Advantages of affiliation

Dr. Janine Brandt is one of over a hundred MSSA's Registered Players who has been thrust onto the international stage.

MSSA has had number of schools and other interested people enquiring about the process and benefits associated with registering with Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA). MSSA is the controlling body for Board games, Esports, and historical figure games (or Wargames).  

There are many advantages of being a MSSA affiliated club, such as:

1. Being part of a community where your club has a real say in how things are done
2. Being able to apply for National Lottery Funding
3. Being able to get assistance from your local government
4. Experience increased media exposure of your events and your gamers
5. Become part of the international community through the MSSA Registered players are able to become internationally recognised umpires, etc.
6. Being able to put your club's news up on MSSA's blog page,
7. Enable your gamers to take part in MSSA events, which may qualify them for regional, provincial, and national colours, overseas trips, and even sports bursaries at university.

How to affiliate a club

To affiliate a club is quite an easy affair, all you have to do is follow these easy steps:

1. Gather the people together that want to form the club, and
2. Hold a meeting at which you agree to start a club, and at which meeting you agree to the Constitution as well as who are the elected office-bearers of the club (all such decisions must be by consensus), and
3. Write up the minutes of your inaugural meeting, and
4. Send in the club’s Constitution and Application Form for Affiliation to the MSSA.

Once the MSSA is in receipt of the Constitution and Application Form for Affiliation, the MSSA will go through the Constitution and (if acceptable) approve it at the next Management Board Meeting. Only once membership is approved, are fees due.

It is even easier to set up a school club. All a school has to do is have the Principal complete the Application for Affiliation form.

MSSA’s Constitution  

The Constitution forms the foundation of the MSSA. It guarantees members rights and governs the way that the MSSA operates. It can only be amended by a two-thirds majority at a Council Meeting. Please remember that Associations only have two (2) votes each, whereas member clubs have a representational vote, being: normal clubs: one vote per every five registered players, and school clubs: one vote per every ten registered players.

MSSA’s General Regulations  

The General Regulations comprises of decisions made by both Council and Executive Committee Meetings. The General Regulations deals with how sub-committees operate as well as to how teams are selected, development funding is distributed, and how MSSA is run by elected office-bearers on a day-to-day basis.

MSSA’s Discipline Specific Regulations  

The Discipline Specific Regulations deal with rules concerning the different disciplines. Some of the Disciplines that the MSSA caters for are; Board Gaming, Card gaming, Esports, and Figure Gaming.

Fees for the 2019/2020 year 

The fee note details the Affiliation Fees and Registration fees that are payable.

The fees for the 2019/2020 gaming year (1 November 2019 to 31 October 2020) are:

Affiliation fees per club		R104.00 per annum
Registration fees:	Registered with MSSA Players who are members of school clubs	R110.00 per player R  10.00 per player

In order for a club to be a legal entity, a club must have a Constitution and must have multiplicity of members (3 or more members). A club's Constitution tells how the club operates and must, to a certain extent mirror MSSA’s Constitution. The Constitution  of a club must have certain clauses in order to ensure that there are the necessary bonds between the MSSA and the club. Therefore, MSSA insists that the clauses, “Objectives”, “Title and Legal Personality”, “Dispute Resolution”, and “Dissolution” remain unchanged. However, the club may amend the other clauses.   Once the applicant club is satisfied with their Constitution, the elected Chairperson must initial each page, and sign and date the last page and submit a copy to the MSSA.

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Anyone who would like to obtain more documentation, as well as the necessary application forms to register or affiliate with the MSSA please contact MSSA directly.

Also read:

• Entry fees for Provincial and National Championships for the period 1 November 2019 to 31 October 2020.
• MSSA advises of its affiliation and registration fees for the 2019/2020 season.
• MSSA elections allow change and growth.
• Amanda Pakade is elected in for a 3 year term as MSSA President.
• Freedom of association.
• MSSA benefits all member clubs.
• MSSA's Elected Office-Bearers for 2019.
• Preventing dominance by any one club.