Bylaws of the
Louisiana
Ornithological Society's
LOUISIANA
BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
I. Name and
Affiliation
A. Name. The official name of this
organization shall be the "Louisiana Ornithological Society's Louisiana
Bird Records Committee," which may be shortened to the "Louisiana
Bird Records Committee" and is hereafter referred to as the
"LBRC."
B. Affiliation. This is a committee of the Louisiana Ornithological Society.
II. Purpose
A.
To the extent possible, determine the validity of records of rare birds (see
section VI. for definition of records treated) from within the boundaries of
the state of Louisiana and adjacent ocean.
"Adjacent ocean" is herein defined as
all ocean waters nearer to Louisiana land than to land of any other state, and
within 200 nautical miles of the Louisiana coastline. These waters begin at the mouth of the Sabine
River on the west, and the mouth of the East Pearl River on the east.
B.
Maintain permanently the original bird records and all committee votes and
comments for future use by interested parties.
C.
Publish at least minimal data on all records receiving a decision.
D.
Provide a means by which sight records of rarities can gain acceptance as
valuable scientific data.
E.
Contribute to knowledge of the birds of Louisiana.
F.
Establish high standards of observation and reporting that will set a positive
example for, and encourage other field observers.
G.
Keep the official Louisiana State Bird List.
III. Membership
A. Number and Definitions. The LBRC shall consist of nine people collectively known as
Members: 1) nine members each with one vote, 2) and from these two Officers
will be elected, one as the Chair, and one as the Secretary.
B. Qualifications. Anyone is eligible to become a Member if, in the estimation of
the existing Members, that person has demonstrated the ability to logically and
objectively analyze records of rarities, is an active field observer with a
competent knowledge of identification of birds, has conscientiously submitted
reports to the LBRC of Review List species, and is a member in good standing of
the Louisiana Ornithological Society.
C. Members.
(1)
Election and Term of Office.
(a) Eight Members (one of whom is also the Chair, and not including
the Secretary; Chair and Secretary considered Officers, see D. (2)) shall be
elected on a staggered basis, each for a term of four years, so that two will
be elected each year. Election shall be by vote at the Annual Spring Meeting of
the LBRC (nominations are submitted to the Secretary prior to the meeting;
proxies shall not be used in this election). Candidates will be nominated to
fill a specific vacancy: if multiple candidates are nominated for one vacancy,
then the candidate who receives the largest number of votes shall be elected.
If necessary, ties shall be decided by an additional ballot(s) listing only
those persons tied. Members take office at the close of the Annual Spring
Meeting at which they were elected and serve until the close of the fourth
Annual Spring Meeting following their election. At the discretion of the other
Members, the Members-Elect may be seated (but may not vote) during the
remainder of the Annual Spring Meeting at which they were elected.
(b) The Secretary is the
ninth Member and will be elected for a term of one year (see D. (1)).
(2)
Nominations of Members.
Nomination
for Membership shall be made only by existing Members and only to the Secretary
prior to the Annual Spring Meeting. It is the responsibility of the nominating
Member to confirm the qualifications of and to obtain approval of willingness
to serve from the nominees he/she submits. Each Member may make only one
nomination per each vacancy, and may not nominate himself/herself. If the total
number of nominees is not sufficient to fill the vacant seats, it is the
responsibility of the Secretary to nominate the number of persons required. The
Secretary will include the list of nominees in the agenda for the Annual Spring
Meeting.
(3)
Member Duties:
(a) Members: (1) Receive and evaluate records circulated by the
Secretary. (2) Vote on all records received (see Section VI. F.), using a
standard Validation Form format. (3)
Submit report forms of all personally observed Review List species within 60
days after the observation. (4) Promote the LBRC and encourage other observers
to submit records of Review List species.
(5) Make every effort to attend all scheduled meetings of the LBRC.
D. Officers. The Secretary and the Chair have different election and
nomination policies, term, and additional duties than other Members, so these
two positions are defined as Officers.
(1)
Secretary.
(a) Election and Term of Office. The Secretary shall be elected for
a term of one year. Election shall be by vote of five or more Members (a quorum
being formed by the presence of the Secretary, but who may not vote) present in
person, not by proxy or ballot, at the Annual Spring Meeting. The candidate
receiving the largest number of votes shall be elected. If necessary, a tie
shall be decided by an additional ballot(s) listing only those persons tied.
The Chair or, in the Chair's absence, a Member shall conduct this election. The
Secretary takes office at the close of the Annual Spring Meeting at which the
election was held and serves until the close of the next Annual Spring Meeting.
