The FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE TIR AUX ARMES SPORTIVES DE CHASSE was established in 1921. Its official acronym is « FITASC ». The Federation Internationale de Tir aux Armes Sportives de Chasse (“International Federation for hunting Shotgun Shooting”) is the sole competent entity for the sport of hunting shotgun shooting (non Olympic) and related activities, at the level of world wide international competitions.

1.0. OBJECTIVES

1.1.   To encourage and direct the development of the sport of hunting shotgun shooting and related activities without religious, racial or political discrimination and to reinforce the bonds of friendship between the shooting associations of all nations.

1.2.   To reinforce contact and collaboration with other sports organizations and authorities.

1.3.   To attain these objectives FITASC :

1.3.1.  Issues technical regulations;

1.3.2.  Qualifies the Judges;

1.3.3.  0rganizes world and continental championships;

1.3.4.  Encourages and supervises other international competitions;         

1.3.5. Develops and promotes methods and training programs;

1.3.6. Publishes official bulletins;

1.3.7.  Awards honors to those who contributed to the realization of the FITASC goals.

2.0. HEADQUARTERS

2.1.   Headquarters are established in the place designated at the General Meeting. They (headquarters) are presently at 10, rue de Lisbonne 75008 PARIS, France.

2.2.   The FITASC must be registered in accordance with the laws of the country where it is headquartered.

2.3.   Competent authorities must be informed of change in the By-laws, the composition of the board of Directors and the dissolution of the FITASC.

3.0. TYPE OF AFFILIATED MEMBER

3.1.   The FITASC is comprised of competent national groups in their countries for the sport of hunting shotgun shooting and related activities.

3.2.   The FITASC only allows as a member in each country a sole group that is recognizes as a leader in hunting shotgun shooting or related activities, such as cynegetic activities.

However, in the event that there would exist in a country, several groups controlling each or several of the disciplines defined By FITASC regulations, these groups can be admitted as members.

 

3.3.   The candidates must submit :

3.3.1. The details of their establishment and organization;

3.3.2. A copy of their By-laws;

3.4.   Membership is decided By a majority of votes of the board of Directors. The new members are announced at the General Meeting.

3.5.   If membership is refused, the candidate can appeal directly at the General Meeting.

3.6.  The members can not belong to and participates in shooting championships of other continental or international associations which includes the tests defined By the FITASC regulations.

3.7.   The annual dues are due January 1^st and payable within 30 days.

3.8.   In order to cancel his membership, a member must indicate his intention to do so in writing to the Executive Committee three months before the end of the year.

3.9.   A members rights are suspended if dues have not been paid by March 31^st of the current year.

3.10.  Membership is lost if dues have not been paid for two years.

3.11.  Payment of past dues plus a fine entitles one to membership again. The amount of the fine will be established at the beginning of the year by the Executive Committee.

3.12.  Suspension et exclusion

3.12.1. A member can be suspended if the board of Directors considers that this suspension allows the FITASC to effect in a better manner its goals.

3.12.2. A member who does not act in accordance with the By-laws and regulations can be dropped from FITASC membership by decision of the General Meeting.

4.0. HONORARY MembERS

4.1.  Honorary lifetime membership can be given to an individual and constitute the highest FITASC distinction. This requires a formal proposal and election by the General Meeting.

4.2.  Honorary members can be present for all FITASC meetings and have the right to discussion but not the right to vote.

5.0. OrganiZation AND administration

5.1.   The FITASC carries out its objectives through the :

5.1.1. General Meeting;

5.1.2. Board of Directors;

5.1.3. Executive Committee;

5.1.4.  Technical Commissions.

5.2.   Temporary commissions can be appointed by the General Meeting, the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee.

5.3.   A candidate for whatever position must be introduced by his national group.

6.0. GEnEral MEETING

6.1.   The General Meeting is comprised of delegates representing the affiliated members.

6.2.   The General Meeting takes place every year at the time of the World Championship or any other place indicated by the board of Directors.

6.3.   An Extraordinary General Meeting can be called by the decision of the General Meeting, the Board of Directors or by written request of the affiliated members representing at least 50% of the total votes.

6.4.   Motions from affiliated members must be received 3  months in advance.

6.5.   The agenda and the documents must be sent to all affiliated members and to the Board of Directors at least 2 months in advance.

