THE CONSTITUTION

NAME

1.1 This Society shall be known as The Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Alumni Association (hereinafter referred to as the “Alumni”).

PLACE OF BUSINESS

2.1 Its place of business shall be at Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (Toa Payoh) Secondary School 626 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh Singapore 319764 or such other address as may subsequently be decided upon by the Committee and approved by the Registrar of Societies

OBJECTS

3.1 Its objects are :-

a) to strengthen the network of past pupils of the Schools (as defined below) and provide a platform for past pupils of the Schools to continue to support and sustain the IJ spirit within and beyond the Schools.

b) to assist the Schools by tapping the experience and expertise of members of the Alumni.

c) to support the Schools in projects and activities, financially or otherwise.

MEMBERSHIP

4.1 Membership shall be unlimited and shall be classified into the following categories:

a) Ordinary Membership    
shall be open to all former students of the Schools who were enrolled as a student in any of the Schools for at least two complete years and are at least 24 years of age.

b) Youth Membership    
shall be open to all present or former students who have been or were enrolled as students in any of the Schools for at least two complete years and are at the time of application between 15 and 24 years of age. Youth membership shall terminate automatically upon the member reaching 24 years of age.

c) Honorary Membership    
shall be awarded to all Sisters of the Infant Jesus Order

4.2 The ”Schools” referred to in this Constitution are :

a) Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (Victoria Street) Primary, Secondary and/or Pre-University; and

b) Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (Toa Payoh) Primary and/or Secondary.

4.3 Only Ordinary Members shall have voting rights and are eligible to hold office.

4.4 Every applicant for Ordinary, Youth and Honorary membership shall complete and submit the prescribed application form to the Honorary Secretary.

4.5 Every application for membership which meets the relevant requirements set out in Rule 4.1 shall be decided by the Committee. A copy of the Constitution of the Alumni shall be provided to every approved applicant who has paid her subscription.

SUBSCRIPTION AND ADDITIONAL FUNDS

5.1 No person shall be accepted as a member of the Alumni until the relevant subscription, as prescribed by Rules 5.2 has been paid.

5.2 Ordinary Members: A one time membership fee of $100.00 is payable.

5.3 There shall be no membership fee payable for Honorary Members.

5.4 The membership subscription rates may only be varied by a General Meeting of the members.

5.5 Any additional funds required for special purposes may only be raised from members with the consent of the General Meeting of members.

MANAGEMENT, GENERAL MEETINGS

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

6.2 An Annual General Meeting will be held in February each year.

6.3 At other times, an Extraordinary General Meeting must be called by the President on the request in writing of ten or more members, and may be called at any time by order of the Committee.

6.4 At least fourteen days’ notice shall be given of an Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting. Particulars of the agenda will be posted on the Alumni’s notice board four days in advance of the meeting.

6.5 The following points will be considered at the Annual General Meeting:-

a) The previous year’s accounts and reports of the Committee; and

b) The election of office-bearers and auditors for the following year.

Any member who wishes to place an item on the agenda for a General Meeting may do so provided she gives notice to the Honorary Secretary seven days before the meeting is due to be held.

6.6 At least one quarter of the ordinary membership of the Alumni or 30 voting members, whichever is lower, present at the commencement of a General Meeting shall form a quorum. The Meeting shall not be invalidated thereafter, if at any stage during the General Meeting, there is a reduction in the number of members present. Proxies shall not constitute part of the quorum. In the event of there being no quorum, 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 the existing Constitution.

6.7 Questions arising at General Meetings shall be decided by a simple majority vote. Every Ordinary Member shall have one (1) vote. Voting by proxy shall not be allowed in a General Meeting. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman of the General Meeting shall be entitled to the casting vote.

MANAGEMENT, COMMITTEE

7.1 A Committee consisting of the following shall be elected at each Annual General Meeting:

President
Vice-President
Honorary-Secretary
Asst Honorary-Secretary
Honorary-Treasurer
Asst Honorary-Treasurer
5 Ordinary Committee Members

7.2 Candidates for the above offices shall be proposed and seconded at the Annual General Meeting and election will follow on a simple majority vote of the members. All officers may be re-elected year after year, except the Honorary Treasurer who shall not hold the office for more than two consecutive years. No officer shall hold two posts simultaneously.

7.3 A Committee meeting shall be held at least once in two months after 7 days’ notice to Committee Members. The President may call a Committee meeting at any time by giving 7 days’ notice. At least one half of the Committee Members must be present for its proceedings to be valid.

7.4 The duty of the Committee is to organise and supervise the daily activities of the Alumni 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 always remains subordinate to the General Meeting.

7.5 The Committee will be limited to a gross expenditure amount not exceeding $50,000 per event or project.  Any gross expenditure exceeding $50,000 per event or project will be decided by a simple majority vote within the Committee, inclusive of votes from the President, Vice President, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer, with the President being entitled to the casting vote in the event of an equality of votes.

7.6 The Committee will be limited to a total net expenditure amount not exceeding S$10,000 per financial year.

7.7 Any gross expenditure by the Committee exceeding S$1,000 per event or project will need to be pre-approved by a simple majority vote within the Committee, inclusive of votes from the President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer, with the President being entitled to the casting vote in the event of an equality of votes.

