IFAA - International Field Archery Association

To achieve its goals, the association uses the following means:

1. The proper management of the assets, membership fees and other financial contributions of the members in accordance with the provisions of these statutes.
2. The purchase, hire purchase, exchange, rental and other acquisition of real and other property as well as rights that are necessary for the pursuit of the association's objectives or are expedient in connection with them.
3. The conclusion of agreements with governments, authorities, or organizations in pursuit of the association's objectives. The acquisition of all rights and permits deemed desirable by the association from governments or authorities. The execution, exercise, and compliance with said agreements, rights, and permits.
4. Careful investment and management of the association's assets in accordance with the biennial budget and while maintaining sufficient liquidity for the association's activities.
5. in pursuit of the objectives of the Association, the sale, improvement, management, development, exchange, lease, rental, capitalization and other disposal of property or rights of the Association.
6. the acceptance of donated real estate and fixed assets, whether with or without conditions, for the purposes of the association.
7. personal or written appeals, public meetings and other measures that may be deemed appropriate from time to time to increase the Association's resources through donations, annual subscriptions, licensing fees and other sources of funds.
8. Printing and publishing of news, magazines, books, brochures, video and audio tapes and other written or electronic media which the Association deems desirable for its purposes.
9. All other measures in pursuit of the objectives of the Association, within the framework of the means provided here.

MEMBERSHIP

The association recognizes the following types of members:

• A. Full members
• A full member may propose changes to the IFAA Constitution or Rule Book and has the right to vote in association matters.

• Associate Members
  • Associate members are applicants for full membership whose application has been endorsed by the Executive Board but not yet confirmed by the World Congress.
  • Associate members actively participate in archery competitions under IFAA rules as defined in Article V of the By-Laws.
  • An Associate Member may not propose changes to the IFAA Constitution or Rule Book and shall not have the right to vote in Association matters.
  • The Archery Association of Europe (AAE) has the status of an associate member of the IFAA.
• Provisional members
  • Provisional members are those whose application has been approved by the Board of Directors but who have not yet been accepted as associate members by the Board of Directors.
  • Provisional membership is granted for a maximum of twelve months from the date of approval of the application. The applicant must meet the criteria for admission as an associate member by the end of this period, otherwise membership will expire.

  Members according to A. to C. can only be national field archery associations or similar organizations, whereby the IFAA recognizes only one (1) member association for each country.

• Corporate members
  Companies and businesses that support the association’s goals can be accepted as corporate members.
  A corporate member may not propose changes to the IFAA Constitution or Rule Book and shall not have voting rights in association matters.
• Honorary members
  In special cases, the World Congress may award honorary membership to individuals, organizations, or companies that have provided services to the Association above and beyond their duties. Honorary members have no influence on Association affairs; they do not participate in the General Assembly. Members of the Executive Board may not become honorary members during their term of office.

ACCESSION

• As a member:

• National associations wishing to join the IFAA must submit a written application for membership. The application must be addressed to the Secretary and a joining fee equal to the annual membership fee must be paid.
• Applications for membership may be accepted or rejected by the Board of Directors, stating the reasons.
• If an application for membership is rejected, the membership fee will be refunded.
• A national association whose application for membership has been rejected may appeal this decision in writing at the next World Congress. The appeal must be submitted within 60 days of notification of the rejection and must state the reasons for the appeal in detail.
• A national field archery association whose application for membership has been accepted by the Executive Board is initially a provisional member with associate status for at least one year. After this period, the Executive Board decides on admission as an associate member. The World Congress decides on the admission of an associate member as a full member at its next meeting after a further one-year period.
• Members may object to the admission of an applicant. This objection must be submitted in writing to the Secretary and will be considered at the next session of the World Congress.
• If an objection to membership is upheld, membership shall be suspended or revised in accordance with Article VII of these statutes.
• Corporate members
  • A company or business wishing to join the Association as a corporate member must submit a written application to the Secretary and pay the membership fee.
  • The joining fee is one annual membership fee.
  • Applications for membership may be accepted or rejected by the Executive Board, stating the reasons. An appeal to the World Congress is not possible.
  • Corporate membership is valid for at least two years, except in the case of suspension pursuant to Article VII of these Articles of Association.
  • If an application for membership is rejected, the 4th company fee must be refunded.

