WTC Constitution

World Tasar Class Association Constitution
NAME
1. The name of the Association shall be THE WORLD TASAR CLASS ASSOCIATION.
INSIGNIA
2. The emblem of the Class shall be the following symbol:

Emblem

OBJECTS
3. The objectives of the Association are:
(a) To provide a medium of exchange of information among TASAR sailors throughout the world to enhance the enjoyment of these sail-boats. (b) To promote and develop TASAR class racing in all countries, under uniform rules; and (c) To encourage and foster the enjoyment of the sporting and recreational aspects of sailing.
POLICY
4. It shall be the policy of the Association to maintain the TASAR as the epitome of a strict one-design class of sail-boat.
JURISDICTION
5. The Association has authority over all activities of the TASAR class throughout the world, and its powers shall be vested in and carried out by the World Council, Regional Executive Committees, District Associations and Fleets as provided in this Constitution and any By-Laws passed pursuant to the provisions hereof; all subject to and in accordance with the General Rules and By-Laws of the International Yacht Racing Union.
ORGANIZATION
WORLD COUNCIL
6.
(1) The Association shall be governed by the World Council comprised of the Chairman of each Regional Executive committee from time to time holding office, the Immediate Past President of the World Council, the Executive Secretary, the two appointed members of the Advisory Council and such additional officers to be appointed by the Council for such term as it may from time to time determine.
(2) The time and location of meetings shall, if possible, coincide with the holding of a World or Regional Championship regatta. The World Council shall meet annually if possible.
(3) The World Council shall elect from amongst themselves, the President and Vice President of the Association, who shall hold office until their successors are elected to office; and the World Council may appoint Honorary Commodores from time to time as they shall see fit.
(4) The Executive Secretary shall be appointed by the elected members of the World Council and shall hold office for such term and upon such conditions as the World Council shall decide. He shall nominate an address which will become the mailing address of the Council for the term of his tenure and shall be responsible for the management of all business off the Association subject to and in accordance with the Constitution, By-Laws, and the direction of the World Council, including,
(a) The organization of Districts except where a region has been established, (b) Liaison between the Association, the I.Y.R.U. and all other yachting authorities, and (c) Liaison between the membership and the Chief Measurer.
(5) The World Council shall appoint, for such term as it shall decide, a Chief Measurer for the Association who shall rule on all questions and challenges relating to the Rules, and shall issue Interpretations thereof deemed necessary by him. All such Interpretations shall be binding until approved, rejected, or modified by decision off the World Council, duly published to the members of the Association.
(6) In the event that the World Council shall fail to appoint a Chief Measurer or in the absence of a Chief Measurer for any reason, the Executive Secretary shall be the Chief Measurer of the Class.
(7) The vote of members of the World Council holding a financial interest in the manufacture of TASARS shall not exceed 25% of the total Council vote.
REGIONS
7.
(1) The World Council may, as and when it deems it convenient for the administration of the affairs of the Association within a substantial area where several Districts are or may be established, constitute such area as a Region.
(2) The World Council, upon establishing a Region, shall appoint a Regional Executive Committee comprising a Regional Chairmen, Vice Chairman, and Executive Secretary to hold office until their successors are elected.
(3) The Regional Executive Committee shall have those powers, vested in the World Council by this Constitution (other than the power to amend the Rules or this Constitution) as are specifically delegated to the Regional Executive by the Regional By-Law, including the power to appoint additional officers for such term as it may from time to time determine,
(4) The Regional Executive officers, other than the Executive Secretary, shall be elected annually by vote of the duly appointed delegate(s) of each District at the annual Regional meeting to be held at the head office of the Region or such other place as the Regional Executive Committee shall determine, and shall hold office until their successors are elected, and nothing shall preclude one of the District Chairmen as also acting as the Regional Chairman.
(5) The Regional Executive Secretary shall be appointed by the elected members of the Regional Executive Commitee and shall hold office for such term and upon such conditions as the Regional Executive Committee shall decide. He shall be responsible for the management of the business of the Region, subject to and in accordance with the Regional Executive By-Law and the direction of the Regional Executive Committee including:
(a) Organization of Districts within the Region. (b) Liaison with the Executive Secretary of the World Council. (c) Issuance of Fleet Charters. (d) Maintenance of all records of the Region, and (e) Maintenance of all membership records and information, unless such duties are delegated to the District Secretary.
