BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND

EXPERIMENTAL THERAPEUTICS

SOCIETY OF SINGAPORE

CONSTITUTION AND RULES

1     Name

1.1     The Society is called the Biomedical Research and Experimen­tal Therapeutics Society of Singapore.

1.2     The Society is instituted solely for the advancement of bio­medical research and experimental therapeutics (as defined below).

2     Place of business

2.1      Its place of business shall be at:

or such other address as may subsequently be decided upon by the Committee and approved by the Registrar of Societies. The Society shall carry out its activities only in places and premises which have the prior written approval from the relevant authorities, where necessary.

3     The aims of the Society are:­

i)        To promote clinical and experimental research in biomedical science (the life sciences) in general, and in particular, ' research in experimental and clinical therapeutics (that is, the investigation of the action of drugs and other treatment modes in man and animals in health and disease), with the ultimate aim of improving health.

ii)       To promote the dissemination of biomedical scientific know­ledge and knowledge of experimental and clinical therapeutics in general; and in particular (a) the education of medical practitioners, scientists, and students of medicine and science, in the principles of drug action, disposition, and metabolism, and the rational use of drugs, and (b) the scientific basis of the action of non-drug modes of treatment of disease.

iii)      To promote collaborative biomedical research in general among the different disciplines of basic medical science; and in particular, between the basic biomedical sciences and the clinical sciences of medicine (general internal medicine, paediatrics, psychological medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, social and community medicine, geriatrics, and so forth).

iv)      To provide a forum for the above activities and the recording thereof. The Society aims to hold regular research meetings where original work may be reported and discussed.

v)       To organise and participate in scientific meetings, congresses, symposia and suchlike in Singapore and overseas, and to do all such other things as may, in the opinion of the Committee, increase or spread the knowledge and standing of biomedical science and experimental therapeutics.

4     Membership

4.1     The society shall consist of Honorary, Ordinary, Associate, Corporate, Retired and Life members. The acceptance of member­ship shall be deemed to imply an agreement to be bound by all the Rules of the Society.

4.2     Honorary Membership. Upon the recommendation of the Committee, the Society may elect to Honorary membership persons distinguished in science or members who have given long and valuable service to the Society, Honorary members shall have all the privileges of Ordinary Members except that they cannot hold office or vote.

4.3     Ordinary Membership. Persons who take an active interest in any area of biomedical research or therapeutics shall be eligible for election to Ordinary Membership.

4.4     Associate Membership. Students registered for a degree with an appropriate university recognised by the Society, and other persons with an interest in biomedical research who are not fully employed or who are normally resident overseas shall be eligible for election to Associate membership. Associate members will not be eligible to vote at the Annual General Meetings or hold office.

4.5     Corporate Membership. Upon the recommendation of the Committee, the Society may elect to Corporate Membership those organisations or bodes that support the aims of the Society.

          4.5.1 Each Corporate Member shall be entitled to nominate not more than two representatives to the Society. The nomi­nees shall be subject to the approval of the Committee.

          4.5.2 Corporate Members shall not be eligible to hold office, or to be members of the Committee, or to vote at any meetings of the Society.

          4.5.3 Corporate Members shall not use the name or logo or both of the Society for the purpose of advertisement or for any other commercial or non-professional purposes.

          4.5.4 Corporate Members shall seek in writing the written ap­proval of the Committee for use of the name or logo of the Society in any professional, educational, or other matters.

4.6     Retired Membership. An Ordinary Member on retiring from full employment may be offered Retired Membership by the Committee: this will entitle him or her to the privilege of Ordinary Membership without fee.

4.9     Each Ordinary, Associate or Corporate member shall pay an annual subscription, the amount of which shall be determined from time to time at a General Meeting. The subscription shall become due on 1st January.

4.10   An Ordinary member whose subscription is one year in arrears despite two written notifications from the Honorary Treasurer shall cease to be a member unless the Committee determines otherwise.

4.11   No dividend, gift, or bonus in money shall be made to or between any of the Honorary, Ordinary, Associate, Corpo­rate, Retired Members of the Society provided that nothing shall prevent reasonable and proper remuneration being paid to any member of the Society (not being a member of the Com­mittee or Trustee) for any services actually rendered to the Society.