• Requirements for membership
  An applicant for full membership must submit the following documents to the World Congress:
  • At the request of the IFAA Secretary, a copy of its statutes or a certified translation thereof into English.
  • Proof that the association is officially registered and has legal personality.
  • An official website or a Facebook link with a link to the IFAA website. The website must contain basic information about the association, its members, tournaments, statutes, etc.
  • The member undertakes to hold at least one national event annually in accordance with Articles VA to J of the "Other Provisions".
  • The absence of any of the above-mentioned documents or commitments shall be sufficient grounds for the World Congress to reject the application for full membership.
  • Sending a representative to the World Congress.
• Membership fees
  1. Membership fees are payable annually. They apply from January 1st and are payable no later than the end of February of the same year.
  2. The annual membership fee is:
     1. For full members, associate and provisional members 100 €
     2. For corporate members: according to contractual agreement.
• Exit

1. The declaration of resignation must be submitted in writing to the Secretary. It will take effect at the end of the month in which it is received.

2. Membership fees are non-refundable.

LOSS OF MEMBERSHIP, SUSPENSION

Membership may be terminated if a member:

• Membership fees and other contributions not paid on time;
• Failure to follow or enforce the standards necessary to ensure the amateur status of archers in competitions conducted or sanctioned by the Association.
• As well as in the case of full members or associate members

• When conducting competitions under the auspices or recognized by the Association, fails to follow or enforce the rules, regulations and policies of the Association;
• It fails to implement a classification system recognized by the Federation; it fails to send a representative to the World Congress.
• If a full member no longer meets all the requirements of Art. V (C)
  If the conditions set out in § 1 to 5 are not met, full membership shall be suspended and the member shall be downgraded to associate status in accordance with the procedure set out in Article VII of the Statutes.

SUSPENSION, EXCLUSION AND REMOVAL OF SUSPENSION

• If there are demonstrable grounds for exclusion, the Secretary shall raise the specific allegations against the member concerned.
• The member may remedy the defects complained of and/or respond to the allegations within 60 days of receipt of the notice.
• After 60 days from receipt of the member's statement, the Board will decide whether the member will be expelled or suspended, or whether membership will be maintained. This decision must be communicated to the member in writing.
• A member may appeal the decision to the Appeals Board within 30 days of notification. The appeal must be submitted in writing to the Secretary of the Association and may be made for the following reasons:

1. The allegation underlying the decision taken is not confirmed by the evidence presented, or

1. the board’s decision is disproportionate to the seriousness of the offense.

The Appeals Panel shall be convened by the President within 30 days of receipt of the appeal and shall consist of five members.

Four members of the Appeals Panel are appointed from among the full members. The Executive Board nominates two full members, each of whom will appoint one person to the Appeals Panel, as well as the member who filed the appeal. The latter cannot be a member of the Appeals Panel.
These four members shall unanimously appoint a member of the Executive Board as the fifth member and chairperson.
The Appeals Panel reviews the Board's decision and may confirm, revoke, or modify it within 30 days of its convening. Its decision is binding within the association.
If the appointing member does not agree with the decision, he or she may appeal to the World Congress, which will make the final decision at its next meeting.

ASSOCIATION BODIES

• The World Congress (World Council)

• The Executive Council

• The Regional Councils

• Standing Committees

• Auditing CommitteeThis is appointed by the World Congress in accordance with Article XV of the Statutes.
• Technical CommitteeThis is appointed by the President in accordance with Article 3 of the IFAA Rules of Procedure.
• Training and Coaching CommitteeThis is appointed by the President in accordance with Article 12 of the IFAA Rules of Procedure.

• E. Special Commissions

1. Appellate Body

This is established in accordance with Article VII D of the Articles of Association.

VOTING RIGHTS AND VOTING PROCEDURES

• A. The full members of the Association and the elected officers shall have the right to vote "yes" or "no" on any motion or resolution submitted, or to abstain. Full members and elected officers may submit matters to the World Congress for a vote on the appropriate forms. These forms must be submitted by the proposer to the Secretary in sufficient time to be received by the Secretary no later than 120 days before the World Congress meeting.

• The board has 30 days to study and comment.

• The Secretary shall send copies of all motions, including the Executive Board's opinions, to all members no later than 90 days before the meeting of the World Congress.

• Members may amend their motions. Amended motions must be submitted to the Secretary on the appropriate forms no later than 60 days before the World Congress meeting. If no amended motion is received within this time, the World Congress will vote on the original motion.

• All duly submitted motions and the agenda for the World Congress meeting shall be circulated by the Secretary to the Full Members, Associate Members and Provisional Members 50 days before the meeting of the World Congress.

• The decisions of the World Congress are binding for all members and bodies of the Association.

• A vote not cast shall be considered neither a vote for nor against.

