CONSTITUTION OF THE PAN AMERICAN SURFING ASSOCIATION

PREAMBLE

To provide better communication and exchange between the sister surfing Federations and Associations of the three Americas, adjacent islands, and the Caribbean, and obtain the definitive recognition of the Sport of Surfing in the International Sporting Community, and being aware of the importance of such an historical decision, these organizations decided to establish a Pan American Surf Association, with the sincere hope to become an example for all the countries, nations, and territories of the American continents adjacent islands, the Caribbean, and the rest of the world.

ARTICLE I: Name and Location

The name of this organization will be the PAN AMERICAN SURF ASSOCIATION (PASA) in English and ASOCIACION PANAMERICANA DE SURF, (APAS) in Spanish. The central PASA office will be located at a place to be decided by the President or the Executive Director.

ARTICLE II: Definition

1. “Surfing” is defined as follows:
   a) “Any sport in which the primary force that moves the competitors surfing equipment and/or competitors, is a wave either of a natural or artificial source”
   b) “Any activity on a wave on any type of equipment used for surfing” or,
   c) “Any activity in calm waters on any type of equipment used for surfing”.

2. PASA or APAS: Is the ruling and regulatory entity for the sport of surfing for the three Americas, (North, South, and Central), the adjacent islands, and the Caribbean, and will be integrated by only one association or bylaws that includes surfing competitions open to all its members or a program to promote said competitions.
3. PASA or APAS Territory: This territory includes the whole American continent, (North, Central and South), including all the adjacent islands and the Caribbean.
4. Member: is any organization as described in number 2 of this article, that represents a country, nation, or territory and is accepted as a member by PASA.

ARTICLE III: Objectives

The PASA, amongst other objectives:

1. Will organize, promote, and regulate amateur surfing activities throughout the American continent. Collaborating specially with each member to improve the sport of surfing in each respective country, nation, or territory and helping members in their relationship with the Private sector and the local Government.
2. Will run by itself and/or authorize a third party to run the amateur Pan American Surf Championships. It will also run and/or authorize others to run regional amateur surf competitions (teams or individuals), open to athletes from more than one country, nation, or territory.
3. Will collaborate and make recommendations, if necessary, in all matters that relate to activities relate to activities by the ASP and the ISA, in the Americas.
4. Will supervise all the activities related to competitive surfing, working specially to consolidate the rules of competition throughout the PASA Territory.
5. Will recognize as member only one entity per country, nation, or territory. In the case that there is more than one established association, or more than one association wanting to become a member of PASA, PASA will make a decision that could be based on amongst other facts: which entity has more members, which is recognized by ISA, and/or is authorized by the government, and/or has a democratic administration, elections and other criteria that will be established in the Bylaws.
6. Will resolve any jurisdictional or other dispute between its members.
7. Will represent the Americas in contacts and relations with the recognized international surfing association.
8. Will determine those who will be inducted into the Panamerican Surfing Hall of Fame.
9. Will work to conserve and improve coastal environments and protect surfing resources of the continent.
10. Will promote educational, scientific, literary and charitable aspects of the sport.
11. Will decide upon the conditions a member must meet to host a Panamerican Championship. These conditions will include a list of obligations and rights which the interested member must comply with, to be considered as a host country.
12. Will work towards the goal of getting the sport of surfing recognized as an Olympic Sport and participating in the Pan American Games.
13. To promote the values of good sportsmanship, amongst the surfers and bodyboarders in PASA territories and worldwide.

ARTICLE IV: Members

1. Any surfing association from any country, nation, or territory situated in the Americas, may solicit entry as a member of PASA, as long as it qualifies under number 2 in Article II. If the soliciting entity is of a country, nation, or territory that already has an organization recognized by PASA, recognition of the new one will mean an automatic expulsion of the former entity, This procedure will be regulated by the PASA Bylaws, which wills the rights, obligations, and conditions that must be met by actual or potential members.
2. There will be two categories of members:
   a) Founding member: A founding member is one that participated in the founding meeting celebrated in Lacanau, France, 1992.
   b) Member: Members are all those whose organizations have applied to join PASA after the founding meeting in 1992.

ARTICLE V: Fees

The Board will establish the annual fee due for the next year for each association. Said fees are due on the first of January of each year. Any member that does not pay their fees by the first of July will have to pay a penalty of 50%, and they will be automatically suspended. If fees are not paid by the event, fees are double and they remain suspended. The Board will establish entry fees for each member to participate in the Pan American Surfing Games as well as the sanction fee that organizers of a competition must pay to the PASA.

