Association of Strata Managers Constitution [19th July 2013]
CONSTITUTION OF
ASSOCIATION OF STRATA MANAGERS
NAME
1.1 This Association shall be known as the “Association of Strata Managers”, hereinafter referred to as the “Association”.
PLACE OF BUSINESS
2.1 Its place of business shall be at “1 Scotts Road, #24-05, Shaw Centre, Singapore 228208” or such other address as may subsequently be decided upon by the Committee and approved by the Registrar of Societies. The Association shall carry out its activities only in places and premises which have prior written approval from the relevant authorities, where necessary.
OBJECTS
3.1 Its objects are:
a) the promotion of a high standard of expertise and integrity in the management of strata-subdivided buildings,
b) to promote professional development, training, and education to members and potential members,
c) the provision of assistance and information about the management of strata-titled buildings to its members and the general public,
d) the promotion of professional relationships with persons providing strata title management services locally and internationally,
e) the promotion of better relations between managers of strata title buildings and the management corporations,
f) the promotion of social interaction amongst members,
g) the promotion of the general interests of the profession and maintaining and improve its relevance for the benefit of the public
3.2 In furtherance of the above objects, the Association may
a) organize conferences, conventions, seminars and training programs for the benefit of the members of the Association and the general public, and any surplus funds resulting therefrom shall become part of the Association’s funds,
b) publish, print or disseminate information that the Association may think desirable for the promotion of its objectives,
c) purchase, lease, manage, mortgage, dispose of, turn to account or otherwise deal with all or any part of the Association’s properties,
d) support any local charities.
MEMBERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS AND RIGHTS
4.1 Membership of the Association shall be divided into the following classes:
a) Corporate Member
b) Ordinary Member
c) Associate Member
d) Affiliate Member
e) Honorary Member
4.2.1 The Association may admit as a Corporate Member of any company registered with The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority in Singapore at the date of admission and at all times, manage not less than 5 strata titled developments, and hold valid professional indemnity insurance.
4.2.2 A Corporate Member is entitled to vote and may nominate one individual to represent it at all meetings of the Association.
4.2.3 Corporate Members shall be allowed to vote at all meetings of the Association.
4.3.1 The Association may admit as Ordinary Members individuals who are accredited as Strata Managers by the Association through their experience and knowledge in the strata management industry.
4.3.2 Ordinary Members shall not be allowed to vote at all meetings of the Association.
4.4.1 The Association may admit as Associate Member individuals who are new entrants to the strata industry, strata lot owners, students, and those wishing to gain more knowledge about the sector but are not practicing whilst seeking employment or pursuing further associated study related to the management of strata titled buildings;
4.4.2 An Associate Member shall not have any voting rights.
4.5.1 The Association may admit as Affiliate Member companies who are suppliers of goods and services to the strata management industry.
4.5.2 An Affiliate Member shall not have any voting rights.
4.6.1 The Association may confer Honorary Member to any company or individual whom in the opinion of the Association is eminent in the profession and/or has contributed significantly to the profession of strata title management.
4.6.2 An Honorary Member has no voting rights but will be entitled to attend all meetings of the Association.
APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
5.1 Any company or individual wishing to join the Association should submit particulars to the Secretary on a prescribed form.
5.2 The Committee will decide on the application for membership.
ENTRANCE FEES, SUBSCRIPTIONS AND OTHER DUES
6.1 An entrance fee is payable within two weeks of approval of membership, in default of which the membership may be withdrawn by order of the Committee as follows:
Entrance fees for members shall be as follows:
Corporate Members – $1,000.00
Ordinary Members – $100.00
Associate Members – $50.00
Honorary Members – waived
Affiliate Members – $500.00
6.2 An annual subscription fee shall be payable for each financial year commencing 1st January of each year and ending 31st December as follows:
Annual Subscriptions shall be as follows:
Corporate Members – $1000.00
Ordinary Members – $100.00
Associate Members – $50.00
Honorary Members – waived
Affiliate Members – $500.00
Where an application is accepted for membership on or after 1st July, the annual subscription fee shall be halved.
