Definitions:

British Ice Skating (‘BIS’)           the trading name of the National Ice Skating Association of the United Kingdom (Ltd.)

The BIS Board                                the Board of Directors of BIS

BIS Website                                     www.iceskating.org.uk

Chair                                                 the Chair of the BIS Board

Chief Executive                              the Chief Executive of BIS

Current ISU rules                           those rules adopted from time to time by the ISU

Complaints and Disciplinary Procedure

the disciplinary procedure of British Ice Skating as updated from time-to-time

Eligibility                                         the basis, including any financial arrangement, upon which members are permitted to participate in skating events

Eligible Member                            a member defined as Eligible according to BIS / ISU

Eligibility Policy of BIS                the Eligibility Policy published on the BIS Website

Eligibility Rules                              the rules for Eligibility as adopted by ISU from time to time

ISU                                                     the International Skating Union

Member                                            includes all classes of Member as defined in the Articles of Association. For the avoidance of doubt, the annual membership subscription is non-refundable, save where the Board exercises its discretion to do so in exceptional circumstances. 

Member Federations                   the member federations of the ISU

Proper Address                              the Member’s address entered for the time being in the register of members of BIS

Regulations                                     policies, codes of conduct and rules implemented by BIS from time to time (including but not limited to BIS’s Social Media Policy and General Rules), including the Articles of Association

Safeguarding                                 The care of children and vulnerable adults against injury or harassment or threats thereof as referred to in BIS’s Safeguarding Policy Document

Technical Advisory Committee (‘TAC’)

                                                            Committee comprising elected and appointed members as detailed in the Articles of Association

N.B.

·        Words importing the singular number only shall include the plural number and vice versa

·        Words importing the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter genders

·        Words importing persons shall include corporations. Subject as aforesaid, any words or expressions defined in the Act shall, if consistent with the subject or context, bear the same meaning in the articles.

1.      Eligibility

The ISU recognises BIS as the member federation within the United Kingdom. The responsibility for establishing the basis for Eligibility rests with the BIS Board which shall determine the Eligibility Policy of BIS from time to time which shall be published (with all subsequent revisions) on the BIS Website and shall administer such Policy as it thinks fit.  Any decision of the BIS Board in relation to such Policy shall be final and binding.  For the avoidance of doubt, entitlement to stand as a director shall be determined in accordance with the Articles of Association of BIS.

2.      Doping

The BIS Board and all Members will be bound by the Doping Rules of National Anti-Doping Agency published from time to time on the BIS website.

3.      Conduct of Members

(a)      All Members including, but not limited to, an entrant in a competition or a candidate for a test, or a relation, guardian or coach of an entrant or candidate shall act strictly in accordance with acceptable conduct and good manners, express himself in a proper manner and shall not make any derogatory comment concerning the conduct or result of a competition or test, or concerning the conduct or qualification of an official or judge, or concerning the marking of a judge or official.

(b)      Members have an obligation in all national and international matters to support the objects, activities and unity of BIS and the ISU.  Members shall not participate in any activities, national or international, against the integrity, the exclusive role and interests of BIS or the ISU within the United Kingdom.

(c)       No Member shall act in a manner contrary to the Articles of Association, General Rules or Regulations, or any policy or code of conduct of BIS or so as to bring BIS or the sport of ice skating into disrepute or otherwise bring discredit on BIS.

(d)      Without prejudice to any of the foregoing paragraphs, the BIS Board may resolve at any time to consider the conduct of any member who appears (in the sole discretion of the BIS Board) to be in breach of any rule, regulation, policy or code of conduct of BIS or appears to have acted contrary to the interests of BIS and, if appropriate, initiate the Complaints and Disciplinary Procedure.

(e)      Particular, non-exhaustive examples of misconduct which may also lead to disciplinary action being taken against a Member include:

(i)       any breach of the General Rules;

(ii)      any breach of the BIS Articles of Association;

(iii)     any breach of the BIS Social Media Policy or any other regulation, policy or code of conduct of BIS; and

(iv)     any conduct which constitutes a criminal offence.

4.      Conduct of officials

No judge or official of a championship event or other competition held under ISU, or BIS Regulations is allowed (unless authorised by the BIS Board) to write for publication, under his own name or nom-de-plume, or anonymously (whether for remuneration or not) any report or article dealing with the competition concerned.

All officials are required to abide by the BIS Code of Conduct and sign to accept the requirements within the Officials Policy Manual and the Child Safeguarding Procedures Manual.

5       Safeguarding Complaints

Where the Chief Executive or his representative receives a complaint which appears to constitute a Safeguarding offence it shall be promptly referred to the BIS Case Management Panel who will act in accordance with the BIS “Safeguarding and Protecting Young People (SPYP) policy, case management processes and procedures”.

6.      Appointment and removal of officials

(a)      Recommendations of potential officials shall be reviewed and appointed by the BIS Chief Executive and Senior Management Team.

(b)      BIS may require any official to resign in the event that he proves, in the reasonable opinion of BIS, to be disinterested, in dereliction of duty or incompetent or loses the special skills which originally recommended him to the position.

(c)       Contracted employees of the ISU or BIS and their affiliated clubs may not be a Referee, Assistant Referee, Judge, Technical Official, Starter or Competitor's Steward in ISU Championships, the Olympic Winter Games or International Competitions, or Association events, or be a member of the ISU Council, Technical Committees or the Appeals Commission, or the BIS Board or a TAC.  Such persons may however attend ISU Congresses as delegates, subject to the limitations set forth in the Procedural provisions of the ISU Constitution, but without the right to vote.

7.      International Competitions/Championships

(a)      Selection of competitors for international events will be made strictly in accord with the criteria contained within the BIS Selection Policy Manual approved by the BIS Board annually before the start of the skating season and published on the BIS Website.

(b)      BIS is responsible for taking out comprehensive foreign travel insurance to cover third party, baggage, medical expenses and accidents including whilst skating for GB competitors entered for ISU International Championships, all members of the performance squad travelling to the ISU International Competitions and team managers, judges and officials attending any event on behalf of BIS. All other persons travelling abroad shall take out their own personal medical insurance cover to include third party and accidents.

(c)       All persons who represent Great Britain, as a member of the official team, are required to be Full Annual Members, Life Members or Associate Members.

8.      BIS Permitted Championships and Competitions

BIS Permitted Championships, Open Competitions, Competitions and exhibition events will be conducted according to rules and regulations of BIS in relation to the same as laid down by BIS from time to time which will be published on BIS’s website.

9.      Trophies

The winner (or winners) of any Championship or Competition to which a challenge trophy is attached, shall be entitled on his (their) giving security for the return of the same in such manner and to such amount as may be required by BIS, to hold possession of the challenge trophy so long as he (they) holds(s) the title or such shorter period as BIS may require, but no trophy may be won outright, nor may any trophy be taken out of the United Kingdom.

10.    Liabilities

Neither BIS nor the BIS Board shall be liable for accidents or damage however caused to any Member of BIS, or to any member of any Affiliated Association or Club, or candidates for tests or officials appointed by BIS arising out of or in connection with the activities of BIS provided that nothing in this Rule shall exclude or limit the liability of BIS or the BIS Board in respect of death or personal injury due to the negligence of BIS or the BIS Board.

11.    Complaints and Disciplinary Procedure

If a Member or the BIS Board wishes to make a complaint against another Member, the Complaints and Disciplinary Procedure as published by British Ice Skating and updated from time to time must be followed.