HONG KONG ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION

Objects, Rules and Regulations

(Amended September 8, 1995)

1. NAME
  The Association shall be called the Hong Kong Economic Association(香港經濟學會).
         
2. OBJECTS
  The Objects of the Hong Kong Economic Association shall be:-
  (a) to promote the Science of Economics, and its application in Hong Kong.
  (b) to foster and promote a better understanding of Economics in Hong Kong.
  (c) to organise lectures, discussions and conferences.
  (d) to establish and maintain a library for the benefit of members.
  (e) to promote research upon the economic problems of Hong Kong.
  (f) to publish and make available such findings of the Association as the Executive Committee in its discretion may determine.
  (g) to maintain contact with International Economic Association and its member organisations.
  (h) to participate in meetings and conferences of economists abroad.
  (i) to invest the whole or part of such funds as may accumulate, in such manner as the Executive Committee may determine, and
  (j) to do all such other lawful things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects.
         
3. MEMBERSHIP
  (a) Qualification
    All persons of good standing who are interested in the objects and activities of the Association may join the Association as members.
  (b) Classification
    Membership is classified into the following categories: Ordinary Members, Founder Members, Life Members, Collective Members, Student Members, Honorary Members and Patron Members.
    (i) Ordinary Members Any persons may become Ordinary Members of the Association subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. Applications for such membership shall be in writing, addressed to the Executive Committee and shall be in such form as the Executive Committee may from time to time determine.
    (ii) Founder Members All persons joining the Association prior to the Inaugural Meeting shall, upon payment of the Entrance Fee, be designated Founder Members of the Association.
    (iii) Life Members A member may at any time become a Life Member of the Association upon payment of a sum as proposed by the Executive Committee 2 and approved by a General Meeting.
    (iv) Collective Members Organizations, Associations and/or Societies having the same or similar objects of the Association and any recognized commercial or industrial organizations may be admitted as Collective Members of the Association.
    (v) Student Members Undergraduates of the Universities and post-secondary Colleges in Hong Kong may be admitted as Student Members of the Association.
    (vi) Honorary Members The Executive Committee may invite suitable persons to become Honorary Presidents or Honorary Members of the Association, on such terms and for such periods as it shall think fit.
    (vii) Patron Members The Executive Committee may invite suitable firms and institutions to become Patron Members.
  (c) Voting Right
    Members of all categories with the exception of Student Membership, Honorary Membership and Patron Membership are entitled to one vote each.
  (d) Resignation
    Any Member who wishes to resign shall notify the Hon. Secretary in writing to that effect, and his resignation shall then be effective forthwith.
  (e) Forfeiture of Membership
    A Member may be deprived of his membership rights if the Executive Committee should for any reason decide that this is in the best interest of the Association.
         
4. SUBSCRIPTIONS
  (a) All Members, except Honorary Members and Patron Members, shall pay an Entrance fee as approved at a General Meeting.
  (b) The Annual Subscriptions for the different categories of Membership shall be determined at a General Meeting upon recommendation by the Executive Committee.
  (c) All Annual Subscription shall be payable before the end of the financial year. A newly admitted member shall pay the Annual Subscription for the year of his admission in full, unless the Executive Committee decide otherwise.
  (d) Any Member whose Annual Subscription has not been paid before the end of the financial year shall be deemed to have ceased to be a member of the Association unless in the opinion of the Executive Committee there have been reasonable grounds for the delay.
         
5. ADMINISTRATION
  (a) The affairs of the Association shall be conducted by an Executive Committee consisting of at least the eleven members IC2 elected by the Members at the Annual General Meeting. From among their number, the Committee Members shall elect the following officers:-
    (i) The President
    (ii) Not more than three Vice-Presidents
    (iii) Not more than two Hon. Secretaries
    (iv) The Hon. Treasurer
  (b) The Executive Committee shall have the power to fill vacancies on, or co-opt up to five members to, the Executive Committee, and may appoint Sub-committees as they deem necessary.
  (c) If a vacancy occurs in the Executive Committee at any time, the remaining members of the Executive Committee shall have the power to co-opt any member of the Association to fill the vacancy.
         
6. MEETINGS OF COMMITTEES
  (a) The Executive Committee shall meet as often as they think fit.
  (b) At any Meeting of the Executive Committee, five Members present shall form a quorum, which number shall include either the President or one Vice-President.
  (c) Decisions of the Executive Committee shall be made by simple majority vote, the Chairman having a casting vote in case of a tie.
  (d) Minutes shall be kept of all Committee Meetings and circulated to all Committee Members.
  (e) The Executive Committee may delegate to any Sub-Committee such of the powers and duties of the Executive Committee as that Committee may determine. Such Sub-Committees shall conduct their business in accordance with directions from the Executive Committee and shall periodically and as determined report their proceedings to the Executive Committee.
         
         
7. REGULATIONS AND BYE-LAWS
  The Executive Committee may from time to time make, repeal or amend Bye-Laws and/or Regulations of the Association as it may think expedient, excepting only the Objects and Rules herein stated, for the alteration of which separate provision is made under Clause 11 hereof.
         
8. GENERAL MEETINGS
  (a) Annual General Meeting
    (i) The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held before 30th April in each calendar year at a date and time to be fixed by the Executive Committee for the following purposes:-
      (1) To receive a Report and Statement of Accounts for the preceding calendar year.
      (2) To elect members of the Executive Committee, when the term of office for the current Executive Committee expires, to hold office until the end of the second Annual General Meeting f rom the day they are elected.
      (3) To appoint one or more Auditors for the ensuing year.
      (4) To transact any other business.
    (ii) Every Annual General Meeting shall be called by notice in writing given at least two weeks prior to the date of the Meeting.
    (iii) Nominations for election to Executive Committee, proposed and seconded by Members of the Association, shall be made in writing and submitted to the Hon. Secretary not less than three days before the date of the Meeting.
    (iv) The quorum at the Annual General Meeting shall be twenty Members present.
  (b) Extraordinary General Meetings
    (i) The Executive Committee may convene Extraordinary General Meetings of the Association at any time by notice in writing given at least two weeks prior to the date of the Meeting.
    (ii) Upon the written requisition of twenty Members, the Executive Committee shall call an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Association. The notice convening such Meeting shall be sent out within a period of two weeks from the date of receipt of any such requisition, and the meeting shall be held not more than 8 weeks after the date of receipt of the requisition.
    (iii) The notice convening an Extraordinary General Meeting must specify the object or objects for which the Meeting is called, and business shall be confined to the objects so specified.
    (iv) The quorum at an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be twenty Members present.
         
9. INCOME
  The Income of the Association shall be retained and applied solely towards the promotion of the objects of the Association.
         
10. INDEMNITY
  Any Member or any Servant of the Association acting in an official capacity of the Association shall be indemnified, out of the funds of the Association, against all reasonable costs, losses or expenses incurred subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.
         
11. AMENDMENTS
  These Objects, Rules and Regulations and any subsequent Bye-laws may be added to, repealed or amended by Resolution at any Extraordinary General meeting of the Association, passed by a simple majority of members present and voting.
         
12. INTERPRETATION
  Any question as to the interpretation of the foregoing Objects, Rules and Regulations shall be left to the Executive committee, whose decision on any point shall be final.