Art 1.
NAME AND INCORPORATION

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 of the association in English is “International Olympic Academy Participants Association” and – because of its international character – shall be abbreviated in all languages as IOAPA.

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Art 2.
OFFICIAL SEAT

The Official Seat of IOAPA shall be the offices situated in 4, Botasi Street, 106 82, Athens, Greece.

IOAPA shall be established for an indefinite period.

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Art 3.
MISSION AND PURPOSE – MEANS OF FULFILLMENT

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, which its members will try to fulfill mainly but not exclusively:

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.

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Art 4.
MEMBERSHIP

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.

The honorary members shall have no financial obligations towards the association.

The honorary members shall have the right to participate in the General Assembly meetings as well as attend the elections procedures, however, they shall not be entitled to vote or stand for election.

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Art 5.
MEMBERS’ RIGHTS

The members of the association shall be entitled to:

a) Equally take part in the General Assembly meetings, on the condition that they have paid their membership fees.

b) Express their opinion through voting.

c) Elect the members of the Executive Committee.

d) Be elected as members of the Executive Committee.

e) Enjoy the benefits as well as any right emanating from their membership.

f) Freely withdraw from the association.
The members who have withdrawn from the association can be re-registered.

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Art 6.
MEMBERS’ OBLIGATIONS

The members of the association must:

a) Contribute to the fulfillment of the association’s mission and purpose.

b) Take part in the association’s actions.

c) Pay their fees to the association.

d) Display comradeship and solidarity to one another.

e) Abide to the associations legislation, the provisions of the present statutes, the principles of the association and the decisions of the Executive Committee and the General Assembly.

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Art 7.
RESIGNATION – EXCLUSION OF MEMBERS

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-thirds (2/3) of the present Members of the General Assembly.

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Art 8.
FINANCIAL RESOURCES

The association’s financial resources are:

a) The membership fees, as specified by the General Assembly.

b) Revenues from the association’s assets.

c) Donations, inherited assets, bequests and subsidies offered to the association, which are accepted by Executive Committee decision and, in case such a decision cannot be reached, by decision of the General Assembly.

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Art 9.
ORGANS

The organs through which IOAPA may act shall be:

a) The General Assembly and

b) The Executive Committee.

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Art 10.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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 in quorum when one tenth (1/10) of its members who have paid their membership fee are present. In case a member wishes to take part in a General Assembly meeting but cannot be physically present at it, he/she can participate via the internet.

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

Modifications to the Statutes shall require presence of half and approval of at least three quarters (3/4) of the association members.

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Art 11.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY POWERS AND DUTIES

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) The acceptance of inheritances, bequests, donations and subsidies;

g) Election of the Executive Committee Members;

h) The supervision and control over the Executive Committee;

i) Modification of the Statutes;

j) Decision on the dissolution of IOAPA;

k) Decision on the change of the association’s purpose and mission;

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

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Art 12.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

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.

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Art 13.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFICES

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

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.

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Art 14.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS DUTIES

The President shall mainly be responsible for:

a) The convocation, together with the Secretary, of the Executive Committee as well as the General Assembly meetings;

b) The execution of the Executive Committee as well as the General Assembly decisions;

c) The representation of the association before any state authorities and public services, courts of law as well as in its transactions with third parties, unless the Executive Committee or the General Assembly decide otherwise. The Vice-president shall substitute the President when the latter is absent or impeded and shall be responsible for any special duties assigned to him/her by the President.

The Secretary shall mainly be responsible for the association’s correspondence, the keeping and updating of the association’s official books and the recording in the minutes of the decisions taken during the Executive Committee and the General Assembly meetings.

The Treasurer shall be responsible for the association’s finances and, whenever asked by the Executive Committee or the General Assembly, he/she shall be obliged to supply information on any detail concerning the financial status of the association.

The General Assembly shall decide on any other special duties of the other Executive Committee officials.

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Art 15.
VOTING PROCEDURE

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

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.

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.

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Art 16.
RESIGNATION – EXCLUSION OF E.C. MEMBERS

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.

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Art 17.
E.C. DECISION PROCEDURE

Apart from exceptions defined in the Statutes, the Executive Committee shall make its decisions by simple majority of the present members in the meetings. In case of a tie, the vote of the president is the deciding vote.The meetings are called by the president. The Executive Committee is in quorum when at least half (1/2) of its members are present.

Instead of a physical-presence 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.

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Art 18.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE POWERS AND DUTIES

The Executive Committee shall have the following powers and duties:

a) To manage the association;

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

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

d) To handle the financial management of the association’s assets;

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

f) 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 1stand ends on December 31stof the same year. The records of accounting shall be expressed in Euro;

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

h) 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;

i) To represent IOAPA before the International Olympic Academy, the International Olympic Committee and other third parties; to take decisions concerning the representation of IOAPA before any third party or state authorities as well as court or out-of-court procedures.

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

k) To accept or deny the regular IOAPA membership;

l) To decide on the size, shape and text of the association’s official stamp.

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Art 19.
DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION

IOAPA may only be dissolved only by the General Assembly. Dissolution requires presence of half and approval of three-quarters (3/4) of the association members.

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

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