Rules of HKDA Membership

Classes of Membership

The members of the Association shall be divided into the following classes viz;

(a) Fellow Member;

(b) Full Member;

(c) Associate Member;

(d) Student Member;

(e) Affiliate Member;

(f) Corporate Member.

(1) Fellow Member:

A Fellow Member may receive information from the Association, participate in the Association’s activities and vote at the Annual General Meetings and at the Extraordinary General Meetings and to be elected to any office of the Executive Committee. A Fellow Member may carry the suffix of FHKDA.

(2) Full Member:

A Full Member may receive information from the Association, participate in the Association’s activities and vote at the Annual General meetings and at the Extraordinary General meetings and to be elected to any office of the Executive Committee. A Full Member may carry the suffix of MHKDA.

(3) Associate Member:

(a) An Associate Member may receive information from the Association and participate in the Association’s activities but is not eligible to vote at the Annual General Meetings and at the Extraordinary General Meetings or to be elected to any office of the Executive Committee;

(b) An Associate Member may apply for Full membership upon completion of three (3) years of associate membership and the application is to be approved by the Executive Committee after consideration of the applicant’s works and credentials in the relevant field.

(4) Student Member:

(a) A Student Member may hold his membership for a maximum of five (5) years, depending on the duration of his studies. When the full-time studentship of a student member is completed, his membership shall cease.

(b) A Student Member may receive information from the Association and participate in the Association’s activities. Student member is not eligible to vote at the Annual General Meetings and at the Extraordinary General Meetings or to be elected to any office of the Executive Committee.

(5) Affiliate Member:

An Affiliate Member may participate in the Association’s activities but is not eligible to vote at the Annual General Meetings and at the Extraordinary General Meetings or to be elected to any office of the Executive Committee.

(6) Corporate Member:

A Corporate Member may receive information from the Association and participate in the Association’s activities but is not eligible to vote at the Annual General Meetings and at the Extraordinary General Meetings or to be elected to any office of the Executive Committee. Each Corporate Member may nominate and register up to three representatives to participate in the Association’s activities. In the event of a Corporate Member having registered more than one representatives, the priority for such representatives to represent such member shall follow the order in which their names were submitted by such member to the Association for registration. Such registered representative shall represent the member nominating him until the Association receives prior written notice to the contrary from such Corporate Member.



Qualifications for Membership

(1) Fellow Member
Person who has been Full Member for five (5) consecutive years, with at least ten (10) years experience in design profession and a proven track record, may be nominated as a Fellow in the following ways :
(a) Existing Full member may be nominated by three (3) Fellows; or
(b) Existing Full member with ten (10) years standing may apply for Fellowship on his own merits; or
(c) Non-member who is resided in Hong Kong at the time of application, may be nominated by five (5) existing Fellows; or
(d) Any immediate retired Chairman may be nominated by the Executive Committee as a Fellow Member.

(2) Full Member
Full member may be person who :-

(a) at the time of application for membership is resided in Hong Kong; and

(b) is engaged in full time as designer or design educator in one or more of the following fields of design : Exhibition; Fashion; Graphic; Branding; Multimedia; Interior; Jewellery; Packaging; Product; TV; Film or Stage and other forms of visual communication; and either

(c) has completed a recognised relevant design education and a minimum of three (3) years post-qualification experience; or

(d) has achieved eminence in the profession recognised by the Association.

(3) Associate Member
Design participant engaged in the relevant design works and whose qualifications or experience does not meet the requirement of a Full Membership, may apply for an associate membership.

(4) Student Member

Person who is studying design at an institution recognised by the Association may apply for a student membership.

(5) Affiliate Member

Person who is interested in the Association and its objectives may apply for an affiliate membership.

(6) Corporate Member
Any business organization being a firm, corporation or association which is interested in the Association and its objective may apply for a corporate membership.



Admission Procedure

Applications for membership shall be processed and approved by the Executive Committee. In relation to application for full membership, the Executive Committee may require a presentation of relevant work by the applicant. With regard to all applications for membership, the Executive Committee may require the applicants, or in the case of application for corporate membership the representative, to attend an interview. Interview may be exempted for those with sponsorship and nomination by three Fellow or Full members of at least seven years’ standing.

If the application is approved, the applicant shall subject to payment of the required fee and admission formality become a member of the Association. The Executive Committee shall have full power to accept and reject any application. In no case shall the Executive Committee be required to give any reason for the rejection or acceptance of an applicant. The decision of the Executive Committee shall be final.


Subscription fee

Annual subscriptions (effective since 22 Jan 08):

* The Life Subscription is only a payment option applicable to individual membership, which does not apply to a change of membership status.

An addition HK$800 registration fee will apply on the first time application of Full and Corporate Membership. The fee included a free copy of HKDA membership certificate and listing on the HKDA website.

The first membership payment of any new member is based on a half-yearly membership fee duration, that is new members who have got nominated within the first six months period shall pay the remaining half-year membership fee, for these who have become member from July to year-end shall be waived for that year.

Payment of membership fee shall be made within the first quarter, that is from January to march, after such, that is between April to June, shall be accorded with a 50% surcharge as penalty.

Resignation

(1) Any member may resign from the Association by giving at least one month prior written notice to the Executive Committee of the Association of his intention to do so. All subscriptions paid are not refundable. All benefits and interests of the member in the Association shall cease on resignation and no claim can be made and liabilities of the member accrued before resignation shall remain liable to the Association.

(2) Any member whose annual subscription is unpaid after it has become due and shall remain unpaid for one month from the date when notice by registered post of the same has been given by the Association to it, shall cease ipso facto to be a member of the Association and all rights in and claims upon the Association shall be forfeited but may be reinstated at the discretion of the Executive Committee on payment of all arrears.

Disqualification of members

Any member who:

(1) is adjudicated bankrupt or makes a composition or scheme of arrangement with his creditors; or

(2) becomes of unsound mind, or

(3) has been convicted of an offence that is likely to bring disrepute to the Association.

shall thereupon cease to be a member. all his rights and claims upon the Association and its property shall cease upon disqualification.

Expulsion of members

If any member shall wilfully refuse or neglect to comply with the code of the conduct of the Association or the provisions of the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Association or the bye-laws of the Association, or shall be guilty of any conduct unbecoming of the design profession or likely to be injurious to the Association, such member shall be liable to expulsion by a resolution of three quarters of the Executive Committee Members holding office at the date of the resolution, provided that at least 21 days before the meeting at which such resolution is to be considered he shall have notice thereof and the intended resolution for his expulsion, and that he shall, at such meeting and before the passing of such resolution, have an opportunity of giving, orally or in writing, any explanation or defence he may think fit. A member expelled under this Article shall be forfeited all rights in and claims upon the Association and its property, but his liability to the Association accrued before expulsion shall remain.

Rules Relating to Members

Every member of the Association shall be absolutely bound by these Articles, bye-laws and code of conduct of the Association as the Executive Committee may from time to time determine.

The rights and privileges of a member shall be personal to himself. They shall not be transferable by his own act or by operation of law and shall cease upon his death or upon his ceasing from any cause to be a member of the Association under these Articles, bye-Laws and code of conduct of the Association