5     Subscriptions and dues

5.1     Honorary and Retired Members shall not be required to pay any subscription or dues.

5.2     Ordinary Members shall pay on each 1st January an annual subscription of $25.00.

5.3     Associate Members shall pay on each 1st January an annual subscription of $10.00.

5.4     Corporate Members shall pay an entrance fee of $500.00 and they shall, on each subsequent 1st January, pay an annual subscription of $300.00.

5.5     Any member who expects to be overseas for periods in excess of 12 months, may at the discretion of the Committee, be exempted from the annual subscription fee by paying an annual retention fee of $5.00.

6     Organisation

6.1     The business of the Society shall be conducted by a Committee of members, elected at the alternate Annual General Meeting for a two year term and comprising officers resident in the Republic of Singapore, namely:

                   A President

                   A Vice-President

                   An Hon Secretary

                   An Assistant Hon Secretary

                   An Hon Treasurer

                   Eight Ordinary Committee members

          A quorum at a Committee Meeting shall consist of at least seven members of the Committee.

7     Election of Committee Members

7.1     The following regulation shall govern the election of Officers and Committee of the Society:- ,

i)               The Honorary Secretary shall send, in a dated statement to all members not less than 6 weeks before the Annual General Meeting, the names of the candidates nominated by the Committee as replacements for retiring members of the Committee. Additional nominations of persons eligible and willing to stand for election as members to the Com­mittee can be made in writing to the Honorary Secretary by Ordinary Members of the society within four weeks after the date on the list of candidates proposed by the Com­mittee. Each such additional nominations must be pro­posed by two Ordinary Members of the Society and must be accompanied by the written consent of the nominee to serve if elected.

ii)              Before the Annual General Meeting the Honorary Secre­tary shall send to each member a ballot list containing the names of those suggested to fill vacancies of the Committee.

iii)            Election shall be by ballot at the Annual General Meeting. To vote for a candidate as a replacement for a retiring officer the voter should prefix a cross to as many names as there are vacancies shown on the ballot form.

iv)            Any Ordinary member unable to attend a Meeting at which a ballot is to take place can vote by sending his ballot enclosed in an envelope to reach the General Secretary in reasonable time to be included in the ballot. The envelope must be sealed and signed by the Member voting and must be marked 'ballot paper'. The Chairman of the meeting shall open such envelopes and hand the ballot paper to scrutiny's nominated by the Chairman.

7.2     The members of the Committee except the Honorary Trea­surer shall be eligible for re-election to the same or related post for another consecutive term.

7.3     Duties of Office-Bearers

          8.3.1 The President shall act as Chairman at all general and committee meetings. He or the Honorary Secretary of another member of the Committee approved by the Com­mittee shall represent the society in all its dealings with outside persons.

          8.3.2  The Vice-President shall assist the President and deputise for him in his absence.

          8.3.3 The Honorary Secretary shall keep all records, except financial, of the society and shall be responsible for their correctness. He will keep minutes of all general and com­mittee meetings. He shall also maintain an up-to-date register of members at all times.

          8.3.4  The Assistant Honorary Secretary shall assist the Honorary Secretary.

          8.3.5 The Honorary Treasurer shall keep all funds and collect and disburse all moneys on behalf of the society and shall keep an account of all monetary transactions and shall be responsible for their correctness. Cheques, etc for with­drawals from the bank will be signed by the President or the Honorary Secretary in addition to the Honorary Treasurer.

          8.3.6 Any member of the Committee absenting himself 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. Changes in the Committee shall be notified to the Registrar of Societies within two weeks of the change.

8     Meetings

8.1   The Committee shall organise the Meetings of the Society, select communications for submission to the Society, and transact the business of the Society in the intervals between meetings.

8.2     The management of the Society shall be vested in the general meeting of the members presided over by the President. The Annual General Meeting of the Society will be held in April each year, after notice of six weeks to all Members. The business to be transacted shall be to receive and consider Reports and Financial Accounts presented by the Committee and Auditors (Internal, and external if necessary in the opinion of the Committee) for the preceding financial year; to confirm or otherwise deal with the Reports and Accounts, and with any acts of the Committee or any Sub-Committee which may need confirmation including any alterations made during the year to the Domestic Rules; and to conduct elections if necessary and to determine any matters arising from the result of elections.