The Secretary may serve an unlimited number of terms.
(b) Nominations for Secretary.
Nominees for Secretary must meet qualifications outlined in III. B. Nominations
for Secretary shall be made only by Members (not including the Secretary) prior
to the Annual Spring Meeting. All
nominations for Secretary must be received in writing in advance of the Annual
Spring Meeting so that the nominee's name may be included on the Meeting
agenda. It is the responsibility of the
nominating Member to obtain approval of willingness to serve from the nominee
he/she submits. Each Member may make only one nomination, and may not nominate
himself/herself.
(c) Duties of Secretary. (1) Receive and enter into LBRC Record
Roster, duplicate, circulate, re-circulate and maintain files of all bird
records and supporting data submitted to the LBRC. Whenever possible, the
records should be the originals, because copies fade with age. (2) Vote on bird
records (see Section VI. F.). Vote in all elections, except those for
Secretary. (3) Procure additional data on records when deemed desirable and
possible. (4) Furnish Members with a list of post-third-circulation records to
be discussed (Discussion Round). (5) Tabulate results of all votes of the LBRC.
(6) Keep the minutes of LBRC meetings. (7) Keep current the Review List,
furnish it to anyone upon request, update and publish as necessary in the LOS
News, and with each official Report of the LBRC. (8) Furnish Members with such
equipment as needed, including Validation Forms. (9) Furnish Members with the list of nominees
for upcoming elections, and include in meeting's agenda and provide the Agenda
to Members prior to the Annual Spring Meeting. (10) Furnish anyone, upon
request (and receipt of duplication costs), copies of all evidence, including
LBRC comments, concerning any accepted or rejected bird record. (11) Furnish
free Report Forms to anyone upon request. (12) Keep current a master copy of
these Bylaws.
(2)
Chair.
(a) Election and Term of Office. Nominees for Chair must be drawn
from current and or incoming Members, but cannot include the Secretary. The
Chair shall be elected for a term of one year. Election shall be by vote of a
quorum present in person, not by proxy or ballot, at the Annual Spring Meeting.
The candidate receiving the largest number of votes shall be elected. If
necessary, ties shall be decided by an additional ballot(s) listing only those
persons tied. The Secretary, or in the Secretary's absence, a Voting Member
other than the Chair, shall conduct this election. All Voting Members, including the current
Chair and all candidates for Chair, may vote. The Chair takes office at the
close of the Annual Spring Meeting at which the Chair was elected and serves
until the close of the next Annual Spring Meeting or until a successor is
elected. The Chair may serve an unlimited number of terms.
(b) Duties. (1) Call and preside at LBRC meetings. (2) With the
approval of the Members, appoint Chairs of subcommittees. (3) Assure that the
current Bylaws are properly applied. (4) At the Secretary's request, provide
assistance in carrying out the duties of that office. (5) If the Secretary
shall be incapacitated, or otherwise become unable to serve, the Chair shall
act as Secretary in all respects.
E. Removals. The LBRC may remove, for
cause, any member who proves to be delinquent or incompetent in their duties,
who consistently fails to submit his/her own records of Review List species, or
who otherwise performs contrary to the spirit of the LBRC. Removal of a Member
requires a majority vote of all other Members.
A vote for removal must take place at a meeting of the LBRC; absent
Members may vote by written ballot submitted to the Secretary or to an
attending member.
F. Vacancies and Special Elections. If the LBRC
loses a Member during mid-term (through death, resignation, removal, etc.), a
Special Election will be held as soon as possible for the purpose of filling a
Member vacancy. A Special Election may be conducted at a meeting or by
individual contact (mail, telephone, etc.), whichever is most expedient in the
opinion of the Secretary. For a vacancy involving the Secretary, the Chair will
assume those duties (see D.(2)(b)). For a vacancy
involving the Chair, Special Election will elect a Chair by majority vote of
other Members. The person elected shall serve the remainder of the term of the
person being replaced.
G. Compensation. Neither the Secretary nor any member may receive compensation for
their services. The Secretary, or Members assisting with secretarial duties,
may be reimbursed by the Secretary-Treasurer of the Louisiana Ornithological
Society for incidental expenses reasonably incurred through business of the
LBRC. The Secretary or other Members must receive advance approval for
expenditures from the Secretary-Treasurer of the Louisiana Ornithological
Society.
