Constitution and Bylaws

National Birmingham Roller Club

Latest Revision – July 20,2021

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Article I — Name

Section 1

This organization shall be known as the National Birmingham Roller Club.

Article II — Objectives

Section 1. The objectives of the NBRC will be as follows:

1. The cultivation of the true Birmingham Roller pigeon as a performing breed.
2. To stimulate interest and maintain competition in the flying of these pigeons.
3. To enhance education about the Birmingham Roller and fellowship among roller fanciers through various means, including the publishing of periodic bulletins. The name of the official voice of the NBRC will be known as the “NBRC Bulletin”.

Article III — Membership and Dues

Section 1

Any person who currently breeds Birmingham Rollers has bred them in the past or has a genuine interest in the Birmingham Roller breed of pigeon is eligible for membership by paying the prescribed yearly dues and agreeing to comply with the rules, regulations, and Constitution and By-laws of the club. Family memberships are also available for named individuals, together with their spouses/partners and/or children 12 years old or over and residing in the same household. Those individuals who are NBRC members through family memberships will receive one periodic NBRC Bulletin per family membership in the name of the designated primary member. Family memberships shall be entitled to one vote in the election of NBRC officers or for any other matter brought before the club membership for voting. Each named member of the household that is eligible for a family membership is eligible for participation in the annual NBRC National Championship Fly competition and in the NBRC Master Flier program to receive points under his/her own name, independent of the other named family members; however, in each competition, a maximum of four kits may be entered per family membership.

Section 2

Members will at all times conduct themselves in a gentlemanly and sportsman-like manner and uphold the positive public image of the NBRC and the pigeon hobby, in general. Penalties for misconduct, as determined by the NBRC Executive Committee, may result in a member being suspended or expelled from the club.

Section 3

The amount payable by club members for annual membership dues shall be determined by the Executive Committee and periodically reconsidered as needed.

Section 4

Membership dues are due annually on the anniversary date of membership activation. Failure to submit within activation month will result in a member being dropped from the club membership list and future bulletins will not be issued. Each member’s due date will be on each bulletin and it is incumbent upon the member to keep his/her dues current.

Section 5. Those individuals who are currently members of the Hall of Fame, or are inducted into the Hall of Fame in the future, will be granted a lifetime membership in the NBRC.

Article IV — Officers

Section 1. Elected and Appointed Offices

Club leadership shall consist of national and regional offices and officers as follows:

1. Elected National Offices, Two Year Terms. National officers elected to serve two-year terms: President, Vice President, Director-at-Large, and National Fly Director.
2. Elected National Offices, Four-Year Terms. National officers elected to serve four-year terms: Secretary-Treasurer, Publishing Editor, and Public Relations Director.
3. Appointed National Offices, No Term Limits. National officers appointed to serve without term limits: Band Secretary, Accessories Secretary, Junior Program Coordinator, Forum Moderator, Webmaster, Executive Committee Moderator, Legal Advisor, and other appointed positions as may be determined advisable from time to time by the President. The President shall have sole power:  strong to create new or additional appointed offices; strong to leave vacant any appointed office; and strong to appoint and remove individuals serving in any appointed office.
4. Elected Regional Offices, Two-Year Terms. Regional officers shall consist of Regional Directors elected by the members of their respective regions to serve two-year terms.
5. Use a waiver for the current term limit on the positions of NBRC Elected National Offices and remain in position if no viable candidate is willing to run.  Allow Elected Regional Offices to serve until someone decides to challenge them for the position thus removing the 2-year term limit for them.  Added on 3/20/23

Section 2. Elected Officers to Serve on Executive Committee

All national and regional officers and directors serving in elected offices provided in Section 1 shall likewise serve on the Executive Committee, with full voting privileges. Appointed national officers may serve on the Executive Committee only upon recommendation of the President. Appointed officers serving on the Executive Committee shall serve in a non-voting capacity only. Officers serving in elected offices shall be considered to have been elected even if they took office initially by appointment of the President in order to fill a vacancy in that office.

Section 3. Area Rotation of President and Vice-President

The area from which the President is chosen shall be rotated successively among the three general sections of the United States in the following order: (a) East, (b) Central, and (c) West. The area from which the Vice-President is chosen shall be rotated successively among the three general sections of the United States in the following order: (a) Central, (b) West, (c) East.

