signed by not less than fifteen members stating the purpose for which such meeting is desired.

    b. No business shall be transacted at such meeting other than that specified in the agenda.

    c. A notice convening any Extraordinary General Meeting shall be sent to all members not less than three days before the meeting.

    d. The quorum far an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be ten or one-quarter of the total paid up ordinary membership of the Association, whichever is higher.

    e. In the event of there being no quorum, the President shall declare the meeting dissolved and no such Extraordinary General Meeting shall be convened for the same purpose for a period of six months commencing from the date the meeting was dissolved.

6. Minutes of all General Meetings Shall be circularised to all members within one month and shall be taken as adopted if there are no objections from members who attended the meetings within two weeks of the date of the circular. Any amendments to the minutes shall be received by the honorary Secretary within four weeks of the date of the circular and shall be circularised and considered at the Annual Meeting.

1. a. The business and affairs of the Association shall be managed by a Management Committee consisting of the following officers and members who have been elected at the Annual General Meeting:

i. President

ii. Vice-Presidents

iii. Honorary Secretary

iv. Honorary Treasurer and

v. Committee Members (four)

    b. The officer for the Association and other members of the Management Committee shall retire each year at the Annual General Meeting and shall be eligible for re0elected, except the honorary Treasurer who shall not be re-elected to the same office for a third consecutive term.

2. The Management Committee may fill by co-option any casual vacancy which may occur in their number.

3. a. A meeting of the Management Committee shall be held at least once in every three months for which at least seven days’ notice in writing shall be given to every officer and other members of the Management Committee.

    b. The President may call an Extraordinary Meeting of the Management Committee at any time by giving immediate notice to every officer and other members of the Management Committee.

    c. The quorum for a meeting of the Management Committee shall not be less than four.

4. The Management Committee shall have control and management of the income and property of the Association, and also the entire Management and superintendence of all the affairs and concern thereof, and the executive right of appointing and removing such employees as it may deem necessary or useful for the purpose of the Association.

5. a. The Management Committee may regulate its own proceedings by standing orders or otherwise, as it may think fit.

    b. No act or proceedings of the Management Committee shall be invalidated by any vacancy on the management Committee or of a sub-committee thereof, or on the ground that a member of the Management Committee or of a sub-committee thereof was not qualified at or had become disqualified after the date of this appointment.

6. a. The Management Committee may appoint any sub-committee to consider and report on any matter and unless otherwise decided by the Management Committee, members of all sub-committees shall elect their own officer-bearers and the poser to co-opt other members.

    b. The Management Committee may alter the membership of any sub-committees at any time and no sub-committee shall have the power to act on behalf of the Association including the spending of any money or the entering into any obligation, unless expressly authorised to do so by a minute in writing of the Management Committee.

7. In the event of any ambiguity or differences of opinion concerning the interpretation of any articles and to deal with any matter not provided for in these Articles, the Management Committee shall decide on the matter and its decision shall be final and binding upon all parties.

8. Notwithstanding the provisions of these Articles the supreme authority of this Association shall be vested in a General Meeting of the Association.

1. The President shall:

a. chair all general and committee meetings;

b. represent the Association in its dealings with outside persons;

c. have the right to call meetings of the Management Committee;

d. have a casting vote in addition to his vote as a member.

2. One of the 2 Vice-Presidents shall be appointed to deputise for the President in the event of his absence.

3. The Honorary Secretary shall:

a. be responsible for the summoning of all general and committee meetings;

b. keep minutes of all general and committee meetings; and all records, except financial, of the Association including a Register of Members.

c. conduct all correspondence of the Association under the direction of the President and Management Committee, and

d. prepare the Annual Report.

4. The Honorary Treasurer shall:

a. collect and disburse all moneys on behalf of the Association and keep all funds and account for all monetary transactions and shall be responsible for their correctness;

b. issue receipts for all payments made to the Association;

c. open such banking account as the Management Committee may direct, and deposit therein all moneys received by him on behalf of the Association;

d. give notice to all members whose subscriptions are in arrears;

e. prepare the previous year’s statement of accounts.

1. Amendments to the Constitution shall only be made at a General Meeting of the Association.

2. The proposed amendments shall be made in writing to the honorary Secretary at least twenty-one days before the date of the General Meeting and shall be circulated to all members of the Association at least fourteen days before the aforementioned date.

3. The proposed amendments shall not be effective unless at least 2/3 (two-thirds) of the members present vote in favour.