IV. Meetings
A. LBRC Annual Spring Meeting. The LBRC will hold an Annual
Spring Meeting each year on the first Saturday after 9 March. If first
circulation records are on the agenda, then a quorum of at least seven members
must be in attendance. If more than two members are unable to attend, then
first circulation records cannot be reviewed and another date, unanimously
approved by all current Members, and officially set by the Chair in
consultation with the Members, will be chosen for that purpose. If review of
records is not on the agenda, then five (5) members shall constitute the quorum
required for elections and for transacting such other annual business. The
Secretary must give advance notice of the Annual Spring Meeting or a change in
date or venue to all Members, along with an agenda and list of nominees for
Member elections.
B. Special Meetings. Special Meetings of the LBRC may be called by the Chair, the
Secretary, or by agreement of five or more Members. The Chair or Secretary must notify and
provide an agenda to each Member prior to a Special meeting.
C. Quorum. Five Members in good standing, present in person, not by proxy,
shall constitute a quorum for any Special (non-record-review) LBRC meeting.
V. Bylaws
A. Formation. All Bylaws and other procedures of the LBRC are to be as
determined by and only by the LBRC, except that they may not be inconsistent with
the Bylaws of the Louisiana Ornithological Society or with rules adopted by the
LOS Executive Committee.
B. Review. The Bylaws shall be reviewed regularly, at least once every five
years.
C. Changes. These Bylaws may be changed or amended by a majority vote of a
quorum at any LBRC meeting.
VI. Bird
Records
A. Definitions. For the purposes of the LBRC and these Bylaws, a
"record" is considered to be written documentation or a specimen
submitted as a report (see VI. C) to the LBRC as proof
of the identity of a sighted, heard, collected, banded, tape-recorded, or
photographed bird or birds. The "Review List" is that most recent
list of species for which records will be accepted for review by the LBRC. A
"round" is considered one or more individual records united by the
Secretary for the purpose of circulation. A "circulation" is defined
as the progression of a round as it is delivered to each Member for review. The
"round cover sheet" contains a list of all records in the round,
their identification number(s), reporting observers, additional enclosures (e.g.,
photographs), and specific instructions to Members. For rounds sent through the
mail, a "routing slip" lists the names and addresses of the Secretary
and all other Members, listed in the order in which the round will circulate.
B. Records Treated.
(1)
Only records from the State of Louisiana and adjacent ocean (as defined in
Section II. A will be treated.
(2)
The species included on the Review List will be as determined on a regular
basis by the LBRC. In general, the Review List will consist of species that
have been recorded within Louisiana and adjacent ocean an average of four or
fewer times per year averaged over the ten year period immediately preceding
revision of the Review List.(amended 15 Mar 2025) In general, the review list will
consist of species that have been recorded within Louisiana and adjacent ocean
an average of two or fewer times per year over the ten year period immediately
preceding revision of the review list, or for which there are fewer than 50
total accepted records. Species that exceed either threshold become eligible
for removal from the Review List, subject to the discretion of the Committee.
By majority vote of a quorum of Members at a meeting, the LBRC may, as
it sees fit, add species to or delete species from the Review List. Reports or
records of species for which there are no accepted records for Louisiana shall
also be considered.
See
also Addition and Removal of Introduced Species (VI. B. (9)).
(3)
The criteria for inclusion on the Review List, and the species included on that
list, will be reviewed at least once every five years.
(4)
The Secretary will ensure that the Review List is duplicated, made available to
those who request it, and publish it with all official Reports of the LBRC.
(5)
Records based on specimens, tape recordings, or bandings will be accepted and
treated in the same manner as other records.
(6)
Any record, whether previously published or not, old or new, may be submitted
by a Member or other person, whether or not an observer. Exceptions would
include any record that has received a previous LBRC decision (see VI. D).
(7)
Records concerning species that are only locally or seasonally rare in
Louisiana may be reviewed at the LBRC's discretion.
(8)
Subspecies will not be treated unless listed as such on the Review List or
relevant to the official State List.
(9)
Addition or removal of Introduced Species to the State List. Introduced species
may be added to or removed from the Review List at the discretion of the LBRC
based on periodic assessments of the species’ status outside and inside the
State. In general, if a colonization event (originating either from outside or
from within Louisiana) is in progress, then a species will be added to the
Review List in order to encourage documentation of the spread and establishment
of the species in Louisiana. A species will not automatically be added to the Review
List if represented only by a single and or localized group of individuals.
Feral individuals of species already on the State List are not countable (e.g.,
Canada Goose) if the feral population is not
additionally accepted as an Introduced Species.
