Statutes of FINSO

Actual version of the statutes

by resolution of the Congress of November 28, 2021

§1. Name, registered office, fiscal year

  1. The association is named “Federation International of Novuss-Sport Organisations” (abbreviation: FINSO).
  2. The association has its registered office in Erlangen (Germany).
  3. The fiscal year of the association is the calendar year.
  4. It shall be registered in the association register.
  5. After registration, the association shall use the addition “e.V.” to its name.

§2. Purpose of the Association

  1. The purpose of the association is to promote and disseminate the sport of Novuss in Europe and worldwide as a competitive, recreational, and leisure sport.
  2. The purpose of the statutes is particularly realized through:
    2.1 Promoting sports activities and making a social, cultural, and humanistic contribution by influencing sports, health, and physical education;
    2.2 Establishing and monitoring compliance with unified rules of the game;
    2.3 Organizing and coordinating international competitions;
    2.4 Establishing closer contacts between national organizations;
    2.5 Cooperating with international sports associations and international organizations pursuing similar goals;
    2.6 Promotion of school and youth sports;
    2.7 Training and development of Novuss referees and coaches;
    2.8 Support and advice for national and international organizations conducting disabled sports;
    2.9 Support and advice for national and international organizations conducting veterans’ and senior sports;
    2.10 Promotion of international understanding, especially European integration, reducing violence and racism in society, promoting the actual implementation of equal rights for women and men, healthy and physically disabled people.
    2.11 The association organizes meetings, conferences, and sports events between member countries and invited countries. It publishes newsletters and magazines to inform members and interested countries.

§3. Non-profit status

  1. The association pursues exclusively and directly charitable purposes within the meaning of the section “Tax-privileged purposes” of the German Fiscal Code.
  2. The association acts selflessly; it does not primarily pursue economic purposes.
  3. The association’s funds may only be used for statutory purposes. Members shall not receive any benefits from the funds of the association.
  4. No individual shall be favored through expenses unrelated to the purposes of the organization or through disproportionately high remuneration.

§4. Membership

  1. The association is composed of the national associations recognized in their respective countries that engage in the sport of Novuss.
  2. National associations may apply for membership in writing to the presidium. Their administrative documents (statutes, registration, etc.) must be submitted to the general secretariat (headquarter) no later than 3 months before the congress.
  3. After examination, the presidium may provisionally admit the applying association (until the decision of the congress).
  4. The final admission is decided by the next congress. Admission must be approved by a majority of 2/3 of the valid votes cast. Immediately after admission, the association is entitled to a seat and a vote (according to §8 point 7) in the congress
  5. The statutes and all regulations of the association are recognized by the member associations upon their admission.
  6. The applicant has the right to appeal within 1 month after the decision in case of a rejection. The presidium decides on the appeal.
  7. The following organizations can be members of the association:
    7.1 As full members, the organizations that are a legal entity and founded in accordance with the laws and customs of their countries of origin, as well as other non-profit organizations of the Novuss sport of the respective country where no associations have yet been founded;
    7.2 Associated members are organizations (countries, cities, or regions) that cannot be full members. In this case, the consent of the national association of that country must be obtained;
    7.3 Only one organization per country can become a full member;
    7.4 Honorary members are individuals who have rendered or are rendering special services to FINSO. They are admitted by the congress upon the recommendation of the presidium. Honorary membership is granted for life, and posthumously, it is continued as an honorary membership without voting rights;
    7.5 Full members, associated members, and honorary members must comply with the statutes and decisions made by the congress and the presidium. All members must be informed about FINSO activities and are entitled to participate in accordance with the rules of procedure and the general competition regulations.