4. No amendments shall take effect until such amendment has been approved by the Registrar of Societies.

1. The financial year shall begin from the 1st of January and end on the 31st of December each year.

2. The income and property of the Association and all moneys received by or on behalf of the Association shall be applied solely towards the furtherance, promotion and execution of the objects of the Association, and no portion thereof shall be paid by way of dividend, bonus or profit to any member of the Association, provided that nothing herein expressed or contained shall prevent the payment in good faith of remuneration or expenses or both to an officer or employee of the Association, or to any member of the Association, or to any other person for services actually rendered by such a person.

3. a. all moneys payable to the Association shall be received by the Honorary Treasurer or such other officer or such Bank as shall be appointed to do the same.

    b. All funds belonging to the Association shall (unless invested) be deposited in a banking account in the name of the Association and no sum shall be drawn from this account except by cheque signed by such person or persons as the Management Committee shall direct: Provided that the honorary Treasurer may at anytime keep an amount not exceeding $200 as petty cash and where the approval of the Management Committee is obtained, an amount not exceeding $500 as petty cash for a period not exceeding three months.

    c. The Management Committee shall cause true accounts to be kept of the receipts, expenditures, assets, credits and liabilities of the Association at each Annual General Meeting a properly audited Account and Balance Sheet made up to the end of the previous financial year.

4. For the purpose of Continuing Medical Education for members, a sum of money (the amount to be determined at an AGM or EGM) shall be deposited in a bank to be named by the Committee and only the interest derived from this amount can be used for this purpose.

1. a. The Association may receive and disclaim property of any nature whether or not it is subject to any expressed condition or trusts.

    b. The Association may purchase or otherwise acquire and hold property of any nature and may sell, lease, mortgage or otherwise deal with the same.

    c. Any property belonging to the Association may be invested in the names of not less than two but not more than four Trustees who shall be appointed at a General Meeting and shall hold officer for a term of three years and shall be eligible for re-appointment.

    d. Such property may also be invested in the name of a limited company established by and under the control of the Association for trust purpose.

    e. Such investments shall be in or upon such shares, stocks, funds, securities, investments and property, real or personal, freehold or leasehold, in any part of the world upon such terms and conditions (if any) as the Association shall decide.

2. a. The Management Committee shall have the power by appointing any person to fill any vacancy arising among the Trustee before a General Meeting.

    b. The Management Committee may from time to time direct the Trustees to sell, vary and transfer such investments and property with the approval of the General Meeting.

    c. The Trustees shall in all respects act as required by the Management Committee and the copy of the Minutes of the Management Committee signed by the Honorary Secretary shall be conclusive evidence of its decision.

3. The Trustees shall be effectually indemnified by the Association from and against any liabilities, costs, expenses and payments whatever which may be properly incurred or made by them in relation to the trusts of the property and investments of the Association or in relation to any legal proceedings or which otherwise related directly or indirectly to the performance of the functions of the Trustees of the Association.

4. a. A Trustee may at any time on his own accord resign from his Trusteeship.

    b. If a Trustee dies or becomes of unsound mind or moves permanently or is absent from the Republic of Singapore for a period of one year, he shall be deemed to have resigned his Trusteeship.

    c. If a Trustee us guilty of misconduct of such a kind as to render it undesirable that he continues as a Trustee, a General Meeting may remove him from his Trusteeship.

    d. Notice of any proposal to remove a Trustee from his Trusteeship or to appoint a new Trustee to fill a vacancy must be given to the Trustee who is to be removed and to the members of the Association at least two weeks before the General Meeting at which the proposal is to be discussed and the results of such meeting shall be notified to the Registrar of Societies for approval.

The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to or the non-receipt of notice of a meeting by any member shall not invalidate any proceedings or resolutions at any meeting of the Association or any Committee thereof.

1. Gambling of any kind and the playing of paikow or mahjong, 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.

2.The funds of the Association shall not be used to pay the fines of members who have been convicted in Court.

3. The Association shall not attempt to restrict or in any manner interfere with trade or prices or engage in Trade Union activity as defined in the Trade Union Ordinance.

4. The Association shall not indulge in any political activity or allow its funds or premises to be used for political purposes.

5. The Society shall not hold any lottery, whether confined to its members or not, in the name of the Society or its officer-bearers, Committee or members.

1. The Association shall not be dissolved, except with the consent of not less than 3/5 (three-fifths) of the ordinary members of the Association expressed, either in person or by proxy at a General Meeting convened for the purpose or postal vote.

2. In the event of the Association being dissolved as provided above, all debts and liabilities legally incurred on behalf of the Association shall be fully discharged and the remaining funds, property and assets (if any) shall be disposed of to the institutions approved under Section 37 (2) (c) of the Income Tax Act.

3. Notice of dissolution shall be given within seven days of the dissolution to the Registrar of Societies.