Francis
An NBRSA member has a "good idea". He presents his "good idea" to his representative, who in turn may present this "good idea" to the rest of his constituants at regional matches or at a regional meeting set up for that purpose. Since I have lobbied my fellow regional shooters into thinking my "good idea" is a "good idea", we vote on and pass my "good idea". My director goes to the Annual Meeting before the National Championship and presents my "good idea" to the other regional directors. The entire or a majority of the board of directors say this is a "good idea" and they approve it. At the firing line of the National Championship, they present my "good idea" to the rest of the NBRSA or those in attendance at the National Championship. They approve my "good idea" and it becomes law.
Why is it that if my "good idea" doesn't win the approval of the BOD, it doesn't have a chance to go to the members at the National Championship.
Why isn't it presented to the membership present at the National with the caveat from the BOD that this is a "bad idea"?
I'm thinking that you don't completely understand the membership meeting at the nationals as it affects rule changes. I'm also thinking that you're not alone and there's a reason.
From the "book":
_________________
Any rule change governing equipment or course of fire for
each shooting discipline (Varmint, Sporter, Unlimited, Long-
Range Varmint (200 and 300 yard), Hunter, Long-Range Hunter
(200 and 300 yard), Rimfire, 600-Yard and 1,000-Yard Benchrest
Shooting) must first be approved by the Board of Directors. The
rule change would then be “temporarily effective” beginning on
January 1 of the following year. The regions will have already
given the rule change a “first look”. Then during this “temporarily
effective” period, the changes will go through a “trial period”
before final ratification by the General Membership. The following
year, the rule change must be ratified by a majority of the
members voting at the National Championship Tournament in the
particular discipline affected by the change, and then shall
become effective upon ratification.
__________________
The only "approval" the membership has at the meeting is for equipment and course of fire items the board passed the previous year.
Withstanding, from time to time, the general membership meeting has been used to circumvent the entire process. The directors have allowed this to happen by not realizing that some regions (perhaps their region) are poorly represented at the general membership meeting. Typically, an item passed at the board meeting Saturday is rescinded the following Friday because it was unpopular with the members in attendance at the nationals....some 200+ members often "weighted" geographically.
Again, here's what I'm shootin' at. For discussion's sake, let's say an item is placed on the agenda, the directors determined their region's vote on the item, and the item passed at the board meeting. Given that, how could a director possibly back off the item without returning to the place where his initial vote cometh. One answer could be that adequate representation for an individual region is present but wouldn't that dishonor the regions that were not adequately represented at the nationals?
If we continue to circumvent the process based on a show of hands at the general membership meeting then we may as well cut out all this director stuff.
.........jackie