ETHICAL CODE OF THE C.O.S. (COORDINAMENTO OPERATORI SHIATSU) SHIATSU PRACTITIONERS 
Update of 27 November 2018

Art. 1 Shiatsu Practitioner works to keep his working area fair and clean. He/she receives the Customer with courtesy, accuracy and honesty. He/she will also make certain of his/her look, aspect and clothes to be adequate, so to respect the Customer.

Art. 2 Shiatsu Practitioner must not intrade upon fields of knowledge tor which he/she has not receveid adequate training and officiai qualification. He/she must supply only those services tor which he/she is qualified, giving the Customer a clear and precise idea of him/herself and his/her profession.

Art. 3 Whenever Shiatsu Practitioner understands he/she is not the right person to attend the Customer and his/her specific problems, he/she has to inform the Customer in a clear and explicit way, giving him/her an advice on where to find other more useful experts.

Art. 4 While promoting his/her work, Shiatsu Practitioner must not use inappropriate terms. Particularly, he/she must not use medicai terms, nor make negative publicity to other Colleagues or disciplines nor speak of his/her work as if it could make miracles.

Art. 5 Shiatsu Practitioner must not discriminate Customers or Colleagues: he/she has to recognise individuality and worth of every single person, regardless to one's gender, religion, race or rank.

Art. 6 lf Customer requires so, Shiatsu Practitioner has to collaborate in every possible way with his/her Medical Practitioner or other therapists who are attending the Customer, respecting the relationship between them and avoiding any kind of persona! judgements .

Art. 7 Shiatsu Practitioner has to respect physical and emotional state of the Customer. He/she must never misuse him/her taking advantage of his/her professional position. He/she must encourage a positive and active attitude in his/her Customer, dissuading him/her from any kind of dependency.

Art. 8 Shiatsu Practitioner gives his/her services to people who explicitly and voluntarily ask for them. In case the Customer is underage or incompetent, the request must be made from the one who exercises legai protection or parental responsibility.

Art. 9 Shiatsu Practitioner creates with his/her Customer an  exclusively  professional intercourse, that must be based at the same time on confidence and support. This is the reason it is necessary to request fees.

Art. 10 Shiatsu Practitioner has to keep professional secrecy. He can not divulge any information or fact pertaining to his/her Customer, unless he/she has given his/her approvai in accordance with the legislative Decree, no. 196 GDPR 2016/679 (code about privacy and protection of persona! data).

The C.O.S. President

STATUTE

TITLE I – General Rules

Art. 1 – Classification and location

We hereby establish a Professional and trade association called “SHIATSU OPERATORS COORDINATION” (hereinafter C.O.S.) whose registered office is determined by the Board of Directors and stated in its internal rules.

“Shiatsu” means an independent art based upon a set of models coming from Japanese and Chinese traditions. Shiatsu focuses on fostering the free flow of QI/KI (normally translated in Italian as “Energy”), unit basic principle of all natural existing phenomena.

Art. 2 – Aim

This is a non-profit association addressed to all Operators of different kinds of Shiatsu. It promotes through serious training organisations knowledge and spread of all kind of methods based upon traditional practices, natural methods and particularly Shiatsu. It represents its Members and enhance their professionalism by:

a) verifying and attesting the technical qualification of the Members by defining a training process of its operators and teachers in accordance with the Article 7 of Law no. 4/2013;

b) setting and keeping a C.O.S. Professional List of Operators in order to guarantee consumers and professional associates protection through the means and at the locations defined by Internal Regulation which the association shall identify for particular cases;

c) setting and keeping a C.O.S. Professional List of Teachers in order to guarantee consumers and professional associates protection through the means and at the locations defined by Internal Regulation which the association shall identify for particular cases;

d) protecting development and interests of all the Members in the context of their activity and whole professional category;

e) promoting professional and cultural development of its Members through conferences, meetings, courses and internships as provided by Internal Regulations and/or in any location and way the association shall consider appropriate;

f) promoting new ways of consumers guarantee and protection, including the creation of a consumer information desk in accordance with the Article 2 c. 4 of Law no. 4/2013;

g) commencing relations with similar organisations, both national and international, in order to make uniform the professional regulation in Italy and Europe also by associating and/or federating with similar bodies;

h) promoting and coordinating the creation of Local Sections and branches in Italy and abroad;

i) keeping relationships with press and mass media in general, following the drawing up and the disclosure of cultural and informational publications;

l) promoting and developing links and conventions with private and public institutions, society and world of Shiatsu operators, in order to achieve the aim of the association.

Art. 3 – Duration

Duration of the association is unlimited. The association can be dissolved by an extraordinary resolution of the Members’ Meeting.

Art. 4  – Consumer Desk

In accordance with Article 2 (4) of Law no. 4/2013 a Consumer Desk is established. It operates according to the procedures provided by Internal Regulation.

TITLE II – Social Report

Art. 5 – Admission of Members

Natural persons who hold the requirements requested by the Internal Regulation and are interested in the activities of the Association can be part of it as Members.

Those who want to join the Association have to put together an application by filling a specific form.

Validity of Membership depends on the outcome of the application by the Board of Directors.

The requests made by a minor have to be signed by the individuals exercising parental authority.

Membership can not be passed on to others.

Temporary Membership is not allowed.

