Constitution

NAME
1.1 This Society shall be known as the “Asia Pacific Alliance of Coaches”, hereinafter referred to as the “Society”.

PLACE OF BUSINESS
2.1 Its place of business shall be at “25 Happy Avenue Central, Singapore 369915” 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.

OBJECTS
3.1 Mission:
a) To educate the community on the power and value of coaching
b) To equip coaches with learning resources that are distinctive and relevant to the culture and needs of the Asia Pacific region
c) to empower coaches by providing them with opportunities to learn and serve
d) To engage members through networking opportunities, conferences, subcommittees and social media groups

Vision: APAC enables coaches to bring the power of coaching to every workplace and community in the Asia Pacific region to inspire new heights of human potential, achievement and creativity.
Core values:
Professionalism: we work with integrity and abide by professional coaching ethics. We believe in quality work and the pursuit of excellence.
Diversity: we value our differences and see that as our strength. We strive to be inclusive.
Learning: we believe in continuous learning and innovation.
Service: we believe in serving through coaching and desire to create a positive impact on our community. Engagement: we believe in engaging our coaching community internally and at large to create more possibilities and solutions.

MEMBERSHIP QUALIFICATION AND RIGHTS
4.1 Membership is open to Coaches (Executive Coaches, Small Medium Enterprises/Business Owner Coaches, Career Coaches, Life Coaches, Sales Coaches, Financial Coaches etc) and to those who are studying to be Coaches, and to Manages/Leaders who use coaching as a leadership tool. Coaching organisations are also eligible to join; each Coaching organisations is limited to three representatives. Only members who are age 21 and above, whose fees have been paid up to date are eligible to vote and to hold office. Each Coaching organisation will have one vote.

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
5.1 A person wishing to join the Society should submit his particulars to the Membership Chair on a prescribed form.
5.2 The Membership Chair shall decide on the applications for membership and keep the Committee informed of new members accepted by the Society.
5.3 A copy of the Constitution shall be furnished to every approved member.
5.4 A copy of Code of conduct will be furnished to every approved member.

ENTRANCE FEES, SUBSCRIPTIONS AND OTHER DUES
6.1 There shall be no entrance fee payable for all members.
6.2 Annual subscriptions are payable as follows:
Annual Individual membership is S$120
Annual Corporate membership is S$240
An Honorary Life Membership may be awarded to persons having made outstanding contributions to APAC. As Honorary Life Members the awardee will be exempt from yearly membership fees for life and will maintain all the privileges of members.
6.3 Annual subscriptions are payable in advance within the first month of the year. If a member falls into arrears with his subscription or other dues, he shall be informed immediately by the Treasurer. If he fails to settle his arrears within 2 months of their becoming due, the President may order that his name be posted on the Society’s notice board and that he be denied the privileges of membership until he settles his account. If he fails to settle his arrears for more than three (3) months, he will automatically cease to be a member and the Committee may take legal action against him provided that they are satisfied that he has received due notice of his debts.
6.4 Any additional fund required for special purposes may only be raised from members with the consent of the general meeting of the members.

SUPREME AUTHORITY AND GENERAL MEETINGS
7.1 The supreme authority of the Society is vested in a General Meeting of the members.
7.2 An Annual General Meeting shall be held in October.
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 Society’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. The particulars of the agenda shall be posted on the Society’s notice board four (4) days in advance of the meeting.
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 not 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 Society shall be entrusted to a Committee consisting of the following to be elected at alternate Annual General Meeting:
A President
A First Vice-President
A Second Vice President
An Honorary Secretary
An Honorary Deputy Secretary
An Honorary Treasurer
An Honorary Deputy Treasurer
An Immediate Past President
A Membership Chair
16 Ordinary 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 and Assistant 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 2 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 organise and supervise the daily activities of the Society.
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 power to authorise the expenditure of a sum not exceeding $8000 per month from the Society’s funds for the Society’s purposes.

DUTIES OF OFFICE-BEARERS
9.1 The President shall chair all General and Committee meetings. He shall also represent the Society in its dealings with outside persons.
9.2 The First Vice-President shall assist the President and deputise for him in his absence. The Second Vice President shall assist the President, the First Vice President and deputise for them in their absence.
9.3 The 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 maintain an up-to-date Register of Members at all times.
9.4 The Deputy Secretary shall assist the Secretary and deputise for him in his absence.
9.5 The 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. He is authorized to expend up to $500 per month for petty expenses on behalf of the Society. He will not keep more than $500 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 and either the President or the Vice-President or the Secretary or any other designated EXCO member.
9.6 The Deputy Treasurer shall assist the Treasurer and deputise for him in his absence.
9.7 Ordinary Committee Members shall assist in the general administration of the Society and perform duties assigned by the Committee from time to time.

AUDIT AND FINANCIAL YEAR
10.1 Two (2) voting members, not being members of the Committee, shall be elected as Honorary Auditors at each Annual General Meeting and will hold office for a term of one year only and shall not be re-elected for a consecutive term. The accounts of the Society shall be audited by a firm of Certified Public Accountants if the gross income or expenditure of the society exceeds $500,000 in that financial year, in accordance with Section 4 of the Societies Regulations.
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 Society’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 1st August to 31st July.

TRUSTEES
11.1 If the Society 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 Society 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 Society’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.

VISITORS AND GUESTS
12.1 Visitors and guests may be admitted into the premises of the Society but they shall not be admitted to the privileges of the Society nor shall they be admitted into the premises more than six
(6) times in a calendar year. These visits are to be confined to not more than once in fourteen (14) days.
12.2 A Visitors’ Book shall be kept, in which shall be entered the names of all visitors and guests, together with the names and signatures of the members nominating them and the dates of their visits. No person shall be a visitor or guest till his name has been entered in this book.

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 Society’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 Society shall not be used to pay the fines of members who have been convicted in court of law.
13.3 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.
13.4 The Society shall not indulge in any political activity or allow its funds and/or premises to be used for political purposes.
13.5 The Society shall not hold any lottery, whether confined to its members or not, in the name of the Society or its office-bearers, Committee or members unless with the prior approval of the relevant authorities.
13.6 The Society 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 Society 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 two-thirds (2/3) 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 Society shall not be dissolved, except with the consent of not less than three-fifths (3/5) of the total voting 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 as provided above, all debts and liabilities legally incurred on behalf of the Society 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.

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