Constitution of the World Human Powered Vehicle Association
The name of this non-profit public-benefit organisation is World Human Powered Vehicle Association. It shall also be referred to as the WHPVA.
1. Purpose
The World Human Powered Vehicle Association is an association of national human powered vehicle associations and organisations, dedicated to sanction or otherwise promote periodic competitions on land, water and in the air.
The WHPVA shall act as a sanctioning body for races and other sporting events, and for new records of human powered land and water vehicles set under the rules of the WHPVA.
The WHPVA sanctions the World Championship called «HPV World Championship». It shall be held preferably annually by one of the national organizations, but at minimum every 4 years. An HPV World Championship can be for land or water vehicles or both.
The primary objective of the WHPVA is to increase the use and development of human powered vehicles.
The WHPVA shall serve as a source of information for official human powered land, water, underwater and air records and other outstanding achievements pertinent to the pursuit of human power.
The WHPVA shall keep historical records (dates, places, distances, times, speeds, characteristics of vehicles and names of athletes) of the results of speed-records and international competitions.
In addition to this constitution, more detailed rules may be defined in further documents.
2. Membership
Membership is reserved for national human power vehicle associations and organisations (Member Organisations). The list of Member Organisations is published on the WHPVA-website.
Each Member Organisation is represented in the WHPVA by one person appointed by the Member Organisation and shall have one vote on the board of members (Board). The number of votes and of persons is thus the number of Member Organisations.
The membership of a Member Organisation shall terminate at its request or in extraordinary circumstances if so demanded by the Board.
3. Governance
3.1 Board
The term of office of persons on the Board shall not be limited, except by the termination of membership of the Member Organisation or their replacement by the Member Organisation.
Duties of the Board shall be to appoint and discharge the Chair and Officers, supervise their duties and decide on matters as presented. The Board may also decide on additional rules for running the WHPVA.
Any member of the Board may direct it to conduct a referendum on any relevant matter. All such matters shall be decided by the majority of the votes received by the Chair within 20 days after posting, and shall be recorded and circulated by the WHPVA without delay.
Meetings of the Board are normally conducted via internet – e.g. email or other open, non-proprietary internet resources – in the English language, but can also be carried out in person during World Championships if this is decided in advance.
A Member Organisation, member of the Board, or WHPVA officer is not liable for the liabilities or obligations of the WHPVA.
Any potential fees for specific operations of the WHPVA shall be carried by the individual members on private account.
3.2 Officers
The WHPVA shall be governed by the chairman or chairwoman (Chair) and further officers appointed at its Annual General Meeting (AGM). The respective names shall be published on the WHPVA-website. Officers shall serve without compensation.
The Chair shall be elected by the members of the WHPVA by majority vote. The term is two years and renewable after this. The chair shall hold office until he or she resigns, is discharged, or until his or her successor is elected.
The Chair shall supervise and control the affairs of the WHPVA and shall preside at all the discussions of the Board. Further duties are to help establish clear and reasonable procedures for collecting and certifying records, additions or modifications of rules and procedures.
Officers for executive committees, such as for managing rules and records, are appointed by the Chair with the approval of the Board (majority decision). Terms of the officers of executing committees are two years and renewable after this. Officers may come from the Board or be in addition to this.
3.3 Rules and Regulations
In all rules, regulations and executive decisions of the WHPVA it shall be the overall philosophy and policy to stimulate competition and creativity by stipulating simple, clear, transparent and unambiguous wordings.
For other vehicle or competition types such as hybrid power, underwater, amphibious, ice, air or ground effect vehicles, or classical long-distance achievements, the WHPVA may adopt existing rules or competition types from other organisations or introduce its own new categories.
The WHPVA shall review its own rules regularly and maintain them in accordance with current thinking.
3.4 Rules and Records Committee
Officers for the rules and record committee shall collect, check and certify records and vehicle events on land, water and other categories according to the rules of the WHPVA, and initiate publication of the results in the respective sections of the WHPVA-website. They shall also collect, check, revise and, after formal agreement by the Board, integrate those amendments into the rules and assure that all modifications or amendments appear in the competition rules published on the WHPVA-website.
The published competition rules are effective and in force on 1st of November of each year. All modifications post to this date enter into force the following 1st of November.
4. Amendments
Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by any WHPVA Member Organisation who presents to the Board and Chair the request in written form by mail, email, or another electronic resource in use by the board. The proposed amendment shall be discussed by the Board and decided by the majority of the votes returned within 20 days and be recorded by the WHPVA and published on the website without delay.
5. Dissolution
The dissolution of the WHVA is initiated by presenting a ballot to the Board and Chair. An affirmative vote of two thirds returned within 20 days shall be required. In the event of dissolution, any funds or archives shall be donated to an organisation whose mission supports the purpose as defined in paragraph 1.
Date of this constitution as decided by the WHPVA board of directors: 2nd June 2014