By-Laws of the National Association of Rocketry
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this organization shall be the National Association of Rocketry.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
The purpose of the National Association of Rocketry, hereafter called the Association, shall be to aid and encourage by all suitable means all people interested in model rocketry and its related sciences. The Association shall:
(a) promote the safe pursuit of rocketry;
(b) establish, enforce, modify and publish standards and rules relating to the construction, operation, and safety of non-professional consumer rockets and rocket products;
(c) establish and define key safety parameters pertaining to nonprofessional consumer rocketry in the Safety Code(s) of the Association;
(d) prepare, collect, correlate, and disseminate by publication or otherwise facts, information, articles, books, or other literature pertaining to rocketry, and shall engage in, encourage, and promote the educational aspects of rocketry;
(e) establish and maintain means of communication with its members, committees, other functions, and its affiliates, and shall collaborate or affiliate with other organizations whether scientific or otherwise, in any manner and to any extent which, in the judgment of the Board of Trustees, will best aid in accomplishing its objectives;
(f) strive to promote and improve the image of rocketry with the general public and with all levels of government, and shall cooperate with all levels of government to the end that non-professional rocket activities may be conducted without undue restriction;
(g) encourage membership in the Association, establish local chartered sections, and promote the growth of the Association;
(h) engage in and encourage organized rocket activities as the Association or the Board of Trustees may from time to time deem necessary or desirable in connection with this article;
(i) promote an increasingly wide interest in the scientific techniques pertaining to rocketry, encourage research and experimentation; and the Association may buy, hold, or convey real and personal property to that end.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1:
The membership of the Association will be comprised of:
(a) citizens of the United States regardless of where they may be residing,
(b) organized groups of United States citizens,
(c) citizens of other nations residing within or outside the United States.
Section 2:
The membership of the Association shall comprise the following classes:
(a) Senior Membership,
(b) Leader Membership,
(c) Junior Membership,
(d) Honorary Membership,
(e) Manufacturer and Corporate Supporting Membership, and
(f) such additional classes as the Board of Trustees may deem it appropriate to create.
Section 3:
Senior members shall be those persons 21 years of age or older who are interested in the sciences of rocketry, astronautics, or their allied fields
Section 4:
Leader members shall be those persons who are at least sixteen (16) years of age but who are under 21 years of age, who are interested in the sciences of rocketry, astronautics, or their allied fields.
Section 5:
Junior members shall be those persons under 16 years of age who are interested in the sciences of rocketry, astronautics, or their allied fields.
Section 6:
Honorary members shall be those persons who, by their contribution to the sciences of rocketry, astronautics, or their allied fields, or by their interest in or aid to the Association, shall be deemed eligible for such membership by a vote of the Board of Trustees.
Section 7:
Manufacturer and Corporate Supporting members shall be limited to those firms who manufacture, produce, distribute, or sell rocket engines, kits, parts, components, accessories, and/or equipment and those firms or organizations who are interested or involved in rocketry, astronautics or their allied fields, including the educational aspects thereof.
Section 8:
A person or organization having expressed his (its) desire for membership shall become a member of the appropriate class upon satisfaction of the Membership Committee as to his (its) sincerity of purpose and good reputation, upon affixing his (its) name to a statement pledging to serve and abide by the Safety Code(s) of the Association in all non-professional rocket activities, and upon payment of dues required by these By-Laws.
Section 9:
Members of all classes shall be entitled to attend all business and other meetings of the Association. However, as later provided herein, only voting members of the Association need be formally notified of meetings. In addition, all classes of members shall be entitled to participate in the rights and privileges of the Association except as expressly provided herein.
Section 10:
Voting on all matters related to the business of the Association shall be restricted to Senior, Leader, and Honorary Members of the Association having had membership in the Association for at least one full year; as well as a single vote from each Manufacturer Member and each Corporate Supporting Member. There shall be no vote by proxy, but votes may be cast by mail subject to provisions made elsewhere in these By-Laws.
