By Laws of the
International Federation of Sleddog Sports, Inc.
(As first promulgated by the 1st IFSS General Assembly in Zeist, Holland, June 26th, 1988, with subsequent amending) Table of Contents BY LAWS of the International Federation of Sleddog Sports, Inc. Chapter A: General A.1. Name and Headquarters 1.1 The name of the Federation shall be the International Federation of Sleddog Sports, also known as IFSS. 1.2 The Headquarters of the IFSS shall be where the Council decides. A.2. Description and Duration 2.1 The IFSS is a federation of national sled dog sports associations and other national or international organizations contributing to sled dog sports on an educational, scientific or technical level, whose members meet regularly and whose members retain their autonomy and independence within the limits mentioned in these By Laws and the regulations appertaining thereto. 2.2 The federation shall have perpetual existence as a non-profit Federation under its Federation name. 2.3 Mission Statement
The mission of the International Federation of Sleddog Sports (IFSS) is to promote comprehensive development, expansion, and participation in sled dog sports in all their diverse aspects and to foster understanding and appreciation of the history and traditions of the use of sled dogs. A.3. Objectives The principal objectives and purposes of the IFSS are to: 3.1 Collaborate with organizations having as their objectives the promotion of sleddog sports. 3.2 Promote the education of the IFSS members on rules, regulations and procedures, thereby establishing proper conduct of all events which abide by the rules, regulations and procedures. 3.3 Promote the education of dog drivers and race officials throughout the world. 3.4 Strive for the uniform development of sleddog sports worldwide. 3.5 Promote the use of uniform race rules by members. 3.6 Maintain the authority and autonomy of its members. Promote closer links between its members and any other sleddog sports organizations. 3.8 Convey to other organizations its views and decisions. 3.9 Coordinate and protect the common interests of its members. 3.10 Collect, collate and circulate information to and among its members. 3.11 Inform and educate the members about the proper care and handling of sled dogs so as to ensure their humane treatment and to ensure identification and treatment of any health problem peculiar to the sled dog. 3.12 Effectuate the World Championships and other world events, and to establish the rules for such events. 3.13 Gain Olympic recognition of sleddog sports. Other objectives may from time to time be defined by the General Assembly. A.4. Eligibility (Non-Discrimination) The IFSS shall by no means, or by any occasion, perform or support rules or regulations that: 4.1 Discriminate against any competitor for racial, political or confessional reasons. 4.2 Discriminate against any dog or team because of breed or non-registration. A.5. Official Language and Notices 5.1 The official language of the IFSS is English. 5.2 All letters, notices, etc. to be taken into consideration by any of the IFSS offices shall either be in English only, or in both the original language and in English, of which the English version shall prevail. 5.3 The language of all IFSS meetings is English. 5.4 A notice or notification to a Member shall be deemed to have been properly delivered if it was sent to the last address provided by the Member, in writing, to the Secretariat. 5.5 Notifications regarding suspension, expulsion, or dissolution shall always be sent by registered delivery. Chapter B: Membership B.1. General 1.1 Membership shall only be granted to organizations governed by management structures elected according to their own Statutes/Constitutions and which fall within one of the four classifications mentioned in B.2 through B.5 of this chapter. 1.2 The Council may, for just cause, grant Associate Members, Provisional Members, and Candidate Members free membership or reduced membership fees. B.2. Member Categories 2.1 Voting Members 2.1.1 Voting Members shall be organizations which are independent (self-governing) in all respects concerning sled dog sports; which have aims and objectives declared to be and agreed by the Council as being beneficial to the aims and objectives of the IFSS; and which seek to promote international interest in the sport of sled dog racing and related activities and to establish uniform rules and procedures for the conduct of sled dog racing that will foster the safety of the competitors and animals involved. 2.1.2 National Federations
Sled dog sport organizations (generally known as national Federations) which group together the majority of individuals within a country who practice the sled dog sport and which hold regular competitions at a national level may be granted voting membership 2.1.3 Founding Members
The International Sled Dog Racing Association (ISDRA) and the European Sled Dog Racing Association (ESDRA), shall be granted voting membership as Founding Members. 2.2 Associate Members Groups or associations sympathizing with sled dog sports may be granted associate membership, provided said groups or associations have aims and objects declared to be and agreed by the Council as being beneficial to the aims and objectives of IFSS. 2.3 Provisional Members 2.3.1 Sled dog sports organizations which apply for membership but only partially qualify as Members may be approved for Provisional Membership by the Council. 2.3.2 All Provisional Memberships shall be reviewed annually by the Council with a view to recommending full membership to the General Assembly. 2.3.3 If after five years, a Provisional Member has not fully qualified to become a Voting Member or Associate Member, the Council shall have the power to withdraw such Provisional Membership. 