RULES OF THE HASH HOUSE HARRIERS
Registered on 11 May 1962 under reference number 0025/1962
with the Registrar of Societies Singapore
1. This Association shall be known as the Hash House Harriers.
2. Its place of meeting shall be at any club or premises in Singapore at which permission to meet has been obtained, and its place of business and address for correspondence is “ 46 Jalan Pakis, Singapore 678633".
3. To provide a weekly cross-country run and occasional social events for its members.
4. To foster mutual goodwill, understanding and friendship between its members.
5. To foster relations with similar societies throughout the world.
Membership
6. Membership is open to all male persons over 18 years of age who are interested in taking part in a weekly cross-country run.
7. A person wishing to join the Association submits a membership application to the Honorary Secretary and once accepted is thereafter considered to be a member until such time as he notifies his intention to resign or ceases to pay his subscriptions as they become due.
8. The Committee has the right to refuse or rescind membership without giving reason and its decision is final.
9. A member may be expelled from the Association by a decision of the Committee if he commits acts injurious to the Association. Any such decision by the Committee shall be effective immediately unless countermanded at a general meeting.
10. Every existing member and new applicants agree to comply with and be bound by the Rules. A copy of the Rules is available on request to the Honorary Secretary.
11. All fully paid up members are entitled to one vote at general meetings and can hold office in the Society.
Entrance Fees, Subscriptions and other Dues
12. No entrance fee is payable by new members.
13. Subscriptions are payable quarterly in advance on or before the first day of January, April, July and October each year at a rate proposed by the Committee and passed at a general meeting or at such other rate as members at a general meeting may decide.
Management, General Meetings
14. New members joining at the start of a quarter pay the full quarter’s subscription. New members joining in the midst of a quarter pay the pro-rated equivalent of a quarter’s subscription.
15. If a member falls in arrears with his subscriptions for more than 3 months he shall be deemed to have resigned and will not be entitled to take part in any further activities of the Association. If so terminated the member remains liable to pay all outstanding subscriptions.
16. Anyone who is not a member who attends any part of a run shall be liable to pay the guest fee whether or not he attends the after-run announcements (circle) or consumes beverages.
17. The guest fee for each run shall be $20 or such other sum as may be determined by the Committee.
18. Guests are not permitted to attend annual Joint Runs and other special Celebration Runs when these are hosted by other hash chapters. These away events are strictly for members only. Guests are, however, welcomed when such Joint Runs are hosted by the Association. Guest fee shall be $50 or such other sum as may be determined by the Committee.
19. The management of the Association is vested in a general meeting of the members. At least one quarter of the total membership of the Association must be present at a general meeting for its proceedings to be valid.
20. An annual general meeting will be held in February. At other times a general meeting must be called by the President on the request in writing of ten or more members and may be called at any time by order of the Committee.
21. At least two weeks’ notice will be given of an annual general meeting. Two weeks’ notice will also be given of any other general meeting unless the Committee decides the matter is more urgent in which case at least four days’ notice will be given. The notice containing particulars of the agenda for the meeting and meeting place will be circulated to each member by email at the member’s last email address known to the Association. The following points will be considered at the annual general meeting:
a. The previous year’s account and report of the Committee
b. The election of office-bearers for the following year
Any member who wishes to place an item on the agenda of a general meeting may do so provided he gives notice to the Honorary Secretary ten days before the meeting is due to be held.
22. In the event of there being no quorum the meeting shall be adjourned to the same day in the following week at a place and time to be appointed 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 Rules.
Management Committee
23. A Committee consisting of four shall be elected at each general meeting:
a President (to be called Joint Master); a Vice President (to be called Joint Master); an Honorary Secretary, and; an Honorary Treasurer.
24. Candidates 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 officers except the Honorary Treasurer may be re-elected year after year but not for more than three consecutive years.
25. A Chairman (to be called Grand Master) shall be appointed at an annual general meeting and election will follow on a simple majority vote of the members. The Chairman shall remain in office until he is unable or unwilling to serve or is voted out of office by a simple majority vote of the members at a general meeting. The Chairman is a member of the Committee.
26. The members of the Committee shall have power to elect a new President, Vice President, Honorary Secretary or Honorary Treasurer in the event of the holder of any of these offices being unable or unwilling to serve.
27. Committee meetings shall be held at such times as may be considered desirable. At least seven days’ notice of such meetings will be given to Committee members.
