How to form an alumni association?

We welcome alumni with common study background or interest to form alumni associations (AAs) to strengthen the bonding between fellow classmates and support the development of the alma mater. Interested alumni can make reference to the following procedures on forming an AA.

1. Form an Executive Committee

A core group of 3 to 5 alumni are necessary to kick start the establishment of an AA. These core group members may eventually become Executive Committee Members of the association and take up official positions such as Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, etc.

2. Determine the Nature of the Alumni Association

AAs are independent entities from Lingnan University, which could be incorporated as a company limited by guarantee under the Companies Ordinance or registered as a society under the Societies Ordinance of the Laws of the HKSAR Government.

The following table highlights the main differences between a society and a company limited by guarantee.

	Society	Company Limited by Guarantee
Ordinance	Societies Ordinance - Chapter 151	Companies Ordinance - Chapter 622
Government authority dealing with the registration	Licensing Office of the Hong Kong Police’s Societies Office Tel: 2860 7743 Fax: 2200 4327 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.police.gov.hk	Companies Registry Enquiry Hotline (IVRS): 2234 9933 24-hour Hotline: 2867 2600 / 2867 2604 Fax : 2596 0585 Email : [email protected] Website: http://www.cr.gov.hk
Useful information and form(s)	Application for Registration of a Society / by a Society for Exemption from Registration Application for Changes of Particulars of Registered and Exempted Societies	Information on Presenting Documents to the Companies Registry Information on Electronic Company Incorporation Incorporation Form
Advantages	Simple procedures Lower formation and operation costs	Separate legal entity Limited liability of members Memorandum and articles of association as an operational guide for the association
Disadvantages	No separate legal status Members are personally liable if assets are not sufficient to meet the liabilities Lack of ready-made rules to follow (Some AAs may write their own constitution.)	Relatively complicated procedures Higher costs

3. Prepare the Memorandum and Articles of Association (M&A) or Constitution

The M&A or Constitution, as the skeleton guiding the AA’s operation, organization and development, should consist of the AA’s mission, objectives, organization structure, membership, roles and responsibilities, etc. The core group members should take the lead to prepare the M&A or Constitution, and consult legal advice when needed.

4. Decide the Name of the Alumni Association

To reinforce the identity as an AA of Lingnan University, and to appeal to graduates more effectively, we recommend adopting the name of “Lingnan University” in the association’s name. Please note the use of the name of “Lingnan University” is subject to the University’s approval. The procedures of applying for the use of the name “Lingnan University” are as follows:

1	Send the written request for the University’s endorsement to AA’s adopting “Lingnan University” in the association’s name to the Office of Institutional Advancement and Public Affairs (OIAPA) (Email: [email protected] / Fax: (852) 2466-3730 / Address: Room 205/13, 2/F, Wong Administration Building, 8 Castle Peak Road, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong).
2	Enclose the following documents with the request letter: a) the list of Executive Committee Members of the prospective AA, stating their full name (in both Chinese and English), graduation year, first 3 digits of HKID No., and the position in the AA; b) the M&A or Constitution of the AA.

With the endorsement letter issued by the University, you could submit the application for registration as a society or a company limited by guarantee under the Ordinances mentioned in item 2.

5. Inform the University

All AAs should inform OIAPA about their establishment and update us with the following information via email ([email protected]) or fax (852 2466-3730) :

Name of Alumni Association
List of Executive Committee Members
Contact Information (including name of contact person, phone, email, AA's website and correspondence address)

► Each AA can also submit the completed AA Contact Update Form to OIAPA, informing the University regarding its establishment or any changes related to the AA itself and/or its respective contact information.