Section 4. National, Regional Elections; Commencement of Term of Office

Those individuals serving in elected national offices shall be elected by the full membership of the club. Those individuals serving as Regional Directors shall be elected by the club members of their respective regions. Newly elected officers and directors shall assume office on January 1 following the election.

Section 5. Succession in Office

Succession in office shall vary according to position as follows:

1. The President and Vice President cannot succeed themselves in their respective offices.
2. Upon expiration of his two-year term of office, the President automatically succeeds to the office of Director-at-Large with no requirement of additional election to qualify for that office.
3. The National Fly Director may hold that office for no more than two consecutive terms. Exceptions, if any, shall require the approval of both the President and the Executive Committee.
4. The Secretary-Treasurer, Publishing Editor, and Public Relations Director may serve consecutive terms without limitation in number; however, running for any successive elected term of office shall require the President’s written endorsement of that officer’s candidacy to the successive term.
5. Appointed national officers shall serve without term limits, subject to the right of appointment and removal by the President, in his sole judgment and determination. No approval of the Executive Committee shall be required for the appointment or removal of appointed national officers.
6. Regional Directors may hold that office no more than two full, consecutive terms; however, in the event that no candidate has been elected to the position of Regional Director from a particular region, the President may appoint the existing Regional Director to an additional consecutive term.

Section 6. Individuals Serving in Multiple Offices

Individuals may submit their candidacy to run for both national and regional elected office at one and the same time; however, no candidate shall hold more than one elected office, national or regional, at the same time. Exceptions, if any, shall require the approval of both the President and the Executive Committee. Any officer serving in two elected positions, with said approval, shall only be allowed one vote on the Executive Committee.

Section 7. Filling Vacancies

Vacancies in national offices and regional directorships may be filled as follows:

1. Should any vacancy occur in any elected national office for any reason, the President, with approval of the Executive Committee, may appoint a member to fill such vacancy for the unexpired term of office.
2. Should any vacancy occur in any office of regional director for any reason, the President may appoint a member residing within the applicable region to fill such vacancy for the unexpired term of office. No Executive Committee approval shall be required to fill the vacancy.
3. Serving in a national or regional office solely to complete the unexpired term of the previous office holder shall not constitute a “term of office” for purposes of serving successive or consecutive terms under these Bylaws.
4. Presidential appointees in any instance must qualify for the office to which they have been appointed under the provisions of Article VII of these Bylaws.

Article V — Duties of Officers

Section 1

The President shall preside over all National meetings and committees. He shall appoint all committees not otherwise provided for herein. He shall lead, direct, govern and supervise all National Officers elected and appointed. He shall conduct all NBRC affairs within the limits of the Constitution and By-laws. He shall enforce the Constitution and By-laws. In any instance where sufficient membership and roller activities indicated the need for additional Regional Director leadership, the President, on the counsel of the majority of the Executive Committee, shall have the authority to create a new Regional Director office. He shall appoint a Director to serve that area until the next national election is held (see Article VII for minimum qualifications for a Director).

Section 2

The Vice President shall assist the President in the control and administration of club affairs, promote the annual convention, support the President on all matters relative to the Constitution and By-Laws and generally participate in all roller activity in the best interest of the NBRC.

1. In the absence of the President, or in the event of his inability to act, the Vice President shall perform the duties of the President. He shall assume the duties of the President in the event the office becomes vacant due to death or resignation.
2. In the event the Vice President has to assume the duties of the President under the provisions of Section 2(a), Article V, he shall appoint one of the Regional Directors to fill the vacancy of Vice President until the next scheduled election.
3. The Vice President shall supervise and conduct the Master Flyer Program and shall serve as Chairman of the Hall of Fame Award Committee.

Section 3

The Secretary-Treasurer shall serve under the direction of the President and shall:

1. Conduct the correspondence of the club and maintain all financial and non-financial records.
2. Maintain a complete list of the names and addresses of the membership and a list of all club officers, past and present.
3. Record the minutes of all Executive Committee meetings.
4. Establish checking and savings accounts, as necessary, in the name of the National Birmingham Roller Club. In addition, the Secretary-Treasurer shall be responsible to establish bank accounts for other functions of the Club, including (but not limited to) accounts for the Accessories Secretary, the Band Secretary, and the National Fly Director. All NBRC accounts shall have as signature signees entitled to sign withdrawals (1) The primary party responsible for the account (i.e. the Secretary-Treasurer, the Accessories Secretary, the Band Secretary, or the National Fly Director, as appropriate), or, in the alternative, (2) The individual responsible for the license for the NBRC’s non-profit organization activities and status. The use of dual signature authority for these accounts is intended to ensure that, in the event of the death or incapacity of the primary party responsible for the account, the NBRC shall retain access to Club-owned funds deposited in each such account.
5. Shall account for all NBRC funds (dues, band sales, accessory sales, funds raised by the NBRC by other means), pay all debts incurred by the club, and ensure that the Band and Accessory secretaries have sufficient funds on hand to maintain NBRC programs. The NBRC Secretary-Treasurer shall be bonded.
6. Submit a current membership list to any NBRC officer upon request.
7. Prepare financial reports to be submitted to the Executive Committee upon the request of the Club President or a majority of the Executive Committee. In addition, prepare financial reports for all NBRC accounts (including accounts of the Accessories Secretary, Band Secretary, and Fly Director), which shall be published in the NBRC Bulletin no less often than quarterly.
8. Maintain such books and records necessary to record monies received and disbursed. Obtain the services of a Certified Public Accountant as needed to ensure that Club financial records meet generally accepted accounting principles and to file and pay appropriate taxes on all accounts.
9. Maintain a record of all working and usable equipment and/or property owned by the club and its location.
10. Shall not be required to pay dues but will be a voting member of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall establish a yearly stipend to be paid on a quarterly basis to the Secretary-Treasurer. The NBRC treasury shall bear the costs of reasonable travel and room expenses to enable the Secretary-Treasurer to attend NBRC annual conventions.

Section 4

The Regional Directors shall assist the President in the control and administration of club affairs. They shall promote the NBRC Fall Fly by serving as Regional Fly Directors. They shall support the President on all matters relative to the Constitution and By-laws, and generally participate in roller activities considered in the best interest of the membership.

Section 5

The Publishing Editor shall be elected by the general membership for a term of four years. The Publishing Editor shall publish the NBRC Bulletin. The Executive Committee shall establish a yearly stipend to be paid on a quarterly basis to the Secretary-Treasurer and to the Publishing Editor. The NBRC treasury shall bear the costs of reasonable travel and room expenses to enable the Publishing Editor to attend NBRC annual conventions.

Section 6

The Public Relations Director is elected by the general membership for a term of four years. He is endowed with the responsibility of maintaining the positive image of the club. He is, in many ways, a spokesman of the NBRC, communicating its policies and activities to people inside and outside the organization, representing the club to existing members, potential members, the public, the government, the media, and other external sources. To be most effective, he must observe and respond to social, economic, and political trends that might impact membership, establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them. The Director of Public Relations will work to identify primary audiences from which new members may be derived; oversee the administration of a new member welcome package, which may include but is not limited to a welcome letter, a notice to the new member’s Regional Director, a current bulletin, and a NBRC token. He will develop and maintain advertising and promotional programs that are compatible with the target audience, maintaining the NBRC image and identity. In order to assist him in these activities, the Public Relations Director may recruit, appoint, assign, supervise, and review the activities of an appropriate number of committee members as he deems necessary to accomplish these objectives.

Section 7

Upon expiration of his two-year term of office, the President automatically succeeds to the office of Director-at-large with no requirement of additional election to qualify for that office. In this capacity, he serves to assist the President in the control and administration of NBRC affairs, particularly in coordinating the annual NBRC Convention He is responsible for soliciting potential host clubs; for evaluating the qualifications of their particular region of the country as hosts for the convention; for working with the host and the NBRC Secretary-Treasurer in the decisions as to the selection of the hotel convention site, buses, meals, design, and fabrication of convention t-shirts and hats; as well as any other related issues necessary in the planning of the annual NBRC Convention. He will communicate and coordinate with the President in his recommendations as to the final recommendations of the Director-at-large and the Secretary-Treasurer regarding these issues. The Director-at-large is also in charge of the fabrication of plaques as required by the President, to award to various members and club officers for their service and accomplishments, excluding the National Championship Competition plaques, which are the responsibility of the National Fly Director.

Section 8

The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, Regional Directors, Director-At-Large, Publishing Editor, National Fly Director, and Public Relations Director and shall be the governing body of the National Birmingham Roller Club. Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be recorded for the record and maintained on file by the Publishing Editor.

Section 9

A quorum of fifty percent plus one is required to conduct the business of the Executive Committee.

