I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Art 1.

The International Olympic Academy Participants Association (IOAPA) is an association in accordance with art. 78 et seq. of the Greek Civil Code. IOAPA observes strict racial, gender, political and religious neutrality.

The name “International Olympic Academy Participants Association” shall be abbreviated in all languages as IOAPA.

Art. 2

The Official Seat of IOAPA shall be the premises of the International Olympic Academy in Ancient Olympia, 270 65, Greece.

IOAPA shall be established for an indefinite period.

II. MISSION AND PURPOSE

Art. 3

The mission of IOAPA is to foster an international and multicultural Olympic fellowship of IOA past participants, providing tools and resources to facilitate Olympic education and support Olympism worldwide.

The purpose of IOAPA is to further the cause of Olympism:

a)      By providing support to, and a network of, national and international contacts for participants of the International Olympic Academy in their continuing task of spreading Olympism;

b)      By providing support and assistance to National Olympic Academies;

c)      By providing commentary, assistance and advice to the International Olympic Academy;

d)      By organizing IOAPA Sessions at which Members of IOAPA may share practical experience with respect to the task of spreading Olympism, and rekindle enthusiasm for that task, through personal contact with other Members of IOAPA; and

e)      By facilitating the exchange of information between Members of IOAPA.

III. MEMBERSHIP 

Art. 4

Membership of IOAPA is available to all whom have attended any of the Sessions conducted by the International Olympic Academy or as set out below. Membership is limited to physical person.

There are two categories of Members:

a)      Regular Members. The membership must be requested in written form to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee has the right to accept or deny the membership request.

b)      Honorary Members. Honorary Members shall be nominated by the Executive Committee and presented to the General Assembly. Honorary membership must be approved by a vote passed by two-third (2/3) of the present Members of the General Assembly.

IOAPA membership requires a fee. Membership fee is established by the General Assembly. The Membership Fee is set out in Annex A.

Art. 5

A membership will be terminated by the Member’s resignation or by the exclusion of the Member by the General Assembly.

A Member may withdraw from IOAPA by communicating his/her decision in writing to the IOAPA Executive Committee.

A Member may be excluded from IOAPA if he/she seriously breached the Statutes or a decision made under them, including if he/she has not paid the fee owed to IOAPA. The exclusion shall only be pronounced by a resolution passed by two-third (2/3) of the present Members of the General Assembly.

IV. ORGANS

Art. 6

The organs through which IOAPA may act shall be:

a)    The General Assembly and

b)    The Executive Committee;

The General Assembly

Art. 7

The General Assembly shall be the supreme organ of IOAPA and has the power to make any decision concerning the Association. The General Assembly may delegate some of its powers to the Executive Committee.

The General Assembly of the IOAPA is composed by the members physically present at the General Assembly meeting.

A General Assembly may be an Ordinary or an Extraordinary General Assembly.

An Ordinary General Assembly shall be held every second odd year. Notice of the IOAPA General Assembly shall be given to the Members in writing at least two (2) months in advance stating the items of the agenda.

An Extraordinary General Assembly may be convened at any time by the Executive Committee or on the demand of one-tenth (1/10) of the Members, stating the items to be placed on the agenda. The place where the Extraordinary General Assembly shall be held will be determined by the Executive Committee. The Extraordinary General Assembly shall take place between two (2) and four (4) months after the submission of the Members’ demand. All Members shall be notified of the Extraordinary General Assembly in writing at least two (2) months in advance. 

The official language of the General Assembly meeting shall be English.

Art. 8

Apart from exceptions defined in the Statutes, the General Assembly shall make its decisions by simple majority of the present Members.

Modifications to the Statutes shall require the approval of at least two-third (2/3) of the present Members.

Art. 9

Matters within the power of the General Assembly shall be the:

a)        Approval of the agenda of the General Assembly;

b)        Defining the fundamental goals and strategy of IOAPA;

c)        Decision on the exclusion of Members;

d)        Decision on the appointment of Honorary Members;

e)        Approval of the accounts of IOAPA and discharge of the Executive Committee;

f)          Election of the Executive Committee Members;

g)        Amendments of the Statutes;

h)        Decision on the dissolution of IOAPA;

i)           Exercise any other competence specifically attributed to it by the Statutes, regulations and directives of IOAPA.

Executive Committee

Art. 10

The Executive Committee is the executive organ of IOAPA.

The Members of the Executive Committee are elected for a period of two (2) years. They are eligible for reelection at the end of any term of office.

The Members of IOAPA and of the Executive Committee are not personally liable for any obligations and debts of IOAPA.

