INVITATION TO CONTRIBUTE TO CONSTITUTIONAL DEBATE
Today marks yet another landmark in the history of British Skiing and Snowboarding. Your Board has agreed on the publication of a draft constitution that will form one of the major building blocks for the National Governing Body for Snowsports in Great Britain. You can find this on our website (www.teambss.org.uk/governance/policies). I would like to encourage everyone interested in British snowsports to read the draft, understand the implications for the manner in which the sport is run and contribute to the debate on the way forward for the organisation.
Background
British Ski and Snowboard (BSS) was set up in February 2010, following the financial collapse of SnowsportGB, initially to enable athletes selected for the Olympic Winter Games to compete in Vancouver. The new organisation obtained recognition from the International Ski Federation (FIS) and the National Olympic Committee (BOA) and in doing so was required to fulfil a number of obligations. This included handling the licencing and race entries and calendar entries for FIS competitions in addition to satisfying Anti Doping Agency requirements, child protection legislation and a host of other administrative duties. Raising money became the main priority to ensure that these obligations could be met and to ensure the provision of coaches and development programmes for our elite athletes. The Board has also fulfilled its early commitment to write a constitution that will ensure that the sport is governed effectively in the future for the benefit of the athletes. I believe the result is a modern, athlete-centric constitution based on strong good governance principles.
Constitutional Theory
As background, the constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which an organisation is governed. When these principles are written down into a single or set of legal documents, those documents may be said to comprise a written constitution.
UK company law is the body of rules that concern corporations formed under the Companies Act 2006. Most UK sporting organisations fall under this Act. The constitution of a company usually sets out essential procedures for conducting a company's business, such as when to hold meetings, how to appoint directors, and what powers to vest in management and committees. These rules may always be changed but the constitution and the Companies Act sets out who has the power to change the rules and how. Putting in place the appropriate process and rules should ensure that BSS is a well run organisation and can demonstrate that it is fully responsive to the athletes, coaches, volunteers and other stakeholders.
BSS Constitution Evolution
I have taken the lead in producing a constitution for BSS but I have been supported by all of the Directors, the BOA legal team, our lawyers and FIS. I based an original written document on many of the principles contained in the Sport and Recreation Alliances voluntary code for good governance in sports bodies and combined this with principles adopted by the Australian, US and Canadian Ski Associations. The BSS Board then spent a number of days in session adapting this initial document to suit the needs of British snowsports and legal input was provided by the international law firm Macfarlanes. Subsequently, FIS, the BOA and the Home Nation Snowsport bodies have provided yet further input which, where they have been approved by the Board have been incorporated into the document that has been published today. I am grateful to the many people who have provided input thus far.
BSS Governance Principles
The Board of BSS is keen to see the organisation provide the best development opportunities and programmes that lead to international success for our elite athletes. To achieve this we believe that we should organise and manage around Disciplines and Discipline Committees and it is Discipline Committees and their supporting athletes, coaches and volunteers who will take the lead in appointing athletes to the Athletes Advisory Council and the majority of the Directors of the Board.
Also enshrined in the constitution are the classes of members of the organisation and the voting rights that they have to help shape direction and future of BSS. Provision is also made for a biannual Congress involving everyone interested in the FIS Snowsport disciplines where strategy, plans and programmes can be shaped and crucially where voting can take place and appointments can be made.
Consultation process
We intend to hold the first Congress in May 2012 and we are aiming to finalise the constitution and implement its requirements by then. We now seek further input from interested parties, in writing, by Friday 14th October 2011.
Written comments should be emailed to BSSconstitution@teambss.org.uk and should include the name and email for the contributor together with the details of any group or body that the contributor is representing.
The Board will then consider the responses and consider changing the constitution to reflect that opinion. We hope to have this process completed and a final constitution documented adopted before the beginning of the northern hemisphere season.
If you are interested in the future of British Snowsport then please do take some time to read through the draft constitution. We look forward to receiving your suggestions for improvements to the current draft.
Colin Moynihan Chairman British Ski and Snowboard