Article VI — Biennial Election

Section 1. General

1. Biennial Elections. Club elections are held in odd-numbered years. The President, Vice-President, National Fly Director and Regional Directors are each elected for a term of two years, commencing at 12:00 midnight in the morning of January 1 of each even-numbered year, and ending two years later, at 12:00 midnight in the evening of December 31 of each odd-numbered year. The outgoing president automatically assumes the office of Director-at-Large for the same period. The Secretary-Treasurer, Publishing Editor, and Public Relations Director are each elected for a term of four years, commencing at 12:00 midnight in the morning of January 1 after the election and ending four years later, at 12:00 midnight in the evening of December 31.
2. Email or other Voting Procedures. The voting procedures set out in this Article VI shall be employed for voting by Club-provided paper ballots. In addition to mailed-in paper ballots, online voting will be allowed through the NBRC website. Only currently paid members will be allowed to vote online by logging in through the member’s only feature and selecting the appropriate Election Voting button. All online votes cast will be compared to any mail-in ballots to ensure no duplicate votes are cast.

Section 2. Election Timeline

The timeline for conducting the biennial election shall proceed as follows (all dates are for the odd-numbered year during which the election is conducted):

1. Not later than April 20 of the election year, the President shall appoint an Election Chairman (in this Article, the “Chairman”) and shall advise the membership of the appointment through the Executive Committee and the NBRC Membership Forum.
2. Not later than May 20, the Chairman shall appoint the Nominating Committee consisting of the Chairman and four Club members (preferably, each residing in different time zones), to secure candidates for each elected office.
3. At least two candidates for each national elected office shall be secured. Where two candidates cannot be secured for any regional director office, one candidate may suffice, as determined by the Nominating Committee.
4. By written letter or email to the Chairman, members in good standing may nominate potential candidates for consideration. The Nominating Committee may also canvass the Executive Committee for nominations.
5. Before approving any nominee, the Nominating Committee shall contact the nominee to obtain consent to enter the nominee’s name on the ballot for the office in question and to verify the nominee’s willingness to serve in the office if elected.
6. Not later than June 20, the Chairman shall deliver the Nominating Committee’s list of approved nominees to the Club Secretary-Treasurer and to the Publishing Editor.
7. Not later than July 1, the Secretary-Treasurer shall verify that each nominee is dues-current (thereby being eligible for election), and shall notify the Publishing Editor of his findings.
8. Between July 1 and July 10, the Publishing Editor shall prepare the election ballot and related voting information for inclusion in the July-August issue of the NBRC Bulletin, to be received by the membership at the end of August.
9. Secret Balloting. Ballots shall be cast in secret using club-printed ballot forms and mailed by U.S. Postal Service to a designated address determined by the Chairman. The address shall be in the following form: “NBRC Ballot, c/o (name), address)”. Minor errors in envelope addressing shall not invalidate ballots. Additionally, online votes are cast through the procedure described in Article VI-Biennial Election, Section 1. General, 2, will also be counted as valid ballots.
10. Ballot Content. In addition to the list of candidates for office and the designated mailing address, the ballots shall advise members:
11. Of the postmark cut-off date of October 1 for mail-in ballot eligibility and October 1 midnight CST for online ballots;
12. That only ballots from the NBRC Bulletin are valid (photocopied ballots are not valid); and
13. That eligibility to vote for any Regional Director is limited to members residing within that region.
14. Not later than July 10, the Publishing Editor and Secretary-Treasurer shall ensure that the July-August NBRC Bulletin containing the ballot and related election information is delivered to the printers for mailing so as to reach members by the end of August.
15. Not later than September 1, the Chairman shall appoint a Vote Counting Committee consisting of the Chairman and at least two Club members residing in proximity to the Election Chairman. Election candidates are not eligible to serve on the Vote Counting Committee.
16. As of October 10, all ballots, both mail-in and online votes, must be returned and in the possession of the Chairman. The list of online votes will be sent to the Chairman by the NBRC webmaster.
