V. FUNCTION

1. To promote and disseminate knowledge in psychology and its applications for the benefit of the individual and society.

2. To promote psychological research and organise meetings on matters in particular fields of psychology.

3. To introduce, encourage and maintain proper standards in the development, use, evaluation, or standardisation of all instruments, techniques or devices for use in the practice of psychology in Singapore.

4. To seek to ensure that psychological tests and equipment are made available only to persons whom the Society deems appropriately qualified.

5. To advocate, set up and maintain high standards of professional standing and conduct for its members in respect of the teaching, researching or practising of psychology.

6. To disseminate information about opportunities for professional work, and to make recommendations from time to time to members and to employers about desirable qualifications and remuneration.

7. To safeguard the professional interests of members and to support all legitimate efforts to extend the knowledge and professional expertise of members, whether by research, encouragement of the publication of reports, documents or books on psychology, by facilitating access to relevant material, or by any other legal means.

8. To liaise with organisations of psychologists elsewhere and with societies representing other professions, and to foster good relations with the public.

9. To lay down requirements for membership of the Society, to maintain a directory of members with details of their names, addresses, qualifications, appointments and experience, and to regulate the practice of psychology by setting the criteria for practice and by registering qualified practitioners in a Register of Psychologists practising in Singapore.

10. To collect funds from membership fees, or donations; to keep proper account of such funds and to administer them in accordance with the Society's aim.

11. To do all that may be necessary and proper to protect the individual or general public against unsound practices, and to restrict the use of the term 'Psychologist' to Full members of the Society and to those whose qualifications are acceptable to the Society.

12. To exercise such other functions as the Society may from time to time deem feasible and desirable to realise its aims.

VI. THE COUNCIL

1. The Council elected by the members in accordance with the Constitution governs the Society under the Constitution and in accordance with the wishes of the members as expressed at General Meetings.

2. The Council consists of nine Full Members, to be elected by secret ballot, personal or postal, at the Annual General Meeting, from the Society by members.

3. The Council comprises the President, the Vice-President, the Honorary Secretary, the Assistant Honorary Secretary, the Honorary Treasurer and four Council Members.

4. Council members are elected for a two-year term of office with co-option by the elected members to fill any interim vacancies or additionally with co-option of Full Members. The President and Vice-President must be Singapore citizens or Singapore permanent residents. Documentary proofs of length of stay and employment in Singapore may be required.

5. No Council member shall serve for four consecutive terms and the Honorary Treasurer shall not serve for more than one term of office or two consecutive years.

6. A quorum of the Council is constituted by one half of its members providing one President is present and decisions of the Council, where a consensus has not been reached, shall be taken by a simple majority of Council members present and voting.

7. The Council shall meet at least one three-monthly, with proxies allowed, and in a tie, only the President has a casting vote.

8. There shall be elected two Auditors from amongst members who are not members of the Council.

VII. MEMBERSHIP

1. There will be a standing committee called the Membership Committee to receive, scrutinize and recommend to the Council, the acceptance or not of application for the following categories of membership:

1a) Student Members

1b) Affiliate Members

1c) Associate Members

1d) Full Members

1e) Fellows

1f) Honorary Fellows and

1g) Overseas Student/Affiliate/Associate/Full/Fellow Members

The Membership Committee shall be determined annually by the Council. The Chairperson of the Committee shall sit ex-officio on the Council. The Honorary Secretary shall sit ex-officio as member of the Committee, which shall meet not less than once quarterly. The Committee shall maintain records of its deliberations, the reasons for its recommendations and list of members of the Society as required under V.9 of the Constitution.

2. For eligibility to apply, the intending members shall meet the following requirements:

2a) For the Student/Overseas Student Member, the minimum requirement shall be full time or part time study with one or more Psychology courses in a tertiary institution.

2b) For the Affiliate/Overseas Affiliate Member category, the minimum qualification is the completion of tertiary education.