7.8 The Committee has the power to fill any vacancy which occurs in the Committee.

7.9 Questions arising at meetings of the Committee shall be decided by a simple majority vote with the Chairman being entitled to a casting vote in the event of an equality of votes.

OFFICE-BEARERS

8.1 The duties of the office-bearers are as follows :-

a) The President shall act as Chairman at all General and Committee meetings. She shall also represent the Alumni in its dealing with outside persons.

b) The Vice-President shall deputise for the President in the latter’s absence.

c) The Honorary Secretary shall keep all records, except financial, of the Alumni and shall be responsible for their correctness. She will keep minutes of all General and Committee meetings. The Assistant Honorary Secretary shall assist the Honorary Secretary in all her functions and duties.

d) The Honorary Treasurer shall keep all funds and collect and disburse all moneys on behalf of the Alumni and shall keep an account of all monetary transactions and shall be responsible for their correctness. The amount of cash she is allowed to hold for petty expenses will be decided by the incumbent Committee. Cheques, etc, for withdrawals from the bank will be signed by  at least two of the following office-bearers - the President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer. The Assistant Honorary Treasurer shall assist the Honorary Treasurer in all her functions and duties, with the exception of the signing of cheques.

e) The Ordinary Committee Members shall assist in the general administration of the activities and affairs of the Alumni and perform duties assigned by the Committee from time to time.

8.2 Any member of the Committee absenting herself 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 changes in the Committee shall be notified to the Registrar of Societies within 14 days of the change.

AUDIT

9.1 Two voting members, who are not members of the Committee, will be elected as Honorary Auditors at each Annual General Meeting and will hold office for one year only and may not be re-elected for a consecutive term. The accounts of the Alumni shall be audited by a firm of Certified Public Accountants if the gross income or expenditure of the Alumni exceeds $500,000.00 in that financial year, in accordance with Section 4 of the Societies Regulations.

9.2 The two auditors will be required to audit each year’s accounts and present a report upon them to the Annual General Meeting. They may be required by the President to audit the Alumni’s accounts for any period within their tenure of office at any date and make a report to the Committee.

9.3 The financial year shall be from 1 January to 31 December.

TRUSTEES

10.1 If the Alumni at any time acquires any immovable property, such property shall be vested in trustees subject to a declaration of trust. Any trustee may at any time resign her trusteeship. If a trustee dies or becomes a lunatic or of unsound mind or moves permanently or is absent from the Republic of Singapore for a period of one year, she shall be deemed to have resigned her trusteeship. If a trustee is guilty of misconduct of such a kind as to render it undesirable that she continues as a trustee, a General Meeting may remove her from her trusteeship. Vacancies in a trusteeship may be filled at a General Meeting, but the number shall not be greater than five or less than two. Notice of any proposal to remove a trustee from her trusteeship or to appoint a new trustee to fill a vacancy must be given by affixing in the premises of the Alumni a document containing such proposal at least fourteen days before the General Meeting at which the proposal is to be discussed. The result of such General Meeting shall then be notified to the Registrar of Societies.

VISITORS AND GUESTS

11.1 Visitors and guests may be admitted into the premises of the Alumni but they shall not be admitted into the privileges of the Alumni. All visitors and guests shall abide by the Alumni’s rules and regulations.

PROHIBITIONS

12.1 Gambling of any kind, excluding the promotion or conduct of a private lottery which has been permitted under the Private Lotteries Act Cap 250, is forbidden on the Alumni’s premises. The introduction of materials for gambling or drug taking and of bad characters into the premises is prohibited.

12.2 The funds of the Alumni shall not be used to pay the fines of members who have been convicted in a court of law.

12.3 The Alumni 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.

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

12.5 The Alumni shall not hold any lottery, whether confined to its members or not, in the name of the Alumni or its office-bearers, Committee or members unless with the prior approval of the relevant authorities.

12.6 The Alumni shall not raise funds from the public for whatever purposes without the prior approval in writing of the Assistant Director Operations, Licensing Division, Singapore Police Force and other relevant authorities.

AMENDMENT TO CONSTITUTION

13.1 No alterations or additions to this Constitution shall be made except at a General Meeting and with the consent of two-thirds (2/3) of the voting members present at the General Meeting. The alterations and additions shall not come into force without the prior sanction of the Registrar of Societies.

INTERPRETATION

14.1 In the event of any question or matter arising out of any point which is not expressly provided for in this Constitution, the Committee shall have power to use their own discretion. The decision of the Committee shall be final unless it is reversed at a General Meeting of members.

DISSOLUTION

15.1 The Alumni shall not be dissolved, except with the consent of not less than three-fifths (3/5) of the members of the Alumni entitled to vote and for the time being in Singapore expressed, either in person or by proxy, at a General Meeting convened for the purpose.

15.2 In the event of the Alumni being dissolved as provided above, all debts and liabilities legally incurred on behalf of the Alumni shall be fully discharged, and the remaining funds will be donated to the Schools or any of them.

15.3 A Certificate of Dissolution shall be given within 7 days of the dissolution to the Registrar of Societies.