Art. 6 – Member categories

The association is made up of:

a) Founding Members: those who sign the Articles of Association;

b) Professional Operators Members: those who have finished their training path and have the requirements requested by the Association, have successfully passed the exams for enrollment in C.O.S. Professional List or come from another Professional List equivalent to C.O.S. recognition parameters, following the opinion of the Board of Directors.

c) Professional Teachers Members: those who, having built up extensive expertise as shiatsu operators, have acquired specific skills targeted to the teaching of shiatsu.

Art. 7 – Other Related

Those who, through their work, have given significant contributions to the profession supported by the association and other acting parties who are not identified by the Article 6 can participate to the association, following the opinion of Board of Directors, because they are interested in promoting the activities of the association and supporting its purposes.

Therefore they can take part into social activities and the general meeting without the right to vote.

Art. 8 – Members rights and obligations

All Members have equal rights and duties.

Evaluating and accepting requests of Membership is a duty of the Board of Directors, which will take the final decision.

All Members have the right to:

a) vote during general meetings;

b) apply for the title of elected representatives;

c) represent C.O.S. in Italy and abroad during conferences, gatherings, study meetings etc. following authorisation of Board of Directors;

d) access to the services of the association;

e) require a quality certification and professional qualification of the service provided, in accordance with Arts. 4,7 and 8 of Law 4/2013.

All Members have to:

a) pay the association fees within the month of February of each year;

b) respect statute, regulations and ethical code of the association;

c) respect the decisions taken by representative bodies of the association;

d) avoid all behaviors that can damage the association and its reputation;

e) respect the obligation of a periodical professional development, as requested by Internal Regulation;

f) in case they are Shiatsu professional operators, be policyholders of insurance contracts of civil liability for damages caused by them during their professional activity.

Art. 9 – Revocation of Membership

Membership is revoked in the following cases:

a) voluntary withdrawal, which should be made in writing to the President;

b) death;

c) delay in the payment of the association fees of more than 30 days after the expiration date;

d) removal approved by an absolute majority of Board of Directors members against the Member who commits disreputable acts within and outside the association, does not respect the rules of the Ethical Code or, by his/her actions, constitutes an impediment to a sound association;

e) non-compliance of the obligation of periodical professional development;

Art 10 – Disciplinary Sanctions

Internal Regulations establish disciplinary sanctions and proceedings, and also the Association Bodies which have to implement them;

Art. 11 – C.O.S. Professional List of Operators

Those who are enrolled in C.O.S. Professional List of Operators are:

a) the ones who have successfully passed the exams for the admission to Professional List of the association and have all the requirements requested by the regulation;

b) the ones who, at the time they request to be enrolled in C.O.S., come from another Professional List equivalent to C.O.S. recognition parameters, following the opinion of the Board of Directors.

Registered Members can be qualified as Professional Operator enrolled in “C.O.S. Coordination Shiatsu Operators”.

Maintaining the registration is subordinated to frequency of training activities, respect of regulations and Ethical Code and regular payment of association fees.

Art. 12 – C.O.S. Professional List of Teachers

The ones who are enrolled in C.O.S. Professional List of Teachers are:

a) those who have got all requirements requested by the regulation;

b) those who, at the time they request to be enrolled in C.O.S., come from another Teachers’ Register equivalent to C.O.S. recognition parameters, following the opinion of the Board of Directors.

Registered Members can be qualified as Professional Teacher enrolled in “C.O.S. Coordination Shiatsu Operators”.

Maintaining the registration is subordinated to frequency of training activities, respect of regulations and Ethical Code and regular payment of association fees.

TITLE III – Organisation

Art. 13 – Bodies

Association bodies are:

      – general Members’ Meeting;

      – the President;

      – the Board of Directors;

      – the Independent Auditor;

      – the Board of Arbitrators;

– the Scientific Committee;

Art. 14 – Members’ Meeting

General Members’ Meeting is the highest deliberative body of the association and it takes places in ordinary and extraordinary sessions.

Art. 15 – Participation rights

All the Members who have regularly payed their annual association fees and other related Members can participate in ordinary and extraordinary association Meetings.

Each Member can represent by means of written delegation only one other Member.

Art. 16 – Tasks and Convening of Members’ Meeting

Convening of ordinary Members’ Meeting takes place within eight days from its date by means of posting a notice of convocation at the headquarters of the association and informing all Members with at least one of the following means: phone, mail, email, fax, telegram or PEC.

Members’ Meeting has to be convened once every year – within six months by the end of association year – to approve the final economic and financial report of the previous year and organise future activities by an estimated budget.

Members’ Meeting reserves itself the task to deliberate with regard to amendment of the statute and nomination of association bodies.

Art. 17 – Meeting Validity

Ordinary Meeting is legitimately constituted at first call with the presence of absolute majority of Members who can vote. It validly deliberates with favorable vote of the majority of individuals present. Each Member has the right to one vote.

Extraordinary Meeting at first call is legitimately constituted with the presence of two thirds of Members having voting rights. It validly deliberates with favorable vote of the majority of individuals present.

At second call both ordinary and extraordinary Meeting are legitimately constituted whatever the number of intervening Members is and deliberates with the vote of the presents.

Art. 18 – Amendments to the Statute

Possible amendments to this Statute shall be discussed and deliberated only by Extraordinary Members’ Meeting and only if listed in the agenda.

Art. 19 – Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is made up of at least three members to a maximum of eleven members, elected by the Members’ Meeting, and nominates among its members the President, the Vice-President and a Secretary-Treasurer.

