The Alka Knights Society

The Executive Board elects, from among its members, a President and his deputy, no later thaneight days from the date of the election.

The Duke, the Alajčauš, and the Arambaša may not be elected as President, deputy President, or secretary.

The President of the Executive Board is at the same time the President of the Society.

For their work, the President and members of the Executive Board are accountable to the Executive Board and the Assembly.

From among its members, the Executive Board elects a secretary, while the host is appointed from among the members of the Society.

The President and secretary must have permanent residence in the territory of Split-Dalmatia County. Likewise, at least four additional members of the Executive Board must have permanent residence in the territory of Split-Dalmatia County.

Sinj and the Cetina region, as a term denoting the old alkar territory, encompasses the area bounded by the villages of Zelovo, Potravlje, Maljkovo, Laktac, Bitelić, Bajagić, Gljev, Korita, Otok, Voštane, Kamensko, Tijarica, Budimiri, Nova Sela, Bisko, Ercegovci, Dicmo, Osoje, Sušci, Lučane, and Zelovo.

THE SOCIETY CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS:

• office-holding members
• contributing members
• honorary members

Office-holding members are: the Duke, the alkars, the alkar squires, and members of the Executive Board, the Court of Honor, and the Supervisory Board.

A contributing member may become anyone who contributes to strengthening the Society: through monetary support, by donating antique weapons, uniforms, equipment, decorations, and other objects; through promotional contributions, expert and scholarly contributions on the Alka, Sinj, and the Cetina region; or by performing certain tasks during the year or at the time of the alkar competitions.

An honorary member may be proclaimed a citizen who has rendered special merit to the people of Sinj and the Cetina region or to the Society, even if that person is not from this area. This honor is granted by the Assembly with at least 3/4 of the votes of those present.

LIST OF MEMBERS

Members of the court must have a thorough knowledge of alkar traditions, ancient customs, the history of Sinj and the Cetina region, the Statute and Rules of the Alka, and must enjoy esteem among the members of the Society throughout the entire region. 

Candidates for president of the Court of Honor are nominated by the alkars and the alkar squires.
The president of the Court of Honor must come from among the veteran alkar lancers. At least two members of the Court of Honor must reside in the territory of the Cetina region. The Court of Honor follows the alkar competition at the Bara, Čoja, and Alka events, evaluates the alkar's bearing and the horse's run, and ensures that the competition and the entire ceremony are held in accordance with the provisions of the Statute, the Rules of the Alka, and old customs.

The Court of Honor decides on the awarding of points in each run and on an individual alkar's right to repeat a run, in accordance with the Rulebook on the work of the Court of Honor and according to its own fair judgment. The decisions of the Court of Honor at the racecourse are final. The Court of Honor has its own recording clerk.

The stud farm is registered to carry out breeding of two populations: the breeding of purebred English Thoroughbred horses at the stud farm, and the breeding of the Alkar breeding type at the stud farm and in regional breeding in the wider Sinj area. For this breeding type of horse, the stud farm conducts performance testing.

From 2005 to the present, the stud farm has been increasing the number of horses with animals from its own and regional breeding that can be accepted under the Breeding Program, which is carried out in cooperation with and with the expert assistance of the Croatian Center for Horse Breeding and the Croatian Agricultural Agency.

Besides its own breeding, the Alkar Stud Farm is also active in regional breeding, making its stallions available to all owners of registered animals, thereby stimulating horse breeding in the region and throughout the Republic of Croatia.

On 16 November 2010, at a session in Nairobi, the International Committee of UNESCO adopted a decision to inscribe the Sinj Alka on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The session was attended by 400 representatives from 132 states that are signatories to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Thus, the oldest chivalric game in the world also received official recognition from the world's most relevant organization for the promotion of cultural values.