2.4 Candidate Members 2.4.1 Sled dog sport organizations which apply for membership and which qualify as Voting Members or Associate Members may be approved for Candidate Membership by the Council. 2.4.2 The Council shall as soon as practical forward the Candidate Membership application to the Voting Members of the General Assembly, requesting that the Candidate Member be approved as either a Voting Member or an Associate Member. B.3. New Members 3.1 Signed applications for membership which include acceptance of IFSS By Laws shall be submitted to the Secretary General, together with, in English: a) A copy of the documents (statutes, constitution, by laws) which state the purposes or objectives of the organization, b) A copy of the organization's competition rules and procedures, c) The names, titles, addresses and telephone/fax numbers of at least two key executives of the organization, d) A statement concerning the latest competition at a national or international level, if any, in which the organization was involved, including dates, classes raced, winners, and the extent of the organization's involvement. e) A list of individual and organization members of the organization. f) For national organizations, an estimate of the number of their nation's drivers who participate in sled dog races in their country. 3.2 Investigations as to the bona fides of any applicant organization shall be conducted by the Council. 3.3 Candidates for membership shall, if so requested, prove to the satisfaction of the Council that the activity which they control does not conflict with or is not in rivalry with an already existing Member of the IFSS. Only Voting Members may, with a 2/3 majority, approve membership in the Voting Members and Associate Members classifications. Only the Council may, with a 2/3 majority, approve membership in the Provisional Members and the Candidate Members classifications. Chapter C: General Assemblies C.1. The General Assembly 1.1 The supreme governing body of the IFSS is the General Assembly which all paid-up Members have a right to attend. 1.2 The General Assembly shall convene when decided by the Council, but at least every two years. 1.3 The General Assembly shall have the right, subject to these By Laws and the regulations appertaining thereto, to do all things relevant to the objectives of and approved by and on behalf of the IFSS. 1.4 The President shall preside over every meeting of the General Assembly. If the President is absent or unwilling to preside, then the Vice President shall preside as the Acting President. C.2. Extraordinary General Assembly 2.1 At the request of the Council or upon receipt by the Secretary General of a written request from at least 1/3 of the votes of the Voting Members, an Extraordinary Assembly may be convened. A minimum of 30 days notification shall be given to the Members by First Class mail. 2.2 Extraordinary General Assemblies shall be conducted according to the same provisions that apply for General Assemblies, unless otherwise expressly provided for or evident from the context of the particular Extraordinary Assembly. 2.3 The notification shall include the details of the reasons for convening the Extraordinary Assembly. No business other than that specified in the notification shall be conducted at such Extraordinary Assembly. C.3. Delegates 3.1 The maximum number of Delegates from a Voting Member who may attend any meeting of the General Assembly with a right to speak and make motions is the same as the number of votes the Voting Member is allowed to cast according to these By Laws. 3.2 All delegates other than the President, Chairman or Secretary General of the Member shall send to the Secretariat (if time permits) but in any case must bring with them a letter of authority signed by one of the three officers referred to above. C.4. Observers 4.1 Any organization which has applied for or is considering applying for membership in IFSS may be given the status of "Observer" by the Council. This status shall not carry any right to speak except upon the invitation of the President or acting Chairman. 4.2 Observer status may also, for just cause, be granted to other organizations or individuals. 4.3 Observer status will normally be granted for one General Assembly unless the Council finds there are extenuating circumstances and authorizes as extension of such status. 4.4 The IFSS will make no charge or fee to any organization for its participation in the General Assembly as an observer. C.5. Calling Notice 5.1 At least three months before the starting date of the General Assembly, the President shall send a formal calling notice of the meeting to all Members. The notice shall contain a request for any items which any Member may wish to have included on the agenda, to be sent to the President within six weeks before the meeting. The postage dates are valid. 5.2 At least four weeks before the General Assembly meets, the President shall circulate the agenda as prepared by the Council and including any items referred to in Article C.6.6 of these By Laws. 5.3 Any proposals for subsequent amendment of the agenda must be sent in writing to the President at least two weeks before the meeting, and should eventually be approved of by the General Assembly. 5.4. Together with the Agenda, the Secretariat shall circulate details of any membership application and a brief description of and results of any investigations made by or on behalf of the Council. Objections to or reservations held regarding such membership application must be communicated immediately to the President together with the reasons for such objection or reservation. C.6. Program and Agenda 6.1 Annual meetings of the IFSS shall be so arranged that they shall not exceed two full working days whenever possible. 6.2 The agenda for the General Assembly (other than Extraordinary Sessions) shall contain the following items, to be dealt with in the following order: a) Opening of the meeting.
