Guam Women and Sport Commission

The Guam Women and Sport Commission Executive Board was elected on March 14, 2018. The GWSC works to support the IOC’s goal of equality, inclusion and diversity in sports practice and governance, increasing opportunities for girls and women to participate in sport and physical activity and for women to be more involved in decision making and the media. It draws its programming focus and activities from the work of the ONOC Equity Commission (formerly the ONOC Women in Sport Commission), the ANOC Women in Sport Commission, and the IOC Women in Sport Commission.

Introduction
1.1 - As the Guam National Olympic Committee, we support the IOC’s goal of equality, inclusion and diversity in sports practice and governance, increasing opportunities for girls and women to participate in sport and physical activity and for women to be more involved in decision making and the media.

1.2 - To ensure that women in sport are promoted at all levels, the Executive of the Guam National Olympic Committee has established a Women and Sport Commission.

1.3 - These terms of reference were approved by the NOC Executive on March 15, 2018 and set out the functions, composition, powers and procedures by which the Women and Sport Committee shall operate.

Functions
2.1 - The functions of the W&S Committee are to:

1. develop, implement and deliver programs to encourage the participation of girls and women in sport and physical activity at all levels;
2. identify and support women for decision making positions in sport in Guam and internationally, and recommend changes to rules and procedures of Member Federations and the GNOC to enable this to occur;
3. through its work, educate young people on the Olympic values; and
4. provide advice and recommendation to the NOC Executive on matters affecting girls and women’s participation and promotion in sport.
   

Composition
3.1 - The W&S Commission shall comprise of:

1. at least one current member of the NOC Executive
2. include at least one athlete representative from the Athletes Commission
3. interested persons (3 – 5 in number) elected by the W&S Commission
4. provide for both genders to be present (wherever possible), and a minimum of five [5] members of the W&S Commission.

3.2 - The NOC Executive may appoint the W&S Chairperson from those Commission members selected, or the W&S Committee themselves may select their Chairperson.

3.3 - The NOC Secretary-General shall publicly call for expressions of interest for positions on the W&S Committee as vacancies arise, or prior to the expiry of the term of office of a W&S Committee Member.

3.4 - In appointing the members of the W&S Commission, the NOC Executive shall appoint on merit.

3.5 - The term of office for a member of the W&S Committee is 4 years (the period of an Olympiad), with the right to be re-appointed or re-elected.

3.6 - The NOC Executive may remove any member of the W&S Commission prior to the expiry of their term, if it considers the member has a conflict of interest or has brought the GNOC, sport or the Olympic Movement generally, into disrepute. Before resolving to remove a member of the W&S Commission, the Executive must inform the member of its proposal to remove them from office and give them not less than 14 days to be heard on that proposal, either in writing or in person.

3.7 - If the Executive member(s) on the W&S Commission resigns, retires or otherwise leaves office as an Executive member, they shall automatically cease their office on the W&S Commission, unless appointed to fill one of the other positions on the Commission.

3.8 - The NOC Executive may fill any vacancy, provided that any such vacancy shall be only filled for the balance of the term of the vacant position.

Powers
4.1 - The W&S Commission is a committee of the NOC Executive and does not have authority to make any decisions on behalf of, or to bind the GNOC, unless approved by the Executive in accordance with clause 4.2 or otherwise.

4.2 - The W&S Commission shall submit an annual plan and annual budget to the NOC Executive no later than October in each year for approval by the NOC Executive. Once these are approved, the Commission has authority to implement the plan in accordance with the budget. Should the Commission wish to vary the plan or the budget such variations must be approved by the NOC Executive before implementation.

4.3 - The W&S Commission may apply for funds from other organizations, including IOC Olympic Solidarity, with the prior approval of the NOC President and/or Secretary-General, provided that such application is for activities, initiatives or programs within the approved W&S annual plan.

4.4 - The W&S Commission shall ensure that all promotional material related to its activities complies with the GNOC’s protocols and procedures regarding its name, logo and brand.

Procedures
5.1 - The W&S Commission shall meet as and when it considers appropriate, with meetings determined by the Chairperson.

5.2 - Meetings may be held in person or by teleconference or other technological means provided that all persons present can hear each other simultaneously. Resolutions of the Commission may be made between meetings by electronic means (including texting and email).

5.3 - The NOC President and NOC Secretary-General may attend meetings of the W&S Commission but shall not be members of it.

5.4 - The quorum or minimum number of members to be present for a meeting to proceed and decisions to be valid is fifty percent plus one of the total number of registered sports whom have submitted their representatives’ names to the NOC. This also applies to meetings held by teleconference and to resolutions made by electronic means.

5.5 - All decisions will be made by consensus or if this cannot be achieved then by majority vote. The Chairperson of the W&S Commission shall have the right to a casting vote in the event of an equality of votes.

5.6 - Minutes of all meetings of the W&S Commission shall be taken and retained. Copies shall be forwarded to the NOC President and/or Secretary-General as soon as practicable after each meeting.

5.7 - The NOC Secretary-General or his/her nominee shall provide administrative assistance to the W&S Commission.

5.8 - Members of the W&S Commission shall be reimbursed by the GNOC for their actual and reasonable expenses incurred in the course of undertaking duties as a committee member.  Such reimbursement shall be in accordance with the NOC Executive’s policy on the reimbursement of any such expenses.

5.9 -  No member of the W&S Commission shall be paid any remuneration or other financial reward for their time and services as a member of the Commission, as the role is a voluntary one.

5.10 - If a member of the W&S Commission has an interest, whether financial or personal, in an agreement, arrangement or transaction or proposed agreement, arrangement or transaction of the GNOC (either directly or through the W&S Commission), he or she must:

1. disclose to the Chairperson of the W&S Commission (or in the case of the Chairperson having such interest, disclose to the NOC President or Secretary-General), the nature and extent of such interest as soon as the member becomes aware of it, and
2. take such other steps as determined by the Chairperson of the W&S Commission (or the NOC President or Secretary-General, as the case may be) in respect of such interest which may include, without limitation, abstaining from discussions/deliberations, and/ or any vote regarding such interest or it may result in the member being removed from office by the NOC Executive.