Section 11:
For conduct prejudicial to the objectives, reputation, or property of the Association, or for failure to observe and abide by the Safety Code(s) of the Association in all NAR sport rocket activities, a member of any class may be censured, suspended, or expelled by a Committee of three Senior members in good standing appointed by the President. Notice of all charges against such member and of the time and place of the meeting at which they are to be presented shall be sent to the member by mail not less than thirty (30) days prior to such a meeting. A written summary of all evidence to be presented shall be sent to the member by mail not less than twenty-one (21) days prior to such a meeting. Such member shall be given the opportunity to be heard at the meeting in his own defense. Such member in addition to, or in lieu of a personal appearance, may present a written defense; an address to which such written defense is to be sent must be provided to the member not less than twenty-one (21) days prior to such meeting. In cases where documentation indicates that there is reasonable evidence that a member’s activity was in violation of the Safety Code(s) of the Association, the President shall direct that the member charged be suspended from membership until the meeting of the Committee at which his case is to be decided, providing the time of suspension is not longer than one (1) year from the date of suspension until the date of the hearing. No person, once having been admitted in good faith as a member of the Association, shall be denied the right to continued membership except for the above reasons and through the above procedure, or except for non-payment of dues or other debts owed the Association.
ARTICLE IV: DUES
Section 1:
The Association will levy dues as determined by a vote of the Board of Trustees.
Section 2:
Membership shall be effective for a period of one year after payment of dues and shall be renewable in the same month each year thereafter.
Section 3:
A family membership plan shall be offered in which one member of a family shall pay the full dues and receive the Association journal, and the dues for each additional member of the same family who does not receive the journal shall be reduced by an amount equal or approximately equal to the cost of supplying a member with the Association’s journal.
Section 4:
Members defaulting in payment of dues will be dropped from the membership rolls after a one-month period of grace.
ARTICLE V: MEETINGS
Section 1:
Business meetings of the Association shall be held at least once each year at a time and place to be determined by the Board of Trustees.
Section 2:
Special meetings may be called by the President or any three members of the Board of Trustees.
Section 3:
Notice of business meetings of the Association shall be sent by the Secretary to each voting member at least fourteen (14) days in advance, and at least seven (7) days in advance in the case of special meetings.
Section 4:
Votes cast by mail shall be mailed to the Secretary at his official address as stated on the ballots or to an independent tallying agency chosen by the Secretary. Only such ballots as are delivered to him prior to the stated time of the meeting shall be received and counted. However, those members who have not cast their vote by mail may vote in person at the meeting. All elections will be conducted by secret ballot.
Section 5:
The Secretary shall cause ballots for voting upon such propositions as shall be submitted to any meeting of the Association for its decision to be sent to each voting member at least fourteen (14) days prior to such a meeting. The Secretary shall cause ballots for voting upon such propositions as may originate in any meeting of the Association to be sent to each voting member within sixty (60) days of such a meeting.
Section 6:
For the purposes of these By-Laws, a special meeting of the Association shall consist of either a meeting at which a quorum is present or a vote by mail as outlined elsewhere in these By-Laws in which twenty-five (25) or more valid mail ballots are cast by voting members. At any meeting of the Association, twenty-five (25) or more voting members shall constitute a quorum for all purposes except as otherwise provided by law.
Section 7:
“Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised” shall govern the procedure at all meetings. Unless otherwise provided by statute, or by these By-Laws, all elections and all questions shall be decided by a majority of the votes cast.
ARTICLE VI: BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Section 1:
The governing body of the Association shall be a Board consisting of nine (9) Trustees who shall be Senior or Honorary members of the Association having had membership in the Association for at least three (3) full years, and one-third of whom shall be elected every year for a term of three (3) years or until their successors are elected by the voting members of the Association.