• The Board of Directors may make editorial changes to the Articles of Association, the Other Regulations, the Competition Rules, and the Rules of Procedure, insofar as these address typos, ambiguities, obvious errors, and inconsistencies. Resolutions on such changes shall be made in writing by circulation. The results shall be communicated to all members within 30 days of the resolution.

• Voice transmission
  A Full Member who is not present at a meeting of the World Congress may transfer his or her vote to another Full Member or to a member of the IFAA Executive Board in accordance with the following provisions:
  1. The person authorized to exercise the delegated voting right shall deliver to the Secretary, before the meeting begins, a written authorization signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the member association represented.
  2. The above-mentioned representative may not change the predetermined vote unless he/she is expressly authorized to do so in the power of attorney.
  3. The name of the person authorized to vote must be stated in the proxy; transfer is not possible.
  4. A vote not cast is considered neither for nor against.
  5. If a motion is amended during the meeting and there is no authorization to vote on an amended motion, the transferred vote shall be counted neither for nor against.
  6. Votes cast by proxy are binding and cannot be contested or revoked by the represented member.

THE WORLD CONGRESS

A. General
1. The World Congress of the Association is the highest authority for policy and

Individual decisions of the association. He either exercises all functions of the association himself or delegates them to the Executive Board to the extent necessary or desired.

2. The World Congress consists of the elected members of the Board of Directors of the Association and one permanent representative from each member. For the duration of its session, the World Congress is referred to as the "General Assembly."
3. The General Assembly conducts the affairs of the Association during its biennial meetings, which in even-numbered years take place on the occasion of the IFAA Field Archery World Championship on the two days immediately before the opening ceremony.
4. Each member shall have one vote, which shall be exercised by the respective permanent representative. The permanent representative's appointment and term of office shall be at the sole discretion of the member.
5. If the permanent representative is unable to attend, the member may be represented by a delegate. This delegate requires written authorization, which must be presented to the secretary before the meeting begins.
6. Each elected Board member has one vote. Appointed officers participate in the World Congress without voting rights.
7. The representative of an Associate or Provisional Member shall participate in the World Congress without the right to speak or vote.
8. Corporate members do not have a representative in the World Congress.
9. The provisions of the "Roberts Rules of Order" in their latest version shall apply to all meetings of the Association, insofar as they are applicable and insofar as they do not conflict with the Articles of Association, other general rules of the Association, or special rules of procedure adopted by the World Congress.
10. An extraordinary general meeting shall be convened if one-fifth of the full members so request. The request shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary.

B. Tasks of the World Congress

1. Voting on proposed changes to the IFAA Rule Book, including but not limited to the Constitution, Bylaws, Championship Rules, and Procedures and Policies.
2. Financial control of all assets and the financial management of the Board of Directors and other committees or persons entrusted with the association's financial affairs; election of two members of the Control Committee from among the full members with full rights.
3. Receipt of the report of the Control Commission and discharge of the members of the Board of Directors if proper accounting and bookkeeping have been confirmed and income, expenditure and asset management are in accordance with the Association's regulations.
4. The full members of the World Congress vote on the budget prepared by the Treasurer and the President and presented at their meeting. A tie shall be considered a rejection. In this case, the budget shall be revised until it is approved by the World Congress.
5. The full members of the World Congress decide on the election of Executive Board members and on their removal in justified cases in accordance with the provisions of these Statutes.
6. Annual determination of fees, contributions and other sources of income to cover ongoing costs.
7. Establish all programs, policies, and procedures to be followed by the association.
8. Formulation, definition and adoption of all objectives of the Association in accordance with Articles II and III of these Statutes.
9. Filling prematurely vacant Executive Board positions for the remainder of the term of office.
10. 10. Confirmation of decisions and interpretations of the Executive Board, the Appeals Body, the Technical Commission and other committees appointed on a case-by-case basis.

THE BOARD

A. The Board of Directors
The Board is composed of the following elected positions: the President,
the Vice President,
the secretary and
the treasurer.
To support the Board and its members in the administration of the Association, additional functions may be created on a case-by-case basis, which are to be filled by appointment.

