Constitution

HONG KONG TEXAS EXES

CONSTITUTION
(Last amended on March 7, 2015)

 

1. Name

The association shall be called Hong Kong Texas Exes (hereinafter referred to as the HKTX).  The Chinese name of the association shall be called “德薩斯州大學香港校友會”, and may be abbreviated as “德州大學校友會” in non-legal uses.

 

2. Aims and Objectives

HKTX is a non-profit making organization whose overall aim is to unite, inform and involve alumni and friends from and in Hong Kong for the purpose of promoting, protecting and preserving the history and traditions of the University of Texas at Austin (hereinafter referred to as UT).

HKTX’s main objectives shall be to:

2.1 Keep all alumni from and in Hong Kong connected to UT through communication and involvement.

2.2 Enhance the Hong Kong general public’s understanding of and interest in UT.

2.3 Enhance the experience of students from Hong Kong through scholarships and involvement.

2.4 Preserve and enrich the history and traditions of UT in Hong Kong.

 

3. Membership

3.1 Ordinary Membership shall be open to all alumni who attended UT and are eligible to be a member of Texas Exes.  Membership of Texas Exes is not a prerequisite for such alumni to join HKTX as members.

3.2 Ordinary Members may choose to pay membership fees, as determined by the Executive Committee and may be changed from time to time, to support HKTX financially.  Ordinary Members who have paid membership fees may have priorities to participate in HKTX’s activities or receive discounts when participating in such activities while their membership fee is in effect, but have the same voting rights as other Ordinary Members.

3.3 Friends are individual who are not eligible to join Texas Exes as members and have joined HKTX as members in the past.  Friends have no voting right.  HKTX will not accept any more applications to join as members in this category.

3.4 Ordinary Members are eligible to vote after joining HKTX for six (6) months.

3.5 Ordinary Members are eligible to stand for election as a committee member after joining HKTX for one (1) year.

3.6 Current students of UT who have ties with Hong Kong may join HKTX as Student Members.  Student Members have no voting rights but may express their opinions in General Meetings and other forums managed by HKTX.  Upon graduation, Student Members may apply to become Ordinary Members.  The join dates as Student Members of such Ordinary Members will be treated as the Join Dates of these members.  Student Members may not pay Membership Fees.

3.7 For the purpose of eligibility of being a Student Member, the condition of “ties with Hong Kong” is fulfilled if one of the following conditions is met:

  • The student has resided in Hong Kong for more than one (1) year
  • One of the student’s parents or legal guardians has resided in Hong Kong for more than five (5) years
  • The student has been, while being a UT student, an exchange student in a university in Hong Kong for one (1) or more semester
  • The student is in his final year of study at UT and is planning to come to Hong Kong to work or further his studies within twelve (12) months

 

4. Management

4.1 The Executive Committee shall be elected or confirmed at the Annual General Meeting and shall comprise a President, a Vice President, a Treasurer, and other offices as the President sees fit.  The Executive Committee shall comprise Ordinary Members of HKTX whose membership fees are in effect and have joined HKTX for one (1) year or longer.  Subject to the discretion of the President, representatives of Friends and Ordinary Members who have no membership fees in effect or have joined HKTX for less than one (1) year may serve in the Executive Committee but have no voting rights in Committee Meetings.

4.2 The Executive Committee shall meet as often as required to make and execute such decisions as are necessary in implementing the aims and objectives of HKTX. The Executive Committee shall report its activities to the Annual General Meeting and shall present annual accounts to the Annual General Meeting in accordance with section 6.4.

4.3 Removal of a Committee Member

4.3.1 Removal of a Committee Member shall require affirmative votes from two-thirds or more of all those present and eligible to vote at a General Meeting.

4.3.2 Notice shall be given to all voting members of any General Meeting as specified in section 5.3 and then any proposal to remove a Committee Member shall be submitted in writing to the President or a Vice President at least 15 days prior to the meeting.

4.3.3 All proposals for removal of a Committee Member shall be signed by two members eligible to vote at a General Meeting.

4.3.4 Committee Members may resign by giving seven (7) days’ notice to the President.  The President may resign by giving seven (7) days’ notice to every Committee Member.  If the resigning Committee Member is the only Vice President or is the Treasurer, the President shall appoint a Committee Member, or any Ordinary Member if the number of Committee Members falls to two (2) or lower, to fill the vacancy.  If the resigning Committee Member holds the office of President, the only Vice President will be the President.  If there are more than one (1) Vice Presidents, a simple majority of votes from the remaining Committee Members will decide which Vice President will become President.  If the office of Vice President or Treasurer becomes vacant consequently, the President shall appoint a Committee Member, or any Ordinary Member if the number of Committee Members falls to below the requirement of the Societies Ordinance or the requirement of Texas Exes, to fill the vacancy.