28. Three Committee members will form a quorum. At least one Joint Master and one of the Honorary Secretary or Honorary Treasurer must be present at a Committee meeting for its proceedings to be valid.
29. The duty of the Committee is to organise and supervise the daily activities of the Association and to make decisions on matters affecting its running when the general meeting is not sitting. It may not act contrary to the expressed wishes of the general meeting without prior reference to it and always remains subordinate to the general meetings.
30. The Committee shall make available to all members the Association’s annual financial statements upon each individual’s request.
31. The duties of the office-bearers are as follows:-
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The Chairman (Grand Master) shall act as chairman at all general and committee meetings. He shall:
i. Have the deciding vote at any meeting in the event of a tied vote.
ii. Represent the Association in its dealings with outside parties.
b. The President (Joint Master) shall be responsible for the daily affairs of the Association.
c. The Vice President (Joint Master) assists the President in all matters concerning the Association and shall deputise for the President in the latter’s absence. The Vice President shall
i. Manage the hare-line including ensuring “hares” are available and that there is diversity of location and appropriateness in run sites (e.g. availability of lighting and car parking spaces).
ii. Provide updated hare-line information to the Honorary Secretary.
d. The Joint Masters shall
i. Maintain a register of runners at the start of each run and ensure all have returned before the hares depart the run site.
ii. Announce the start of the run promptly at 18.00 hours; describe what has been used to lay the run, and; indicate the starting direction.
iii. Advise guests that they participate solely at their own risk.
iv. Manage the drink provider including:
a. a. Ensure the drink provider knows the run site.
b. Monitor amount of drinks being consumed.
c. Together with the hares, assist drink provider to clear site and monitor for cleanliness prior to vacating.
d. Periodically monitor drink provider delivered stock to ensure consistency with bills
e. Review drink provider's invoices, sign them and provide these to Honorary Treasurer for payment.
e. The Honorary Secretary shall record and keep minutes of any general meeting and Committee meeting and ensure their correctness. He shall:
i. Notify members in advance the date and starting place of each run through a newsletter to be sent out by email. This information shall also be posted on the Association’s website which the Hon. Secretary shall manage.
ii. Process membership forms resignations and the like and notify Honorary Treasurer of membership changes.
iii. Document minutes of Committee and general meetings and update the Registrar of Societies on the new office-bearers elected at the AGM.
iv. Bring membership application forms and copies of the Rules to runs.
v. Keep copies (electronic where possible) of all newsletters and meeting minutes and official documentation.
vi. Via internet, word of mouth and/or other hash contacts learn of inter-hashes, joint runs and special events and publish these periodically in the newsletter and/or on the website.
vii. Provide updated Association contact data to appropriate international hash organizations.
f. The Honorary Treasurer shall keep all books and records of the Association and shall be responsible for their correctness. He shall
i. Collect all moneys due to the Association and shall disburse all moneys payable by it.
ii. Not keep more than $100 in the form of cash and any money collected by him on behalf of the Association in excess of this amount shall be paid into the Association’s bank account.
iii. Ensure cheques for withdrawals from the bank are signed by any two of the Honorary Treasurer, the President, Vice President, or Honorary Secretary.
iv. Record all receipts and payments in the accounts and ensure all entries have documentary support. The accounts records shall be complete, transparent and available to other members of the Committee for their inspection.
v. Maintain the attending members and guest register each week at the run, and collect subscriptions and guest fees.
vi. Make bank deposit within a week of receipt of cash.
vii. Prepare a periodic financial report for distribution at Committee meetings including
a. Summary of membership and guest levels and changes
b. Drinks consumption report.
c. List of members with overdue subscriptions
d. Financial results including a profit & loss account, balance sheet and cash flow statement
viii. Prepare annual financial statements for each year ending 31 December; have them audited and send in the tax return by 15 February of the following year.
ix. Periodically provide list of overdue subscriptions to the Honorary Secretary for inclusion in the newsletter.
Prior to the post-run announcements (circle) provide a list of returnees, guests and new members to a Joint Master.
32. All Association office-bearers and members shall be volunteers who give their time and skills freely. Any agreement to pay a member for goods or services rendered shall be approved in writing in advance by the Committee.
Weekly Runs
33. The members who are appointed as “hares” shall set the run with due consideration being given to environmental aspects.
