When I organized the first ever Crazy Snow Camp back in 2011, I did not have the intention to create the community that Crazy Camps have become now. I simply wanted to have a cool week in a mountain hut so I set up a Couchsurfing event and we had a cool week in a mountain hut :). I liked it a lot, the others liked it a lot. So then I thought “hey I should do this more often!” and that’s how things started growing. It was not set up as a business or with Plans for the Future – but rather one private person sharing his passion with you on an incidental base. Basically I organize these trips just for myself and I share time, space, activities and fun with you. In return, you participate in the activities and pay your share in the costs.
However, now that there are more and more Crazy Camps and more and more Crazy Camp participants, it became necessary to create a legal structure. So now I founded a not-for-profit association under Dutch law. When you participate in a Crazy Camp, you become member of this association for the duration of that Crazy Camp.
The association was founded by means of notarial deed and registered at the Public Register of Associations in Amsterdam under number 66024757.
Here are some relevant parts of the Articles of Association. If you want to read the full articles, please send me a message and I’ll send you a copy. Please note that the original Articles are in Dutch; the translation presented here is accurate but neither official nor binding.
1. The Association is named:
hereinafter referred to as: the Association.
2. The Association has its registered office in Haarlem, the Netherlands.
So now you know the name of the association :) You’ll see this as “MSA AMA” on your bank statement when you transfer the advance payment for a Crazy Camp.
1. The objects of the Association are:
a. the practice of non-competitive mountain sports
b. the promotion of mutual understanding between people and nations, of ecological awareness and of community spirit, through the practice of mountain sports
c. the promotion of interaction between the members
2. The association endeavours to achieve these objects by organising and/or facilitating meetings in which people of diverse backgrounds engage in mountain sports activities together and by organising (or participating in) activities that promote mutual understanding between people and nations, ecological awareness or community spirit by other means.
Don’t you just love this? Yes we’re having great simple fun hiking, skiing, snowboarding, playing, swimming, eating and whatever – but because the Crazy Camps always consist of rather heterogenous groups, we get to know and befriend people from all walks of life, all kinds of nationalities and ages!
1. Members
Member of the Association may be natural persons or legal entities who endorse the objectives and articles of association and that intend to effectively contribute to or participate in activities of the association. Membership can not be transferred to another person or entity.
The Association is composed of the following classes of member: permanent members and temporary members.
a. A permanent member is the natural person or legal entity that has been admitted as such by the Board.
b. A temporary member is the natural person or legal entity that has been admitted as such by the Board, in order to participate in the activities as stated in article 2.2, for the duration of the corresponding activity.
Membership is personal and therefore not transferable.
2. Application and acceptance as member
Members shall be those natural persons or legal entities who have applied for membership to the board and have been admitted as such to the association by the board. If admission is refused by the board the general meeting may resolve on admission as yet.
3. Members Register
The secretary of the Board shall keep a register of members with the names, addresses and other relevant information of all the members.
Short version: there are permanent members (myself) and there are temporary members (you when you participate in a Crazy Camp). As a temporary member you are member for the duration of the Crazy Camp that you participate in.
1. The membership ends:
a. after expiration of the agreed period of temporary membership (in case of temporary membership) also without explicit notice
b. by death of the member
c. by the member’s resignation
d. by cancellation by the Association
e. by expulsion of the member by the Association.
Temporary membership can not be terminated if the membership period has already begun.
So after the Crazy Camp your membership automatically terminates – and will resume when you join a Crazy Camp again :)
6. The members are obligated to behave towards each other and towards the Association in a reasonable and fair manner.
7. The members are required:
a. to comply with the articles and bylaws of the Association as well as with the resolutions of the Board, the General Assembly or other bodies of the Association.
b. to not harm the interests of the Association
Short version: don’t be a jerk.
The activities as described in Article 2 paragraph 2 usually come with an increased risk of injuries and/or accidents. It is the members own risk to participate in any of these activities and the member is always responsible for his/her own risk assessments and security measures.
The Association can not be held liable by a member or by a third party for damage in conjunction with an accident, injury or other that might be related to participation in the aforementioned activities or meetings.
The Association is not liable for loss of, or damage to property of participants.
The member is liable for damage which he/she inflicts, by guilt or intent (including negligence), on property of the Association, its members, third parties or the rented accommodations.
Sport activities like for example skiing/snowboarding and mountain hiking, but it might go for some group games also and practical things like for example hot wood stoves in the middle of the room. You are always responsible for assessing the risks yourself and you are always responsible for your own do’s and don’ts. You are yourself liable for the consequences of your own decisions. No insurance is provided on behalf of the organiser; please arrange a travel insurance yourself and make sure that it covers the appropriate risks (for example: are winter sports activities covered? This is not always the case).