4.4. Interim Administration Unit

4.4.1 In the event that an Executive Committee is not elected or is dissolved, an Interim Administration Unit (hereinafter referred to as IAU) should be formed.

4.4.2 The IAU should consist of a Chief Administrator, a Treasurer, plus a number of members to fulfill the minimum requirement under the Societies Ordinance of Hong Kong Administrative Region and the minimum requirement of Texas Exes.

4.4.3 The IAU members should be elected in a General Meeting.

4.4.4 The IAU shall perform the following duties:

  • Preserves the existence of HKTX
  • Safeguards the financial and other resources of HKTX
  • Invites eligible Ordinary Members to stand for election at least once every 3 months
  • Invites Ordinary Members at least once every 3 months to volunteer to organize activities for HKTX’s members, and approve and monitor the organizing of such activities
  • Holds an Annual General Meeting as required in section 5.1
  • Holds Extraordinary General Meetings that fulfill the requirements in section 5.2
  • Appoints Election Officers

4.4.5 Decisions of IAU are made by simple majority of IAU’s members.

4.4.6 The IAU may use HKTX’s financial and other resources to perform its duties set forth in section 4.4.4 only.  IAU Members may organize activities not regarded as duties listed in section 4.4.4 only as Ordinary Members.

4.4.7 Under the management of IAU, HKTX shall not fund the activities not regarded as IAU duties listed in section 4.4.4.  Reimbursement of losses of an activity not regarded as IAU duties listed in section 4.4.4 shall need the approval in a General Meeting.

4.4.8 IAU Members may resign by giving seven (7) days’ notice to the Chief Administrator.  If he resigning IAU member is the Treasurer, the Chief Administrator shall appoint one of the other IAU Members to fill the vacancy of Treasurer, and appoint another Ordinary Member with voting right to fill the new vacancy.  If the resigning IAU member is not the Treasurer, the Chief Administration shall appoint an Ordinary Member with voting right to fill the vacancy.  The Chief Administrator may resign by giving seven (7) days’ notice to every IAU Member.  The remaining IAU Members should appoint an Ordinary Member with voting right to be the Chief Administrator.  If the new Chief Administrator is a current IAU Member, the new Chief Administrator shall appoint another Ordinary Member with voting right to fill the vacancy.

4.5 Term

4.5.1  The term of an Executive Committee is normally from July 1 to June 30 of the following year.  In the event that an Executive Committee is elected in a General Meeting when HKTX is under the management of an IAU, the term of the Executive Committee will start seven (7) days after the Executive Committee is elected until June 30 of the calendar year following the start of the term.

4.5.2  The term of an IAU starts from the end of the term of the Executive Committee of the previous term or from when the IAU is formed, whichever later.  The term of an IAU ends on June 30 of the year following the start of the term or seven (7) days after a new Executive Committee is elected, whichever earlier.  If an Executive Committee is elected before the start of the term of an IAU, the IAU is dissolved immediately.

 

5. Rules of Procedure at Meetings

5.1 Annual General Meeting

5.1.1 Annual General Meetings (hereinafter referred to as the AGM) of HKTX shall be held annually between two weeks before March 2 and two weeks after March 2 (Texas Independence Day), i.e., between February 15 (or February 16 for a leap year) and March 16, but may not be held on the last 2 days or the first 4 days of the Chinese lunar calendar.

5.1.2 Agenda of the AGM should include:

  • Receiving a report from the President or Chief Administrator
  • Receiving a report from the Treasurer and approving the annual accounts
  • Electing or confirming the Executive Committee (provided an election has not been held in the calendar year)
  • Considering changes to the Constitution
  • Dealing with relevant business

5.2 Extraordinary General Meetings

An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called by an application in writing by an Ordinary Member to any member of the Executive Committee or IAU, signed or otherwise confirmed by at least 5 Ordinary Members. The Executive Committee or IAU shall also have the power to call an Extraordinary General Meeting by decision of a simple majority of its members.  The Election Officer shall also have the power to call an Extraordinary General Meeting to elect members of the Executive Committee or IAU.

5.3 Notices

At least fifteen days’ notice shall be given to all members of any General Meeting.  Such notice should include the date, time, venue, and agenda of the meeting.  A member is considered informed if he/she receives the abovementioned information by any means or if an email has been sent to the any of his/her email addresses currently registered with HKTX.

5.4 Voting

5.4.1 Each Ordinary Member who has joined HKTX for six (6) months shall have one vote, which may be given in person or by proxy appointed in writing.