(a) Addition to the State List.
The LBRC will review records of breeding populations of introduced
species not on the State List but only if evidence is submitted that attempts
to prove the correct identification of the species and the viability of the population.
To be judged viable, a population must (1) be documented breeding in the state
for a minimum of ten (10) consecutive years, (2) have numbers of individuals
increasing or stabilized after an initial period of increase, and (3) be judged
to have occupied geographically contiguous suitable habitat to such a degree as
to sustain the population and 4) be judged unlikely to significantly diminish.
A population maintained primarily by recurrent releases, either intentional or
accidental, or requiring intense management for survival, shall not be
considered viable.
(b) Removal from the State List. A species accepted to the State
List as an Introduced Species shall be removed if the LBRC determines that the
introduced population is decreasing and no longer viable. For these purposes,
the criteria for the size of a viable population shall be less stringent than
those used for Addition. The LBRC recognizes that populations, whether natural
or Introduced may undergo and survive "bottlenecks," at which time a
population is briefly small enough that risk of extirpation is substantial. If,
however, the LBRC believes that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that a
viable population no longer exists and that the continued presence of the
species is due primarily to ongoing releases or escapes of captive individuals,
then the species will be removed from the State List. If an introduced species
is not widespread, but has a restricted state distribution, individuals are
"countable" only from within the area with the established
population.
C. Submission. Hard copy reports should be, but need not be, submitted on the
LBRC's Official Report Form. The Official Report Form is created to outline the
type of information required for proper documentation of a record. The format
of the official Report Form shall be reviewed at regular intervals of at least
once every five years and revised when necessary. The Secretary should ensure
that LBRC Official Report Forms are readily available at no charge to all that
request them. This form will also be available in electronic or printable
formats at the LOS website on the Internet.
Observers printing their own copies for later submission are recommended
to use high rag content paper for archival purposes. When using direct Internet submission of
reports, the same official report format will be adopted. In the case of an
electronic submission, the Secretary will print out a hard copy of the report
for the archives.
D. Resubmission. A record that has received a final LBRC decision, whether
accepted or rejected, and even though published in an official Report of the
LBRC, may be resubmitted by the Secretary, a Member, an observer, or any other
person, if and only if there becomes available new and substantial documentary
or circumstantial evidence that might reverse the decision. The Secretary will
ascertain whether recirculation is justified based on evidence submitted. For a
record rejected because of questionable origin, such evidence might include the
recognition of a natural pattern of occurrence. A record deemed appropriate for
resubmission will circulate in the manner of any other record, however it will
retain its original number, include all previous votes and comments of the
LBRC, include previous publication data, an explanation about why it is being
resubmitted, and all new evidence marked as such.
E. Circulation Procedures.
(1)
Initial Receipt by Secretary. Upon receipt of a record, the Secretary should do
the following:
(a) Affix
to it a unique LBRC number, consisting of the year of record (not the year of
receipt) followed by a hyphen and the next available unused number, starting
with "01," for each year. If a record is represented by descriptions
from more than one person, each description should receive the same LBRC number
followed by a capital letter in sequence beginning with "A."
(b)
Enter record into record roster.
(c) Include the record in a round for circulation.
(2)
To circulate by mail:
(a) Make duplicates of, and keep in a secure place, all record
documentation and completed Validation Forms.
(b) Check the description for completeness and clarity and, if
deemed desirable, request additional information from the reporter or other
observers. Details thus acquired must be clearly marked as such and kept
separate from the original submission; the original submission should not be
returned to the reporter except in copy form.
(c) Organize a number of records into a round, include a cover
sheet showing what records are contained in the round, and affix a routing slip
to the round packet, which shows the order in which Members receive the round.
(3) To circulate by Email.
(a) Check the description for completeness and clarity and, if
deemed desirable, request additional information from the reporter or other
observers. Details thus acquired must be clearly marked as such and kept
separate from the original submission; the original submission should not be
returned to the reporter except in copy form.
(b) Scan originals and retain these in a secure place.
(c) Assemble records into a round and post on website. Send an email cover sheet to Members, which
includes a link to the round to initiate the round's circulation.
(4) Receipt by Member of Rounds Sent by
Mail. A Member should do the following:
(a)
Initial and date routing slip.
(b) Verify contents of round against Routing Slip.
(c) Email the Secretary to
acknowledge that the round has been received and indicate any discrepancies
between the Routing Slip and the contents. Email the sending member, if you are
not the first on the Routing Slip to acknowledge receipt.