6.3 An Honorary Membership shall not be required to pay any entrance or subscription fees.
6.4 The entrance fee and/or annual subscription fee may be amended by a General Meeting on the recommendation of the Committee.
6.5 All subscriptions are payable in advance within the first month of each year. If a member falls into arrears with his subscription or other dues, he shall be informed by the Treasurer immediately. If he fails to settle his arrears within two months of their being due, the President may order that he be denied the privileges of membership until he settles his account. If he fails to settle his account for more than 3 months, he will automatically cease to be a member and the Committee may take legal action against him for recovery of all arrears due.
6.6 Any additional funds required for special purposes may only be raised from members with the consent of the general meeting of the members.
6.7 The income and property of the Association whensoever derived shall be applied towards the promotion of the objects of the Association as set forth in this Constitution and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend or bonus or otherwise howsoever by way of profit to the persons who at any time are or have been members of the Association or to any of them or to any person claiming through any of them.
SUPREME AUTHORITY AND GENERAL MEETINGS
7.1 The supreme authority of the Association is vested in a General Meeting of the members.#(Compulsory for all societies)
7.2 An Annual General Meeting shall be held in (to be assigned by the Registry of Societies).
7.3 At other times, an Extraordinary General Meeting must be called by the President on the request in writing of not less than 25% of the total voting membership or thirty (30) voting members, whichever is the lesser, and may be called at anytime by order of the Committee. The notice in writing shall be given to the Secretary setting forth the business that is to be transacted. The Extraordinary General Meeting shall be convened within two (2) months from receiving this request to convene the Extraordinary General Meeting.
7.4 If the Committee does not within two (2) months 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 (10) days’ notice to voting members setting forth the business to be transacted and simultaneously posting the agenda on the Association’s notice board.
7.5 At least two (2) weeks’ notice shall be given of an Annual General Meeting and at least ten (10) days’ notice of an Extraordinary General Meeting. Notice of meeting stating the date, time and place of meeting shall be sent by the Secretary to all voting members.
7.6 Unless otherwise stated in this Constitution, voting by proxy is allowed]* at all General Meetings.
7.7 The following points will be considered at the Annual General Meeting:
a) The previous financial year’s accounts and annual report of the Committee.
b) Where applicable, the election of office-bearers and Honorary Auditors for the following term.
Any member who wishes to place an item on the agenda of a General Meeting may do so provided he gives notice to the Secretary one (1) week before the meeting is due to be held.
7.8 At least 25% of the total voting membership or thirty (30) voting members, whichever is the lesser, present at a General Meeting shall form a quorum. Proxies shall be constituted as part of the quorum.
7.9 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 amend any part of the existing Constitution.
MANAGEMENT AND COMMITTEE
8.1 The administration of the Association shall be entrusted to a Committee consisting of the following to be elected at alternate Annual General Meeting:
A President
A Vice-President
A Secretary
An Assistant Secretary
A Treasurer
An Assistant Treasurer
4 Ordinary Committee Members
Unless with the prior approval in writing of the Registrar or an Assistant Registrar of Societies, the majority of the Committee Members shall be Singapore Citizens. In addition, the President, Secretary, Treasurer, and their deputies shall be Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents. Foreign Diplomats shall not serve as Committee Members.
8.2 Names 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 office-bearers, except the Treasurer, may be re-elected to the same or related post for a consecutive term of office. The term of office of the Committee is two years.
8.3 Election will be either by show of hands or, subject to the agreement of the majority of the voting members present, by a secret ballot. In the event of a tie, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote.
8.4 A Committee Meeting shall be held at least once every two months after giving seven (7) days’ notice to Committee Members. The President may call a Committee Meeting at any time by giving five (5) days’ notice. Majority of the Committee Members must be present for its proceedings to be valid.
8.5 Any member of the Committee absenting himself from three (3) 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 two (2) weeks of the change.
8.6 The duty of the Committee is to organize and supervise the daily activities of the Association. The Committee may not act contrary to the expressed wishes of the General Meeting without prior reference to it and shall always remain subordinate to the General Meetings.
8.7 The Committee has the power to authorize the expenditure of a sum not exceeding $50,000 per month from the Association’s funds for the Association’s purposes.