All the association offices are exclusively for free, except the reimbursement of documented costs incurred in carrying out the mandate.

The Board of Directors lasts in office for two years and its members may be re-elected. Deliberations shall be passed by majority. In case of parity the President shall have a casting vote.

In case one or more members of the Board of Directors is called, by virtue of his/her individual, to work professionally for the association, he/she shall be paid for his/her work, being understood that he/she shall not be paid for his/her activity as Director.

Art. 20 – Resignation

Where, for any reason, during the course of a trading period the Board comes to lack one or more members, the Board itself can proceed to his/her/their co-optation. Co-opted Director/s remains in office until the subsequent Meeting, whose agenda must consider the topic of his/her/their replacement. The one/s who is/are elected to substitute him/her/them remains in office for the same period of time as the outgoing Director would have.

The Board of Directors shall be regarded as dissolved and not anymore in office in case, because of resignations or any other reason, it loses the majority of its members.

Art. 21 – Board of Directors’ Convening

The Board of Directors meets every time the President considers it necessary or a Director makes a request, without formal procedure.

Art. 22 – Board of Directors’ Tasks

Board of Directors’ tasks are:

a) deliberating on requests of membership;

b) designating the members of the Board of Examiners, the internal organisation which has to evaluate the members according to the procedures indicated in the Regulation;

c) designating the heads of Local Sections;

d) drawing up  the economic and financial report and submitting it to Independent Auditor and Members’ Meeting;

e) fixing the dates of ordinary Members’ Meetings (at least yearly) and convening a extraordinary Members’ Meeting in case it considers it necessary or Members make a request for it;

f) drawing up the Internal Regulations and the Ethical Code related to the association activity;

g) keeping and constantly updating C.O.S.  Professional List of Operators and  C.O.S. Professional List of Teachers;

h) fixing association fees;

i) delegating specific functions to President, Members or third parties, in order to organise initiatives useful to the association;

l) managing every aspect of the association in order to achieve the purposes set out in the Statute and implement the decisions taken by the Members’ Meeting;

m) creating regional bodies and nominating their heads;

n) nominating the Secretary-Treasurer.

Art. 23 – Budget

The Board of Directors draws up the budget, i.e. the association report and every other accounting document which law or Members’ Meeting consider necessary.

Art. 24 – President

The President has to coordinate and promote association activities as he/she is its legal representative.

Art. 25 – Vice-President

The Vice-President shall take the place of the President in case this one is missing or is temporary unable to office and for the functions for which he/she has been expressly delegated.

Art. 26 – Secretary

The Secretary shall implement deliberations taken by President and Board of Directors, draws up the meeting minutes, deals with the correspondence and, as Treasurer, administers the association, keeps the financial accounts, ensures the collection and payment of fees after receiving mandate from Board of Directors.

Art. 27 – Independent Auditor

The Independent Auditor is an optional organ and he is elected by Members’ Meeting.

Independent Auditor, if he is elected, verifies the sound economic and financial management and checks all the operations undertaken by the association. Particularly, he/she gives his/her opinion on annual report of the association and other accounting documents before these are submitted to Members’ Meeting approval.

Independent Auditor remains in office two years and may be re-elected.

Art. 28 – Board of Auditors

The Board of Auditors is made up of three members and two alternate members elected by Members’ Meeting, lasts in office two years and may be re-elected.

Its tasks, among others, are:

– guaranteeing that the spirit of cooperation, morality, research and professional rigor leads every activity of the association;

– depending on the seriousness of the facts observed, taking disciplinary measures against the Members who have violated the rules of Statute, Internal Regulations or Ethical Code.

– together with the Board of Directors, supervising the respect of Ethical Code by the Members and verifying that the Members appointed to hold association offices do not find themselves in incompatible situations and/or conflict of interest.

Art. 29 – Scientific Committee

Scientific Committee is made of at least three members and lasts in office five years. Its main function is promoting, thanks to ideas and projects of its members, researches, studies, conferences and seminars in order to enhance all association initiatives.

Art. 30 – Conflict of interest

The association endeavors to withdraw expeditiously any situation of incompatibility or conflict of interest between offices.

Art. 31 –  Duration of offices

When not expressly provided for, duration and possible reiteration of association offices are indicated by Internal Regulations.

Art. 32 – Sections

The association may establish association sections wherever it considers appropriate in order to better achieve the association purposes.

Each Section operates through a territory manager.

Territory Managers can take part into Board of Directors meetings, without right to vote, whenever the Manager or the Board of Directors so requests, in order to raise particular issues.

TITLE IV – Assets

Art. 33 – Membership Year

Association and financial year starts on January the 1st and ends on December the 31st of each year.

Art. 34 – Assets

Financial means are association fees yearly fixed by the Board of Directors, contributions of other associations and organisations, bequests and donations, incomes deriving from the initiatives organised by the association, fundraising.

Any fees or association contribution can not be passed on to others and is not refundable.

Distribution, whether direct of indirect, of running cost surpluses, funds, reserves of running cost surpluses or capital during the life of the Association is forbidden, unless the destination or distribution is required by law.

TITLE V – Final provisions

Art. 35 – Dissolution

Association dissolution is deliberated by the general Members’ Meeting, convened for an extraordinary meeting, after the approval, both at first and second call, of at least two thirds of present and voting Members, who express their individual vote, excluding all delegations.

Members’ Meeting, in case of dissolution of the association, shall deliberate, after consulting the Authority, with regard to the allocation of the possible active residue of association assets.