(d) Judge each record's
validity, vote, and make comments when appropriate.
(e) Send the round to the
next Member within one month of its receipt. Notify the next member by email
when you sent the round.
(f) Email the
Secretary that the round has been sent on to the next member. Send the
completed Validation Form(s) to the Secretary.
(g) The last
Member to vote should return the round to the Secretary. Email the Secretary to
notify her that the round has been sent.
(h) Lengthy
absences from a Member's mailing address should be reported to the Secretary.
The circulation may be rerouted to accommodate such absences.
(5) Receipt by Member of Rounds Sent by
Email. The Member should do the
following:
(a)
Open all files and make sure that
they can view all record material
on the
website. Notify the Secretary that all
files can be accessed or whether there are any problems attempting to access
any files.
(b) Judge each record's
validity, vote, and make comments when appropriate.
(c) Email the completed
e-Validation Form(s) to the Secretary.
(d) Lengthy absences from a
Member's email address or computer problems should be reported to the
Secretary.
(6) Recirculation.
(a) A record shall be
recirculated automatically, together with the votes and comments of every
Member from previous circulations, until it has received a decision vote or
until three circulations (two recirculations) have been completed, whichever
comes first.
(b) If, after the third circulation, the record still has not
received a decision vote (see Section VI. F. (10c)), the Secretary will keep it
until it can be discussed at an Annual Meeting of the LBRC.
(c) Prior to each Annual Meeting, the Secretary should inform
Members of any “fourth circulation” records scheduled for discussion.
(d) For “fourth circulation” records (see Section VI. F. (10c), the
final decision must be made at the first meeting in which the record is
discussed.
(e) All decisions are final.
(7)
Records supported by specimens or photographs.
(a)
Specimen records. At an Annual
Spring Meeting, each Member will independently evaluate the identification of
and vote on each specimen. This constitutes the record's first circulation;
votes will be tabulated and, if the vote is unanimous, then the identification
of the specimen can be discussed among the Members. Members may also request
that pertinent specimen identification criteria be discussed prior to the vote.
If a unanimous vote is not reached, then an expert opinion should be obtained
and this information circulated as a written report of the record. The
circulation would represent the record's first circulation.
(b) Records supported by photographic or audio documentation.
Unambiguous photographic records (as judged by the Secretary) can be reviewed
at an Annual Spring Meeting. Members will independently review the report(s)
and photograph(s) at an Annual Meeting, and will record their votes on a
tabulation sheet provided by the Secretary. This is a secret vote and the
Secretary will later tally votes. The record will be accepted only when it
receives a unanimous accept vote. If the vote is not unanimous, the record will
be circulated by normal procedures beginning with its first circulation.
F. Voting.
(1)
Validation Forms. The vote of each Member, together with the Member's comments,
if any, must be submitted using official Validation Form format. The official
Validation Form must include:
(a) Round number and Record number.
(b) Common name of the species.
(c) Name of the Member.
(d) Date of the Member's review.
(e) Number of the circulation.
(f) Member's decision (see voting categories F.(2)).
(g) Comments (Required for any reject and all but first circulation
accept votes).
(h)
Members may combine records and
submit to the Secretary
"First circulation accept without comment votes" (see
Section VI. F. (5)) and e-circulations on one page/Validation Form, providing
that all of the above information is included.
(2)
Voting categories.
(a) Identification. Each Member must determine whether the record
is correctly identified. For each record, species identification must be
evaluated first. If identification is
accepted, then the record can then be evaluated with regard to natural
origin.
(b) Origin. (1) Natural
origin. For the purpose of the LBRC and these Bylaws, "natural
origin" will be defined as: a bird is considered to be of natural origin
if, and only if, the probability of its arrival as a result of man's assistance
(either active or passive) is negligible.
Because determination of human assistance for any particular individual
or record may not be possible, a designation, "Origin-Hypothetical"
can be assigned to those records that are problematical. (2) Origin
Hypothetical is defined as: A) a species with known range and natural history
such that it would not be a good
candidate for vagrancy; B) a species that is kept in captivity (even
though no escapees have been reported and the species might be a good candidate
for vagrancy based on range or natural history); or C) there is at least
circumstantial evidence suggesting that an occurrence may not be of natural
origin, even though the species is a potential candidate for vagrancy. Records designated "Origin-Hypothetical"
will be so indicated by an appropriate symbol on the State List (for a first or single state record)
or in a LBRC Report. The
"Origin-Hypothetical" symbol will be removed from the species name on
the State List in the event of a subsequent record where origin is not questioned.