The official language of the Executive Committee meetings shall be English.

Art. 11

The Executive Committee shall be made of between five (5) and ten (10) officers.

The Executive Committee may be composed of the following functions:

a)        President;

b)        Vice-president/IOAPA Chair;

c)        Secretary;

d)        Treasurer;

e)        IOA Liaison Officer;

f)          Newsletter Editor;

g)        Internet/Website Coordinator;

h)        Head of Country & Regional Coordinators;

i)          Marketing Officer; and

j)          Research Coordinator.

Art. 12

Elections to the Executive Committee shall be held by secret ballot.

For elections to the Executive Committee, an absolute majority of the Members present at the General Assembly is required. In the event the absolute majority is not reached in the first round, a second round shall be organized between the two candidates receiving the most votes under the rule of the relative majority.

Members wanting to run for a position but who are unable to attend the General Assembly shall write a nomination letter in advance to the Executive Committee expressing their interest for the position.

Apart from exceptions defined in the Statutes, all Members of the Executive Committee shall be entitled to vote in all matters to be considered by the Executive Committee. Members of the Executive Committee will have only one vote.

Art. 13

Every member of the Executive Committee might resign by writing a letter to the president. If the president resigns he or she should address the vice-president, in that case the vice-president becomes automatically the president. The other members of the Executive Committee shall be entitled to select among the members of IOAPA a person to replace any officer resigning.

In the event that, in the opinion of the required majority of the Executive Committee, any Member of the Executive Committee is unable to complete a term of office, or perform his/her duties to the fullest of his/her abilities, the other Members of the Executive Committee shall be entitled to select among the Members of IOAPA a person to replace such officer. Such a decision shall require the approval of at least two-third (2/3) of the members of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall be entitled to carry out such a vote and select a substitute only in the case any member fails to follow and report on his/her activities to the rest of the Executive Committee for a period of three (3) months or seriously breached the Statutes or a decision made under them.

Art. 14

Apart from exceptions defined in the Statutes, the Executive Committee shall make its decisions by simple majority of the present members in the meetings. The meetings are called by the president.  

Instead of a physical meeting, the Executive Committee can organize an email meeting. The email meeting is started by the secretary following the request of the president. Once the agenda of the email meeting has been sent to all members of the Executive Committee, the approximate duration of the responses for the members of the Executive Committee will be ten (10) days, where all the Executive Committee members shall debate and report on all on-going issues of IOAPA. The email meeting shall be closed by the president.

In case of an email meeting, the Executive Committee shall make its decision by a simple majority of the members having voted. In case of a tie, the vote of the president is the deciding vote.

Art. 15

The Executive Committee shall have the following untransferable and irrevocable powers:

a)      To organize an IOAPA Session every second year and convene the General Assembly.

b)      To implement the decisions of the General Assembly, if necessary by issuing regulations and directives to pursue them;

c)      To inform the General Assembly of the activities it undertook since the last General Assembly;

d)      To present the accounts of IOAPA for the last two (2) years to the General Assembly and a budget for the next two (2) years. The financial year begins on January 1^st and ends on December 31^st of the same year. The records of accounting shall be expressed in Euro;

e)      To maintain records of accounting so that the financial position of IOAPA can be ascertained at all times;

f)        Decision to appoint Committees, Panels or Working Groups to study particular topics or problems and/or to present a report to the next General Assembly;

g)      To represent IOAPA to the International Olympic Academy, the International Olympic Committee and other third parties;

h)      To pass decision to all cases that do not come within the responsability of the General Assembly or are not reserved for other bodies by law or under these Statutes.

i)        To accept or deny the regular IOAPA membership.

V. DISSOLUTION OF IOAPA

Art. 16

IOAPA may only be dissolved by an Extraordinary General Assembly. The agenda of the Extraordinary General Assembly shall mention the proposal to dissolve IOAPA. Dissolution requires the agreement of three-quarter (3/4) of the present members.

In the event of dissolution, the Extraordinary General Assembly shall decide to transfer the assets of IOAPA, if any, to an organization representing the Olympic ideals.

VI. FINAL PROVISION

Art. 17

The provisions of the present statute have been decided by the applicants who are also the founding members of the IOAPA on 29^th June 2009 in Olympia.  

ANNEX A

Membership fee is established by the General Assembly by simple majority.

Currently a lifetime membership for 40 € is foreseen. Further Sport for All Membership for 10 € is foreseen. Sport for All membership is addressed to support members not able to afford the financial burden but willing to support the IOAPA.

Honorary members do not pay membership fee.