EPSA-Constitution
§1 Name and
place of residence
1.1 The Association is called European Professional Skating Coaches Association
(EPSA).
1.2 The place of residence will be the domicil of the Secretary in order to
facilitate the administrative work.
1.3 The EPSA shall be an autonomous and independent Association.
§2 General responsibility
2.1 The EPSA has been founded to serve their Members and the sport of figure
skating, ice dancing and the basic iceskating in a democratic way.
2.2 Neither political, racial nor religious prejudices will be tolerated.
§3 Purpose, general idea
3.1 Development and maintenance of the profession of the skating coach in figure
skating, ice dancing and basic ice skating by taking care of
3.1.1 the general professional interests of the Members,
3.1.2 the internal and the external communication and
3.1.3 the Coaches Education of the Members,
3.2 the development of the sport of Figure Skating, Ice Dancing and the basic
Sport of Ice Skating,
3.3 the cooperation with the existing Associations, which are
3.3.1 the International Professional Skating Union (IPSU),
3.3.2 the International Skating Union (ISU),
3.3.3 the National Coaching Associations and
3.3.4 the National Federations, Unions etc.,
3.3.5 the iceskating rinks and their Associations.
§4 Membership
4.1 The official ‘financial year’ ends on the 31st of July.
4.2 Members can only be single professionals that
4.2.1 are practically coaching,
4.2.2 have been coaching or
4.2.3 are preparing themselves to be coaches.
4.3 The membership has to be applied for by written matter.
4.4 There will be an admission fee of the amount of the yearly membership fee
and a yearly membership fee that has to be paid every year until July 31st of
the current year.
4.5 If the membership fee has not been payed until July 31st, the belated member
will receive a reminder and has to pay an additional fee of ... DM to cover
the cost of the reminder. If the fee + ... DM has still not been paid until
August 31st, the membership can be terminated with effect of the end of the
preceeding financial year.
4.6 The membership can be terminated by written matter by the Member until three
months before the end of July 31st. Otherwise the membership will be prolonged
for another year automatically.
There will not be any refunds of parts or whole fees for part time memberships.
4.7 In order to re-enter the EPSA for the second time, the amount of the current
yearly membership fee has to be paid as an additional re-entering fee.
4.8 A member can only be excluded from the EPSA by written decision of a majority
of at least 60% of all Members, who have taken part in the decision.
4.9 The money collected by the membership fee, shall in the first place be used
for the office costs (mailing, paper, telephone etc.) and other purposes related
to the articles of association.
§5 Organs of the Association
5.1 Executive Council
5.1.1 President,
5.1.2 Vicepresident,
5.1.3 Secretary
5.1.4 Treasurer.
5.2 Members
Instead of direct elections on occasion of the general meeting there will be
a written voting done by all members in order to make elections or other principal
decisions that have do be done by the majority of the Members.
5.3 Technical Committees
5.3.1 Installation
• These Committees have to be filled with members, who have a verifiable
qualification in these fields.
• The Council will name the members of the Committees.
5.3.2 Committee
for Practical Coaching
• Concerned with the wide base of skating, activities for leisure sport,
adult skating, special groups like handicapped people etc.
• Concerned with the competitive sport, rule adjustments, judging, ethics
for coaching, etc.
5.3.3 Committee
for Coaches Education
• Seminars
• Basic information for the profession of coaching for skating schools
etc.
• Transfer of scientific materials for practical teaching
• Preparation of a European Coaches Licence
§6 Election of the Council
6.1 Members (definition)
6.1.1 President and Vicepresident
Should be the main representatives in connection with other Institutions.
6.1.2 The President reports about his meetings with other Institution in the
EPSA-News.
6.1.3 Secretary and Treasurer
6.1.3.1 Should live in a central place of residence in order to make good communication
possible.
6.1.3.2 Should have the technical outfit (computer etc.) and the ‘know
how’ for fast and effective communication.
6.1.3.3 Should be reachable for everybody by normal postal methods, telephone
and e-Mail.
6.2. Election period
The Election of the Council will take place every three years by written voting.
6.3 First Election
6.3.1 The date for the upcoming election will be announced in the EPSA-News
during the third year after the last election.
6.3.2 Information about possible Candidates can be sent to the Secretary for
presentation in the EPSA-News and / or the EPSA-homepage until two weeks before
the announced date for the mailing of the voting-ballots.
6.3.3 The EPSA-lawyer will send one voting ballot to each member, stamped, in
order to prevent forgeries, count all returned votes and pass the result on
to the EPSA-Secretary. Ballots that are not filled out correct, are not valid.
6.3.4 Every member can make one vote each for the President, the Vicepresident,
the Secretary and the Treasurer. Ballots are not valid, if they are not filled
out correct.
6.3.5 Candidates must receive at least 10 votes to be eligible. The decision
is made with a simple majority of votes. The winners have to give their written
agreement.
6.3.6 If only one Candidate for a job in the Council has been voted for, this
person can be considered elected.
6.3.7 If more than one Candidate for one job in the Council has been voted for,
the decision has to be found out with a second Election.
6.4 Second Election
6.4.1 Same procedure as described under 6.3.3 - 6.3.5.
6.4.2 The Winners of the Election will be informed by the Secretary immediately
to take over the EPSA business.
6.4.6 All materials that have resulted from the Council work and that have been
financed by the EPSA and therefore belong to the EPSA, have to be transferred
immediately to the relevant Members of the new Council. Until then the business
will be done by the old Council Members. All mailing and other transfer costs
will be paid by the EPSA.
6.4.7 The names of the Members of the new Council will be published as soon
as possible in the EPSA-News and / or the homepage.
6.5 Validity of the Election
6.5.1 According to the EPSA Constitution the Election is valid for a period
of three years.
6.5.2 There is no possibility of contesting the result by juridical matter.
§7 Connections with other Institutions
7.1 The Council will follow the development of the coming European Community
and get in contact with the administration in charge of sports affairs in order
to become the official partner for the European Government concerning all affairs
of Professional Skating Coaches.
7.2 Officially the EPSA can only be represented in the IPSU and the ISU or any
other Institution by
• the current Council Members or
• other EPSA Members, that must be named by the Council by decision with
the simple majority.
7.3 The representative who is in touch with any other Institution has to reflect
the view of the EPSA-Council and the Members and has to report about the meetings
with any other Institution in the EPSA-News.
§8 Cancellation of the EPSA
8.1 Can only be decided by written vote of at least 50% of all Members.
8.2 The financial funds, that are left over, shall then be transferred to the
National Coaches Associations of those countries that are represented by Members
according to the percentage of the number of Members of each country that are
organized in the EPSA by then.
§9 Constitution
9.1 The Constitution shall provide the fundamental ideas for the work in the
EPSA and must be followed by all Members.
9.2 Applications for changes of the Constitution must be sent to the Secretary
in written matter early enough to be presented to the Members together with
the voting-ballot. Changes must be confirmed by a majority of the Members, that
have participated in written matter.
9.3. The decision about possible changes is made by the Members using the Election
procedure.
§ 10 Information and Communication
10.1 The official communication bulletin is the EPSA-News, which is included
in the Eissport-Magazin and / or the homepage four times a year.
10.2 Internal Information that shall reach Members only, will be published in
an "internal EPSA-News" and distributed by normal mail.
10.5 The Council is responsible for the contents of the EPSA-News and has to
arrange an exchange of information for this purpose.