Sailors Home and Mission to Seafarers Regulations
[4 December 1959]
(Format changes—E.R. 4 of 2022)
These regulations may be cited as the Sailors Home and Mission to Seafarers Regulations.
In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires—
committee (委員會) means the committee incorporated under the Ordinance as “The Sailors Home and Mission to Seafarers”; (22 of 2018 s. 14) institute (會所) means the premises used by the corporation in connexion with its work.The supreme control and management of the institute and of the premises and property of whatever description of the corporation shall be vested in the committee.
General meetings of the committee shall be held from time to time in each year on such day and at such hour as the committee shall direct.
One of the general meetings to be held in each year shall be called the annual general meeting and at such meeting a report of all the affairs of the corporation and an account of the receipts, expenditure and property of the corporation together with a statement of accounts for the preceding year shall be presented and there shall be elected a chairperson and auditors for the ensuing year. At such annual general meeting such other business shall be transacted as may be necessary.
Special meetings of the committee may be convened at any time on the requisition of the chairperson, or by not less than 4 members of the committee, by a notice specifying the object of the meeting and at any special meeting convened on such requisition no business shall be transacted other than that specified in the requisition.
General or special meetings of the committee shall be convened (subject to regulation 5) by direction of the chairperson of the committee, and 7 days’ notice in writing thereof shall be given by the honorary treasurer and secretary to the members of the committee then within Hong Kong.
At every general or special meeting of the committee the chair shall be taken by the chairperson or, in the absence of the chairperson, a chairperson of the meeting to be nominated by the members of the committee present of whom 6 shall be a quorum.
The honorary treasurer and secretary shall keep a minute book of such meetings, and proper entries shall be made therein of all business transacted at every meeting.
The voting at general or special meetings of the committee shall be decided by a show of hands.
There shall be a business manager who shall be appointed by the committee for such period on such salary and on such terms as the committee may in their discretion think desirable and the salary shall be paid out of the funds of the corporation.
Subject to the control of the committee and the chaplain, the business manager shall be entrusted with the upkeep and repair of the buildings, furniture and fittings of the institute, the management of all catering and messing arrangements and the office staff.
Subject to the provisions of paragraph (2), the institute shall be open to all seafarers irrespective of their religion or nationality. (22 of 2018 s. 19)
Either the chaplain or the business manager shall have power to refuse to admit to and also power to expel from the premises of the institute any person whatever for any reason which such chaplain or business manager may decide to be sufficient.
Any person aggrieved by any such decision of the chaplain or of the business manager may refer the matter to the committee for its decision which shall be final.
The chaplain shall be in sole charge of the religious activities of the institute and shall care for and attend to all social arrangements and functions and to the visitation of ships and hospitals and he shall also be in charge of the launch “Dayspring” and of her crew and of any other launch from time to time owned or chartered by the corporation for its purposes.
Neither the chaplain nor the business manager shall be entitled to serve as a member of the committee or to vote at any meetings thereof but they may attend such meetings if the committee desires.
The appointment or dismissal of the chaplain is to be made by The Mission to Seafarers, such appointment or dismissal being subject to the approval of the Archbishop of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui and made after consultation with the committee.
Alcoholic liquors may be sold and consumed on the premises of the institute, subject to such conditions and restrictions as the committee may from time to time impose.
The church in the institute shall be used for divine service and worship according to the rites and ceremonies of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui or for such services of any other Christian denomination as the chaplain or any person acting in his place may approve.
Divine service and worship shall be voluntary and the attendance thereat of any person using the institute shall also be voluntary.
(Repealed 22 of 2018 s. 22)
At the annual general meeting there shall be elected annually one or more auditors of the corporation.
The auditor shall—
examine and report upon all accounts and books of the corporation; and
if and when required by the committee, audit and report upon any of such accounts and books.
The accounts and books of the corporation shall be open for inspection by the auditor at all reasonable times.
The bankers of the corporation shall be The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited and such other bankers as the committee may from time to time determine.
All subscriptions and pecuniary donations and the income of investments and all other moneys from time to time forming part of the general funds of the corporation shall on receipt thereof be paid to the credit of the corporation with its bankers.
All moneys forming part of the general funds of the corporation shall be invested and controlled by the committee and used in any way it thinks fit in pursuance of the objects of the corporation.
Cheques and other payments of the corporation are to be signed or otherwise approved by a person or persons from time to time authorized by the committee.
(Repealed L.N. 51 of 1990)