§  9   Termination of Membership and Status of Affiliation

1. Membership is terminated either by resignation, exclusion or winding up of the member organisation.
2. A member can leave the Association at the end of every business year. The Chairman has to receive written notification to this effect at the latest 3 months before the end of the business year. The exit of a member from the WSA is confirmed in writing.
3. The exclusion of a member can occur on the basis of a board resolution and especially for the following reasons:

1. due to violation or non-compliance of the rules or the statutes of the Association
2. due to breach or violation of agreements or resolutions of WSA
3. due to violation of the documented basics of sporting behaviour, the interests of the Association or because of incorrect behaviour in connection with animal rights
4. due to membership of another sled dog federation which is not in unison with F.C.I.
5. Individual members of national associations can be excluded and/or banned from WSA events for gross unsportsmanlike behaviour for up to 2 years.

The decision regarding the exclusion/ban will be submitted for ratification to the next General Assembly. These exclusion procedures can be initiated by a Board decision or in connection with a justified request of a member of the Association. For the exclusion a two thirds (2/3) majority of the Board is needed in favour of the exclusion. The excluded member can oppose/protest this decision with the Board within 4 weeks of the exclusion being served. After protest, the Board must adhere to the following:

• the exclusion decision has to be submitted to the next General Assembly for discussion and decision. In this case the member to be excluded has all rights and obligations which are basic to this Statute.
• The member concerned has to be suspended until the next General Assembly. The GA then votes regarding the exclusion of the member and the majority vote is decisive.
• During the suspension period/temporary ban the respective member is not entitled to take part in any WSA event or to vote in a WSA resolution. The exception is the vote concerning the members own exclusion/ban in the General Assembly.
• Every member of the WSA body which belongs to the federation of a suspended member will also be suspended from the position within the WSA body.

4. Member status is cancelled by the Board in the following cases:

1. If the Federation or Organisation is revoked or dissolved.
2. If a public authority has stripped a Federation or Organisation of legal responsibilities and/or competence.

The loss of membership status does not forego the fulfilment of demands and obligations which have not yet been met at that point in time vis a vis the Association. The legal successors have to meet all the demands and obligations vis a vis the Association which have not been met prior to the loss of membership.