(6) The World Council may subdivide a Region into one or more Regions, may amalgamate two or more Regions, or may add Districts to or delete districts from any Region from time to time as may be required for the effective administration or the Association.
(7) In the event that a Regional Chairman shall be unable to attend any meeting of the World Council, the Executive Secretary of the Region or any such other member of the Region nominated for that purpose may attend and represent the Chairman and vote at such meeting of the World Council.
(8) Nothing shall preclude the Executive Secretary of a Region also serving as Executive Secretary of the World Council.
(9) The Regional Executive Committee may make By-Laws subject to the provisions of this Constitution and the Regional Executive By-Laws of the World Constitution, for any purpose necessary to carry out the functions and responsibilities of such Region and copies of all such By-Laws as are from time to time passed by any Regional Executive shall be filed with the Executive Secretary of the World Council.
DISTRICTS
8.
(1) The World Council, on the recommendation of a Regional Executive Committee where applicable, shall by By-Law establish Districts in distinctive areas deemed appropriate and relevant, having regard to all consideration, including geography, language, distance, and population, for the development of the TASAR class and the fulfillment of the objectives of the Association.
(2) The World Council, upon establishing Districts, shall appoint District Associations comprised of a District Chairman, a Vice Chairman, a Secretary and a Treasurer, to hold office until their successors are elected.
(3) The District Association shall consist of the foregoing officers to hold office for such term as it may determine.
(4) Each District shall be administered in accordance with and subject to the provisions of a Constitution of the District, approved by the World Council, or if the District has no Constitution the District Association By-Law of the World Council; and the officers of each District Association shall be elected annually by the members of the Association within the District Constitution or, in the absence thereof, the District Association By-Law.
(5) The boundaries of Districts may be varied by the World Council on the application of any District concerned, and one or more Districts may be amalgamated or any District may be subdivided into one or more Districts with the approval of the District Associations concerned.
(6) A District Association with the approval of the Chief Measurer may appoint a District Measurer for a District to assist the Chief Measurer in the conduct of his responsibilities and the enforcement of the Rules; and nothing precludes a District Measurer from acting as Measurer for more than one District. A District Measurer shall have the authority to rule on all questions and challenges relating to the Rules and Interpretations of the Chief Measurer, but he may not issue interpretations except with the prior approval of the Chief Measurer.
(7) A District Association may make By-Laws, subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Regional Executive By-Laws, and the District Association By-Law or District Association Constitution (as the case may be) for any purpose necessary to carry out its functions and responsibilities in the management of such District.
(8) If any District is within the jurisdiction of a National authority, such District Association shall, in addition to any other requirements of this Constitution, be subject to such rules, regulations and directions of such National authority.
FLEETS
9.
(1) A fleet may be granted a charter upon application to the Regional Executive Committee (or the World Council where the locality is outside a Region) by 6 or more members of the Association who are individual owners of TASARS within any area or club deemed appropriate, having regard to the locality where regular racing activity is easily accessible to members of that Fleet.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) a special Fleet may be chartered in any locality for the purposes of accommodating specific members of the armed forces, an educational institution, a junior programme or any other non-profit organization.
(3) A Fleet Captain, and such other officers as any Fleet may deem necessary, shall be elected annually from among the members of the Fleet in such a manner as is prescribed by the Fleet, unless otherwise provided by the By-Laws, and shall be responsible to the District Association for the organization of the Fleet and the due compliance by the members of the Fleet with the provisions of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Association.
MEMBERSHIP AND DUES
10.
(1) Any person may become a member of the Association by making application to the Executive Secretary, or the appropriate Regional Executive Secretary or District Secretary, as the case may be, and payment of the prescribed Association dues, provided that he has not been disqualified from membership for cause by decision of the World Council, Region, or District Association or is not under suspension from membership.
(2) An application of membership implies that the applicant undertakes and agrees to be bound by the Constitution and By-Laws of the Association upon being accepted to membership.
