CONSTITUTION OF THE ASIAN SOCIETY FOR FEMALE UROLOGY


ARTICLE I

NAME


1. The Society shall be known as the Asian Society for Female Urology.

ARTICLE II

PLACE OF BUSINESS


Its place of business shall be at the " Division of Urology, Changi General Hospital, Singapore 529889." Or such other address as may subsequently be decided upon by the Committee.

ARTICLE IV

OBJECTS


The objects of the Society which shall be a non-profit organisation are:
(a) to serve as an Institution for the advancement of the art and science of female urology.
(b) to facilitate the training of surgeons (urological & Uro-gynecological) by arranging attachments for young trainees at reputable surgical centres worldwide.
(c) to provide research and scholarship grants
(d) to organise International Congresses of Female Urology which will serve as Forum for Scientific Meetings worldwide and related Courses and Workshops to upgrade the standards of this specialty.
(e) to provide an International "fellowship" of this specialty in order to promote international understanding, mutual cooperation and trust amongst urological fraternities in all parts of the world irrespective of race, nationality, culture or creed.

ARTICLE IV


MEMBERSHIP

Types of Membership


1. The Membership shall be composed of the following classes of members: a Fellows b Members c Honourary Fellows d Emeriti e Benefactors

(a)FELLOWS


Candidates for this rank of Fellow shall be graduates of an approved school or college of medicine, shall have satisfactorily completed their approved internships and surgical residencies, or the equivalent, and shall be of unquestionable moral and ethical character. They shall be members of their national medical organisation and/or national specialty association. Candidates for Fellowship shall have not less than three (3) years after obtaining specialist qualifications of practice & shall devote a major part of their time to the practice of female urology.Candidates shall be admitted to Fellowship by merit and/or examination and upon approval of the Executive Council. The candidate who has been elected to Fellowship and who has fulfilled all obligations of the Society shall be entitled to receive a certificate of membership signed by the President and the Honorary Secretary General of the Society.

(b) MEMBERS


The same rules apply for the category of MEMBER. These shall be Candidates currently in training for the Specialty of Female Urology.

(d) HONORARY FELLOWS


The title of Honourary Fellow may be conferred upon distinguished Fellows of international repute by an affirmative vote of seventy-five percent (75%) of the Council members present at a duly convened meeting of the Executive Council after review and evaluation. Honourary Fellows shall be exempt from the payment of dues or fees but shall enjoy all of the privileges of Fellows.

(e) EMERITI


The title of Emeritus, and appropriate certificate, may be conferred by the Society fellow of the Society College in recognition of distinguished service in an important position of trust as an officer of the Society. As in the case of other honourary titles, a seventy-five percent (75%) affirmative vote of the Executive Council members present at a duly convened meeting shall be necessary.

(f) BENEFACTORS


Benefactors shall be persons who are interested in and who have materially contributed to the welfare of the Societ, the community, the country, or the world. They shall be elected by the affirmative vote of seventy-five percent (75%) of the members present at a duly convened meeting of the Executive Committee. They shall receive an appropriate certificate, shall be exempt from the payment of fees and dues, and shall not have the right to vote or to hold office.

ARTICLE V


SUBSCRIPTIONS/APPLICATION FEES


(a) Fellows shall pay an admission fee of US$30. Annual dues for Fellows shall be US$20 per year. Founder Fellows & Members shall be exempted from payment of admission dues & the first year of Fellowship/Membership.
(b) A fee will be charged for Fellowship Certificates, this entire amount being remitted to the Treasurer of the Society.

ARTICLE VI

 

MANMAGEMENT & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

 

1. Composition


The Society shall be managed by an Executive Council/Committee which shall be composed of the President(Chairman), Immediate Past President, Secretary General, Assistant Secretary General and Treasurer, with at least 2 members representing each Country. The term shall coincide with that of the other officers.

2. Election


(a) All officers except the Honourary Treasurer may be re-elected to the same office for 2 consecutive terms (each term lasting for 3 years).
(b) The President shall not hold office for more than 2 consecutive terms.
(c) Names of the above offices shall be proposed & seconded at the Annual General Meting & election will follow on a simple majority vote of the members.