b) Statement of legality and quorum.
c) Approval of the agenda.
d) Election, if necessary, of the chairman and secretary of the meeting in session.
e) Election of one steward and two scrutineers, chosen from amongst the Delegates who are not nominated for any Office. They will be in charge of all operations in connection with the elections and the counting of votes in any respect.
f) Election of two inspectors of the minutes.
g) Approval of the Annual Report of the Council.
h) Approval of the Annual Reports of the Offices of the Council.
i) Approval of reports from commissions and review of reports from committees.
j) Approval of the previous fiscal year's Audit Report.
k) Exoneration of the Council upon approval of the Audit Report.
l) Ratifying of Amendments to the By Laws, provided that the motions for said amendments have been presented in due time.
m) Ratifying of regulations provided for in the By Laws, on condition that the motions have been presented in due time.
n) Ratifying of motions presented in due time. The Congress may, with a 2/3 majority, decide also to deal with motions presented too late, provided topics require only a simple majority.
o) Stipulation of the budget.
p) Election of the Offices of the Council vacant at the meeting in session.
q) Appointment of the Auditor.
r) Creation of commissions. 6.3 All items requiring a decision to be made by the IFSS shall be in writing. 6.4 No resolution shall be discussed in the absence of a delegate able to speak on the resolution on behalf of the proposing Member if so required. 6.5 No resolution (proposition, proposal, etc.) shall be accepted from the floor, other than formal ones relating to adjournment or that the vote now be taken. 6.6 Papers/documents for information, discussion, or decision shall not be read to the General Assembly. They shall be circulated or distributed among the Members prior to the meeting. The author may then elaborate on any points he/she believes necessary by permission of the President or the acting Chairman. The paper/document may then be discussed and the author questioned by the delegates during such period of time as the President shall, subject always to the overriding authority of the General Assembly, so decide. C.7. Votes 7.1 The Voting Members shall be granted a number of votes at the General Assembly according to the following scale: 7.1.1 Not more than 100 participants: One vote. 7.1.2 From 101 to 200 participants: Two votes. 7.1.3 From 201 to 300 participants: Three votes. 7.1.4 From 301 to 400 participants: Four votes. 7.1.5 More than 400 participants: Five votes. 7.1.6 Founding Members: Five votes. 7.2 A new Voting Member shall, in its first participation in the General Assembly as a Voting Member, be granted the votes set forth in C.7.1 above. 7.3 For subsequent General Assemblies, said Voting Member may request a higher or a lower number of votes according to its number of participants. This request shall be approved by the Council if satisfactory documentation is presented to the Council at least 2 months before the General Assembly or by August 1st in the years without a General Assembly. (9/06)
7.4 Participants are all those citizens of the Member's country who are members of the National Federation either directly as individuals or as members of organizations which belong to the National Federation. C.8. Voting at Assembly Meetings 8.1 All Voting Members whose subscriptions are paid up and are otherwise in good standing at the time of the meeting shall have the number of votes described in Section C.7.1. One Delegate from a Voting Member organization may have all the votes assigned to his or her organization. 8.2 Members of the Council shall each have one vote. The President or the acting Chairman shall have a casting vote. 8.3 Associate, Provisional and Candidate Members shall have no votes, but shall have the right to be recognized and to make motions. 8.4 Voting shall be by a show of hands, unless two or more voting members should request a secret ballot. 8.5 Votes may be cast by Proxy under the following conditions: 8.5.1 The Member voting by Proxy shall provide signed and dated authorization to the Chairman of the meeting in session stating that the named person may vote on behalf of that Member or Council Member at that specific meeting on either one or more of the agenda items, or on all proposals which are to be voted on.