2c) For the Associate Member/Overseas Associate, the minimum qualification is one of the following:

(2c1) Degree with 50% of curriculum in Psychology.
(2c2) General degree in Psychology.
(2c3) Honours degree in Psychology.
(2c4) Master s degree in Psychology.
(2d) For the Full Member, the minimum qualification is one of the following:
(2d1) A Bachelor degree in psychology or equivalent, or a Master's degree in psychology or equivalent, recognised by the Society, with 2 years relevant work experience.
(2d2) A Bachelor degree in psychology or equivalent, recognised by the Society, together with a further qualification in psychology which may be a Master's or a Doctoral degree or equivalent.
(2d3) A Master s or a Doctoral degree or a post graduate professional qualification in a specialized field in psychology from a recognised academic institution, such qualification having entailed supervised practical training of not less than 400 hours in a variety of settings.
(2d4) A licensed, chartered or registered psychologist legally entitled to practise as a professional psychologist in one of the following countries or states: an Australian state, Canada, New Zealand, United States of America, United Kingdom or Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or such other countries as the Council may from time to time determine.
(2d5) Full membership with an overseas national psychological society recognised by the Society.

2e) Overseas Student Member/Affiliate/Associate/Full Members shall fulfill the requirements as at (a), (b), c) or (d) above, and they reside overseas.

2f) Only members appropriately qualified under clauses VII 2(d),(3) or (4) shall be entitled to use the following designations; Clinical Psychologist; Counselling Psychologist; Educational Psychologist; Industrial or Occupational Psychologist or any combination of these latter terms.

3. A Fellow must be well-established and has made substantial original contribution to the advancement of psychological knowledge or practice. Fellows of the SPS shall either be proposed by Fellows of overseas psychological societies or by the Council. Honorary Fellows shall be unanimously invited by the Council after seeking the counsel of eminent psychologists within and beyond Singapore.

4. An application for membership shall be supported by two members.

5. The Council is entitled to grant or refuse applications for membership and reserves the right not to give any reasons for rejection.

6. When the Council has granted an application for membership, the Honorary Secretary shall forward to the applicant a copy of the Constitution and of the prescribed declaration, and admission to the membership becomes effective only upon receipt of the prescribed declaration, duly signed, and of the appropriate fee.

7. Membership of the Society shall not be cited as a professional qualification.

8. The Council shall issue guidelines on supervision requirements. An Associate Member wishing to apply for full membership by virtue of supervised work experience under clause VII 2 (c) (3) shall seek the prior approval of the Council.

9. In their professional dealings, Full Members and Fellows are allowed and encouraged to use the acronyms MSPS and FSPS, respectively, to denote their association with the Society

VIII. FEES

1. Apart from Student Members, there will be a processing fee of S$10.00, to be submitted with each set of application forms. The entrance fee for all categories of membership is S$10.00. Honorary Fellows will not be required to pay fees. Fees per annum are S$50.00 for Fellows and Full Members, S$40.00 for Associate and Overseas Associate Members, and S$20.00 for Student Members. Life Membership is open to Full Members and Fellows on payment of S$800.00.

The Council is empowered to revise fees as and when necessary. Subject to the approval of members at a general meeting, membership shall lapse if it is not sustained for two consecutive years.

2. Full Members resident overseas for more than six months in any calendar year but who are domiciled in Singapore shall be liable to pay the subscription rate for Overseas Associates in respect of any such year.

IX. BUSINESS MEETINGS

1. The Society's year ends on the 31st of December, and the Annual General Meeting shall be held not later than 31st of March of the following year.

2. The Honorary Secretary shall give members six weeks notice of the time and place of the Annual General Meeting.

3. Nominations for election to the Council shall be received by the Honorary Secretary four weeks before the Annual General Meeting, and shall contain the written consent of the candidate and signatures of the proposer and of the seconder who shall be members of the Society.

4. The Honorary Secretary shall give two weeks notice to members of the valid nominations for election to the Council.

5. In the event that no nomination is received for any one post, nomination from the floor will be accepted.

6. Resolutions and requests for matters to be put on the agenda shall be received by the Honorary Secretary four weeks before the Annual General Meeting, and the Honorary Secretary shall give members notice of these resolutions and other matters two weeks before the AGM.