(3) A member of the Association ipsofacto belongs to the District in which he normally sails, even though such place may not be his permanent residence; but such member, for valid reason and with the approval of both District Chairmen, may select instead the District in which he has his permanent residence.
(4) A member of the association may become a member only of the Fleet in his District where he normally sails for the purpose of qualification, where required, for sanctioned events; and any dispute shall be settled by decision of the District Association, which decision shall be final.
(5) The World Council may grant honorary membership in the Association, for such period as it determines to any person, who through special contribution to the Class or through special relationship to the Association, is considered meritorious.
(6) The World Council may grant honorary life membership to any member who has achieved, in the opinion of the World Council, international stature as a result of his yachting achievements.
(7) An honorary and an honorary life member are entitled to full privileges of membership, but are not required to pay the annual dues of the Association.
(8) Membership in the Association shall not be open to any company, partnership, group or other association unless specifically authorised in any case or class of cases by the World Council and the World Council may impose such terms, conditions or qualifications to any such membership as it shall deem appropriate.
11.
(1) Association dues shall be in the amount determined by and shall be payable within the time prescribed by By-Law of each Region or District. and shall include all amounts required for World Council, Region and District purposes as determined by each Authority.
(2) The Association may ask for special contribution in addition to dues, provided any such contribution shall be for a specific purpose and shall not be mandatory.
(3) The World Council may prescribe World Class Association dues.
SUSPENSION AND REMOVAL FROM OFFICE
12. A member may be suspended by the World Council, on the recommendation of a District Association, for gross violation of the Rules or By-Laws, for committing an unlawful act in relation to the Association or one of its members, or for any unsportsmanlike conduct contrary to the interest of the members of the Association. The duration of the suspension shall be fixed by the World Council but may not exceed two years, and a suspended member shall during such period be precluded from racing or enjoying any other rights of membership.
13. A Regional or District officer may be removed from office by the World Council for a willful and unjustifiable act of commission or omission detrimental to the Association or to its members.
14. Any dispute arising in relation to Fleets. districts. regions, eligibility to race, the interpretation of the rules. or any protest within the jurisdiction of the applicable racing rules, may be made to the World Council, whose decision shall be final and binding.
ADVISORY COUNCIL
15. The President of the World Council; and two persons named by the designer, Frank Bethwaite, shall constitute the Advisory Council and shall assist and co-operate with the World Council in the carrying out of the responsibilities as set forth in Paragraph 17 hereof and Paragraph B.4.2 of the Rules. Upon the death or retirement of Frank Bethwaite. the two persons shall be named by the Copyright holder.
BY-LAWS
16. The World Council may make By-Laws for the purpose of carrying out the objects of this Constitution and of the Association and, without restricting the generality of the foregoing, may make By-Laws -
(a) Amending the Rules of the TASAR class. hereby established as By-Law 1 of the Association, as provided in Paragraph B.4.2 thereof; (b) Respecting the establishment of Regions, and the powers of the Regional Executive Committees; (c) Delegating specific powers of the World Council to Regional Executive Committees; (d) Respecting the establishment of Districts and the powers of District Associations; (e) Respecting the Constitutions and By-Laws of District Associations; (f) Respecting registration of members and collection of dues; (g) Respecting the measurement of boats and measurement fees; (h) Respecting the conduct of championship and other regattas, including the classification of regattas and the eligibility of members for major racing events; (i) Respecting the acceptance of deeds of gift of trophies; (j) Changing the Headquarters of the Association; and (k) Respecting the procedures for meetings of the World Council and Regional Executive Committees including the conduct of business by mail or other means of communication.
AMENDMENTS
17.
(1) This Constitution may be amended by the World Council, with the approval of the Advisory Council, provided that at least two-thirds of the District Associations have approved such proposed amendment at Special General Meetings of the District Associations, provided not less than sixty days notice of such proposed amendment has in each case been given.
(2) Amendments to the Constitution shall be submitted for vote of each District -
(a) By direction of the World Council; or (b) By direction of the Executive Secretary where notice of motion signed by at least twenty members has been submitted to and approved by at least two District Associations.
Richard Spencer Executive Secretary. World Council.