17.  Between October 10 and October 20, the Vote Counting Committee shall assemble to open the balloting envelopes and online voting list, to count the ballots received, and to verify the accuracy and integrity of the count, including but not limited to comparing the online votes to mail-in votes in order to eliminate any duplicates. The vote counting shall proceed as follows:
18. Ballots are not to be Opened Early. Envelopes containing ballots shall remain unopened until the vote counting meeting. Accidental, early opening of envelopes shall not invalidate those ballots. All ballots received by October 10 shall be counted, regardless of envelope postmark date. Any ballots received after October 10 shall be ineligible but shall be retained as “voting paperwork” to be forwarded to the Secretary-Treasurer as provided below.
19. Vote Counting. All envelopes shall be opened by the Chairman in the presence of the full Committee. The Chairman, and only the Chairman, shall examine the envelope postmark and staple the envelope to the back of the ballot to prevent the front of the envelope from being examined by other Committee members, to enhance voting secrecy. Each ballot shall be passed individually from one member to the next, with all Committee members agreeing to the eligibility of each ballot, each vote, and the tabulation of votes.
20. Although the Chairman may have observed envelope return addresses, he shall maintain secrecy with respect to how any member may have voted, and shall not at any time disclose to any other individuals, including the members of the Vote Counting Committee, how any member may have voted.
21. Vote Invalidation. Only original ballots removed from the NBRC Bulletin and online votes through the NBRC website shall be valid. Photocopied ballots shall be invalid. Ballots shall not be invalidated merely because a member’s name or signature has been entered on the ballot at the time of voting. A single omitted or erroneous vote need not necessarily invalidate other votes appearing on a ballot. In his sole discretion, the Chairman may re-examine the postmarked envelope to verify the region from which the ballot was mailed. In the event of errors or ambiguities on any ballot, the Vote Counting Committee shall determine the outcome of any such ballot by majority vote.
22. Vote Tie-Breaking. In the event of a tie vote result for any Regional Director office, the Chairman shall notify the Club President of the tie result and the President shall make the final decision after considering the nominees and interviewing them if necessary. In the event of a tie vote result for any national, non-regional office, the Chairman shall notify the President of the tie result and the President shall present the matter for discussion and vote of the Executive Committee to break the tie. In the event that the Executive Committee vote does not break the tie, the individual office shall be subject to a new vote of the membership, presented in the next available Club bulletin.
23. Election by Plurality. Receiving a plurality of votes cast shall constitute the election of a candidate.
24. One Member, One Vote. In the election of Club officers or for other matters brought before the Club membership for voting, each Club member shall be eligible to return one ballot; family memberships are eligible to return one ballot.
25. Other Witnesses. Any NBRC member in good standing has the right to be present at the counting of the ballots by the Vote Counting Committee.
26. Within 24 hours of the meeting of the Vote Counting Committee, the Election Chairman shall email the election results to the Club President, the Secretary-Treasurer, and the Publishing Editor.
27. Within seven days of the meeting of the Vote Counting Committee, the Election Chairman shall prepare and email a Voting Summary to the Club President, the Secretary-Treasurer, and the Publishing Editor. The Voting Summary shall include the names of all persons present during the vote counting and shall list the number of votes each candidate received. The Election Chairman shall sign and date the Voting Summary, attesting that the voting process was administered fairly and free from fraud or wrongful intent. The Voting Summary shall record and account for all votes, including votes for unopposed candidates who automatically win the seat. The Voting Summary and election results shall be published in the next NBRC Bulletin.
28. Within seven days of the meeting of the Vote Counting Committee, the Election Chairman shall mail in a large sealed envelope all voting paperwork (ballots stapled to envelopes, count sheets, and any other paperwork) to the Secretary-Treasurer for record-keeping purposes.
29. On or before November 10, the Publishing Editor and the Secretary-Treasurer shall ensure that the November-December NBRC Bulletin containing the election results and Voting Summary is delivered to the printers for mailing so as to reach members by the end of December.