7. Upon receipt of a written request of one third of members that a General Meeting be held for the purpose of transacting stated business, the Council shall summon a Meeting to be held within four weeks.

8. The Honorary Secretary shall give members two weeks of notice of the time and place of that meeting, but no business other than that stated in the notice shall be transacted thereat.

9. All General Meetings shall require half the total number of voting members to form a quorum, failing which the Meeting be adjourned for half an hour with ten voting members as quorum; then if failing, another Meeting shall be called within two weeks regardless of attendance but no alteration to the agenda shall be made.

10. Decisions at General Meetings shall be by simple majority of the Full Members present, and voting through a show of hands, save where the Chairman decides on, or one third of Full Members present request a secret ballot.

11. Amendments to the Constitution shall require a majority of two thirds of the Full Members present and voting; and in a tie, only the President has a casting vote.

12. The Society shall not be dissolved save with the expressed consent, either in person or by proxy at a General Meeting convened for that purpose, of three fifth of its Full Members for the time being residents in Singapore, and notice of the dissolution be given within seven days to the Registrar of Societies.

13. In the event of a dissolution, all debts and liabilities legally incurred on behalf of the Society, shall be fully discharged and any remaining monies shall be donated to recognised charitable organisations.

X. PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

1. The Council is empowered to develop a code of professional behaviour and shall determine or seek to secure the observance of professional standards as stated in the Code of Ethics.

2. In the event of any adverse report in writing concerning professional ethics against any actual or intending member being received by the Council, the person concerned shall be informed, and invited to make his representation on the matter upon which the Council shall determine termination of or exclusion from membership or otherwise, by a majority vote.

3. Any person aggrieved at termination of or exclusion from membership of the Society shall have the right to appeal to a General Meeting at which any motion to reverse the decision of the Council shall be admitted and becomes effective upon a majority of two thirds of the members present and voting by secret ballot, providing there is a quorum.

XI. CITIZENSHIP

1. The Society makes no discrimination over citizenship or residence of members save Council members shall be residents in Singapore at the material time.

2. Foreigner suitably qualified on becoming members of the Council's approval shall have full voting rights.

XII. PROHIBITIONS

1. Gambling of any kind such as the playing of cards whether for stakes or not, and the introduction of materials for gambling or opium smoking and of bad characters into the Society's premises is prohibited.

2. The funds of the Society shall not be used to pay the fines of members who have been convicted in Court.

3. The Society shall not attempt to restrict or in any other manner interfere with trade or prices, or engage in any Trade Union activity as defined in written law relating to trade unions for the time being in force in Singapore.

4. The Society shall not hold any lottery, whether confined to its members or not, in the name of the Society or its office-bearers, or members.

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

XIII. AMENDMENTS TO RULES AND INTERPRETATION

1. No alterations or additions to these rules shall be made save at a General Meeting, and they shall not come into force without the prior sanction of the Registrar of Societies.

2. In the event of any question or matter arising out of any point which is not expressly provided for in the rules, the Council shall have power to use its discretion.

XIV. DUTIES OF OFFICE-BEARERS

1. The President shall represent the Society in its dealings with outside persons.

2. The Vice-President shall deputize in the President's absence.

3. The Honorary Secretary shall keep all records save financial, and minutes of all Council and General Meetings, and shall be responsible for their correctness.

4. The Assistant Honorary Secretary shall deputize in the Honorary Secretary's absence.

5. The Honorary Treasurer shall keep all funds, collect and disburse all monies on behalf of the Society, and shall keep an account of all monetary transactions and be responsible for their correctness.

6. The Honorary Treasurer shall present a Statement of Account at the Annual General Meeting after it has been duly audited.

7. The Council Members shall assist in the duties of the Council in organizing and supervising the daily activities of the Society, and in making decisions on matters affecting its smooth running.

8. Office-bearers shall not absent themselves from two consecutive meetings without just cause.

XV. GENERAL

1. The Society shall when necessary or feasible, form sub-committees to promote its own welfare.

2. The requirements for and mode of forming such sub-committees shall be such as the Council shall from time to time determine.