B. Powers and duties of the Board of Directors

1. The members of the Board of Directors shall perform their duties diligently and in the best interests of the Association and its functioning, without seeking personal advantage or profit, and exclusively within the framework of the powers granted by the Board of Directors.
2. The Executive Board shall have full powers outside of the meetings of the World Congress and shall conduct the business of the Association in accordance with the approved budget, the Constitution, the Bylaws and the IFAA Standing Orders, in that order.
3. He is authorized to enter into financial commitments on behalf of the Association and to use funds for this purpose in accordance with the budget approved by the World Congress. He may not exceed this annual budget by more than €5,000.
4. Expenses of individual members of the Board of Directors require the following approvals:
   1. Expenditures up to €500 per transaction require the approval of the treasurer.
   2. Expenditures exceeding €500 up to €2,500 per transaction: approval by the President and the Treasurer.
   3. Expenditures exceeding €2,500 up to €10,000 per transaction: Approval by the President and two other Board members.
   4. Expenditures exceeding €10,000 require individual approval by the World Congress. This is required in addition to the budget approval and requires a simple majority of the votes cast by the full members.
5. It is empowered to interpret the articles of the Constitution, Bylaws, Rules and Standing Orders of the IFAA and to regulate all matters of the Association not covered by these Bylaws.
6. It may make editorial changes to the Constitution, Bylaws, Competition Rules and IFAA Bylaws.
   These must be limited to linguistic errors, obvious mistakes, ambiguities, and absurdities. Resolutions regarding such changes may be made by mail, email, or similar means. The resolutions adopted must be communicated to all members within 30 days.
7. It may establish permanent committees for the Association’s tasks, the powers of which shall be regulated in the Other Provisions.

8. He prepares written activity reports every 6 months, which are sent to each member of the association.
9. It fills vacant Board positions in accordance with Article 9 of the IFAA Rules of Procedure.

C. Powers and duties of the members of the Board of Directors

1. The President

1. Presides over all meetings of the World Congress, the Executive Board or other duly constituted bodies;
2. initiates and develops activities of the World Congress or other duly constituted bodies;
3. manages the affairs of the Association in accordance with the programs, policies and budgets established by the World Congress;
4. represents the Association within the scope of the powers of the IFAA (Article III) and is the first to sign all legally binding documents;
5. is authorized to overrule a motion by members of the Board of Directors regarding the management of the association. This power does not apply in the case of a majority decision of the Board of Directors on a motion by the President.
6. may, at its discretion, establish special committees for the tasks of the association;
7. may, at his/her discretion, convene regular meetings for the purpose of exercising all powers and functions.

2. The Vice President

1. assumes the duties of the President in the event of his/her incapacity.
2. is responsible for the implementation of all tournaments and events sponsored by the association.

3. The Secretary

1. maintains all official records of the association;
2. is responsible for the publication of all official publications, reports and communications of the Association as well as promotional material;
3. assists the President in exercising the powers of the IFAA and secondarily signs all legally binding documents;
4. administers the Association within the powers of the IFAA;
5. In the event of the temporary combination of the functions of Secretary and Treasurer, the Treasurer shall perform the fiscal duties of the Treasurer and submit all reports required by the Constitution or at the request of the World Congress or the President.

4. The Treasurer

• together with the President, prepares a two-year budget for the Association, which is submitted to the World Congress for approval;
• monitors the tax and financial affairs of the association with regard to the budget;
• c. submit all reports required by the Constitution or at the request of the World Congress or the President;

• provides the members of the Control Commission with certified copies of the association's cash books and bank statements. These cash books must be closed by May 31 and December 31, respectively, and must be made available to the members of the Control Commission no later than 21 days thereafter.
• opens local currency accounts as authorized by the Board of Directors for the efficient management of the Association's day-to-day business and manages them exclusively in the interest of the Association and its functioning, without seeking personal advantage or profit, and solely within the framework of the powers granted by the Board of Directors.

D. Elections

• 1. The terms of office of the President and Treasurer are the same, as are those of the Vice President and Secretary. Elections are held at different times: the Vice President and Secretary are elected two years after the President and Treasurer are elected.
  2. On August 10 of each election year, the World Congress acts as the Nominating Committee. By September 1 at the latest, any full member may submit the name of one candidate for any position to the Secretary. All candidates must provide a declaration of acceptance of the election in advance.
  3. By October 1st at the latest, the Secretary shall inform the members of the names of all candidates, along with a brief description of their qualifications and proof of valid membership in a national association that is a full member. Any candidate may withdraw their candidacy by November 1st at the latest.
  4. On November 10, the Secretary will send each full member an official ballot. It must be returned to the Secretary no later than December 1.
  5. If there is only one candidate, the vote shall be "yes" or "no." The candidate is elected if the number of yes votes exceeds the number of no votes. Otherwise, the position shall be considered vacant within the meaning of Article 9 of the IFAA Rules of Procedure.
  6. If there are two candidates for a position, each member has one vote. The member who receives the greater number of valid votes is elected.
  7. If there are three or more candidates, each member must cast a clearly ranked vote for two different candidates, one as their first choice and one as their second choice. If three or more candidates appear, or if the ranking is unclear, the vote is invalid. Votes that contain only one or more of the same candidate count as a first-choice vote and not a second-choice vote. A candidate is elected if they receive an absolute majority of the first-choice votes. If no candidate receives this majority, the second-choice votes are added to the first-choice votes of each candidate. A candidate is elected if they receive an absolute majority of the votes.
  8. In the event of a tie at the end of the election process, the Vice President's vote shall be decisive in years in which the President is elected, and the President's vote in all other years.
  9. Candidates subsequently entered on the ballot paper will not be considered.
  10. All members in good standing of an association that is a full member are eligible to be candidates.