Article VII — Eligibility to Hold Office

Section 1

No person shall permit his name to be placed on a ballot for election unless that person expects to assume full responsibility of the office and discharge all duties in a manner to benefit the membership.

Section 2

Any candidate for any of the elected or appointed offices of President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, Director-at-Large, Publishing Editor, National Fly Director, or any Regional Director must have been a member in good standing for two consecutive years. Only those members residing within the boundaries of an NBRC region shall be eligible to serve in the office of the Regional Director of that region. Any exception shall require a majority vote of the members of the region (conducted by the NBRC President) followed by approval of the Executive Committee.

Section 3

No one shall hold national office in the NBRC if that person holds office in another national roller pigeon club at the same time.

Section 4

No person shall permit their name to be placed on a ballot for the election, or allow themselves to be considered for appointment to any of the offices of President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, Director-at-Large, Publishing Editor, National Fly Director, or Regional Director, who has been found guilty in a court of law of violating any law protecting birds of prey, for a period of two (2) years after such conviction.

Article VIII — Meetings

Section 1

The club shall hold at least one annual meeting a year. This meeting shall be held at the yearly NBRC convention. The convention shall be rotated on a yearly basis among the four time zones in the continental United States in the following order: (1) Eastern, (2) Central, (3) Mountain, and (4) Pacific.

Section 2

Any meeting sanctioned by a majority of the Executive Committee of the club and attended by 50 members in good standing shall constitute a quorum.

Section 3

Any business matters discussed at a national meeting must get approval from a majority of the Executive Committee before action can be taken.

Article IX — Grievance Committee.

Section 1

Duties. The Grievance Committee is empowered to investigate complaints and charges against NBRC members and officers, to investigate and determine violations of NBRC Constitution and Bylaws, rules or policies; to summon Club members to submit evidence at hearings, to designate Club officers or members to assist in investigating allegations of violations, and to recommend to the Executive Committee disciplinary action against Club officers or members for violations which it has determined to have occurred.

Section 2

Grievance Committee Membership. The Grievance Committee shall consist of three standing members: (1) the NBRC Director-at-Large, who shall serve as Committee Chairman; (2) the NBRC Vice President; and (3) the NBRC National Fly Director. The Committee shall also include two ad hoc members selected by the President from among the members of the Executive Committee. The NBRC Legal Advisor, if any, shall serve as a non-voting ex-officio member of the Committee. Any standing or ad hoc member of the Committee may recuse himself from hearing any particular grievance matter (such as by reason of conflict of interest or close personal relationship with the alleged offender). In the event a Committee member so recuses himself, the resulting vacancy shall be filled by the President appointing additional ad hoc members chosen from among the members of the Executive Committee. Ad hoc members of the Grievance Committee may serve for a period of months or maybe be appointed to serve on the Committee with respect to a specific grievance complaint.

Section 3

Grievance Complaints. Any Club member in good standing may file a grievance complaint alleging a violation by a member or officer. The complaint must cite the Bylaw, rule, or policy provision alleged to have been violated. Any such complaint shall be addressed to the NBRC Secretary-Treasurer, who shall provide copies of the complaint to the President and to the Chairman of the Grievance Committee.

Section 4

Hearing of Allegations. Within 20 days of receipt of the grievance complaint and in consultation with the President, the Chairman of the Grievance Committee shall convene a hearing to investigate and consider evidence of the complaint. The hearing may be conducted in person, by telephone, or by email or other remote, Internet-available means by which the Committee members can consider, investigate, and deliberate the allegations. The hearing may be recessed and reconvened from time to time by the majority vote of the Committee.

Section 5

Willful Violation. All conclusions and recommendations of the Grievance Committee shall require a majority vote of the Committee members. Before the Grievance Committee can recommend disciplinary action beyond a private warning, it must find by a preponderance of the evidence that the NBRC member engaged in willfully offensive behavior contrary to the provisions of Article III, Section 2 of these Bylaws, or that the NBRC officer willfully violated or ignored an NBRC Bylaw, rule, or policy.

Section 6

Report to Executive Committee. A full report of the investigation and hearing, together with any recommendation of disciplinary action, shall be submitted by the Committee Chairman to the President within 60 days from the date the grievance complaint is filed with the Secretary-Treasurer. Extensions of time may be granted by the President for good reason in his personal discretion. The Grievance Committee may recommend no action or a range of disciplinary action, such as privately-issued warning, publicly-issued warning, suspension from participation in fly competitions, temporary or permanent suspension of Club membership, or recommendation to refer the matter for a criminal complaint to a relevant court of law.

Section 7

Executive Committee Action. Within ten days of receipt of the Grievance Committee report, the President shall provide the full report or, in his discretion, a summary thereof, to the Executive Committee to solicit comments and a vote for imposition of appropriate sanctions or disciplinary action against the Club officer or member subject of the grievance complaint. The Executive Committee may accept, reject, or modify the recommendations of the Grievance Committee. The vote must be a two-thirds majority of a quorum of the Executive Committee. The Secretary-Treasurer shall notify the offending officer or member by certified mail, return receipt requested, within five days of the Executive Committee’s decision.

Section 8

Appeals.