§5. Termination of Membership

  1. Membership ends through death (in the case of legal entities, through their dissolution), except for honorary membership, resignation, or expulsion.
  2. Membership ends through:
    2.1 Exclusion by the Congress due to non-payment of dues, earliest 12 months after they are due;
    2.2 Exclusion by the Congress due to repeated serious violations of the statutes, regulations, or resolutions of FINSO;
    2.3 Exclusion by the Congress due to offenses that seriously damage the work and reputation of FINSO;
    2.4 Any member has the option of voluntary resignation from FINSO. The declaration of resignation must be submitted in writing to the general secretariat. After a period of 3 months and with the approval of the presidium, the membership expires.
    2.5 If a full member no longer possesses the character of a national association;
    2.6 Through death (in the case of legal entities, through their dissolution), except for honorary membership.
  3. In these cases (except for points 2.4 and 2.6), the Congress is obliged to hear the member before expulsion. For the resolutions, the votes of 2/3 of the valid votes cast at the Congress are required.
  4. The decision on expulsion shall be delivered by registered mail. The member may appeal this decision to the Congress within 1 month. Membership rights are suspended until the conclusion of the proceedings.
    Attention: The suspension of membership rights does not exempt from the obligation to pay dues.
  5. After termination of membership, a member has no financial claims against the association or its assets, and in particular, no dues or other contributions will be refunded.

§6. Membership Fees and Contributions

  1. The association collects membership fees and admission fees. Further details are regulated by the fee regulations, which can be issued and amended by the presidium. The amount of the fees is determined by a simple majority vote of the Congress.
  2. Full members or associate members of the FINSO must have paid their contributions in a timely manner in order to participate in decision-making and various events.

§7. Organs of the Association

  1. The organs of the association are:
    a) the Congress;
    b) the Presidium;
    c) the Honorary Council.
  2. Further organizational institutions, in particular committees with special tasks, may be created upon resolution of the Congress.

§8. Congress

  1. The Congress is the highest and final authority of the association. It consists of:
    a) representatives of the member associations;
    b) the presidium;
    c) Honorary members.
  2. The Ordinary Congress takes place at least every 2 years, usually in conjunction with the international tournament. The presidium determines the time and location of the Ordinary Congress.
  3. An Extraordinary Congress can be convened by the Executive Committee at any time.
  4. All congresses must be convened by the presidium with a notice period of at least 6 weeks, including the agenda. Invitations to meetings and further correspondence are sent by mail or electronic means (e.g. email). The date of dispatch is decisive for the start of the notice period.
  5. Invitations and further correspondence are considered received when they are sent to the last postal address or email address notified to the association.
  6. Every congress convened has a quorum, regardless of the number of full members present or represented. Unless these statutes prescribe otherwise, the Congress takes decisions with a simple majority of the full members present or represented.
  7. Every full member present at the congress, the elected members of the presidium, and honorary members have the right to vote and one vote each. Only those delegates who are the official representatives of a full member can participate in the voting. In case of hindrance, a full member can transfer their vote to the delegate of another full member. Each delegate can have a maximum of 2 votes. The transfer of voting rights must be reported to the chairman of the meeting before the start of the congress.
  8. The deliberations and decisions of the congresses are recorded and jointly signed by the president and general secretary. These protocols are kept at the headquarters of the association.
  9. The congress is led by the president, or in his absence, by the vice president. If necessary, a congress leader can be appointed. If necessary, a meeting leader can be elected.
  10. Applications to the congress must be submitted to the secretariat of the association in writing or by email with justification no later than 4 weeks before the congress.
  11. The congress has the following tasks:
    11.1 Acknowledgment of activity reports, the report of the auditors, and the control of general administration;
    11.2 Admission or expulsion of members;
    11.3 Election of members of the executive committee;
    11.4 Determination of the event program;
    11.5 Fixation of the amount of contributions;
    11.6 Election of auditors and decision-making on the annual balance sheet, acceptance of the financial report and the budget;
    11.7 Decision on amendments to the statutes;
    11.8 Decision on requests made to the presidium;
    11.9 Appointment of honorary members;
    11.10 Dissolution of the association.
    11.11 The rules of the game can only be changed by the congress with a 2/3 majority of the valid votes cast. Proposals to amend the rules of the game must be on the agenda. The rules of the Novuss game are the rules approved by FINSO.
  12. An objection can be raised against the decisions of the congress.
  13. The languages of the congress are German, English, and Russian.

§9. Election regulations

  1. Before the election, the Congress must appoint an election officer.
  2. Voting is generally carried out by a show of hands. Upon request, a secret vote must be held if this is decided by a simple majority of the votes cast.
  3. The presidium consists of a minimum of three and a maximum of 7 members. The members of the Presidium are elected individually with a majority of the votes cast.
  4. Following each election, the Presidium elects a President, a General Secretary and a Vice President from among its members.