Section 2:
The members of the Board of Trustees as elected shall include at least one member from each of the three geographical Regions, but no more than six from any single Region. In the event where more than six candidates from any single Region gain sufficient votes to be elected to the Board, the six candidates with the highest vote totals from that Region shall be elected, and the others shall be disqualified. Subsequent to this procedure, should the voting membership as a whole fail to elect a trustee from among the nominees who reside in some one or more of the three geographical Regions, the ballots cast by the voting members of that Region shall be counted to elect a nominee who resides in that Region. The three geographical Regions shall be defined as follows: An East Region consisting of the states of AL, AR ,CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME,MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, PR, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WV, and VI; A Central Region consisting of the states of IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, OK, SD, TX, and WI; A West Region consisting of the states of AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WY, and WA.
Section 3:
Five (5) or more members of the Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum.
Section 4:
Meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be held at least once a year either in person or by teleconference. Notice of all meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be sent by the Secretary to each Trustee at least thirty (30) days in advance.
Section 5:
In case of vacancy in the Board of Trustees by death, resignation, removal or failure of election, the President may appoint any Senior or Honorary member of the Association otherwise eligible to run for election to the Board to fill the unexpired term subject to a ratification vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees present and voting at the next regular meeting of the Board following such appointment.
Section 6:
Any number of non-voting Honorary Trustees may be appointed by the President of the Association subject to the ratification vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees present and voting at the next regular meeting of the Board following such appointment.
Section 7:
The Board of Trustees shall cause minutes to be kept of their meetings and of all actions taken by them which the Association may be bound or which involve the expenditure of funds of the Association. Such minutes shall be kept by the Secretary and shall be made available to the membership within sixty (60) days of such meetings or such actions.
Section 8:
The fiscal years of the Association shall begin on January 1 of each year. The Board of Trustees shall cause to be made and certified a report of all the receipts and disbursements of the Association for the past fiscal year, a true copy of which shall be placed with the minutes of the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees.
Section 9:
Failure to attend at least half of the regular meetings of the Board of Trustees in any given year shall be cause for removal of a Trustee upon vote of more than one half (1/2) of those Trustees present and voting at any meeting of the Board.
Section 10:
For conduct prejudicial to the objectives, activities, property, or reputation of the Association, a Trustee, either elected, appointed, or Honorary, may be removed from office by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those Trustees present and voting at any meeting of the Board after notice of the charges against him and an opportunity to be heard in his own defense.
Section 11:
At all meetings of the Board of Trustees, the conduct of the meeting shall be governed by “Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised.”
Section 12:
The Board of Trustees shall present annually a report, verified by the President and Treasurer, or by a majority of the Board of Trustees, showing the whole amount of real and personal property owned by the Association; where, and how invested; the amount and nature of the property acquired during the year immediately preceding the date of the report, and the manner of acquisition; the amount applied, appropriated or expended during the year immediately preceding such date; and the purpose, objects or persons to or for which such applications, appropriations, or expenditures have been made; which report will be filed with the records of the Association.
Section 13:
The Board of Trustees may from time to time authorize the bestowal of any appropriate honors or recognition in the name of the Association to any persons whom the Board may deem deserving.
ARTICLE VII: OFFICERS
Section 1:
The officers of the Association shall consist of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and such other officers as from time to time shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees.
Section 2:
The officers of the Association shall be elected from and by the members of the Board of Trustees at the first meeting of the Board of Trustees following the Trustees’ election.
Section 3:
Every officer shall serve for three (3) years or until his successor is elected and qualified. Every officer shall be subject to removal at any time by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those Trustees present and voting, provided the officer be given written notice of the charges against him and an opportunity to be heard in his own defense.
Section 4:
If there be a vacancy in the office of President, the Vice- President shall exercise his duties until the next meeting of the Board of Trustees, at which time the Board will elect a member of itself to serve out the unexpired term of office. If there are vacancies in other offices, the President, subject to ratification action of the Board of Trustees, shall appoint a member of the Board of Trustees in good standing to fill the unexpired term of office.
ARTICLE VIII: DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1:
It shall be the duty of the President to preside at all principal functions of the Association, including meetings of the Board of Trustees; to represent the Association in dealings with other organizations and outside agencies; and to transact business in the name of the Association as directed by the Board of Trustees and in accordance with these By-Laws.
