Constitution

1. The Unit shall be known as “17th Kowloon (La Salle) Group Venture Scout Unit” or in Chinese characters “九龍第十七旅(喇沙)深資童軍團”.

2. The objective of the Unit is to provide its members with a training that is consistent with the spirit of the Scout movement, the Scout Law and the Scout Promise. In particular, the Unit shall seek to –

(a) nurture the ability of the members to be independent and self-reliance with a view to preparing them to render service to the society in due course;

(b) encourage the members to undergo training programmes provided by the Scout Association of Hong Kong or other organisations which are conducive and related to the Venture Scout training;

(c) build, promote and consolidate the relationship with other organisations, and between the members of the Unit and the members of such other organisations;

(d) provide assistance to the Sponsoring Authority, the Group Scout Leader and the Advisor in advancing the interest of the Group;

(e) encourage the members to take an active role and participate in the development of the Group and of the Scout movement; and

(f) do such other things that are consistent with the spirit of the Scout movement and conducive to the principles of the Venture Scout training.

3. The Venture Scout Leader and all Assistant Venture Scout Leaders shall be Advisors to the Unit who shall have the power to veto a decision of the General Meeting (“GM”); or of the Executive Committee (“EC”); or of the Unit Meeting (“UM”).

4. Subject to the provisions of the Constitution, the EC shall consult and obtain the approval of Advisor on all financial matters.

5. The Unit shall only seek financial support or provision from the Group Committee or any other organisations for the organisation of an activity before the conduct of such project.

6. Where members of the Unit are required to pay a fee to participate in an activity, the Unit may subsequent to the activity apply to the Group Committee on their behalf for a subsidy for each member not exceeding –

(a) two-thirds of the fee a member may incur for participating in training courses recognised by the Advisor to be conducive or related to the Venture Scout training;

(b) two-thirds of the fee a member may incur for participating in an activity which is for the exclusive participation of the members of the Unit; or

(c) one-half of the fee a member or recruit may incur for participating in an activity which is not for the exclusive participation of the members of the Unit.

7. A serving member of the Scout Troop of the Group may apply to join the Unit after obtaining the approval of the Scout Leader. A former or current student of La Salle College who is of an age suitable to become a Venture Scout may apply to join the Unit. The EC shall assess the meritsof the application and seek the Advisor’s endorsement of the application.

8. After the EC has obtained the Advisor’s endorsement of his application, an applicant shall undergo a probation of no less than three months before he is promoted (in the case of a serving member of the Scout Troop) or invested (in the case of a non-serving member of the Scout Troop) to be a member. The recruit shall take part in the activities of the Unit and undergo the required training as stipulated in the Venture Scout Training Scheme during the probation.

9. Subject to the provisions of the Constitution, a member shall be entitled to –

(a) present, speak and vote in the GM;

(b) elect and be elected as member of the EC;

(c) assist in the organisation of and participate in activities of the Unit;

(d) make suggestions and complaints to the EC; and

(e) appeal to the Advisor in cases of alleged unfair treatments.

10. A member shall abide by the Constitution, by-laws, rules and regulations and is obliged to pay an annual subscription determined by the GM. The membership of a member shall be suspended should he fail to pay the annual subscription when it is due until such time as the outstanding liability has been discharged.

11. A recruit shall enjoy the same rights, perform the same duties and are under the same obligations as a member provided that he shall not vote at the GM, shall not elect or be elected as an EC member and is not obliged to pay the annual subscription.

12. A member may resign his membership by giving a written notice to the EC at least thirty days before the resignation takes effect. The EC shall inform the Advisor of the resignation at the earliest opportunity.

13. The Advisor may upon the recommendation of EC expel a member from the Unit for serious breach of the Scout Law, the Scout Promise, the Constitution, by-laws, rules or regulations or behaviour which would bring the Unit into disrepute.

14. Unless otherwise specified, “a member” shall also mean a recruit.

15. The GM shall be the Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) and the Extraordinary General Meeting (“EGM”). The Chairman shall preside over the GM and has the casting vote at the GM in case of an equality of votes.

The secretary of the EC shall serve as the secretary to the GM.

16. The GM shall be called by serving a written notice on the members no less than thirty days in advance of the date assigned for the GM. The notice shall specify the venue, the date and the hour of the meeting.

17. A quorum at the GM shall only be formed with the presence of at least one of the Advisors and at least half of the members of the Unit. A recruit present at the GM shall not be counted for the purpose of forming the quorum.

18. Every member shall have one vote at the GM. Subject to the provisions of the Constitution, the passage of a resolution by the GM shall require a simple majority of votes.

19. The AGM shall be convened by the Chairman at a time determined by the EC and in any event shall not be later than the end of September of each calendar year.

20. The AGM shall perform the following functions –

(a) receive and adopt the Chairman’s report and the Treasurer’s financial report;

(b) receive and adopt reports of ad hoc and standing sub-committees;

(c) elect the EC members; and

(e) determine the amount of the annual subscription.

21. An EGM shall be convened by the Advisor at his discretion or, by the Chairman at a time determined by the EC, or by the Chairman upon a petition of no less than half of the members (not including recruits). An EGM shall transact business set out in the notice of meeting and shall not transact any business which has not been specified in the said notice.

