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Governance

Article 10

Definitions

Section 10.01: DefinitionsDefinitions; Structure of Special Olympics

SECTIONS

Section 10.01: Definitions

The words and phrases listed below have the following meanings whenever they are used in these General Rules with initial capitalization:

"Accreditation License” means the written license each Accredited Program must complete and submit to SOI as part of its application for new or renewed accreditation as an authorized Special Olympics program.

"Accreditation Standards" means the written criteria established by SOI for granting or renewing the accreditation of Accredited Programs, which criteria SOI may revise from time to time.

"Accredited Program(s)" means any Program, Sub-Program, or other organization accredited by or through SOI's authority to organize and conduct Special Olympics training and competition programs within a particular jurisdiction. Unless otherwise indicated by a specific Section of these General Rules, the phrase "Accredited Program" is a generic reference to both International and U.S. Programs. Where required by the context, the phrase "Accredited Program" also includes Sub-Programs.

"Board of Directors/Program Committee" means the board of directors of any Accredited Program operated as an independent legal entity or the committee or association with the ultimate legal responsibility for governing the affairs of any Program which is not operated as an independent legal entity.

"Executive Officer/Program Director" means the individual with the authority and responsibility for managing the day-to-day affairs of an Accredited Program, as required by Article 5, Section 5.02(e).

“Founding Committee” means a committee formed to create an Accredited Program in a jurisdiction where there is no Accredited Program or to reorganize a formerly Accredited Program.

"Games" means, generally, any Special Olympics Summer Games and/or Special Olympics Winter Games offered or conducted by SOI, a LOC, an Accredited Program, or any other organization or entity licensed by SOI to conduct Games under the name or auspices of Special Olympics in which there is competition in three (3) or more Official Sports.

"GOC ('s)" means, individually and collectively, the Local Organizing Committee(s) licensed and authorized by SOI to organize, finance, and conduct specific World Games and/or any other SOI- sanctioned events.

"Graphics Standards Guide" means the publication entitled "Graphic Standards Guide" issued periodically by SOI for the use of all Accredited Programs, and any amendments or supplements to the Graphics Standards Guide subsequently approved by SOI.

“Intellectual Disability” and “Intellectual Disabilities” shall, for Special Olympics, have the meaning outlined in Section 2.01 and shall be deemed identical in meaning to the phrase “mental retardation” as traditionally used in Special Olympics. Any substitute term approved by SOI under Section 9.01 shall also have the same meaning as “intellectual disability” (i.e., “mental retardation”) for the purposes of Special Olympics.

"MATP" is defined in Section 3.12.

"Multi-Program Games" means any Summer Games and/or Winter Games offered or conducted on a multi-national basis, but not on a Regional or worldwide basis, by SOI or SOI's authorized designees, or by two or more Accredited Programs with prior authorization from SOI.

“Program Committee” is defined under “Board of Directors/Program Committee” in this Section 10.01.

"Program Games" means any Summer Games and/or Winter Games offered or conducted on a multi-jurisdictional basis by a Program.

"Program" means the Accredited Program licensed and authorized by SOI as provided in these General Rules to operate Special Olympics programs within the boundaries of a particular nation, state, or city.

"Sports Rule Criteria" means the four levels of criteria Special Olympics uses to recognize sports.

"Pre-approved Sports" means sports requiring SOI approval.

"Regional Games" means any Summer Games and/or Winter Games offered or conducted on a multi-national basis, but not on a worldwide basis, by SOI or SOI's authorized designees, or by two or more Accredited Programs with prior authorization from SOI, which all Accredited Programs within that Region are invited to attend.

"Region(s)" means the regional and sub-regional divisions of Accredited Programs within discrete areas of the world, which SOI recognizes from time to time, as provided in Section 1.04.

"SOI" means Special Olympics, Inc., the entity defined and described in Section 1.

"SOI's Chairman" means the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of SOI.

"SOI Sports Rules" means the separate document entitled "Official Special Olympics Sports Rules," which is issued periodically by SOI for the use of all Accredited Programs and LOCs in conducting training and competition in each Official Sport as amended and updated from time to time by SOI.

"SO Logo" means the official logo of SOI and Special Olympics and all of its component marks and figures; the logo is depicted in the Graphics Standards Guide and is registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office SOI's official logo and registered mark.

"SO Mark(s)" means, individually and collectively: (1) the mark and name "Special Olympics," regardless of how that name is used or displayed, and specifically, whether or not it is used by itself or with SOI's name, the name of an Accredited Program, the name or logo of a LOC, or the name of a Special Olympics event; (2) the SO Logo; (3) any Games or LOC logo, slogan or theme used by SOI, a LOC or an Accredited Program; (4) Unified Sports®; (5) The Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics; (6) any figures or logos used by SOI or any LOC as symbols for Official Sports; and (7) any other mark, name, logo, emblem, slogan, motto, depiction or other expression which SOI has approved for use in connection with Special Olympics, for which SOI has filed ownership registration(s) with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and/or any other trademark registration entity or governmental authority, or which SOI determines has become identified and associated with Special Olympics through repeated usage in connection with Special Olympics programs or events.

"Special Olympics," or "Special Olympics Movement," when used in these General Rules without any other modifying or limiting term, is intended as a generic reference to the Special Olympics program of sports training and competition and the global Special Olympics movement established and administered by SOI.

"Sub-Program(s)" means a provincial, local, or community program located within the jurisdiction of an Accredited Program, which local/community program is specifically accredited and authorized by an Accredited Program or by SOI, under these General Rules, to organize and conduct local Special Olympics programs within a defined area that is located entirely within the geographic jurisdiction of the accrediting Program.

"Sub-Program Games" means any Summer Games and/or Winter Games offered or conducted by a Sub-Program, encompassing the same geographic area that defines the jurisdiction of that Sub-Program.

"Torch Run" means, individually and collectively: (1) the Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics, which consists of the relay run during which the Special Olympics Torch is carried from a pre-determined location (and from Athens, Greece in the case of any World Games) to the site of the opening ceremonies of any Games held by an Accredited Program, or, where applicable, to the site of the opening ceremonies of any Regional Games or World Games; and (2) fund-raising and public awareness activities in support of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics.

"Tournament" means any Special Olympics competition offered or conducted by SOI, a LOC, or an Accredited Program in one or two (but not more than two) Official Sports.

"Unified Sports®" is defined in Section 3.11.

"Uniform Standards" means, individually and collectively, these General Rules, the SOI Sports Rules, the World/Regional Games Charter, the Graphics Standards Guide, the Accreditation Standards, the Accreditation License, any subsequent changes or additions to any of these documents, and any other policies adopted by SOI by written notice to the affected Accredited Programs.

"World Games" means any Summer Games and/or Winter Games offered or conducted worldwide and internationally by SOI or a LOC.

"World/Regional Games Charter" means the document issued by SOI entitled "Charter for Special Olympics World/Regional Games," dated and revised as of October 1993, and any amendments or supplements or revised editions of that document approved by SOI.