The allocation of residue assets shall be in favor of another association with similar purposes, i.e. of public interest, heard the control body referred to in Article 3, paragraph 190, of Law December 23, 1996, n. 662, unless otherwise required by law.

This statute shall be considered an integral and substantive part of the Articles of Association drawn up on the same date.

Art. 36 – General Rules

For all matters not expressly provided for in this Statute reference is made to national and European general principles and laws in force.

Read, approved and signed. in Bologna on the 28th of February 2001.

Giovanni Speranza

Angelo Mammetti

Luana Gardellin

Lucia Susel

Bruna Del Zotto

Michela Baf

Gabriella Guarese

Rossella Moscatello

Sara Rosa Rizzotto

Antonella Rizzo

Antonella Marilungo

Fabrizio Barbi

Cristina Zennaro

Stefano Benassi

Varied, read and approved by extraordinary Members and Associated Meeting in Rimini on the 1st of March 2008.

Varied, read and approved by extraordinary Members and Associated Meeting in Rimini on the 25th of September 2009.

Varied, read and approved by extraordinary Members and Associated Meeting in Pordenone on the 7th of June 2014.

Varied, read and approved by extraordinary Members and Associated Meeting in

Rimini on the 11th of April 2015.

Varied, read and approved by extraordinary Members and Associated Meeting in Pordenone on the 5^th of June 2016.

C.O.S. INTERNAL REGULATION

(Coordination Shiatsu Operators)

Updated on the 21ST of May 2023

GENERAL RULES

ART. 1 Contingent modifications to this regulation, and everything else concerning it, fall solely within the remit of C.O.S. Board of Directors.

ART. 2 Any possible foundation of common bodies or any kind of association with institutions, corporations or other associations, has to be decided by C.O.S. Members’ Meeting.

ART. 3 The Governing Board of the C.O.S. establishes the seat of the Presidency in Rimini at Via Teodorico, 15 and the seat of the Secretariat/Treasury in Castions di Zoppola (PN) at Via Gorizia, 26, reconfirming or varying them at each term of office

ART. 4 The minutes of the C.O.S. Executive Board meetings, C.O.S. Assemblies of Members and any other C.O.S. Bodies appointed, the Register of Members, the Professional List, the C.O.S. Register of Teachers and the List of Member Schools shall be kept in the Presidency. The remaining books for accounting purposes will be kept in the Secretariat/Treasury. It will be possible to keep the aforesaid documents in a location other than the one assigned exclusively and for as long as is necessary for the drafting, updating and anything else concerning them.

ART. 5 Each year, the C.O.S. Board of Directors shall establish the membership fees, which it shall attach to these Internal Regulations. In order not to penalise those who join during the year, the membership fee for the first year of membership shall be proportionate to the months of actual membership. The new member's membership fee, from the second year onwards, shall be aligned with the fee laid down in the Rules.

ART. 6 The Executive Board of the C.O.S. shall deliberate validly with the presence of the majority of its members.

ART. 7 The President of the C.O.S., in case of urgency, has the power to take measures in matters within the competence of the Governing Board of the C.O.S.

The President of the C.O.S shall convene the Governing Board of the C.O.S. within and no later than one month from the adoption of the aforementioned measures, which shall examine the measures in order to ratify them or not. If the aforementioned deadline expires, the measures shall lapse. 

ART. 8 The President of the C.O.. may call other persons to preside over the C.O.S. Members' Assembly in his stead. In such cases, the minutes of the meeting are signed by the President of the C.O.S. and the President of the C.O.S. Members' Meeting.

ART. 9 The members of the Executive Committee, the Examining Committee, the Board of Arbitrators and the Auditor of the C.O.S. forfeit their office if they are absent for the second consecutive time from the meetings of the bodies they are part of, without adequate justification. The forfeiture shall be declared by the body at the meeting following the one in which the second absence occurs, and the first of the non-elected ones or a reserve, if they have been designated, shall be appointed as a replacement. Once the forfeiture has been decided, the body shall inform the C.O.S. Executive Board and the former member by registered letter with return receipt or PEC.

ART. 10 For all the requests of access to the records, the C.O.S. Board of Directors reserves the right to grant them taking into account the provisions of the EU Privacy Regulation GDPR 2016/679. However, all costs shall be borne by the applicant.

REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION AT C.O.S.

ART. 11 To be registered at C.O.S., the following training certificates are requested:

1. baccalaureat or equivalent degree
2. attendance certificates of training process at a C.O.S. related school/institution, or at any school which conforms to C.O.S. standards.
3. training curriculum three years or 650 hours long of:

• at least 500 hours of frontal theoretical-practical lessons exclusively about Shiatsu;
• at least 150 hours of certified and guided practices and/or certified and guided apprenticeships in addition to educational path at school.

The candidate who cannot provide a baccalaureat or equivalent degree has to attach to his/her request of registration all certificates which attest his/her training and professional experience. C.O.S. Board of Directors shall judge each case in order to decide if the documents provided by the candidate are equivalent to baccalaureat.

In case the candidate is unable, due to force majeure or particular events, to supply the training certificates requested (because they have been taken abroad, or back in the years etc.) C.O.S. Board of Directors can consider, in order to accept the request for registration at C.O.S., the documents which attest an experience gained in shiatsu through a professional and continuous practice of at least 5 years.