DUTIES OF OFFICE-BEARERS
9.1 The President shall chair all General and Committee meetings. He shall also represent the Association in its dealings with outside persons.
9.2 The Vice-President shall assist the President and deputize for him in his absence.
9.3 The Secretary shall keep all records, except financial, of the Association and shall be responsible for their correctness. He will keep minutes of all General and Committee meetings. He shall maintain an up-to-date Register of Members at all times.
9.4 The Assistant Secretary shall assist the Secretary and deputize for him in his absence
9.5 The Treasurer shall keep all funds and collect and disburse all money on behalf of the Association and shall keep an account of all monetary transactions and shall be responsible for their correctness. He is authorized to expend up to$1,000.00 per month for petty expenses on behalf of the Association. He will not keep more than $1,000.00 in the form of cash and money in excess of this will be deposited in a bank to be named by the Committee. Cheques, etc. for withdrawals from the bank will be signed by the Treasurer or the Assistant and either the President or the Vice-President or the Secretary.
9.6 The Assistant Treasurer shall assist the Treasurer and deputize for him in his absence.
9.7 Ordinary Committee Members shall assist in the general administration of the Association and perform duties assigned by the Committee from time to time.
AUDIT AND FINANCIAL YEAR
10.1 A firm of Certified Public Accountants shall be appointed as Auditors at each Annual General Meeting for a term of one year and shall be eligible for reappointment.
10.2 They:
a) Will be required to audit each year’s accounts and present a report upon them to the Annual General Meeting.
b) May be required by the President to audit the Association’s accounts for any period within their tenure of office at any date and make a report to the Committee.
10.3 The financial year shall be from (to be assigned by the Registry of Societies).
TRUSTEES
11.1 If the Association at any time acquires any immovable property, such property shall be vested in trustees subject to a declaration of trust.
11.2 The trustees of the Association shall:
a) Not be more than four (4) and not less than two (2) in number.
b) Be elected by a General Meeting of members.
c) Not effect any sale or mortgage of property without the prior approval of the General Meeting of members.
11.3 The office of the trustee shall be vacated:
a) If the trustee dies or becomes a lunatic or of unsound mind.
b) If he is absent from the Republic of Singapore for a period of more than one (1) year.
c) If he is guilty of misconduct of such a kind as to render it undesirable that he continues as a trustee.
d) If he submits notice of resignation from his trusteeship.
11.4 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 Association’s premises at least two (2) weeks 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.
11.5 The address of each immovable property, name of each trustee and any subsequent change must be notified to the Registrar of Societies.
PROHIBITIONS
13.1 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 Association’s premises. The introduction of materials for gambling or drug taking and of bad characters into the premises is prohibited.
13.2 The funds of the Association shall not be used to pay the fines of members who have been convicted in court of law.
13.3 The Association 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.
13.4 The Association shall not indulge in any political activity or allow its funds and/or premises to be used for political purposes.
13.5 The Association shall not hold any lottery, whether confined to its members or not, in the name of the Association or its office-bearers, Committee or members unless with the prior approval of the relevant authorities.
13.6 The Association 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.
AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION
14.1 The Association shall not amend its Constitution without the prior approval in writing of the Registrar of Societies. No alteration or addition/deletion to this Constitution shall be passed except at a general meeting and with the consent of 60% of the voting members present at the General Meeting.
INTERPRETATION
15.1 In the event of any question or matter pertaining to day-to-day administration 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.
DISPUTES
16.1 In the event of any dispute arising amongst members, they shall attempt to resolve the matter at an Extraordinary General Meeting in accordance with this Constitution. Should the members fail to resolve the matter, they may bring the matter to a court of law for settlement.
DISSOLUTION
17.1 The Association shall not be dissolved, except with the consent of not less than 75% of the total voting membership of the Association for the time being resident in Singapore expressed, either in person or by proxy, at a General Meeting convened for the purpose.
17.2 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 will be disposed of in such manner as the General Meeting of members may determine or donated to an approved charity or charities in Singapore.
17.3 A Certificate of Dissolution shall be given within seven (7) days of the dissolution to the Registrar of Societies.
– END –