3. Duties & Powers


(a) The President of the section shall be Chairman of the Executive Committee/Council and the Secretary of the section shall be the Secretary General of the Executive Committee.
(b) The Executive Committe shall transact the executive business of the section.
(c) It shall determine the character, scope and program of the scientific proceedings of the section. (d) It shall exercise the powers relating to discipline as provided in Article VIII of this Constitution.
(e) It shall have the power to employ legal Counsel and to engage such employees as may be necessary for the transaction of the business of the section.
(f) It shall keep a record of its meetings and activities and the first order of business of any meeting shall be the reading, and if necessary, the correction and clarification of the minutes of the preceding meeting.
(g) The Executive Committee shall hold not less than one (1) meeting per year, at a time date and place established by resolution of this Committee and shall also meet upon the call of the President. Written notice of the time, date and place of such meeting (together with a copy of the proposed agenda, if feasible) shall be given not less than fourteen (14) days prior to any such meeting.
(h) A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business, but if not less than three (3) be present then the action taken may become valid if a copy of the minutes of the meeting is sent to all members and the minutes are approved and ratified in writing by a majority of the Committee.
(i) Informal vote of the Committee may be taken by mail upon any resolution without meeting, upon written request of any two (2) officers, which resolution shall be mailed to all members of the Council, and said resolution shall be considered adopted and shall become effective upon the written approval of not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the total membership of the Committee.
(j) The Executive Committee may establish and select any standing or ad hoc committees it may deem necessary and appropriate. (k) It shall exercise such other powers and fulfil such other duties as are provided in the Constitution.

ARTICLE VII

DUTIES AND POWERS OF OFFICE BEARERS


(a ) There shall be a President, Secretary General, Assistant Secretary General, and Treasurer, all of whom must be Fellows of the College. Upon completion of his full term of office the president shall thereafter serve a term of office as Immediate Past President.
(b ) The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Section, shall serve as a member of the Council and preside over all meetings of the Executive Committee; shall sign all letters and other documents requiring his signature and shall perform such other duties as usually pertain to his office. Provided he is re-elected at the AGM, he may continue as President up to a maximum two terms in this capacity. Thereafter, he shall serve as the Immediate Past President, and shall continue to be a member of the Executive Committee for a term of two (2) years. The Immediate past President shall render such assistance to the President and to the Committee as may be requested by them.
(c) The Treasurer shall receive all funds due to the section and with the approval of the Executive Council shall deposit funds and keep complete books of accounts concerning the receipts and expenditure of the section and with the authorization of the Committee, may delegate the keeping of the books to a business secretary who need not be a doctor or a member of the section; shall pay money out of the treasury only on vouchers signed by the President; shall render annually an audited financial statement of his accounts to the Executive Committee and for this purpose, if approved by the Executive Committee, he shall employ a certified public accountant to audit the books for each fiscal year ending December 31st; shall submit to the Committee a detailed report of the financial transactions of the section; and shall perform such other duties as shall pertain to his office. He shall be a member of the Executive Committee. At the expense of the section, he shall be bonded in such amount as the Executive Committe may prescribe, and any assistant, employed by him with the authorization of the Executive Committee, to handle funds may likewise be bonded.
(d) The Honourary Secretary Secretary shall also be secretary of the Executive Committee; shall have the authority to act as agent of the section as the Executive Committee may direct; shall collect all dues and fees from the members and transmit them to the treasurer; shall have charge of the routine business affairs of the section and may employ such assistants in carrying on the business of the Society as may be authorised by the Executive Committee; shall be the custodian of the seal, books documents and papers belonging to the section, except those of the treasurer; shall provide for keeping of the minutes and proceedings of the meetings; shall sign all certificate, documents and correspondence as may be required in the discharge of his duties, attest and affix the seal of the section to all documents which require it; shall certify all acts requiring certification; shall send out notices of all meetings; shall submit an annual report of the section's affairs at the AGM including the mebership roster, the status of the section's budget, and of records of payments of dues and of delinquencies in the payment thereof; maintain a record of all deaths of members; proposed resignations and members to be dropped for non-payment of dues; and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him by the Executive Committee, of which he shall be a member. At the expense of the Singapore Section, he shall be bonded in such amount as the Executive Committee shall prescribe, and any assistant, employed by him (eg. an Executive Secretary) with the authorization of the Executive Committee, may be likewise bonded.