ARTICLE VI: Rules

PASA will be governed by this Constitution and the bylaws that will be in force together and could be amended by a vote of two thirds of the Assembly. In case of a conflict between the Constitution and the Bylaws, the Constitution will prevail.

ARTICLE VII: Delegates, Assemblies and Board

1.Delegates: Each PASA member must select one of their members to be a delegate to PASA. This delegate could or could not be the President of the represented organization. That person will attend all annual PASA meetings in person or by a proxy authorizing him or her to motions and vote. All proxies must be sent into PASA Headquarters, addressed to the President, via email and a hard copy presented at the time of the Assembly. The email must be received 10 days before the scheduled Assembly. Any delegate that does not attend a scheduled PASA meeting, or doesn’t provide a proxy to motion, and vote, will forfeit the opportunity to send forth their corresponding vote.

2. Assemblies: All members will have the right to send a delegate (or give a proxy so they will be represented). Quorum: In order for there to be a meeting, there must be at least five delegates present or representatives with a proxy authorizing that person to motion and vote.

A- Functions:
a) Amend the Constitution (three quarters of the votes)
b) Confirm new members (three quarters of the votes)
c) Amend Bylaws (majority of the votes)
d) Determine and amend PASA policies (majority of the votes)
e) Acceptance into the Surfing Hall of Fame (three quarters of the votes)
f ) Amend amateur status ( three quarters of the votes)
g) Elect officials (majority of the votes)
h) Name Committees (majority of the votes)
i ) Expel members( three quarters of the votes)
j ) Hire an Executive Director ( three quarters of the votes)

3. The PASA will be governed and managed by an Executive Committee comprising of:
   a) A President
   b) A Vice-President
   c) A Secretary

 4. Executive Committee: the Executive Committee will be elected by a majority vote of members present at an Assembly where elections will take place.

A- Functions:
a) Fulfill necessary acts to comply with the Constitution, Bylaws, and decisions made by the Assembly.
b) Specifically take all necessary actions to ensure that the fulfillment of the objectives outlined in ARTILCE 3 is done in the quickest and best way.
c) Maintain fluid communications specially, with members, journalists, the ISA, the ASP, and all other national and international sports organizations.
d) Convoke Extraordinary Assemblies, if necessary.
e) Executive Committee Members will participate in Assemblies and will be able to put forth motions, but will not have a vote. In the case of a tie vote, the President’s vote will be the deciding tie breaker.
f ) Perform all other functions delegated by the Assembly
g) The President of the Board will be in charge of opening, moderating, giving direction and closing the Meetings and Assemblies. He/she will also be the official spokesperson and representative of PASA.

B- Duration of positions:

Officials will be elected for a period of two years with the possibility of reelection.

C- Meetings:

The Executive Committee will also be able to meet or make decisions by votes sent by mail, telephone or fax with the same validity as if members were present.

ARTICLE VIII: Officers

These Officers, (Executive Committee) will be elected by the representatives and that post may fall upon representatives or any other person. Their titles and duties are as said in the Article VII of this Constitution and in the Bylaws.

ARTICLE IX: Policies

PASA conduct will be governed by this Constitution, the Bylaws, and the Competition Rulebook.

Competition Rules are policies of the PASA that are not specifically included in this Constitution or in the bylaws.

In the case of Conflict between the Competition Rules, and the Bylaws or the Constitution, the latter prevails.

ARTICLE X: Committees

To fulfill its functions, the PASA will be able to set up different committees. Between Assemblies the Executive Committee will authorize the functioning of these committees in order to fulfill the objectives of the PASA. The authorization of these committees must be confirmed at the next Assembly. The names of these committees and their responsibilities will be outlined in the bylaws.

ARTICLE XI: Executive Director

The PASA Board will be able to hire an Executive Director who will in turn hire employees for the main office and will assume responsibility of maintaining registers, archives, documents, legal contracts and all that could be necessary to smoothly run the operations of the PASA. The specific duties and responsibilities will be detailed in the Bylaws along with the restrictions on his freedom of action. Until this person has been designated, these responsibilities fall upon the President or in the person he/she chooses to the effect.

ARTICLE XII: Meetings

The Executive Committee will meet at least once a year. One meeting will be held at the Pan American Surfing Games. The other one will be held approximately a year before said event in the same place.

ARTICLE XIII: Amendments

An amendment must be written and proposed 60 days before a scheduled Assembly. It will be put on the Agenda and treated as such. It will be given to the Review Committee. Once the Review Committee has studied the amendment, a proposal will be put forth to the Assembly along with any recommendations it may have. The voting may be done by mail, telephone, fax, or if there is no rush, during the next Assembly.