ASIAN DANCE COUNCIL

CONSTITUTION OF ASIAN DANCE COUNCIL

ARTICLE I    NAME

The name of the organisation is Asian Dance Council. The official abbreviation is ADC.

 

ARTICLE II    HEADQUARTERS

The Headquarters/Registered Office of the Asian Dance Council shall be the Residence of the President currently holding office.

 

ARTICLE III    OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

The official language for use in meetings, correspondence and reports shall be English. Documents may be translated into the local language of the Council members for distribution.

 

ARTICLE IV    PURPOSE

1. To educate, enhance and promote “The Art of Ballroom Dancing” in Asia.

2. To provide an environment of peace, freedom, and unity in which all the Asian dancers are able to pursue their careers.

3. To unite all Asian dancers under the Asian Dance Council.

4. To support and to co-operate with the World Dance Council (WDC), as its affiliate member.

5. To grant recognition for organisation of Asian dance championships and all kinds of dance events in Asia.

6. In the event that the recognition of dance competitions or registration of competitors and adjudicators with the World Dance Council cannot be obtained from a WDC member in an Asian country or region, the Asian Dance Council will deliberate on the matter and try to make it obtainable there.

7. To conduct the annual “Asian Ranking Series” championships in Asia to determine the top ranking Asian dancers of the year.

8. To seek recognition of the Asian Dance Council by the local Government at national and international levels.

 

ARTICLE V    ASIAN REGION

The Asian Region is defined as any country or region within Asia, including those countries or regions designated as such by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Annual Council Meeting.

 

ARTICLE VI    MEMBERSHIP

a. A member body of the WDC is eligible for Full Membership of the Asian Dance Council. In the case that the WDC member of a country or region does not wish to become a member of the Asian Dance Council, then any composite member organisations of the WDC member in question, by default, become eligible for Full Membership of the Asian Dance Council.

b. Each country or region may have one Full Member and Multiple Associate Members in its country or region.

c. Under special circumstances, with two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Full Members present at the Annual Council Meeting, the council may approve the application for Full Membership from a professional dance organisation in any Asian country or region, in which there is no existing WDC member organisation.

d. The Full Member of the ADC should only consist of the WDC members listed in the WDC Competition rules as within the geographical boundaries of Asia.

 

1. Full Member

a) A Full Member possesses the voting rights in the Asian Dance Council.

b) A Full Member must encompass 80%, or more, of its country’s professional dancers. If not, the remainder shall be eligible for admission as an Associate Member.

c) There may be up to three delegates representing each Full Member at the Annual Council Meeting of the Asian Dance Council.

d) A Full Member can organise and conduct competitions, championships, and other dancing events with the recognition of the Asian Dance Council.

e) When a WDC member does not wish to join the Asian Dance Council, any composite member/s organization/s of this WDC member is/are eligible for Full Membership.

2. Associate Member

a) Any dance organisation in the Asian Region is eligible for Associate Membership with the approval of the Full Member or with the two-thirds (2/3) majority vote by the Council.

b) An Associate Member does not have any voting rights within the Council.

c) There may be up to three delegates representing each Associate Member at the Annual Council Meeting of the Asian Dance Council.

d) An Associate member can obtain the official recognition of all kinds of competitions, through the approval of that country’s or region’s Full Member or by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Council. (However, all the required procedures must be made through its Full Member.)

e) An Associate member can register its competitors and/or adjudicators with the WDC through that country’s or region’s Full Member.

3. Honorary Member

The Asian Dance Council (ADC) may elect an Honorary Member for life, any person who has rendered outstanding services to ADC or to the ballroom dance profession. Honorary Life Member shall have the right to attend meetings with no voting rights.

4. Application for Membership

a) Applications for Membership must be sent in writing to the Secretary General of the Asian Dance Council.

b) A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Members present and voting at a Council meeting is required to gain admission to the ADC.

c) All Members (Full Member, Associate Member, Introductory, Honorary) must agree to adhere to the Constitution and any Rules and Regulations passed by the ADC.

5. Membership Application Investigation Committee

The Membership Application Investigation Committee shall examine all aspects of the applicants’ application including the constitution, the number of member organizations and individual members, qualifications(licences), financial status, etc.

6. Resignations

A Member (Full Member or Associate Member) may resign from the Asian Dance Council at any time by sending a registered letter to the Secretary. Such resignation does not affect that Member’s financial obligation for the current calendar year.

 

ARTICLE VII    ANNUAL DUES

Members are required to pay annual dues (1st January to 31st December). Annual dues will be determined at the Annual Council Meeting by a simple majority and may be subject to amendment at the Annual Council Meeting.

Non-payment of the annual dues, within the grace period, may result in loss of Membership privileges.