6.6.  Decisions by the General Meeting can only decide on agenda questions. Questions, exclusive of By-laws or Regulations, can be added to the agenda by the Board of Directors or upon approval, of a majority of ¾ of the votes, during the General Meeting.

6.7.   General Meeting Goals :

6.7.1. Election of the President, members of the Executive Committee, members of the Board of Directors and members of the Technical Commissions, according to FITASC electoral rule.

6.7.2. Election of the temporary Commissions such as the Election Committee;

6.7.3. Approval of the reports presented to the General Meeting;

6.7.4. Choice of  country organizers for the FITASC international competitions in accordance with the FITASC domestic regulation;

6.7.5. Decision on membership, suspension and exclusion of members;

6.7.6. Approval of the amount of the dues, penalties and deductions on the competitions as per the recommendations of the Board of Directors;

6.7.7. Change of Regulations;

6.7.8. Change of By-laws and dissolution of the FITASC (Extraordinary General Meeting).

6.8.   The affiliated national groups have one vote for the membership, plus one vote for each FITASC disciplines that they represent in their country. They can be represented by one delegate.

6.9.   The members can be represented by a written proxy. A member can only represent another member.

6.10. The members of the Board of Directors are automatically members of the General Meeting, with the right to discussion of resolutions, but not with the right to vote.

6.11. The quorum of the General Meeting (Present and represented) is 50 % of the total votes. In the event that a quorum is not reached, a new General Meeting will take place at least an hour later with no obligation of quorum.

6.12. The mandatory quorum of the Extraordinary General Meeting (Present and represented) is 50% of the total votes.

6.13. Vote

6.13.1.All resolutions are by an open vote, unless a secret ballot is requested by at least 20 % of the votes (proxies included).

 

6.13.2.The elections are by secret ballot unless they can done by acclamation when there is only one candidate or a candidate per office involved, and if no member objects.

6.13.3.All resolutions requires the majority of votes of the members represented.

6.13.4.All ballots containing a choice of more candidates than offices will be canceled.

7.0. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

7.1.   It is made up of the Executive Committee and of eight (8) members elected by the General Assembly for four years, see 6.7.1.

7.2.    Duties of the Board of Directors:

7.2.1. Admission, suspension and removal of members to be ratified by the General Meeting;

7.2.2. Nomination of Presidents of the commission among the members of the commissions elected by the General Meeting;

7.2.3.  Examination of General Meeting propositions;

7.2.4. Approval of technical regulations of various disciplines and of other FITASC regulations;

7.2.5.  Establishing amount of dues, fines and deductions regarding competitions as per the Executive Committee proposals;

7.2.6. Allocation of merit honors;

7.2.7. Appointment of legal, medical and marketing advisers. These advisers can be invited to the General Meeting and the meetings of the Board of Directors and of the Executive Committee, as consultative voices, but without the right to vote;

7.2.8. Appointment of replacements for each member of the Board of Directors or Commissions, the legal counsel, the Marketing counsel, the medical counsel when they give up or are incapable of fulfilling their duties for whatever reason or are relieved of duties.

7.2.9. Be certain that the FITASC goals are attained.

7.3.    Quorum is eight (8) members.

7.4.    Proxy vote is not authorized.

7.5.    All resolutions require the majority of the members present. In urgent cases, decisions can be made by correspondence and a 75 % majority is required.

7.6.    Meetings at least once a year.

8.0. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

8.1.    Comprised of the President, four vice presidents and Secretary General/Treasurer,  elected by the General Meetings for a four-year period, see 6.7.1.

8.2.    Duties of  the Executive Committee :

8.2.1. Put into place the resolutions made by the General Meeting and the Board of Directors;

8.2.2. Supervise and coordinate administrative services and manage personnel;

8.2.3.  Study and propose the amount of the dues, and deductions for the competitions;

8.2.4. Draw up the directives and modes of procedure for the FITASC authorities;

8.2.5. Acts on behalf of the Board of Directors in urgent cases. The resolutions made must be ratified at the first meeting of the Board of Directors;

8.2.6. Decides which company must organize the international competitions, in the event of desertion of the country appointed by the General Meeting;

8.2.7. Appoint the delegates and representatives for all the FITASC Championships;

8.2.8. Handle all problems not assigned to the Board of Directors and the Commissions;

8.2.9. Decides on FITASC model and use of emblems.

8.3.    The quorum is four (4) members.

8.4.    Meet at least twice a year.

8.5.    The President or, in the case of his absence, the vice president with the most seniority, presides over the General Meeting, the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee.