ARTICLE VIII


DISCIPLINE


1. The Executive Committee may, on a written statement signed by a bonafide complainant, take cognizance of any breach of the rules and regulations of the section, or of any unprofessional or immoral conduct on the part of a member, or of any conduct which threatens the order, functions, peace, reputation and dignity of the College, or of any behaviour contrary to the purposes of the College after due hearing of said Committee.
2. However, no such hearing before the Executive Committee of the section shall be held unless the accused member is served notice of the hearing, by a written statement of the charges against him, at least thirty (30) days prior to the hearing. The notice and statement shall be personally served or sent by registered mail to the last address recorded in the rolls of membership in the office of the President/Secretary General. Confirmation of receipt of said notice shall be by telephone or AR pre-paid Registered Return Mail. The accused member shall be accorded the right of representation by any Fellow of the Society, in good standing, and/or a legal Counsel at such hearing.
(a) If, after hearing the evidence presented, the Executive Committee, by a majority vote, finds the member guilty as charged, the Committee may reprimand him, suspend him from membership, request his resignation or expel him.
(b) Any member disciplined, suspended/expelled by the Executive Committee, shall be accorded the right to appeal to the Executive Council. He shall have thirty (30) days in which to prepare his appeal and shall the right of representation, by a Fellow of the Society, in good standing, and/or a legal Counsel at a hearing before the Executive Council/Committee.The ruling of the Executive Council shall be final. However, no such hearing shall be held unless the accused member is served notice of the date, hour and place of the meeting in writing, personally served or sent by registered mail to the last address recorded in the rolls of membership in the office of the President/Secretary General, at least thirty (30) days prior to the hearing (and deposit in registered mail, so addressed, postage prepaid, shall constitute service of said notice).
(c) If a member shall have been expelled, his certificate of membership shall be revoked, and in the case of refusal to surrender such certificate, the Society may publish notice of such revocation in the medical journals.

ARTICLE IX

SUPREME AUTHORITY & GENERAL MEETINGS


1. Supreme Authority
(a) The supreme authority of the Society is vested in the general meeting to be presided over by the President. (b) All decisions made at General Meetings shall be binding on the Society.
2. The Annual General Meeting (AGM)
(a) The Annual General Meeting shall be held each year but may be deferred for up to a maximum of 2 years in extraordinary circumstances by the president.
(b) At least four (4) weeks notice shall be given of an annual general meeting . The particulars of its agenda shall be posted to members one week before the meeting is due to be held.
(c) The previous financial year's accounts, report of the Executive Committee & election of office-bearers for the following year shall be considered at the Annual Genral Meeting.
(d) Any member who wishes to place an item on the agenda of the AGM may do so provided he gives notice to the Honourary Secretary two weeks before the scheduled date of the AGM.
3. Extra-ordinary General Meetings
(a) Extraordinary General Meetings may be convened by the Secretary on the instruction of the President, the Executive Committee or on written request of at least ten ordinary fellows of the Section. (b) Fourteen (14) days Notice summoning an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be sent to all members within 21 days of the application for the Meeting & it shall state the business of the Meeting (c) No business shall be dealt with by an Extraordinary Meeting other than that for which it is specifically convened.
4. Quorum
(a) At least ten percent (10%) of the total membership of the Section present at a General Meeting shall form a quorum.
(b) In the event of there being no quorum at the General Meeting, the meeting shall be adjourned for half an hour & should the number then 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 unless two-thirds of the Executive Committee/Council from the previous term of office are present.
(c) In the event of a lack of quorum for an Extraordinary Meeting, the meeting shall be postponed sine die.
5. Voting
(a) Only members who are Fellows/Honourary Fellows or Emeriti shall be eligible to vote at General Meetings. (b) Voting at all General Meetings shall normally be by secret ballot. Voting by show of hands may be undertaken provided that consent of the majority of members present is obtained. (c) Motions at General Meetings of the Society shall be carried out by a simple majority vote. (d) In the event of a tie, the Chairperson shall have the casting vote.

ARTICLE X

PROHIBITIONS


(1 ) The funds of the Singapore Section shall not be used to pay the fines of members who have been convicted in Court.
(2) The Society shall not attempt to restrict or in any other manner interfere with trade or prices or engage in any Trade Union activity as defined in the Trade Unions Ordinance.
(3) In all matters political, the Society shall be non-party. The premises of the Singapore Section shall not be used for political purposes and the Society shall not allow funds to be used for political purposes.
(4) The Society shall not hold any lottery, whether confined to its members or not, in the name of the Society or its office-bearers, Executive Committee or General Membership.
(5) Gambling of any kind is strictly prohibited.

ARTICLE XI


INTERPRETATION


Any matter or question arising out of any point which is not expressedly provided for in the Constitution will be referred to the Executive Committee who shall be empowered to use its own discretion for action or otherwise. The decision of the Committee shall be final unless it is revised at an Annual General Meeting.

ARTICLE XII

AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION


1. The articles of the Constitution may be amended by the affirmative vote of seventy-five percent (75%) of the members present at a duly convened meeting of the section or two-thirds of Members of the Executive Committee, providing written notice of the proposed amendment has been sent to all members at least ten (10) days prior to such meeting. No amendment shall become valid and effective until first submitted to and approved by the Council of the Society.

ARTICLE XIII

 

DISSOLUTION


1. The Society shall not be dissolved except with the consent of not less than two-thirds of the Fellows expressed in person at a General Meeting convened for the purpose.
2. In the event of the Society being dissolved as provided above, all debts and liabilities legally on behalf of the Society shall be fully discharged and all funds and property of any kind shall forthwith be donated to charity.

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