Proposed rule changes at annual meeting?

[jrywho]

Am I missing something?? I haven't seen a word about the member's meeting, or the Board Meeting from the World Championships. Plus the financial report. Why must we be in the dark?

I have come to the conclusion that the majority of board members do not read this forum. I have been told they don't even answer personal emails. Honestly, I don't have a solution. I do have a great deal of displeasure over the matter. I also know there is a fair number within this organization that are quite committed to growth and it's continued existence. We read about how the local clubs provide the drive to carry the organization. I believe this is true and I for one will continue to host our local matches in Paducah KY. My hope is we have answers real soon. Lets get this program rolling again!
One additional note.
I had a very unfortunate experience recently regarding one of our local ranges. A word of caution to the match director. IHMSA will not tolerate conduct that doesn't promote our sport. We work our asses off through out the year to provide a enjoyable safe match. If a club doesn't treat people with respect and welcome they have no place in this organization.

[260 Striker]

Any current info about the rule changes proposed at the last annual meeting? I made a suggestion about additional FP cartridges and I sent in the proposal early enough so I hope it got proposed at the annual meeting. Maybe my suggestion fell into a black hole and will never be heard of again. I would be nice to no what was proposed and if voted up or down. Any info will be greatly appreciated. Did we even have a quorum at the last meeting to be able to vote on anything?

[nutcase]

you guys obviously missed reading the minutes in the Jan/Feb issue. It states that there was a lack of a quorum. ;)

[260 Striker]

Well, I'm confused (nothing new!!!). I just reread the minutes in the Jan-Feb IHMSA News for the IHMSA Annual Delegates Meeting 2014 and it did state a quorum was NOT present. (My capital NOT) However, in the same issue just prior to those minutes are the IHMSA Board of Directors Meeting 2014 minutes dated 22 July 2014. That meeting must have occurred during the World Championships since representatives from other countries were present at that meeting. At that meeting, the Board discussed AND PASSED a rule change to allow AAA PH shooters to use bipods or sand bags for 1/2 and or 1/5 scale entries. Also an exemption for the two entries prior to a championship match was also approved and that should really be updated in the rule book too. Seems like some rule changes were made last year and some were not even discussed.

What was the quorum difference between these two meetings? What exactly constitutes a quorum at the Delegates Meeting? I reread the rules and I thought it meant a quorum of Board members be present. Did the Board members only go to the Board of Directors Meeting and not attend the Delegates meeting?

I am not questioning the authority of the Board to propose and make rule changes but these are two separate meetings that must have taken place during the World Championships so I'm confused how one meeting had a quorum and the other didn't. Did our Board members not attend the Delegates meeting? If a quorum at the Delegates meeting is comprised of just delegates from ALL IHMSA clubs, then we never will have a quorum at an annual Delegates meeting.

Due to the reduction in silhouette ranges over the years and reduced attendance at local matches and the annual Delegates meeting, I wonder if rule changes should not be reviewed by the Board and then posted in the IHMSA News for ALL active members to vote on. I think that was tried years ago for the aftermarket sight rule change and the voting turnout was very low but at least there was no quorum issue and the proposed change didn't get tabled. Maybe we need rule changes on how to make rule changes!!!

[nutcase]

the difference is that the board of directors meeting is the executive committee Only! which is the Pres, VP, Treasurer and the region directors. The annual meeting includes the state directors along with the executive committee.

[260 Striker]

So I'm still confused what constitutes a quorum at the Delegates meeting. If the current rules expect delegates from a majority of the states I can almost guarantee you that will never happen. Does that mean 26 states, not including our foreign counterparts, would have to attend an annual Delegates meeting to get a quorum? Two thirds of the states? Has that ever happened? If that is what it takes for a quorum at the Delegates meeting, then the representatives of the general membership will never get to vote on rule changes due to the lack of a quorum and only the Executive Committee will ever have the power to change rules. I think this removes the general membership from proposing rule changes and ever getting to approve any proposed changes. The general membership somehow needs to have a say in proposed rule changes. Just my concerns.

[19 Turkeys]

the difference is that the board of directors meeting is the executive committee Only! which is the Pres, VP, Treasurer and the region directors. The annual meeting includes the state directors along with the executive committee.

Actually, the annual meeting constitutes a meeting of the elected delegates from the clubs and requires a 50 members present. Here is the language from the bylaws circa 2004. To the best of my knowledge, they have not been amended since. Dan, note notices that need to be published in the paper. Steve W.

Section 1. The annual business meeting of the corporation shall be held each year in conjunction with the International championships at which time any official business to come before the corporation shall be transacted.
Section 2. Written notices of motion for the annual business meeting must be submitted to the Secretary/Treasurer of the corporation not less than sixty day prior to the annual business meeting which, in turn, shall be communicated to the membership via the pages of the edition of the IHMSA News distributed at least thirty days prior to the annual business meeting.
Section 3. Items not notified in accordance with Section 2, above may be discussed at the annual business meeting if two thirds of the eligible delegates present vote in favor of the item(s) being discussed.
Section 4. Only those adult members in good standing who are the official delegates of a qualified club or organization, the properly elected State and Regional Directors, the properly elected officers or the properly credentialed representative of an affiliated nation and who are physically present shall be entitled to one vote at the annual business meeting of the corporation.
Each club or organization having held corporation sanctioned matches within the six months immediately prior to the annual business meeting, and which are in good standing, may elect or appoint two voting delegates per discipline fired and sanctioned, to attend the annual business meeting. A discipline is defined as a separate competition as per the Official Match Rules of the corporation.
Section 5. Special meetings of the corporation, Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and Standing and/or Special Committees may be called at any time, either in person, by electronic means, or by written ballot, as deemed necessary by the President to carry out the business of the corporation. Such meetings may also be called by a majority of the Board of Directors, or by ten percent of the members of the corporation.
Section 6. Any matter deemed to be of sufficient importance by the Board of Directors may be decided by a referendum vote by a majority of those members of the corporation having voted. A majority vote of the Board will be required to bring an issue to a referendum vote.
Section 7. A quorum for the annual business meeting shall be fifty eligible members. Unless otherwise prescribed, a majority vote of the eligible members present will be required to carry a motion.

[aggshooter]

Perhaps the next time they have a quorum, they should reduce the number needed for a quorum. The number of shooters decreases almost every year. The number of entries can be deceiving because each shooter is running 8 guns instead of 5.

[nutcase]

thanks Steve!

I forgot about the club representation!

[260 Striker]

Steve, Thanks for that important clarification. Now to my next question. With declining attendance at the World Championships (Internationals in the bylaws) is it still fair and equitable that 50 or fewer members be allowed to vote on rule changes that affect the whole membership? Attendance at the Internationals is now largely influenced by the location of the event. For example, this year is out West so I expect more participation from our western members and less from the Midwest and Eastern members. For changes to rules that affect all IHMSA members, I think a broader cross section of members should be allowed to vote on rule change other than the members who happen to live closest to the championship event. I think when the original bylaws were formed and adopted when IHMSA was very popular and a much broader attendance at the championship match was more representative of all IHMSA shooters. Delegates from many states participated at the early matches and attended and voted at the annual meeting. Times have changed. Delegates at the annual meeting are mostly local folks now. Even the local shooters must not have attended the annual meeting last year if they could not get a quorum of 50 members. To be fair to all IHMSA members, I think we need to change the voting process on rule changes to give all members the opportunity to vote. Rule changes could be presented in the February or March IHMSA News then final votes received by May and official results announced at the annual meeting. That is what we are now doing for our vote for President and other officers. Why not for rule changes?