Section 2:
It shall be the duty of the Vice-President to act in the place of the President in the case of his failure or inability to act; at the direction of the President, to transact any business that would be in the power of the President to transact; and, in the case of death or disability of the President, for any reason, to serve in his stead until his successor is elected or appointed.
Section 3:
It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep a correct and accurate account of the minutes of all meetings of the Association or the Board of Trustees; to receive, file, prepare and answer the correspondence of the Association such as the President or the Board of Trustees may request; to maintain a record of all material, photographs, drawings, publications, or archival material of a historical nature and provide an accessible file of same for use and inspection of the Association; to keep a correct and accurate list of the membership with the class of membership and the last known mailing address of each member; to prepare and mail all notices of the meetings of the Association or Board of Trustees; to prepare, distribute, collect and record the results of ballots; and to perform other such clerical and administrative work as may be deemed necessary by the President for the conduct of the affairs of the Association.
Section 4:
It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to collect all dues and assessments; to care for the funds of the Association; and to make all financial reports as required by these By-Laws. Any disbursements of the funds of the Association shall be made by the Treasurer, and all checks, drafts, notes, and orders for payment of the funds of the Association shall be signed by the Treasurer.
ARTICLE IX: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Board of Trustees may appoint an Executive Committee of no fewer than three (3) Officers or Trustees to act in the stead of the Board between meetings of the Board. The Executive Committee shall be able to exercise any power granted to the Board under these By-Laws, but a full and complete report of the actions of the Committee shall be sent to the Board within fourteen (14) days of the date on which such actions were taken, and no actions of the Executive Committee shall be binding unless ratified by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board members present and voting at the next regular or special meeting of the Board.
ARTICLE X: NOMINATING COMMITTEE
Section 1:
The Nominating Committee shall consist of three (3) senior members in good standing who are appointed by the President at least sixty (60) days prior to the date of an election of members of the Board of Trustees, and who shall be selected to have as wide a geographical distribution as possible. It shall be the duty of this Committee to prepare and submit to the Board of Trustees at least thirty (30) days prior to the election a slate of at least one nominee for each seat that is up for election, including at least one candidate from each region that is not represented by a Board member whose term has not expired.
Section 2:
Nominations may be made independently by any voting member in good standing either by mail or from the floor at a meeting of the Association.
Section 3:
The Secretary shall cause to be sent to each voting member at least fourteen (14) days prior to the election a ballot comprising all nominations for members of the Board of Trustees.
ARTICLE XI: OTHER COMMITTEES
Section 1:
In addition to the Nominating Committee, the President shall appoint, subject to the ratification of the Board of Trustees, the Chairmen of the standing Committees and the Chairmen of such Special Committees as the President shall, from time to time, deem necessary or desirable to achieve the aims and purposes of the Association.
Section 2:
The standing committees shall consist of the following:
(a) Membership Committee,
(b) Standards and Testing Committee,
(c) Contest and Records Committee,
(d) Sport Services Committee,
(e) Liaison Committee,
(f) Section Activities Committee,
(g) Education Committee,
(h) Public Affairs Committee,
(i) National Events Committee
(j) Technical Services Committee,
(k) Joint Manufacturers’/Association Council,
(l) Periodicals Committee
(m) Safety Committee,
(n) Technology Committee, and
(o) High Power Rocketry Services Committee.
Section 3:
The Membership Committee shall have as its duties the promotion of membership in the Association, the procurement of membership applications and other promotional materials, the certification as to class of a potential member, the conduct of the membership campaigns under the direction of the President, and the recommendation to the Board of Trustees of new membership classes as deemed appropriate and desirable from time to time.
Section 4:
The Standards and Testing Committee shall have as its duties the establishment and revision of the standards and regulations of the Association, and the testing and certification of equipment as called out in the standards and regulations of the Association.
Section 5:
The Contest and Records Committee shall have as its duties the certification of applications for sanction of contests by the Association, the certification of results of contests sanctioned by the Association, and the homologation of records established or surpassed by members under the standards and regulations of the Association.
Section 6:
The Sport Services Committee shall have as its duties the administration and promotion of non-competitive launches, activities, and services to members.