8.5.2 Member Proxies shall be signed by two officers of the Member. 8.5.3 The item or items to be voted on are proposed in essentially the same content as contained in the Agenda. 8.5.4 A Member (voting Members and members of the Council) may carry no more than 5 proxy votes. 8.6 The voting majorities required are: 8.6.1 For resolutions of recommendation to the Members, dissolution, suspensions and expulsions, changes in By Laws, declarations of principle: more than 2/3 of the votes present and voting in favor. 8.6.2 For a point of order, for an election, for new regulations or amendments, and for race rules and procedures more than 50% of the votes present and voting in favor. C.9. Voting Between Assembly Meetings 9.1 Voting may be conducted between Assembly meetings by Voting Members in good standing on proposals sent to them by the Council only in accordance with procedures set forth in this section. 9.2 The Council vote shall be at least 50% in favor of submitting the proposal to Voting Members; 9.3 The vote by each Voting Member, including Council Members, shall be by mail or fax only and must be submitted by the chief executive officer of that Member's organization; 9.4 Each Voting Member's vote shall be counted as being the same number of votes as that Voting Member had at the conclusion of the last Assembly meeting; 9.5 Voting majority requirements for approval are the same as for Assembly meetings. C.10. Elections 10.1 Voting for elections shall always be by secret ballot whenever there is more than one candidate for the post being elected. A secret vote shall also take place if requested by at least two Voting Members in good standing, even if there is only one nomination for the office to be filled. 10.2 An election is effective with an absolute majority. If there are more than two nominees for an office, and no one obtains a majority, there shall be subsequent rounds of voting. The nominee with the least number of votes from the previous round shall be excluded from the next round, until a nominee has achieved an absolute majority. C.11. Quorums 11.1 The quorum for general business of the General Assembly shall be 50% of the votes of the paid-up Voting Members in good standing. 11.2 The quorum for business entailing changes to these By Laws, regulations appertaining thereto, or the dissolution of the Federation shall be 75% of the votes of the Voting Members in good standing. Chapter D: The Council D.1. General
1.1 The Council shall consist of the President, one Vice President for Sport, one Vice President for Development, one Vice President for Institutional Relations and Special Issues, and up to ten Regional Directors as specified in Article D.1.2 below. The President and the three Vice Presidents shall be elected by the General Assembly. Regional Directors shall be elected by their respective National Voting Members whose subscriptions are paid up and are otherwise in good standing at the time of the election. (6/04, 9/04)
1.1.1 The regular election of Regional Directors shall take place after the due date for membership fees as specified in F.2.2. Each regional Voting Member shall have one vote in the election. (8/02, 6/04, 9/04) 1.2 A Regional Director shall be elected for a (voting) region as defined below (or regions desiring to associate with each other) if there are two or more Voting Member countries from that region or one Voting Member, representing at least 400 documented participants within that region. Regions eligible to elect Regional Directors, if they have the required number of participants, are as follows: (6/04, 9/04) 1.2.1 Central and Western Europe; 1.2.2 Northern Europe/Scandinavia, including only Norway, Sweden, and Finland; 1.2.3 Eastern Europe, including Czech, Poland, Baltic states, Balkan countries, Slovenia, and Russia; 1.2.4 North America, including only Canada; (6/06)
1.2.5 North America, including only the USA; (6/06)
1.2.6 South and Central America; 1.2.7 Africa; 1. 2.8 Asia; 1.2.9 Oceania, including Australia, New Zealand, Melanesia and Micronesia; 1.2.10 Any two National Voting Members that choose to associate with each other and which are not otherwise eligible to be represented by a Regional Director. 1.3 No more than two Directors and no more than two executives (president and vice presidents) from the same country may serve on the Council at the same time, nor shall the Council be comprised of directors all residing on the same continent. 1.4 The Secretary General/Treasurer shall be appointed by the Council and shall not have the right to vote. 1.5 Council members shall each have one vote. 1.6 Votes may be cast by Proxy at Council meetings under the following conditions: 1.6.1 The Council Member voting by Proxy shall provide signed and dated authorization to the Chairman of the meeting in session stating that the named person may vote on behalf of that Council Member at that specific meeting on either one or more of the Agenda Items, or on all proposals which are to be voted on. 1.6.2 Proxy votes shall be recorded as votes by the Council Member with the annotation that it was a Proxy vote. D.2. The Council's Authority 2.1 The Council shall, between meetings of the General Assembly and subject to the authority of the General Assembly and to these By Laws and the regulations appertaining thereto, be empowered to manage the business and purposes of the IFSS. 2.2 The Council shall meet at least once during each year of its period of office. When the President is unable to attend the meeting, the Vice President shall be designated to conduct the meeting as Acting President. 