Members were asked to consider and, if found fit, agree to proposed revisions at a special general meeting.
The ICE Hong Kong Association (HKA) constitution has been amended to streamline operations and better reflect the core values of the institution.
The changes follow a consultation launched earlier this year and a special general meeting held on 16 March.
A total of 44 Corporate Members attended the meeting, fulfilling the requirement of at least 30 members present.
Of the 44 members present, 41 agreed to the proposed changes to the constitution, and no member objected.
The proposed amendments to the constitution were approved with immediate effect.
The amendments
The key changes include:
- Accepting electronic nominations and votes for the committee election (refer to clause 16 of the revised constitution). This change will not only reduce the committee’s carbon footprint, but also potentially increase the voting rate by making the voting process more convenient.
- Adopting gender-neutral language throughout, including the title “chairperson” in place of “chairman.” These changes help eliminate ambiguity and contribute to the inclusive and equitable culture that the institution is creating.
- Increasing the number of elected committee members and co-opted committee members (clause 11) in order to support the association in delivering better and more services to the members. The quorum requirement of committee meetings is also proposed to increase to reflect the increase in elected and co-opted members (clause 18).
- Enhancing the inclusivity of the association by allowing associate members to join the committee as co-opted members (clause 11). There are also proposed amendments of wording to include the new membership title "infrastructure engineer" (clauses 7.4 and 9).
- Adding misconduct procedures (clauses 29 to 31) to the constitution to protect both ICE members and staff against discourteous and disrespectful behaviour.
- Deleting or amending some clauses to reflect the result of the ballot on 13 July 2021 which re-designated technician members as corporate members with full voting rights.
- Including textual or editorial amendments mainly to improve the clarity and consistency of the constitution.