Section 7:
The Liaison Committee shall have as its duties the close liaison of the Association with other organizations of a similar nature, co-ordinating activities where necessary, and providing for an exchange of information between the Association and similar groups elsewhere. The Liaison Committee shall include a sub-committee for liaison with members of the non-professional rocket industry on matters of mutual interest.
Section 8:
The Section Activities Committee shall have as its duties the formation of new local Sections of the Association, the chartering and re-chartering of such Sections, the maintenance of communication between the Sections and the Board of Trustees.
Section 9:
The Education Committee shall have as its duties the planning, programming, implementation, and supervision of education programs in which the Association may become involved; and coordination, co-operation, and assistance with and to educators in all matters relating to education that will further the aims and purposes of the Association.
Section 10:
The Public Affairs Committee shall have as its duties the publication of any and all affairs of the Association in any and all outside communications media that shall assist the Association in the furtherance of its aims and purposes.
Section 11:
The National Events Committee shall have as its duties the organization and administration of the Association’s National Events, including, but not limited to the National Convention (NARCON), National Sport Launch (NSL) and National Contest (NARAM). Members of this Committee shall include the chairman of the Contest and Records Committee and each of the directors of the next approved National Events.
Section 12:
The Technical Services Committee shall have as its duties the acquisition, publication, promotion, and sales to Association members of membership insignia, technical reports, and other materials as may from time to time be approved by the Board of Trustees.
Section 13:
The Joint Manufacturers’/Association Council shall have as its duties the furtherance of the mutual interests of the Association and the non-professional consumer rocket industry through appropriate liaisons with government regulatory agencies and other interested groups.
Section 14:
The Periodicals Committee shall have as its duty the editing, publication and distribution of the Association’s regular publications, including, but not limited to, Sport Rocketry and The Model Rocketeer.
Section 15:
The Safety Committee shall have as its duties collection of safety data, analysis of any significant range safety incidents, periodic review and improvement of recommended range procedures and operations in light of safety data, safety education and communication of improved practices to Association members, and recommendation of changes to NFPA Codes 1122, 1125, 1127 or NAR Safety Codes to the NAR Board of Trustees.
Section 16:
The Technology Committee shall have as its duties the administration and maintenance of the Headquarters software and hardware systems and any NAR national websites and their functions, and shall review any new information technologies before their implementation by the Association.
Section 17:
The High Power Rocketry Services Committee shall have as its duties the administration and promotion of high power rocketry launches, activities, and services and the training and certification of members as competent users of high power rocketry products.
Section 18:
The President may assign additional duties to each committee in line with its regular duties as may be required.
Section 19:
The President shall be an ex-officio member of all Committees. All Chairmen of Committees shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified.
ARTICLE XII: SHARING OF EARNINGS
No member, Trustee, or officer of the Association, or any person connected with the Association, shall receive at any time any of the net earnings or pecuniary profits from the operation of the Association, provided that this shall not prevent the payment to any such person of reasonable compensation for services rendered to the Association in effecting any of its purposes as shall be fixed by the Board of Trustees; and no such person or persons shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the assets or property upon dissolution of the Association. All members of the Association shall be deemed to have expressly consented and agreed to such a dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Association, whether voluntary or involuntary, and the assets and property of the Association then remaining in its hands shall be distributed or turned over to such educational or scientific institutions or organizations, upon such terms and conditions, and in such amounts and proportions, as the Board of Trustees may determine, to be used by the institutions or organizations receiving them for the purposes similar to or kindred to those set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation of the Association as then amended.
ARTICLE XIII: AMENDMENTS
These By-Laws may be amended at any regular or special meeting of the Board of Trustees, or at any regular or special meeting of the Association, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the votes cast, provided that a ballot containing the proposed amendment be sent each Trustee or voting member at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting at which it is to be presented for a vote. Amendments originating in meetings of the Board of Trustees are subject to a ratification vote at the next regular or special meeting of the Association by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the votes cast provided ballots are sent to the voting members as above.