2.3 Immediate action may be taken by the Council at any time provided a majority of the Council Members vote for such action by mail, telefax or telephone. Telephone votes are to be confirmed by the Directors in writing to the Secretary General of the Federation. All voting action must be recorded by the Secretary General. 2.4 Between Council meetings, the President and the Vice-President shall deal with the current affairs in cooperation with the Secretary General. They shall be responsible for the day to day running of the Federation, subject to the authority of the Council and the General Assembly. 2.5 The Council may appoint committees to handle specific activities for the IFSS. The committees shall have only as much authority as the Council delegates to them. 2.6 The quorum for meetings of the Council shall be the President or the Acting President and as many of the Directors present or voting by proxy that more than two thirds of the Council votes are present. The members constituting the quorum must represent at least two continents. (9/00) 2.7 An elected Council Member who does not vote within 14 days on any formal proposal (Action Alert) called and published by the Secretary General or presiding Council Officer to the Council email addresses of record, with subsequent notification attempted by phone or fax to the number of record within 5 days if email receipt is not confirmed, will be considered delinquent and warned by the Secretary General or presiding Officer. (8/02) 2.8 An elected Council Member who does not vote on any two or more consecutive formal proposals (Action Alerts) called and published during a period of no less than 30 days shall be automatically suspended from office and from all Council rights and authority, and shall be replaced consistent with D.3.2. (8/02) D.3. Council Election Procedure 3.1 The term for office for Council Members shall be from one General Assembly to the next and not less than two years. Council Members are eligible for re-election. 3.2 If a Council Member resigns before the term of office is complete, or is suspended from office, the vacancy shall be filled by a mail vote of the General Voting Members or the Continental Members, where applicable, unless the Council finds just cause to await the subsequent General Assembly to fill the vacancy. (8/02) 3.2 Nominations for Council Members shall made in writing to the Secretary General at the latest before the beginning of the General Assembly when the elections are going to take place. The President shall issue a notice indicating the deadline to be observed, together with the General Assembly working papers. Nominations which arrive after the deadline shall not be taken into consideration. 3.4 Regional Directors elected by their respective National Federations, and Founding Members when applicable, shall be ratified by the Secretary General or Executive to confirm compliance with all applicable By Law requirements. (8/02, 7/04) 3.5 A nominee may simultaneously be a candidate for several different positions within the Council; election to a given position invalidates application for the other positions. Chapter E: Commissions E.1. Nominating Commission 1.1 The Nominating Commission shall be elected by the General Assembly and comprise the Chairman and two Commission Members. 1.2 The Nominating Commission shall secure nominations for the Council offices of President, Vice President, and the Directors-at-Large, and for Commission Members (except for the Nominating Commission itself). It shall make every reasonable effort to present more than one qualified consenting candidate for each position. 1.3 At least six weeks before the General Assembly, the Nominating Commission shall submit its nominations, together with the names of other candidates which have been presented by Members to that date, to the Secretary General. These nominations will be included in the General Assembly's working papers. Other nominations may be presented by Members at the General Assembly as specified in Article D.3.3. 1.4 None of the Nominating Commission's Members may hold other Statutory Offices of the Federation. (9/02) E.2 Legal Commission 2.1 The Legal Commission shall be elected by the General Assembly and comprise the Chairman and two Commission Members. Each member shall hold a graduate degree in law, such as LLB or JD, or be licensed to practice law. At least one member shall be licensed to practice law in the country of incorporation of the IFSS. (9/02) 2.2 The Legal Commission shall: 2.2.1 Investigate the need and make proposals to correct discrepancies between regulations or between new proposed regulations and existing ones, and to correct nebulous wordings. The Commission is not intended to comment on the justification of the regulations. 