22. The GM shall adopt its own rules to govern its proceedings.

23. There shall be an EC responsible for managing the Unit by exercising such powers conferred on it by the Constitution, by-laws, rules and regulations. In particular, the EC members shall exercise their best endeavour jointly and separately to –

(a) assist the Advisor in pursuing the objectives of the Unit;

(b) advance, promote and defend the reputation and interest of the Unit, and the welfare of the members;

(c) plan, organise and implement project, programme and activity for the members of the Unit;

(d) consider requests, recommendations, and complaints from members or other organisations and to take appropriate and necessary actions;

(e) set up sub-committees for specific purposes either on ad hoc or standing basis;

(f) assign specific task, duty or function to a member either on ad hoc or standing basis;

(g) oversee, monitor and examine financial matters of the Unit;

(h) promote relationship with other sections of the Group, other organisations, and among the members; and

(i) exercise its best endeavour to enforce the provisions of the Constitution, by-laws, rules or regulations on members who are outside Hong Kong.

24. With the prior consent of the Advisor, the incumbent EC shall determine the composition of the next EC before the GM provided that there shall be at least a chairman, a vice-chairman, a secretary, a treasurer and an ex officio member, and the total number of the EC members shall not exceed seven at any one time.

25. The duty of each EC member shall be specified in writing before an election takes place.

26. The EC members shall be elected at the AGM whose tenure shall commence at the conclusion of that GM until the conclusion of the next AGM. The immediate past Chairman, or an immediate past EC member nominated by him, shall be the ex officio member.

27. An EC member shall be eligible to be re-elected for another term provided that a member who has served a term as Chairman shall not been elected as the Chairman. The foregoing provision does not preclude a former Chairman to be elected to other posts of the EC.

28. An EC member may resign his office by giving a written notice to the Advisor no less than thirty days before the resignation takes effect. An EC member shall cease to hold the office if he ceases to be a member of the Unit or becomes incapable perform his duties because of unsound mind or sickness. The EGM may impeach or remove an EC member from his office for serious breach of the Scout Law, the Scout Promise, the Constitution, by-laws, rules or regulations or behaviour that will bring the Unit into disrepute by passing a motion of impeachment by a two-thirds majority of the members present. An EGM shall be convened to fill the vacancy arising from one of the foregoing circumstances.

29. A member shall be entitled to vote either in person or by proxy in the election of EC members. A member who intends to vote by proxy shall appoint a closed end proxy which must reach the secretary to the GM three clear days prior to the date appointed for the GM.

30. The EC shall hold meeting with the Advisor at regular intervals and in any event no less than one every three months with a view to seeking advice of and making progress report to the Advisor.

31. The EC shall adopt its own procedures to govern its proceedings.

32. The EC shall hold a UM with a view to reporting to and consulting the views of members on the affairs of the Unit, in particular, the EC shall obtain the consent of the UM on its proposed annual plan, proposed annual budget for the Unit. The EC shall also present to the UM a proposal and a budget prior to the organisation of an activity and, within a reasonable time after the conduct of the activity, a report and a financial statement.

33. Unless previously agreed by the Advisor, the EC shall hold the UM no less than once every two calendar months.

34. The Chairman shall preside over the UM and the secretary of the EC shall serve as the secretary to the UM.

35. The Advisor, members and recruits shall be entitled to present, speak and vote at the UM. A quorum at the UM shall only be formed with the presence of at least one of the Advisors and at least one-tenth of the members of the Unit. A recruit present at the UM shall not be counted for the purpose of forming the quorum.

36. A UM shall be called by serving a written notice on the members no less than fourteen days in advance of the date assigned for the UM. The notice shall specify the venue, the date and the hour of the meeting.

37. The EC shall make rules to govern the proceedings of the UM.

38. The election of the EC members shall be conducted by secret ballot at the GM.

39. The GM shall have the power to make by-laws, rules or regulations to regulate the conduct of the elections and the electoral procedures.

40. All general-purpose instruments, other than instruments for financial purposes, bearing the seal of the Unit shall be jointly executed by the Advisor, the Chairman (or the Vice-chairman in the Chairman’s absence) and the secretary. All financial instruments bearing the seal of the Unit shall be jointly executed by the Advisor, the Chairman (or the Vice-chairman in the Chairman’s absence) and the treasurer.

41. The GM shall have the right to make, vary, amend and abrogate by-laws, rules and regulations for regulating the affairs of the Unit.

42. The Advisor shall have the power to amend the Constitution.

43. The GM may, by passing a motion, request the Advisor to amend the Constitution. Such motion shall only be transacted at an EGM and shall be carried where three-fourths of the members present are in favour of the motion.

44. The Advisor shall have the power to rectify any clerical, printing or grammatical error appearing in a copy of the Constitution, by-laws, rules or regulations.

45. The Advisor shall have the power to interpret the Constitution, by-laws, rules or regulations.

46. In interpreting the Constitution, by-laws, rules or regulations, words and expressions importing the masculine gender include the feminine and neuter genders and words and expressions in the singular include the plural and words and expression in the plural include the singular.