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PAN AFRICAN ASSOCIATION OF SURGEONS (PAAS)
CONSTITUTION
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ARTICLE 1: NAME
The Pan African Association of Surgeons (PAAS) which was founded
on 1 August 1995 at Malelane Sun Lodge, Eastern Transvaal, Republic
of South Africa herein referred to as the Association.
ARTICLE 2: OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Association are:
- to address/identify the surgical problems in Africa
- to co-ordinate surgical training and research
- to engage in mutual exchange programmes with surgical
institutions in Africa, and
- to co-operate with other bodies with similar objectives
throughout the world.
ARTICLE 3: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1
Membership will be open to National and Regional Associations
as well as individual surgeons. These surgeons must be certified
specialists or those practising surgery in their respective
countries.
Section 2
Honorary memberships shall be awarded by the Association.
Recipients shall be individuals of international reputation
or those who have rendered distinguished services to the
Association.
ARTICLE 4: OFFICERS
Section 1: Types of Elected Officers and Duties
The elected officers of the Association shall be the President,
the President-Elect, the Secretary-General, the Treasurer,
and Regional Co-ordinators. All officers of the Association
shall serve in an honorary position. The duties of officers
and terms of office shall be as follows:
- The President of the Association shall preside
at all meetings of the Association, regulate debate and
represent the Association in undertakings in which a specific
representative is not otherwise stated. The President shall
be elected by the General Assembly for a term of 2 years
and not be eligible for re-election. The President has a
casting vote in any meeting. After finishing the term as
President, this person shall remain in the Executive Council
for a period of 2 years.
- The President-Elect shall perform all the duties
of the President of the Association in the absence or incapacity
of the President of the Association. The President-Elect
shall be elected by the General Assembly and will automatically
succeed the President of the Association at the expiration
of the office of the President.
- The Secretary-General shall keep Minutes of all
meetings and proceedings of the Association and of the Standing
Committees, receive and process applications for membership,
notify new members of their election to membership of the
Association, maintain accurate register of members with
their current addresses, and send out announcements of meetings
of the Association. The Secretary-General shall be elected
by the General Assembly for a term of four (4) years and
shall be re-eligible for one more two (2) year term or a
total of six (6) years.
- The Treasurer shall be responsible for auditing
of the annual statements of accounts and shall report biennially
to the Executive Council. The Treasurer shall be elected
by the General Assembly for a term of four (4) years and
shall be eligible for re-election.
- Regional Co-ordinators shall participate at all
deliberations and decisions of the Executive Council. The
number of Regional Co-ordinators shall be determined by
the Executive Council. Regional Co-ordinators shall be elected
by the General Assembly every two (2) years and shall be
responsible to the Secretary-General.
Section 2: Election of Officers
Officers shall be elected by majority vote of members present
and voting at the General Assembly. Fully motivated nominations
for office including a short cirriculum vitae (CV) and the
acceptance of the candidate shall be sent to the Secretary-General
in writing before the meeting of the General Assembly. The
elected officers shall take office immediately upon their
election.
ARTICLE 5: STANDING COMMITTEES
Section 1: Executive Council
The Executive Council shall consist of the President, the
President-Elect, the Secretary-General, the Treasurer, and
Regional Co-ordinators.
The Executive Council shall be responsible for the general
administration and financial management of the Association.
The Executive Council shall have the authority to take any
necessary action on behalf of the Association in urgent
matters pending ratification by the General Assembly.
ARTICLE 6: GENERAL ASSEMBLY
A General Assembly of the members of the Association shall be
held every two (2) years. The President of the Association shall
call the General Assembly, arrange the agenda and serve as Chairman
of the Assembly. The General Assembly shall vote upon recommendations
from the Executive Council.
ARTICLE 7: GENERAL SECRETARIAT
The Headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Association
shall be located in a city/country selected by the Executive
Council of the Association with the approval of the majority
of the members present and voting at a meeting of the General
Assembly.
ARTICLE 8: FUNDS
The funds of the Association shall be derived from dues as decided
by the General Assembly, registration fees at meetings, sale
of its publication, advertisements in its publications and at
meetings, donations, legacies, interests on reserve funds, investments,
and other resources as may become available.
ARTICLE 9: MEETINGS OF THE ASSOCIATION
Meetings will be held back-to-back with one of the constituent
Associations. At present the constituent Associations are the
Association of Surgeons of East Africa, the West African College
of Surgeons and the Association of Surgeons of South Africa.
Meetings would take place biennially in association with the
constituent societies as previously decided by the Executive
Council and agreed to by the General Assembly.
ARTICLE 10: AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
Any proposal to amend the constitution must be received by the
Honorary Secretary at least ninety (90) days before the scheduled
date of the next General Assembly and must be circulated to
the members of the Association at least forty five (45) days
before the same General Assembly. Amendments to the constitution
can only be effected if passed by a two thirds majority of those
voting in person (or by proxy) at the biennial General Assembly
of the Association.
ARTICLE 11: DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION
In the event of the dissolution of the Pan African Association
of Surgeons (PAAS), the assets of the PAAS shall be given or
transferred to the West African College of Surgeons or the Association
of Surgeons of East Africa or the Association of Surgeons of
South Africa, or divided equally between them. The Executive
Council shall be responsible for deciding how the assets should
be distributed between these three bodies.
Dissolution will occur if the membership of the Association
decreases to less than twenty (20) members. Any other mechanism
of dissolution can only occur if handled in the same manner
as amendments to the constitution in article 9 above.
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