RULES FOR REGISTRATION AT C.O.S.

ART. 12 It is possible to register in the C.O.S.  Professional List as follow:

• by passing the admission test
• along with the submission of documentation which certify the subscription to another professional association equivalent to C.O.S. recognition standards.

ART. 13 Natural or legal persons who want to support C.O.S. by liberal subscription do not have to fulfil requirements of article 12.

RULES GOVERNING ADMISSION TO EXAMINATIONS FOR REGISTRATION ON THE C.O.S. PROFESSIONAL LIST

ART. 14 To make a request for the admission to the exams for registration at C.O.S. Professional List the following documents must be supplied:

• request on specific form
• certification of training process
• presentation letter drafted by the school of origin
• curriculum vitae (European model) to be signed and dated
• double-sided printed copy of a valid identity document
• fiscal code
• copy of the payment of the examination registration fee

Admission is officialized when the payment of the registration fee and all the requested papers are sent to C.O.S. Secretariat within 30 days from the date when the exam session is established. In case of redundant requests the date of receipt shall be taken as a proof.

Accepting the late requests is at discretion of the President of C.O.S. Examinating Board depending on how many are the candidates. If impossible, the redundant requests shall be postponed to the subsequent exam session.

People who decide to display a thesis have to send it to C.O.S. Secretariat within the 30th day before the date of the exams.

C.O.S. Secretariat shall sends a convocation which includes date, hour and place of the exam itself to the candidates within 15 days from the exam by letter (or other medium).

ART. 15 There shall be an exam session each year. The date of the session is fixed by C.O.S. Board of Directors, which has to disclose it. It is otherwise possible to take information at C.O.S. Local Sections.

ART. 16 The exam is divided into two parts, one practical and one theoretical. One can find the description of the exam in the Exam Regulation for registration at C.O.S. Professional List attached to this C.O.S. Internal Regulation.

ART. 17 Future examination candidates may participate to exam tests as observers, only if they do not disturb and at the discretion of C.O.S. Examinating Board. They have to make formal request to C.O.S. Secretariat (also by phone) within 5 days from the session.

ART. 18 The C.O.S. Secretary shall always be present at exam sessions in order to assure a fair development of all the procedures concerning them:

• registration of candidates to association and exams;
• check of the documents supplied by the candidates and possible integration of missing documents;
• preparation of test reports and their delivery to C.O.S. Examination Board;
• collection of test reports to file them at C.O.S. Secretariat.

ART. 19 Members who have passed the exam (see articles above) have to submit an application for registration at C.O.S. Professional List. Enrollment is deliberated by C.O.S. Board of Directors during the first meeting after C.O.S. Secretariat has sent test reports.

Professional Members registered at C.O.S. Professional List may give their consent, by signing a specific form, to the use of their personal data for professional purposes as required by C.O.S. (phone, Internet, publications, etc.).

RULES FOR DIRECT REGISTRATION AT C.O.S. PROFESSIONAL LIST

ART. 20 When asking for registration at C.O.S. a professional who have already passed the admission test for another national or foreign Professional List or Register (equivalent to the C.O.S. recognition standards) can make a request for direct registration at C.O.S. Professional List by filling the specific form, attaching documents of the attestation  achieved at the association of origin.

Acceptance of the request is subject to C.O.S. Board of Directors assessment of supplied documents conformity to C.O.S. standards and deliberated by C.O.S. Board of Directors during the first meeting after receiving them.

ART. 21 In case Members have already passed the admission test for the Professional List or Register of foreign associations which do not have entered with C.O.S. bilateral recognition agreements when they ask for registration at C.O.S. may anyway make a request for direct registration at C.O.S. Professional List by filling the specific form, attaching:

• documents of the attestation achieved at the association of origin;
• explanatory documents, certified by the association of origin, about the rules for the examinations development taken by the applicant.

Acceptance of the request is subject to C.O.S. Board of Directors assessment of supplied documents conformity to C.O.S. standards and deliberated by C.O.S. Board of Directors during the first meeting after receiving them.

RULES FOR COMPULSORY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF C.O.S. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS

ART. 22 C.O.S. Professional Members have to constantly improve their knowledge and competence by studying and attending courses and internships of at least 8 (eight) hours in a single event.

In order to maintain their visibility on the site and receive 'the certificate of quality and professional qualification of the services provided' (Art. 7 L. 4/2013), they are required to attend at least one course or internship organised or proposed by the C.O.S. every two years or recognised by it as valid for the purposes of updating.

New members are invited to attend the first useful National Conference organised by the C.O.S.

ART. 23 C.O.S. Board of Directors can decide, in order to encourage professional development of its Professional Members, to accredit courses or traineeships made by other related Schools/Institutions, Teachers enrolled in the  C.O.S. Professional Teachers' List, and by the the European Associations enrolled in the E.S.F. recognising their requirements and characteristics as suitable for quality guarantees of continuing education.

AER. 24 Participating School/Institution or Teacher enrolled in the RIC which would like to propose (at the most two per year) a course or internship valid for C.O.S. Professional Members compulsory professional development has to send to C.O.S. Board of Directors a complete documentation with all the information about the event. The proposed seminars are not to be held in the two months preceding and following C.O.S. national conference.

Once the proposal has been taken into account, C.O.S. Board of Directors reserves itself the possibility to ask for further information or possible changes, if they are essential to validate the proposal itself.