34. Each member must be involved in setting at least one run per calendar year.
35. Reasonable gaps in the trail may be left by the “hares” and false trails may be laid at their discretion. Gaps and false trails should not exceed 100 meters in length in difficult terrain and 400 meters in open terrain.
36. Ideally, the run length should be 6 to 10 kilometres, depending on terrain. The run duration should be about one hour with the gaps in the trails set such that most runners finish within fifteen minutes of each other.
37. In the event runners are lost it is the responsibility of the hares with assistance from the Joint Masters to find these runners.
38. Runs shall not be organized within the Central Business District except for special reasons such as sponsored runs and then only with the advance permission of the Committee.
39. Members shall obey traffic signals and general pedestrian rules including the use of zebra crossings and overhead bridges to cross main roads particularly in built-up areas. Apart from the danger of not following ‘rules of the road’ failure to do so will bring undue attention to the Association.
40. Where the run is arranged in a location which is inaccessible to the drinks provider the hares shall arrange free of charge to members and paying guests an alternative supply of beverages similar in range and quantity to that provided by the drinks provider. The calculation method for the portion of the beverage invoice to be paid by the Association shall be agreed with the Committee in advance.
41. All beverages dispensed by the drinks provider shall be opened and consumed at the run site.
Audit
42. Two persons not being members of the Committee will be elected as Honorary Auditors at each annual general meeting. Annually at least one of the auditors may not be re-elected and no auditor may serve for more than three consecutive years. The Honorary Auditors will be required to audit each year’s account and present their report to the annual general meeting. They may be required by the President to audit the Association’s accounts for any period within their tenure of office at any date and make a report to the Committee.
Prohibitions
43. 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.
44. The funds of the Association shall not be used to pay the fines of members who have been convicted in Court.
45. 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.
46. The Association shall not hold any lottery whether confined to the members or not in the name of the Association or its office-bearers Committee or members.
47. The Association shall not indulge in any political activity or allow its funds and/or premises to be used for political purposes.
48. No member shall enter into any commitments or make any form of representation in the name of the Association unless prior approval has been given in writing by the Committee.
49. No member shall privately produce merchandise bearing the Association’s logo and offer this for sale.
50. No member shall offer goods and services to other members at the run site unless they are doing so on behalf of the Association. This does not prohibit normal networking among the members and guests.
51. No member shall obtain beverages from the drinks provider on credit. The beverage stock provided by the drinks provider for the run shall not be depleted by sales to members prior to the end of the circle.
52. Members shall not encourage the attention of the media to the activities of the Association without prior approval in writing of the Committee.
53. Members shall not take photographs and/or make video recordings of other members during the Association’s runs and events without obtaining prior consent from the subjects of such photographs and/or recordings.
54. Names addresses telephone and fax numbers and email addresses of members shall not be divulged to third parties. Members are prohibited from mass mailing other members. If any member wishes to mass mail all members a request must be submitted to the Honorary Secretary for possible inclusion in the newsletter.
Injury and Loss of Property
55. Each member and each guest participates in the activities of the Association solely at their own risk and will indemnify and hold harmless the Association and members of the Committee from all claims or liability arising out of bodily injury to or loss of or damage to the property of such member or guest.
56. Notwithstanding the provisions of clause 51 the Committee has the sole discretion to decide whether to effect any insurance on behalf of the Association members and registered guests. At each general meeting the Committee will advise members of any insurance that has been arranged. If such insurance is so arranged this implies no acceptance of liability by the Association or the Committee and the right to indemnity and compensation of members and registered guests is limited to the actual payment made by the relevant insurer.
Amendment to Rules
57. The Society shall not amend its Constitution without the prior approval in writing of the Registrar of Societies. No alteration of 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
58. In the event of any question or matter arising out of any point which is not expressly provided for in the Rules the Committee shall have power to use their own discretion.
Dissolution
59. The Association shall not be dissolved, except with the consent of not less than 60% of the members of the Association expressed at a general meeting either in person or by proxy or by postal vote.
60. In the event of the Association being dissolved as provided above all debts and liabilities legally incurred on behalf of the Association shall be fully discharged and the remaining funds will be distributed in such manner as may be decided by the majority of the members at the general meeting convened for the purpose of dissolution.
61. Notice of dissolution will be given within 7 days of the dissolution to the Registrar of Societies.