5.4.2 With the exception of changes to the Constitution and removal of Committee Members, decisions put to the vote shall be resolved by a simple majority of votes at General Meetings.

5.4.3 The President shall have a casting vote in cases of equality.  The Chief Administrator shall have the casting vote in cases of equality in IAU decisions only.

5.5 Election

5.5.1 The Executive Committee is elected or confirmed as a cabinet.  Each cabinet candidate should consist of a President candidate, a Vice-President candidate, a Treasurer candidate, and candidates of other offices as the President candidate sees fit.  The maximum number of candidates in a cabinet candidate is eight (8).

5.5.2 Subject to section 4.1, all candidates must be Ordinary Members of HKTX whose membership fees are in effect at the time of election and have joined HKTX for one (1) year or more at the time of election or as at March 2 of that year.

5.5.3 If there is one (1) cabinet candidate running for election, the cabinet candidate has to be confirmed by a simple majority of votes.

5.5.4 If there are two (2) cabinet candidates running for election, the cabinet candidate with more votes is elected.

5.5.5 If there are more than two (2) cabinet candidates running for election, the exhaustive ballot system should be used, and the whole election should be finished within the same meeting.

5.5.6 The out-going Executive Committee or IAU should appoint an Election Officer at least eight (8) weeks before an AGM to handle all election matters.  The Election Officer must be a Member who is eligible to vote at the time of appointment, and may not stand for election in the election that he is responsible for.  Announcement about the appointment should be sent out to the membership at least six (6) weeks before the election.

5.5.7 If for any reason no candidate is elected or confirmed in an AGM, an IAU should be elected immediately in the AGM.

5.5.8 If an IAU is to be formed at a time other than during the AGM, the Election Officer shall call an Extraordinary General Meeting for the election for the formation of the IAU, subject to the provision of section 5.2.

5.5.9 All members with voting rights, including the Election Officer, are eligible to be elected as members of the IAU.  Each member with voting right may vote for up to the number of IAU Members to be elected.  Candidates with most votes are elected.  Lots will be drawn in case a tie-breaker is necessary.  Elected IAU members shall vote among themselves to determine who the Chief Administrator and Treasurer are.

5.6 Quora

The quorum at General Meetings is two (2).  The quorum of Executive Committee Meetings is 50% of the Executive Members with voting rights.  For General Meetings, the notice requirement as mentioned in section 5.3 must be met before any decisions made during the meetings are considered binding.

5.7 Changes to the Constitution

5.7.1 Any change to the Constitution shall require a two-third’s majority of all those present and eligible to vote at a General Meeting.

5.7.2 Notice shall be given to all voting members of any General Meeting as specified in section 5.3 and then any proposal to change the Constitution shall be submitted in writing to any member of the Executive Committee at least 15 days prior to the meeting.

5.7.3 All proposals for changes to the Constitution shall be signed by two members eligible to vote at a General Meeting.

5.8 Official Language

The official language of HKTX is English.  All meetings must be conducted in English.  Exception is allowed where all members attending a meeting unanimously agree to conduct the meeting in another language.  All documents must be written in English.  Proper nouns of other languages may be used in the documents if necessary.

 

6. Finance

6.1 Members may pay, but are not required to pay, an annual subscription or lifetime subscription to HKTX at any time.  The amounts will be decided by Executive Committee and may be changed from time to time.  An annual membership fee is in effect from the day the fee is paid if the paying Ordinary Member has no annual membership fee in effect, or the first day after the expiry of the annual membership fee paid in the previous year.  An annual membership fee expires one calendar year after the fee becomes in effect.

6.2 All money raised on behalf of HKTX shall be paid into one or more savings accounts or current accounts at HSBC, or such other bank as shall from time to time be determined by the Executive Committee.

6.3 All checks shall be signed by the President, the Treasurer, or any Committee Member appointed by the Executive Committee.

6.4 The Treasurer will be responsible for the preparation of the annual accounts of HKTX which shall be presented by the Executive Committee at the Annual General Meeting.

6.5 Each financial year starts on January 1 and ends on December 31 of the same calendar year.

 

7. Bye-laws

By simple majority vote, the Executive Committee shall have the power to adopt and enforce such bye-laws as it feels necessary to govern the activities of HKTX.

 

8. Liability

Unless personally liable otherwise under the laws of Hong Kong, the maximum liability of each Member for the liability of HKTX shall be one Hong Kong dollar.

 

9. Dissolution

HKTX may be dissolved if two-thirds or more of the Members with voting rights so desire, by their giving three months’ notice in writing to the President.  In this event the liabilities of HKTX shall be discharged and the residuary assets distributed to Texas Exes.