8.3     The President shall preside over at all General and Committee meetings. In his absence, the Vice President, or a duly desig­nated representative shall chair the meeting.

8.4   The President shall have a casting vote in addition to this ordinary vote.

8.5     At least one quarter of the total voting membership of the Society present at a General Meeting shall form a 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 any of the existing rules unless such resolution is passed with a two-thirds majority of those present.

9 Audit

9.1   One Member not a member of the Committee shall be elected Honorary Auditor at each alternate Annual General Meeting. He or she shall hold office for two years only and may not be re-elected except after the lapse of two years. The Honorary Auditor shall audit each year's financial accounts and present a Report on them at the Annual General Meeting. He may be required by the President to audit the Society's financial accounts for any period within their tenure of office at any date and make a Report to the Committee. The financial year shall be from 1st January to 31st December.

10  Amendments to the Constitution and Interpretation

10.1   No alterations or additions to these Rules of the Society may be made except at an Annual or Extraordinary (Special) General Meeting- of the Society. No alterations or additions shall be made unless two-thirds of those voting are in its favour. Notice in writing of each proposed amendment shall be dis­patched by ordinary post to the last known address of all members at least 30 days before the meeting at which the resolution embodying such amendments is to be taken; and shall be circulated to Members with the Agenda of the meeting. The amended Rules shall not come into force without the prior approval of the Registrar of Societies, Singapore.

10.2   In the event of any question or matter arising out of any point that is not expressly provided for in these Rules, the Com­mittee shall have the power to use their own discretion.

11   Publications

11.1   The Society may publish or collaborate in publishing a periodical or periodicals devoted to biomedical science, or experimental therapeutics or pharmacology, provided at a General Meeting.

12   Representatives

12.1   The Committee shall nominate Members to serve as repre­sentatives of the Society on other bodies, or to give evidence on behalf of the Society before such bodies.

13   Domestic rules

13.1   The Committee may from time to time at their discretion make Domestic Rules for the internal regulation of the Society and its work as may seem expedient, provided always that no such Rule shall be made or have validity or effect if it conflicts with the provisions of any Statute or amounts to such an alteration of or addition to these Rules as could only legally be made by special resolution. Such Domestic Rules shall be confirmed by the Society in General Meeting.

14   Resignation

14.1   A Member who wishes to resign his Membership shall so signify to the Honorary Secretary of the Society, and the resigning Member shall be liable for the payment of his subscription for the current year together with any arrears up to the date of tendering his resignation.

15   Expulsion

15.1   Any Members who in the opinion of the Committee on the report of any Member or Members of the Society is found no longer fit and proper to continue to be a Member of the Society shall have his or her Membership terminated in accordance with a procedure determined by the Committee.

16   Prohibitions

16.1   Gambling of any kind and the playing or paikow and mahjong, whether for stakes or not, is forbidden on the Society's premises. The introduction of materials for gambling and drug taking and of bad characters into the premises is prohibited.

16.2   The Society shall not hold any lottery, whether confined to it members or not, in the name of the Society or its office bearers, Committee, or Members.

16.3   The funds of the Society shall not be used to pay the fines of Members who have been convicted in court.

16.4   The Society 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.

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

16.6   The Society shall not raise funds from the public for whatever purpose without the prior approval in writing of the Registrar of Societies and other relevant authorities.

16.7   The Society shall not attempt to restrict to interfere with trade of make directly or indirectly any recommendation to, or any arrangement with its members which has the purpose or is likely to have the effect of fixing or controlling the price or any discount, allowance or rebate relating to any goods or services to be supplied to them.

17   Dissolution of the Association

17.1   The Society shall not be dissolved, except with the consent of not less than two-thirds of the Ordinary membership of the Society 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 Society being dissolved, all debts and liabilities legally incurred shall be fully discharged and the remaining assets shall be divided fairly amongst the members at the time of dissolution in proportion to the total amount subscribed by each member immediately prior to the dis­solution, or donated to charitable organisations.

17.3   Notice of the dissolution shall be given within 7 days of the dissolution to the Registrar of Societies.