 

ARTICLE VIII    OFFICERS

The officers of the Asian Dance Council shall be:

a) The President (1)

b) Vice-Presidents (5)

c) Treasurer (1)

1. The President and the Vice-Presidents must be the nominated by a Member Organisation prior to election.

2. The President and the Vice-Presidents shall hold office for three (3) years and shall be elected by the Asian Dance Council Annual Council Meeting every three years.

3. Nomination for each of the officers shall be proposed and seconded at the ADC Annual Council Meeting of the election year.

4. The officers shall cease to be the delegates of their countries or regions upon election to the office.

5. Voting shall be by secret ballot.

6. A Supervising Officer shall be selected to oversee the election of the President and the Vice-Presidents. This Supervisor must not be one of the nominees.

7. The resignation, serious injury or death of an elected Officer may necessitate an emergency Special Election. A Special Election may be held at the Annual Council Meeting or by mail/e-mail nomination and ballot. The person so elected shall hold office until the next regular election of officers.

 

ARTICLE IX    DUTIES OF OFFICERS

1. The President, and the Vice-Presidents form the Executive Committee, which will be known as the Presidium.

2. The Presidium shall be empowered to make all decisions, in the best interests of the Asian Dance Council, in the interim period between meetings.

3. The President shall preside over the Asian Dance Council meetings and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees/sub-committees and, wherever possible and appropriate, will preside over the committee meetings, along with the Chairman of the said committees.

 

ARTICLE X    SECRETARY GENERAL

The Presidium shall appoint a Secretary General. The Duties of the Secretary General are, but not limited, to the following:

1. Record all minutes of the meetings of the Asian Dance Council and the Presidium.

2. Notify all Asian Dance Council members of the date, place and time of meetings.

3. Be responsible for implementing all decisions made at all the meetings.

4. The ADC may at its discretion, when deemed necessary, appoint an assistant to the Secretary General. This person shall work under the direction of the Secretary General, with remuneration to be determined by the Presidium.

5. The Remuneration for the Secretary General shall be determined by the Presidium.

 

ARTICLE XI    BUSINESS YEAR

The Business Year will be the calendar year (1st January to 31st December).

 

ARTICLE XII    MEETING

1. In order to discuss long-term policy, constitutional amendments, and other matters on the agenda, a Council Meeting will be held once a year during the week of the Asian Open Championships, unless a quorum is not possible. In that case, the Presidium will consider any other dates or locations for the purpose of holding a Council Meeting.

2. Quorum: In order to conduct the business of the Council, there must be two-thirds (2/3) or more member countries or regions present and voting.

3. Items to be included on the Agenda must be submitted to the Secretary at least thirty (30) days before the date of the Annual Council Meeting. This Agenda must be circulated to the Members no later than fourteen (14) days prior to the Council Meeting. Constitutional changes may only be made at the Annual Council Meeting.

4. Voting: Each country or region shall have the right to one vote regardless of the number of its delegates (maximum 3) attending or by accepted proxy.

5. Proxy voting: When a Member country cannot send a representative to a meeting, that Member may send to the President a written vote on a question known in advance to be on the Agenda. Or, that Member may designate, in writing to the Presiding Officer, a representative from another Member country to vote in its proxy, provided the absentee Member specifies clear and reasonable parameters within which the proxy may be enacted. In no case may a Member transfer unlimited authority to the representative of another Member country or region. No Member country or region may transfer voting authority to an Officer or a Member of the Presidium.

6. Observers: With the approval of the Asian Dance Council, additional observers from any country may attend the Annual Council Meeting but not possess the right to make any form of statements at the Annual Council Meeting.

 

ARTICLE XIII    STANDING OR SPECIAL COMMITTEES

Standing or Special Committees will be appointed by the Presidium of the Council.

 

ARTICLE XIV    CHAMPIONSHIPS

1. Asian Dance Council Championships and other Special Championships: Organisers must be approved by the ADC and must abide by all the Rules and Regulations of the Asian Dance Council. All financial responsibilities must be carried out.

2. The organiser/s must prepare, and submit to all Member Countries or Regions a list containing the schedule, timetable, the number of adjudicators, names of the adjudicators, as well as confirmation of adjudicators’ licenses, details of prize monies, travel allowances, accommodation, meals, and any other conditions that apply, not less than three months prior to the scheduled events.

3. The organiser/s must submit a full report on the event to the Asian Dance Council, stating the following: date, time, location, name and countries or regions of all participants and adjudicators, names of the top twenty-four (24) couples (quarter-finalists), and the approximate number of spectators.

4. Application to organise Asian Dance Council Championships and other Special Championships: Each application will be considered separately because of the financial constraints in conducting these Championships.

 

ARTICLE XV    EXPULSION OF A MEMBER

A Member, who has grossly violated the Rules and Regulations of the ADC, or committed illegal or criminal deeds, or have caused severe dissension and disunity within the Council, may, by a three-quarter (3/4) majority vote of the Council, be expelled.