1. Any member of the Executive Committee removed from office as a result of these proceedings, or any member permanently expelled from Club membership, may appeal to the full membership of the Club. Any appeal must be made within sixty (60) days of the Executive Committee’s decision.
2. The appeal must be made in writing to the Secretary-Treasurer and the President, who shall be responsible to provide copies to the members of the Executive Committee. The Secretary-Treasurer shall forward the Appeal to the Grievance Committee Chairman, who shall establish procedures to allow for the full membership to vote on the Appeal.
3. The NBRC Bulletin will print the appeal in the next available Club bulletin, together with instructions for NBRC members to mail their voting ballots to the mailing address of a certified public accountant (CPA) retained by the Club Secretary-Treasurer. The appellant may have written statements on his behalf by a member(s) in good standing presented to the Secretary-Treasurer, and they too will be printed with the appeal in the Bulletin.
4. The receipt and counting of ballots on any appeal to the membership will be conducted by the CPA retained by the Club Secretary-Treasurer for the purpose of independently receiving by mail the voting ballots of the members and counting the resulting votes in a manner preserving the anonymity of the members’ votes. A Club member will be appointed to observe the vote counting at the office of the CPA. The appellant may also be present to witness the vote counting by the CPA. The CPA will provide to the Club President a complete written report of the voting results. The accountant’s report shall be published in the next available Club bulletin.
5. A majority of those member votes received will be final and not subject to appeal in any federal or state court.
6. Any officer removed as a result of the foregoing proceedings will surrender any and all funds, records, equipment, and/or property belonging to the NBRC.

Article X — Conduct of Officers

Section 1

All members of the Executive Committee shall conduct themselves in accordance with the NBRC Constitution and By-laws.

Section 2

Executive Committee members shall be held to a high standard of conduct in all matters pertaining to the business and club affairs of the NBRC.

Section 3

Misappropriation of funds, equipment, or property belonging to the NBRC shall be grounds for dismissal from membership.

Section 4

Personal attacks against any member will not be published in the NBRC Bulletin.

Section 5

Members of the Executive Committee shall conduct themselves in accordance with the law and free of any conduct which tends to bring discredit upon, or which is seriously prejudicial to the best interests of the NBRC or the roller hobby. In particular, the NBRC does not condone the illegal or unauthorized injury, harassing, or trapping of birds of prey. Any member of the Executive Committee charged in a state or federal court of law of violating any law protecting birds of prey shall be subject to suspension from office pursuant to Article IX of these Bylaws. Any member of the Executive Committee convicted by a state or federal court of law of violating any law protecting birds of prey shall be subject to removal from office pursuant to Article IX of these Bylaws.

Article XI — Hall of Fame Award

Section 1

The NBRC shall establish and maintain a Hall of Fame to be governed by policies approved by the Executive Committee of the Club, under the direction of the Vice President.

Section 2

The Hall of Fame Committee shall consist of the Vice-President and members of the Hall of Fame.

Article XII — Amendments to the Constitution and By-laws

Section 1

The President of the NBRC shall present to the Executive Committee any suggested changes to the Constitution and Bylaws. The Executive Committee shall consider and vote on each change individually. The adopted changes will be printed in the next issue of the NBRC Bulletin. Any member in good standing may submit to the President changes he feels are necessary in the Constitution and bylaws.

Section 2

Ballots of the vote shall be tallied by the moderator of the Executive Committee. A majority of the Executive Committee vote shall constitute adoption or rejection of the proposed amendments.

Section 3

The effective date of the amendments will be the date of the vote tally. The Constitution and bylaws shall indicate clearly the date of its approval and the dates of subsequent amendments.

Section 4

The most recent version of the Constitution and bylaws will be posted on the NBRC Official Website and printed yearly in the NBRC Bulletin.

Article XIII — Master Flyer

Section 1

The Executive Committee shall establish a Master Flyer program to become effective in 1998. This will be in addition to the Hall of Fame.

Section 2

This award will recognize those flyers that have proved through competition that they have the ability to breed, train, and manage a kit of rollers in a manner that reflects the objectives of the NBRC.

Section 3

The Executive Committee will establish a point system to recognize success in local, regional, national, and world competitions. A cumulative point total will be determined for the award of the title “Master Flyer”.

Article XIV — NBRC Regional Structure

The NBRC shall be organized into regions whose boundaries comport with the guidelines set out in this Article.

Section 1. Purposes

NBRC regions are formed to assign each Club member to a specific region that corresponds generally to the member’s geographic location. A Regional Director will be appointed or elected for each region, pursuant to Articles IV and V hereof. Regional boundaries shall be established or modified only upon approval of the Executive Committee. In establishing or adjusting boundaries for Club regions, the Executive Committee is encouraged to duly consider the guideline criteria set out in Section 2.