The criteria followed by C.O.S. Board of Directors to validate or not courses and internships for the compulsory professional development of C.O.S. Professional Members are:

• clear patency that the course or internship is exclusively organised by the elated School/Institution or Teacher enrolled in the RIC which has made the request;
• relevance of the proposed topic to shiatsu
• duration of the event;
• cost of the event.

Once deliberated, C.O.S. Board of Directors shall inform in a timely manner the related School/Institution in question about its decision.

If decision is positive, C.O.S. Board of Directors shall give a mandate in order to validate the approved course or internship and will inform all the C.O.S. Professional Members by email, publication on the specific page of the association website and through social media.

ART. 25

 Related School/Institution or Teacher enrolled in the RIC whose courses or internships for compulsory professional development of C.O.S. Professional Members have been accepted has to:

• give to C.O.S. Professional Member who has followed the course or internship a participation certificate that bears the sentence “Valide for C.O.S. (Coordination Shiatsu Operators) compulsory professional development”;
• give communication in a timely manner to C.O.S. Secretariat of number and names of C.O.S. Professional Members who have participated in the approved course or internship.

RULES ABOUT C.O.S. EXAMINATING BOARD

ART. 26 During the first meeting of each year the C.O.S. Board of Directors shall elect C.O.S. Examinating Board, which shall consist of three to six full Members and two possible alternate.

C.O.S. Examiners are selected according to the following criteria:

1. they have to be Professional Members;
2. they have to be Training Teachers since at least three years.

Simultaneously to the first exam session C.O.S. Examinating Board elects from among its members a President.

Examinating Board leads and guarantees the fair development of the examinations for admission to C.O.S. Professional List.

It has to verify quality standards, professional qualifications and skills which are required for the certificates referred to in Article 7 of law no. 4/2013 to be issued.

ART. 27 C.O.S. Examinating Board shall validly deliberate when at least three members are present and voting. Deliberations are determined by a simple majority and, in case of equality, the vote of C.O.S. Examinating Board President has double and decisive value.

ART. 28 A record of each exam session shall be kept and report the result of the exam of each examinated, the transcription of discussed topics (together with the thesis proposed by the candidate) and questions possibly made by the examiners, a summary assessment made by the members of the Board with specification of any possible different views. The President of C.O.S. Examinating Board has to draw up the records.

RULES ABOUT CONSUMER'S COUNTER

ART. 29 In accordance with Law 14th of January 2013 no. 4 called “Regulations in the field of unregulated professions” and Legislative Decree 6th of September 2005 no. 206, called “Consumer code”, Coordination Shiatsu Operators sets up a C.O.S. Consumer’s Counter.

ART. 30 C.O.S. Consumer’s Counter is a free service of public interest for C.O.S. consumers, users and associated people.

Particularly, C.O.S. Consumer’s Desk gives answers about specific problems, adopting a propositional and friendly attitude, acting, in case it is necessary and possible, conciliation procedures.

ART. 31 Goals of C.O.S. Consumer’s Counter are:

• supply information to consumers concerning:
  • Shiatsu discipline and quality standards that C.O.S. requires to its registered members;
  • rules for access to the lists of Professional Members registered at C.O.S. Professional List, in order to request their professional services;
• gather Consumers suggestions and notifications about theirpossible needs or problems caused to them by C.O.S. Professional Members while carrying out their professional activity.
• provide assistance to parties in the event of litigation, paying special attention to conciliation procedures and non-judicial resolution tools, under the existing rules and this C.O.S. Internal Regulation.

ART. 32 Rules for the access to the C.O.S. Consumer’s Counter services, fixed or renewed in each mandate by C.O.S. Board of Directors, are attached to this Internal Regulation and available on C.O.S. website at the following link https://www.shiatsucos.com/associazione/sportello-consumatore

C.O.S. DISCIPLINARY RULES AND ETHICAL CODE

ART. 33 C.O.S. Members are committed to follow the ethical rules referred to in the following articles. C.O.S. Board of Arbitrators is the authority which monitors their application. Disregarding these rules entails disciplinary sanctions commisurate to seriousness and recidivism.

ART. 34 Member who is guilty of behaviours referred to in Article 9 of the Regulation, or of events which are inappropriate to professional dignity and decorum, is subject to disciplinary proceeding before C.O.S. Board of Arbitrators upon C.O.S. Board of Directors. motivated complaint. The outcome of the disciplinary proceeding shall be communicated by C.O.S. Board of Arbitrators to C.O.S. Board of Directors within 2 days from the conclusion of the enquiry.

ART. 35 Disciplinary sanctions are:

1. written warning;
2. suspension from Membership for a period not exceeding two years;
3. removal.

ART. 36 Written warning is a written reprimand for the infringement. It is imposed in case of non-negligible misuses or lacks which however do not affect professional dignity and decorum.

Member on whom the written warning has been imposed is punished through a not less than one month suspension whether he/she incurrs in new infringements.

ART. 37 Suspension is applicable in case of serious misuses or lacks which affect professional dignity and decorum.

The professional can however ask to C.O.S. Board of Arbitrators to bring about the cessation of the suspension if its conditions have dropped.

Temporary suspension implies the impossibility, for the sanctioned Member, to use his/her title as C.O.S. Member, to take part to any initiative organised or promoted by C.O.S., to have the right to take part in C.O.S. association activities or to vote and stand.

ART. 38 Removal is stated against the Member whose behaviour has seriously jeopardised his/her reputation and the dignity of the professional association.

