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CONSTITUTION
Objectives
The Society has been formed in
order that there may be in
RULES
Name
1. The
name of the Society shall be the HONG KONG HIGHLANDERS.
Committee
2. The management of the Society shall be vested in a Committee composed of the Fear an Taigh (Man of the House) and/or Bean an Taigh (Woman of the House), Honorary Secretary, Honorary Assistant Secretary, and up to ten other members, not including ex-officio members. The Fear an Taigh and Bean an Taigh shall be Ordinary members of the Society; if neither position is filled then a Chairperson shall be elected who may be an Associate member. Ex Fear an Taighs and Bean an Taighs will be entitled to be ex-officio members of the Committee for a maximum of two years after leaving such office. The Founder of the Society is specifically excluded from the two-year clause. The Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancies as may occur until the next annual general meeting. At all Committee meetings four shall form a quorum or 50% of those present in Hong Kong at the time of the meeting whichever is greater.
Membership
3. a. Ordinary members
Ordinary membership of the
Society shall be confined to Scots who are, in the opinion of the Committee,
suitable for membership of the Society.
For the purposes of these rules a Scot shall be a man or a woman who is
of predominantly Scottish descent.
b.
Associate members
Persons who wish to become
members of the Society but who do not qualify for Ordinary membership may apply
for Associate membership. Subject
to these rules, Associate members may participate in all Society activities.
c.
Life members
Ordinary members may apply for
Life membership and the Committee shall have the discretion in accepting or
rejecting such application.
d.
Honorary Life members
The members in general meeting
may elect Scots to become Honorary Life members of the Society in recognition of
outstanding service to the Society.
Candidates for
Membership
4. Every candidate for Ordinary or Associate membership must be proposed and seconded by an Ordinary, Associate or Life member of the Society, and the Committee shall decide as to his or her admission with the exception of the first twenty Ordinary members, i.e. the founder members.
Subscriptions
5. a. Each candidate for Ordinary and for Associate membership
shall, on application, pay an entrance fee of an amount previously determined
by the members in general meeting.
b. Each candidate for Ordinary
and for Associate membership shall, on application, and each Ordinary and
associate member shall on the first day of March each year, pay a subscription
of any amount previously determined by members in general meeting; provided
that when an application for membership id made on or after the first day of
January in any year, the subscription payable on the first of March next
following may not be paid.
c.
Honorary Life members shall not be called upon for a subscription.
Annual General
Meeting
6. The annual general meeting of the members of
the Society shall be held within two months of 28th February at which the
annual statement of the honorary Treasurer’s account for the year ending on
28th February shall be submitted; the office bearers and members of the
Committee for the ensuing year shall be elected. At this meeting it shall be competent to
discuss any matters relating to the business of the Society, provided three
days notice of the matter to be submitted shall have been given to the Honorary
Secretary in writing.
Special General
Meeting
7. The
Committee may convene a special general meeting of the members at any time for the
transaction of business duty specified in the notice calling the meeting and no
other, and the Honorary Secretary shall convene a special general meeting of
the members on receiving a requisition to do so, signed by at least twelve
Ordinary, Associate, or Honorary Life members of the Society, starting the subject to be
submitted for consideration.
Notice of General
Meeting
8. Subject
to rules 16 and 17, every general meeting of members shall be convened by a
notice to the members resident in
Quorum for
General Meetings
9. The
quorum for general meetings shall be not less than 10% of the members eligible
to vote. If within half an hour
from the time appointed for the holding of a general meeting a quorum is not
present, the meeting, if convened on a requisition of members shall be
dissolved; in any other case it shall stand adjourned to the same day two weeks
later at the same time and place and is at such adjourned meeting a quorum is
not present within half an hour from the time appointed for holding the
meeting, the members present shall be a quorum.
Voting
10. a. Each member, with the exception of Ordinary and Associate members whose subscriptions are in arrears and Associate members, shall be entitled to one vote at general meetings of the Society.
b. At all meeting of the
Society, except as provided in rules 16 and 17, questions shall be decided by
the majority of members present and in the event of an equal decision the
Chairperson shall have a casting vote.
Removal from
Register of Members
11. The Committee shall have power to
delete from the register of members of the Society the name of a member:
a. who in the opinion of the
Committee has conducted themselves in a manner which is unbecoming as a member
of the Society, provided that such member shall have the right, within fourteen
days of the Committee’s notice to him/her of its decision, to request the
Honorary Secretary to convene, and the Honorary Secretary thereupon shall
convene, a special general meeting and if a majority of not less than
tow-thirds of those members present at such meeting consider that the
offender’s conduct has been such as to warrant his/her expulsion shall not be
effective until the expiry of the said fourteen days or, when relevant, until
ratified by the Society in general meeting; or
b. whose subscription remains
unpaid after three months from the renewal date; provided that any member whose
name has been so removed may at any time at the discretion of the Committee be
reinstated on payment of arrears.
Expenditure
12. The
funds of the Society shall be applied to meet its recurrent expenditure and to
carry out activities as set forth in the objectives of the Constitution and
shall not be used for any other purpose.
Bank Account
13. The
banking account of the Society shall be operated on two or three named
signatures from members of the Committee, one of whom is the Honorary
Treasurer. Accumulated funds may be
invested as directed by the Committee.
Place of Business
14. The
Society’s registered address shall be Moore Stephens, Room 905, Tower Two Silvercord,
Honorary Auditors
15. Honorary
Auditor or Honorary Auditors at the case may be shall be appointed at each
annual general meetings.
Alternation of
Rules
16. a. No alternation shall be made in the rules of the Society
unless with the consent of two-thirds of the members present at any general
meeting. Not less than two weeks
notice of such meeting shall be given and details of the proposed alternations
shall be conveyed to members prior to the meeting.
b. Alternations to the rules of
the Society approved as aforesaid, in respect of the changes to the name,
objects, office-bearers and principal place of
business must be notified to the Registrar of Societies within one month of
such changes taking place.
Dissolution
17. a. The Society shall not be dissolved with the consent of
not less that three-fifths of the Ordinary, Associate and Life members of the Society at a
special general meeting convened for the purpose and of which not less than two
weeks notice shall be given to members.
This consent, or otherwise, may be expressed either in person or by
proxy and the notice calling the meeting shall specify that these alternative
voting procedures are available.
b. 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 from Society funds and for
any remaining debts or liabilities all members shall be responsible. Any finds will be divided equally
amongst the members or give to charity.
c.
Notice of dissolution shall be given within seven days to the Registrar of
Societies.
Page maintained by the
Hong Kong Highlanders Committee. First published by Jean Young. Last updated May 2008.
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