§10. Presidium

  1. The Presidium is elected by the Congress for 4 years. It manages the club’s business. It consists of:
    a) President;
    b) General Secretary;
    c) Vice President;
    d) and up to 4 additional members of the Executive Board.
  2. The members of the Presidium remain in office even after their term of office has expired until new elections. Re-election is possible as often as desired.

§11. Responsibility of the Presidium

  1. The Presidium is responsible for all matters of the association that are not reserved for other association bodies by these statutes.
    He has the following tasks in particular:
    1.1 Preparation of the congress and setting of the agenda;
    1.2 Convocation of the Congress;
    1.3 Implementation of the decisions of the Congress;
    1.4 Management of the association’s assets;
    1.5 Preparation of annual and financial reports;
  2. The Presidium decides on the distribution of individual tasks.
  3. It can form commissions and committees.
  4. The association is represented by the president, the general secretary, and the vice president according to § 26 BGB. Each of them is authorized to represent the association alone.
  5. Legal transactions with an amount over 1.000 EUR require a decision by the executive committee.
  6. The executive committee is authorized to delegate the management of ongoing affairs to an executive director. The executive director is a special representative of the association according to § 30 BGB and must be registered as such in the association register. He represents the association in his area of responsibility in and out of court. The executive director can be a member of the executive committee. They may receive appropriate compensation for this activity.

§12. Meeting of the Presidium

  1. The Presidium meets as needed. The meetings are convened by the President, or in his absence, by his deputy. The notice period for convening a meeting is 2 weeks.
  2. The Presidium is quorate if at least half of its members are present. The Presidium decides by a simple majority of valid votes cast. In the event of a tie, the President’s vote decides, or in his absence, that of his deputy. The decisions of the Presidium are recorded in full in the minutes.

§13. Honorary Council

  1. The Honorary Council consists of at least 3 members. The members appointed as honorary members form the Honorary Council.
  2. The Honorary Council is responsible for:
    2.1 Appeals against exclusions;
    2.2 дDisciplinary measures;
    2.3 Disputes between members.

§14. Financial Management

  1. The funds necessary to achieve the association’s purpose are primarily raised through contributions and donations.
  2. The executive board is responsible for keeping the cash accounts and preparing an annual financial statement.
  3. The annual financial statement is to be reviewed by two auditors, who are elected for a term of 4 years each.
  4. The results of the audit are to be submitted to the congress for approval.

§15. Communication

  1. Members are obligated to inform the association of any changes to their address.
  2. Communication within the association can be conducted in written form (including electronic means). Any type of communication is considered received when addressed to the known address or email address of the respective contact person of the association.
  3. With the exception of the congress, decisions of the organs and committees can also be made electronically or by telephone. The decisions are effective if at least half of the respective members have participated in the vote.
  4. The official languages of communication are German, English, and Russian.

§16. Data Protection

  1. In order to fulfill its tasks and obligations, the association collects personal data from its members and stores it.
  2. The association shares members’ data with other associations as a basis for, among other things, collecting contributions, organizing sports activities (referees, permission to start, etc.), and for insurance purposes.
  3. In connection with association management, sports activities, and events, the association publishes personal data and photos in the association’s magazine, on the website, and transmits them for publication to print, tele-, and electronic media. This particularly concerns start and participant lists, registrations, results, election results, honors and birthdays, as well as athletes, board members, and other officials present at meetings.

§17. Change of statutes and dissolution of the association

  1. The Articles of Association and regulations can only be amended by the Congress with a 2/3 majority of valid votes cast. Applications for amendments to the Articles of Association and regulations must be included on the agenda.
  2. The Executive Board according to § 26 of the German Civil Code is authorized to make editorial changes to the Articles of Association and changes that are necessary due to objections from the registry court or to obtain tax-exempt status.
  3. The dissolution of the association can only be decided upon at a Congress convened for this purpose and only with a 3/4 majority of valid votes cast.
  4. In the event of the dissolution of the association or the cessation of tax-privileged purposes, the assets of the association (including inventory) shall be transferred to a legal entity under public law or another tax-privileged corporation, which must use it directly and exclusively for the promotion of Novuss sports.