Removal entails the cancellation of the Member from C.O.S. Professional List.

ART. 39 No disciplinary sanction can be imposed if the official accused, after statement of objections, has been invited before C.O.S. Board of Arbitrators with assignment of a term shorter than 7 days for the defence of his/her own reasons.

The official accused can ask the assistance of a defence lawyer.

The convened Member has to attend on the day indicated. If he/she can not, he/she has to warn C.O.S. Board of Arbitrators in a timely manner through C.O.S. Presidency. Default of appearance in second call shall imply the removal. This disciplinary sanction shall be imposed and deliberated by C.O.S. Board of Directors on demand of C.O.S. Board of Arbitrators.

ART. 40 At the end of the enquiry C.O.S. Board of Arbitrators expresses its opinion about the infringement of which the Member is accused.

C.O.S. reserves itselfthe duty to impose the prescribed sanction.

SUSPENSION OF MEMBERSHIP STATUS

ART. 41  A member who, on the 60th plus a a further 30 days (in accordance with the statutes) from the opening of the association year (intended from January the 1^st till December the 31^st) has not paid his/her association quota fee, will lose the related active and passive electorate rights and all those others reserved to active and paying members including insurance cover.

In case the Professional Member who has previously resigned as C.O.S. Member intends to enroll again in C.O.S. will be required to pay the current year quota fee and to follow one training seminar after which it can obtain the certificate of quality and professional qualification of the services provided (Art. 13 L.4/2013). 

ART 42 Unjustified failure to apply the obligation of biennial professional development as described in article 24 of this C.O.S. Internal Regulation entails the loss of visibility from C.O.S. website Professional List and the right to receive the certificate of quality and professional qualification of the services provided (Art. 13 L.4/2013).

RULES C.O.S. LOCAL SECTIONS

ART. 43 In order to better achieve goals and objectives of this Regulation, C.O.S. shall be supported by Local Sections settled in locations different from that of the Board itself.

ART. 44 C.O.S. Local Sections do not have administrative nor financial autonomy, they operate through a Local Responsible, elected by C.O.S. Board of Directors on recommendation of the Members of the district in question, in office for two years and re-electable.

ART. 45 The Local Responsibles shall implement, in the district context, the directives of the C.O.S.  and the of the C.O.S. Members’ Meeting and shall have the following tasks :

• to participate, on behalf of the C.O.S. Board, in the Copal’s regional meetings and then to make a written report on the contents to the Board
• write articles on institutional news in their region
• be a reference figure for the members of their own territory and act as a trait-d’union between them and the Board of Directors
• may be in charge of finding and proposing to the Board of Directors a venue for a conference.

ART. 46 All the activities of C.O.S. Local Sections do not have any formal duty, except as expressly stated by C.O.S. Regulation. C.O.S. Local Sections have to register all specific activities similar to the ones fixed by C.O.S.

RULES ABOUT C.O.S. BOARD OF ARBITRATORS 

ART. 47 After its election, C.O.S. Board of Arbitrators shall meet to nominate the President, take the outgoing Board deliveries and establish a timetable for the work.

ART. 48 The President of C.O.S. Board of Arbitrators convenes the Board as necessary,  draws up the provisional agenda and chairs the meeting. He/she has also to draw up the meeting minutes.

ART. 49 Members’ intervantion requests for C.O.S. Board of Arbitrators, C.O.S. Board of Directors or C.O.S. President have to be send to C.O.S. Presidency, which shall send them to the President of C.O.S. Board of Arbitrators, which shall insert them into the agenda of the subsequent meeting.

ART. 50 C.O.S. Board of Arbitrators validly deliberates if the majority of its members is present. Deliberations are determined by a simple majority and, in case of equality, the vote of the President of C.O.S. Board of Arbitrators has double and decisive value. If he/she can not be present, he/she can temporarily delegate his/her duties to another Member of the Board.

RULES ABOUT C.O.S. AUDITOR

ART. 51 C.O.S. Auditor shall express his/her opinion on the economic and financial management of the association.

ART. 52 If C.O.S. Members’ Meeting considers it to be necessary, it could elect as C.O.S. Auditor a Professional who is not a C.O.S. Member, on recommendation of C.O.S. Board of Directors. In this case C.O.S. President has to fix his/her fees.

RULES ABOUT C.O.S. SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

ART. 53 After its election by C.O.S. Board of Directors, C.O.S. Scientific Committee nominates among its members the President, who has to convene the Commitee, chairs its meetings and draws up the meeting minutes.

Selection criteria to nominate the representatives of C.O.S. Scientific Committee are:

• they must be Professional Members with recognised experience
• or they must be representatives of regulated professions.

ART. 54 C.O.S. Scientific Committee has to promote through its members’ ideas and activities researches and studies, conferences, seminars in order to enhance the Association initiatives.

Particularly, C.O.S. Scientific Committee duties are:

1. Propose to C.O.S. Board of Directors screening any cultural, scientific or volunteering initiatives, studies or researches;
2. Propose to C.O.S. Board of Directors screening topics and rapporteurs in order to organise seminars or conferences, included the ones for Professional Members’ professional development;
3. If it deems it necessary, it may express its own opinion, duly motivated, on the topics of the seminars valid for the professional updating of Professional Members. However, it will be exclusive task of the C.O.S. Board of Directors to deliberate on the maintenance or modification of the subject in question;
4. Express an assessment about the exam Thesis of Professional Members, in order to publish it on C.O.S. website.
5. Express an evaluation opinion on the Examination Theses of Professional Members, with a view to their publication on the C.O.S. website.