2.2.2 Through the Secretary General, furnish the Members with updated versions of the regulations, when needed. 2.2.3 Review all proposals for new rules and rules amendments, and submit its recommendations to the deciding body. 2.2.4 Submit its opinion when questions of interpretation arise. 2.2.5 Oversee implementation and application of IFSS regulations. Chapter F: Finances F.1. General 1.1 The IFSS shall be financially bound, within the limits of the approved budget, by the joint signatures of the President and Secretary General, or the Vice-President and Secretary General. 1.2 Voting Members, Associate Members and Provisional Members shall only be financially bound within the limits of their annual subscriptions to the IFSS. 1.3 The fiscal year of the IFSS shall be from April 1st through March 31st. 1.4 The financial records of the Federation shall be audited annually by two auditors elected from among the members. The report shall be presented to the Council and the members following the close of the fiscal year. F.2. Membership Fees 2.1 All members of the IFSS shall pay an annual membership fee related to their number of votes at the General Assembly. 2.2 The amount of the membership fee shall be established by the Council. All fees shall be payable in US funds or the equivalent on or before July 1st. Membership fees are delinquent if not paid prior to July 31st. 2.3 The Council may, for just cause, grant Associate Members, Provisional Members, and Candidate Members free Membership, or reduced membership fees. Chapter G: Resignation, Suspension and Expulsion G.1. Suspension 1.1 A Member may resign at any time, provided that at the time of resignation that Member has no outstanding liabilities to IFSS. 1.2 Resignation shall take effect immediately upon receipt by the Secretary General of a notice of resignation signed by the President or Chairman and the Secretary General or Treasurer of the Member, and shall be reported to the next General Assembly by the Secretary General of the IFSS. G.2. Suspension 2.1 A Member may be suspended from membership by a unanimous decision of the Council or a 2/3 majority decision of the General Assembly for any of the following reasons: 2.1.1 Non-payment of any liabilities to the IFSS; 2.1.2 Failing to pay any annual membership fee due to IFSS, after receiving at least one written notice from the Council or the Treasurer that the Member is in arrears; 2.1.3 Failure to comply with the provisions of these By Laws or the regulations appertaining thereto. 2.2 Suspension of membership by the Council may be appealed at the next immediate General Assembly. G.3. Expulsion 3.1 A member shall be expelled from membership in the IFSS on a resolution passed by a 2/3 majority of the IFSS in General or Extraordinary Assembly for any of the following reasons: 3.1.1 Refusal to pay any liabilities due to IFSS; 3.1.2 Non-payment of any membership fees due to IFSS for two or more years; 3.1.3 Refusal to comply with the provisions of these By Laws or the regulations appertaining thereto; 3.1.4 After having been suspended for at least one year, and the reason for suspension still prevails. Chapter H: Final Stipulations H.1. Regulations 1.1 Regulations governing penalties for offenses shall be decided by the Voting Members and the Council either at the General Assembly or by a mail vote. 1.2 Other regulations shall be decided by the Council. 1.3 Regulations shall be reviewed regularly and revised as needed. H.2. Interpretation 2.1 The authority for interpreting any dispute arising out of these By Laws, and any regulations appertaining thereto, shall reside in the President, who shall seek the advice of the Council or the General Assembly before making the final decision. 2.2 Any dispute arising from these By Laws and other IFSS regulations which cannot be settled amicably shall be settled finally by a tribunal composed in accordance with the Statutes and Regulations of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. This shall exclude any recourse to ordinary courts. All parties shall comply with the Statutes and Regulations of the Court of Arbitration, and shall accept in good faith and in no way hinder the execution of any ruling that it makes. 2.3 Disputes between IFSS and any of its Members which are not settled finally by a decision within IFSS may be submitted for arbitration by any of the parties to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Any decision made by this court shall be without appeal and binding on the parties concerned. H.3. Modification of the By Laws 3.1 These By Laws shall come into force when approved by the General Assembly. They may only be modified or rescinded by the Voting Members and the Council at a General Assembly, Extraordinary Assembly, or by mail vote, according to the procedures prescribed in the Bylaws. 3.2 Nevertheless, such modification shall never alter the major principles in these By Laws.
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IFSS By laws