8.6.    The members of the Executive Committee can be present for all the meetings of the permanent or temporary Commissions, except for the Election Committee, with a consultative vote, but without the right to vote.

8.7.    The President or the vice president with the most seniority, has the sole capacity to represent FITASC in all civilian areas, in relation with third parties and in sports events that it (FITASC) organizes and supports.

9.0. TECHNICAL COMMISSIONS

9.1.    Technical Commissions elected for the following disciplines :

9.1.1. Helices Shooting;

9.1.2.  Universal Trench;

9.1.3. Sporting;

9.1.4. Compak® Sporting ;

9.1.5.  Cynegetic Activities;

9.2.    The Technical Commissions will have from five to eight (5-8) members elected by the General Meeting for a four-year period, see 6.7.1.

9.3.    Technical Commissions Functions :

9.3.1. Each Commission is responsible for all the technical questions relative to the organization and regulations of its own discipline;

9.3.2. Approve the new shooting ranges and  the continental and world records;

9.3.3. Ensure uniform application of the shooting rules;

9.3.4. Propose complete improvement that can give validity to the discipline;

9.3.5.  Examine the requests for amendment of regulations;

9.3.6. Upon the request of the Executive Committee, examines and gives its opinion on the choice of organizer countries for the international competitions.

9.4.    Each Technical Commission gives a report to the Executive Committee, examines and gives its opinion on the choice of organizer countries for the international competitions.

9.5.    The quorum is 50 % of the members.

9.6.    Each Technical Commission meets at least twice a year, one of which is the occasion of the World championship for the discipline, the other is at headquarters.

10.0. REsoluTIons IN  THE COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS

10.1. Resolutions in the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors and in all the FITASC Commissions will be adopted by a majority of the votes.

Each member has one vote. A proxy vote is not authorized. All resolutions are adopted by a raised hand. In the case of a tie, the vote of the chairman of the meeting will break the tie.

11.0. FinanceS

11.1. The fiscal year is from January 1^st to December 31.

11.2.  The Secretary General/Treasurer gives, by April 1^st of each year, to the Board of Directors, a financial report on the past year.

11.3. FITASC Resources :

11.3.1.    The dues of the affiliated members;

11.3.2.Subsidies and all financial resources arranged for and accepted by the General Meeting;

11.3.3.    Licence fees set aside for International competitions in accordance with the financial regulation for these competitions.

11.4. FITASC pursues solely the objectives of a public utility; it is disinterested and is not involved in for profit goals.

11.5. FITASC does not distribute financial profits.

11.6. The members of the Board of Directors and of the Commissions are unpaid. However, the Board of Directors can authorize, case by case, the reimbursement of expenses incurred for FITASC tasks.

12.0. AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS

12.1. The resolutions must be received by the Secretary General at least three months before the Extraordinary General Meeting and distributed to the members and the Board of Directors in conformity to Article 6.5.

12.2.  All changes must be accepted by a 2/3 majority at the Extraordinary General Meeting, of which there must be at least 50 % representation.

12.3.  The amendments to the By-laws take effect immediately after their approval, with the exception of previously established periods which must be completed.

13.0. LanguAGES

13.1. French is the official language. During a General Meeting simultaneous translation must be ensured for at least the English and Spanish.

13.2. French is used as the working language.

13.3. The Board of Directors can decide if another language can be used as a supplementary working language.

13.4. During the continental or world championships, the language of the host country is used for the program plus French.

13.5. In case of discord, French is the language that prevails.

14.0. Dissolution OF THE FITASC :

14.1. A request for the dissolution of FITASC must be received at FITASC headquarters at least 6 months before the Extraordinary General Meeting; it must be sent to the members and the Board of Directors 5 months in advance.

14.2. The dissolution of the FITASC must be approved by the Extraordinary General Meeting by ¾ majority.

14.3. In the case of dissolution of FITASC, assets are only to be used for the sport of shooting, as per the instructions of the Extraordinary General Meeting.

These By-laws were approved in the Extraordinary General Meeting of FITASC on October 22, 1998, in Guadalajara, Mexico and replace the 1982 By-laws, amended on 2/8/1997.