ART. 55 C.O.S. Scientific Committee Members are in office for five years and can be re-elected for a maximum of two mandates.

ART. 56 C.O.S. Scientific Committee validly deliberates when the majority of its members is present. Deliberations are determined by a simple majority and, in case of equality, the vote of the President of C.O.S. Scientific Committee has double and decisive value. If he/she can not be present, he/she can temporarily delegate his/her duties to another Member of the Committee.

ART. 57 If C.O.S. Scientific Committee considers it to be necessary, with the consent of C.O.S. Board of Directors, it may use the services of one or more Professionals with specific competences who are not C.O.S. Members. In this case C.O.S. President has to fix their fees.

RULES FOR THE REGISTRATION AT C.O.S. PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS' LIST

ART. 58 In order to enhance further professional competences of C.O.S. Professional Members, a C.O.S. Teachers Register is established.

People who can make a demand for registration on C.O.S. Teachers Register by filling a specific form are:

• Professional Members who have got a certification as Training Teacher or a level-Teacher at one of the related Schools/Bodies (see articles 63, 64 and 65);
• Teachers of non-related Schools/Bodies that have got the same standards of related Schools.
• Teachers who do not belong to any school but have got certification for previous teaching identified by C.O.S. and a at least twenty-years’ experience as teacher.

In this context it must be specified that are qualified as:

• “training teachers” the ones who have completed their entire training path for at least one year, Principals of Related Schools included.
• “level-Teacher” the ones who lead one or more training levels and have an at least two-years’ experience for each level they’re qualified to teach.

Teachers who want to enroll in R.I.C. have to have the following requirements:

– they must be professional operators registered at C.O.S.;

– they must be aware of C.O.S. ethical code and commit to respect it;

– teachers qualified as teacher for a single level (or year) of training course can access to the register too;

– minimum duration of the training is fixed by Schools/Bodies.

ART. 59 While making his/her demand, the Professional Member shall attach to the above mentioned form the documents which certify his/her qualification as Teacher or Level-Teacher, and particularly:

• training and professional teaching curriculum;
• certification issued by the School/Body which has followed the training and guarantees for the teaching level.

ART. 60 Accepting the application for registration is subject to assessment and indisputable judgement of C.O.S. Board of Directors. If accepted, it shall be deliberated by the Board during the first meeting subsequent the receipt of the application.

ART. 61 Each Professional Member registered in the C.O.S. Teachers Register, for the purposes of maintaining the registration, is required to:

• participate, every two years, in the national conference of the C.O.S.

Outdated teachers and didactic directors will not be able to offer refresher courses.

The Professional Member, who has fallen from enrollment in the C.O.S. Teachers Register, can request readmission to the Register only after having attended the national conference of the C.O.S.

RULES GOVERNING THE LIST OF MEMBER SCHOOLS/BODIES

ART. 62 In order to:

• ensure professional quality gained concerning Shiatsu teaching by the Professional Members enrolled in C.O.S. Teachers Register;
• ensure a valid quality and quantity of proposals concerning compulsory professional development for C.O.S. Professional Members;
• delegate formalities relevant to bureaucratic operations of registration to exams for admission to the registration at C.O.S. Professional list

a C.O.S. related Schools/Bodies List is established.

ART. 63 A Shiatsu School or a related Body can ask to access to C.O.S. only if the have got the following requirements:

• having finished a three-years’ training process or at least 650 hours made by 500 frontal shiatsu lessons plus 150 hours of guided and certified practices;
• having contents adequate to a complete training on Shiatsu, whose modes of action use congruent techniques to apply it in an effective way;
• having implemented an adequate progression of the introduction to practice and theoretical aspects of Shiatsu to effectively attain the completion of the set training process;
• use instruments and modes which make effective the teaching activity: verification criteria of learning, adequate internship, support to student to introduce him/her to the role of professional;
• that the School/Body has an educational interface, expert professional;
• that the educational interface has been a training teacher at least for ten years and has the ability and the preparation to complete a training process;
• that the educational interface takes charge of the adequate training of his/her teachers and proposes adequate development;
• that is autonomous and visible from an administrative and fiscal point of view

ART 64 Can apply to join C.O.S. also a Shiatsu School / Related Institution specializing in postgraduate training programs, if they satisfy the following requirements:

• that the school / institution has its own dean educational referent, experienced operator;
• the educational referent is teacher trainer for at least 10 years and has the capability and preparedness to conduct a comprehensive training course;
• that the modules, seminars, postgraduate education courses offered by the School / Related Institution have specific and specialized training connotation and meet the parameters expressed in art. 25-26-27 of this Regulation;
• that is autonomous and visible from an administrative and fiscal point of view.

ART. 65 In a synergy and cooperation perspective, the C.O.S. schools / related institutions invited to:

• enroll their trainers teachers and / or level teachers to COS Teachers Register under the rules set out in this Internal Regulation;
• better targeting professionals trained at their school / related institution to take the registration exam to C.O.S. professional list.

C.O.S. Board of Directors takes the final and not subject to appeal decision about accepting or not the requests for enrollment made by related Schools/Entities.

C.O.S. President

ANNEX 1 TO THE INTERNAL REGULATIONS OF COS COORDINAMENTO OPERATORI SHIATSU