Wikimedia Hong Kong/Notes for Membership Applicants

The object for which the Company is established is to engage people in Hong Kong to collect and develop educational content under a free license or in the public domain, and to disseminate it effectively and globally.

II. Membership

Among the members of the Company, there are individual members (個人會員) and honorary members(名譽會員) only. For the purposes of registration.
Any Wikimedia users who have the right of abode in Hong Kong shall be eligible to be Individual Members, after paying the membership fee and foundation fee with approval of the Directory.
An individuals who has extraordinary contribution or financial support to the company can be invited to become an honorary member after approval by the Directory.
"Wikimedia user" (維基媒體使用者) means individual who had registered in any of the Wikimedia projects with at least one edit on one of these Projects.

III. Rights & Obligations of Members

Individual members are allowed enjoy the following rights:-
1. To attend the Member Assembly, and to sit-in on the meetings of the Council & the Directory with the approval of the relevant institution in advance
2. To speak, to move, to second and to vote in the Member Assembly
3. To participate in the elections of the Company , and to enjoy the rights to nominate, second and vote
4. To perform initiative and referendum
5. To participate in the activities of the Company
6. To enjoy the welfare and facilities of the Company
Honorary Members are allowed to enjoy the following rights:-
1. To attend the Member Assembly, and to sit-in on the meetings of the Council & the Directory with the approval of the relevant institution in advance
2. To participate in the activities of the Company
3. To enjoy the welfare and facilities of the Company
All Members shall fulfil the following obligations: -
1. To observe and comply with the Memorandum and Articles of Association and the By-laws of the Company
2. To observe and comply with all resolutions and regulations passed by the Members Assembly;
3. To pay the membership fees as and when they fall due, except those who are Honorary Members have no such obligation.
4. Not to do anything that is harmful to the Company
The rights and obligations of each Member shall be personal and shall not be transferable by his own action or by operation of law.

IV. Policy of collecting personal information

1. Purpose of collecting and using of personal information

Wikimedia Hong Kong would collect personal information of the members for organizing activities.

Wikimedia Hong Kong can use the personal information collected or provided by the members for the following one or more uses:

Identification and verification;
Internal records, researches and statics for the organization; and
Any uses related to the activity

Members are not mandatory to provide information, but, if they do not provide the information required, the application or participation form of the member would not be counted, or the eligibility would be lost.

2. Protection of information

The information provided by the member would be stored in the office of Wikimedia Hong Kong, and access is confined to the authorized directors. However, Wikimedia Hong Kong can not guarantee any third party invasion and theft of information, or unauthorized access of information.

Wikimedia Hong Kong would adopt reasonable steps so that the matter collected and used would reveal accurate and complete information, which would update frequently.

Once a member has submitted Application for Membership or Report on Change of information to the Company, that implies the member acknowledges and agrees the regulations listed above.

3. Storage of information

The personal information would be stored when the information is needed for specific uses. Wikimedia Hong Kong would also store archived personal information for statical uses. Information on unsuccessful applicants will normally be destroyed 3 months after rejection of the membership application.

4. Consent of members

Once a member has submitted Application for Membership or Report on Change of information to the Company, that implies the form provides authentic information for Wikimedia Hong Kong. Members agrees that the information collected and provided by the members would be used by Wikimedia Hong Kong by above means, and be revealed by the personnel listed within this part (part IV, "Policy of collecting personal information" of the "Membership notice".)

V. DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE

Subject to these Articles, any cases of members' discipline shall be heard by the Council.
The Council may, by a two thirds majority decision to expel a member from the Company, if the member:-
1. the behaviour of the member is, in the opinion of the Council, obstructive to the progress of the Company or harmful or injurious to the interests of the Company; or
2. the member fails to comply with or observe any of these Articles or By-laws or resolutions or regulations or directions of the Members Assembly, the Council & the Directory
Provided that:-
1. Not less than seven days’ notice shall have been given to such member of the Council meeting at which his proposed expulsion will be considered stating the reasons for the hearing;
2. Such member shall be entitled to attend the Council meeting and to make verbal or written representation thereat; and
3. Such decision of the Council to expel shall be confirmed or varied at a Directory meeting, at which such member shall be entitled to make verbal or written representation, by a majority decision of the Directory.
The provisions of the preceding Article shall be without prejudice to the right of a Member who is subject to expulsion to appeal to the Company by convening a Members Assembly meeting pursuant to Section 113 of the Ordinance within seven days of the confirmation of his expulsion by the Directory. A majority of three quarters of the Ordinary Members entitled to attend and vote thereat present at such general meeting shall have the right to confirm or annul the expulsion and in the case of annulment to remit the matter to the Council for reconsideration of the sanction to be imposed. The decision of the Members Assembly shall be final where an expulsion is confirmed.
An expelled Member shall cease to be a Member of the Company on the date of the confirmation of his expulsion by the Directory or the Company in Members Assembly, as the case may be, except where he has lodged notice to convene an extraordinary Members Assembly meeting of the Company as set out above. On expulsion, such member shall forfeit all rights against the Company and all claims to return of money paid by him by way of Membership fees & Foundation fee.
A Councilor or a Director, as the case may be, who is the subject of sanction or expulsion or proposed sanction or expulsion shall not vote on any matter in respect thereof or in relation thereto, and if he does so vote his vote shall not be counted and his presence shall not be counted in reckoning the quorum.

VI. Termination of Membership

A Member may at any time withdraw from the Company by giving not less than one month’s prior notice in writing to the Directory of his intention so to do and upon the expiration of such notice he shall cease to be a Member, & the Company should not return any membership fees that the member had already paid.
A Member shall automatically cease to be a Member if the Member shall have been in default of his payment of membership fees or any part thereof for a period of 6 months provided that such Member may be reinstated by the Directory with or without imposing any conditions as it may consider appropriate.