E. Term of office

1. The term of office for all officials shall be 4 years in accordance with the financial year.

2. Officials may hold office for more than two consecutive terms.

REGIONAL CONGRESSES

• Any region as defined in Article 1.A of the By-Laws may, at its sole discretion, establish a Regional Congress to decide matters of regional importance, provided that such decision does not conflict with the Constitution, By-Laws, or Standing Orders of the IFAA.
• The following regional congresses are recognized:
  • The International Field Archery Congress of Europe, or IFAA Europe for short, registered as of January 1, 2015.
  • Further regional congresses will be established at the request of the region concerned.
• A Regional Congress shall consist of one accredited representative from each member association in the region concerned, with one vote.
• The representative of a provisional or associate member shall participate in the work of the Regional Congress without voting rights.
• The duties and powers of the Regional Congresses are set out in Article 1.C of the Miscellaneous Regulations.

FINANCIAL YEAR

The financial year begins on 1 January and ends on 31 December.

SOURCES OF INCOME

The association’s income is derived from

1. Joining fees
2. membership fees
3. Tournament permit fees
4. Deposits for tournaments
5. Interest from capital assets
6. Sale of souvenirs and other items
7. Donate
8. Other activities of the Association pursuant to Article III.

The task of the Control Commission is to assist the World Congress in monitoring the Association's finances. In exercising this function, the members of the Control Commission are responsible for:

1. To receive copies of the cash books and bank statements from the treasurer twice a year;
2. To prepare a balance sheet and a balance sheet overview within three weeks of receipt;
3. To compare this with the budget approved at the last session of the World Congress and to request justification in the event of expenditure exceeding the permitted overdraft limit;
4. To present the balance sheet and the documents necessary for its understanding to the full members and the President.

LIABILITY OF MEMBERS AND OFFICIALS

• Liability of members
  The Association is liable for liabilities to third parties exclusively with its own assets. The liability of full members does not extend to individual persons. The liability of each member is limited to any outstanding membership fees and tournament fees or other payment obligations determined by the World Congress. The liability of provisional members and corporate members is limited to the outstanding membership fees in each individual case.
• Liability of officials
  • The liability of officials is limited to losses to the association's property or assets caused by criminal negligence or malicious intent and to financial losses of the association caused by slander, rumors and indiscretion (gossip).
  • Compensation is limited to the proven loss of assets.

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

• The official language of the association is English.
• In worldwide tournaments, all instructions and important information must be written in the official language.
• They may also be made available in another language, in a faithful translation.
• The Articles of Association, registered in Lugano, Switzerland, are a faithful translation of the English version.
• Translations of the IFAA Book of Rules into any language other than English are considered unofficial.
• The association adheres to the Oxford English Dictionary.

RESOLUTION

• The association is dissolved:
  1. If the membership is less than five full members for more than two consecutive years; 2. If a corresponding resolution is passed by a three-quarters majority of the full members entitled to vote at a meeting convened specifically for this purpose.
• At the time of dissolution of the association, its property and assets, after settlement of all liabilities and expenses, shall be transferred to another tax-exempt organization with similar goals and ideals.

CHANGES TO THE STATUTES AND OTHER PROVISIONS

• Amendments to the Statutes, the Bylaws and the Rules of Procedure require a two-thirds majority of the Full Members present at the meeting of the World Congress.
• All amendments and additions shall take effect on January 1 of the following year, unless the World Congress decides that, in order for the Association to continue its successful activities, the amendment must take effect immediately.

SALVATION CLAUSE

Whenever these Articles of Association or any article thereof conflict with Swiss law, these articles shall be reformulated to conform to the applicable provisions of Swiss law.

These Bylaws were adopted without amendment or correction by the IFAA World Congress at its meeting in Wagga Wagga, Australia, on September 24, 2016, and reviewed by the IFAA Executive Board. They come into force on January 1, 2017.

President of the IFAA | www.ifaa-archery.org

IFAA Rulebook 2017 – 2018, German translation by the ÖBSV www.oebsv.com