Section 2. Regional Boundary Guidelines

Regional boundaries should be determined so as to benefit the needs of the individual club members residing in each region, the needs of the national Club, and the need for efficient management of the National Championship Fly competition (“NCF”). These needs include, but are not limited to, the following considerations:

1. Regions should be delineated by clear geographic boundaries, enabling each Club member to easily be aware of the region to which he or she belongs.
2. Regions should be organized so as to enhance participation in the NCF and other Club activities, specifically:
   1. Regions should be large enough in membership that every member, however remotely he or she may reside from other members, is afforded a realistic opportunity to participate in the NCF;
   2. In areas having large numbers of member/NCF participants, regions should be small enough that the regional round of the NCF can be conducted promptly and without unduly burdening the Regional Director and local members who assist in managing and carrying out the NCF within that region.
3. Regions should not be split or boundaries re-aligned (gerrymandered) for anti-competitive reasons, including the intent to exclude or congregate NCF competitor(s) into or out of any particular region.
4. Regional boundaries should be determined without regard to affiliation with local roller clubs, personal rivalries, friendships, ethnic backgrounds, roller strain preferences, or relationships of any kind which are irrelevant to NCF competition or contrary to the inclusive camaraderie the Club strives to foster.
5. Strong regions able to qualify two or more competitors into the NCF finals round are strongly favored over “micro-regions” consisting of small numbers of NCF participants who have difficulty gathering enough NCF participants to qualify at least one competitor in the NCF finals round.
6. Club members and the Executive Committee are encouraged to recognize the need for common sense and flexibility in requesting and approving regional boundary changes. While some regional boundaries may seem permanent, other regions may require contraction/merger or expansion/splitting as Club membership and NCF participation fluctuate over time.

Section 3. Statewide Regions Preferred

NBRC regions shall generally consist of entire U.S. States. Regional boundaries will correspond to U.S. State boundary lines. Only compelling reasons will justify the approval by the Executive Committee of other boundaries.

Section 4. Multi-State Regions

States with low Club membership or NCF participation may be merged or combined into a single region. Wherever possible, entire States should be combined with other whole State regions, rather than being divided and shared by two (or more) adjacent State regions. Only compelling reasons justify the division of a single state into more than one adjacent State region. Such reasons may include the segregation of small clusters of members distant from one another within a geographically large state, but both of which clusters reside in close proximity to member groups in adjacent states.

Section 5. Intrastate Regions

States having large populations of members competing in the NCF may be divided into two or more regions within the same State to enhance participation and efficient management of the NCF. Boundaries for intrastate regions shall be determined by county boundary lines.

Section 6. Intra-county Regions

Individual counties having large populations of members who participate in the NCF may be divided into two or more regions within the same county to enhance participation and efficient management of the NCF. Boundaries for intra-county regions shall be determined first by county boundary lines, and second, by clear, permanent geographic boundaries corresponding to major rivers or highways.

Section 7. Regional mergers

Mergers of State or county regions shall be justified only where one or both regions have experienced difficulty amassing sufficient numbers of NCF competitors to qualify a single entrant into the finals round of the NCF. The merger of two regions shall require approval of the Executive Committee and must merge the entire states or counties, subject only to the types of compelling exceptions recited elsewhere in this Article. Mergers are not justified where clusters of NCF participants are merged into other regions, leaving any NCF participant effectively isolated and without a region in which to compete or leaving any geographic zone in the U.S.A. not covered by an NBRC region.

Section 8. Regional splits

Divisions or splits of State or county regions shall be justified only where all of the following conditions are satisfied:”  The existing regional NCF participation numbers have been sufficient to generate at least three qualifiers into the NCF finals round over the previous two years;  The new regional boundaries for both surviving regions are defined by state boundary lines, county boundary lines, or, in the case of intra-county regions, other permanent geographic boundaries such as major rivers or highways; Qualified Club members have volunteered to serve in the position of Regional Director for both surviving regions, and A majority of the voting NBRC members residing in both surviving regions have approved the split through a vote verified by a national NBRC officer appointed by the NBRC President.

In the case of approved regional splits, if either surviving region shall fail to earn at least one qualifier in either of the succeeding two years following the regional split, the regional split shall be recommended for nullification by a vote of the Executive Committee, reinstating the previous single region with its previous boundaries.

Latest Revision Date: July 20, 2021

Date: July 20, 2021— This version of the Constitution and Bylaws was approved by the NBRC Executive Committee on July 20, 2021, and supersedes all previous versions of the NBRC’s Constitution and Bylaws