(3) Origin Questionable. Records will be rejected on origin, if the origin is known or highly suspected to be man-assisted.
Accept
votes:
a) Accept
Identification and Origin
b) Accept
Identification, Origin-Hypothetical
Reject
votes:
c) Reject Identification
d) Reject Origin
(accept identification; natural origin questionable)
(3)
Abstentions: Members may not abstain from voting.
(4)
Secretary Vote. The Secretary must vote on each record. On the first
circulation the Secretary must vote prior to reviewing or collating Members
returned validations (thus voting without seeing other Members' comments).
(5)
Comments. On the first circulation an "accept" vote does not require
comment; a "reject" or "origin hypothetical" vote must be
supported by appropriate comments. See
also Section VI. F. (10) (a) regarding tabulation of "accept without
comment votes." On second and third circulations, all votes must be
supported by comments. Any "Accept
Identification-Origin Hypothetical" vote must be accompanied by comments
supporting that opinion.
(6)
Consultations.
(a) Among Members. Once a record has begun its first circulation, a
Member may not discuss a record with another Member prior to both having voted.
On any subsequent circulation, pre-vote discussions among Members are
acceptable. On any circulation, a Member
may, prior to voting, consult with anyone outside the LBRC.
(b) Outside experts. Any
Member may solicit written comments from Non-member "experts.” The Member or outside expert should forward
any written expert comments to the Secretary so that these may be incorporated
in subsequent (when necessary) circulations.
(7)
Voting Criteria. The criteria used by a Member to accept or reject a record are
an individual matter and should not be dictated by these Bylaws. In addition to straightforward assessment of
the circumstances of an observation and the accuracy, extent, and credibility
of descriptions, evaluation criteria might also include whether similar species
are convincingly eliminated, and consideration of observer expertise and
reputation.
(8)
Change in Membership. Rounds in circulation when there is a change in
membership shall automatically be rerouted to and completed by the new
Member(s), unless Validation Forms by the departing member for these records
have already been submitted to, or received by, the Secretary.
(9)
Tabulation. The Secretary tabulates the votes for each round upon its
completion.
(10)
Decision Vote Criteria.
(a) First Circulation. Following a record's first circulation, a
record is considered accepted if it receives nine "Accept Identification
and Origin" votes (=9-0). A record is considered rejected if it receives
nine reject (identification or origin) votes. The record is also considered
rejected if it receives eight reject votes and one "accept without comment
vote." Although no supporting
comments are associated with an "accept without comment" vote,
records receiving two or more "accept without comment" votes will be
recirculated. If the record does not receive a unanimous reject vote or
receives any "Accept Identification, Origin-Hypothetical" votes, it
will be re-circulated.
(b) Second and Third Circulations. Following second or third
circulations, a record is considered accepted if it receives no more than one
"Reject" vote (=8-1) or no more than one "Accept Identification,
Origin-Hypothetical" vote. A record
is considered "rejected" if it receives any combination of five or more
Reject votes (= 4-5, 3-6, 2-7, 1-8, or 0-9). A record is accepted and
designated "Origin Hypothetical" if it receives more than one
"Accept Identification, Origin Hypothetical" votes and no more than
one reject vote.
(c) Fourth Circulation or Discussion Vote. If after three
circulations a record does not receive a decision vote as outlined in (a) or
(b) above (e.g., 5-4, 6-3, or 7-2) then it will be decided at an Annual Spring
Meeting. At any Spring Meeting, for a Fourth Circulation Record to occur, a
minimum of seven members must be in attendance and vote on the record’s
outcome. The record will be discussed and following the discussion, a vote will
be taken. The record is considered accepted if it receives no more than one
reject vote. It is considered accepted,
and will be designated origin hypothetical, if it receives two or more
"accept identification, origin hypothetical" votes and no more than
one reject vote. The record is rejected if it receives votes in any other
combination.
G. Publication.
(1)
The decisions of the LBRC shall be published regularly under the authorship of
the Secretary (and others if desired), in the form of an official Report of the
LBRC, in an official publication of the Louisiana Ornithological Society. A
section of this Report shall be devoted to bringing the Louisiana State Bird
List up to date.
(2)
The published data for accepted records should include the species name, LBRC
number, date(s) of observation, full locality, reporting observers, and initial
discoverers or identifiers (if known). Other data may be added at the
discretion of the Secretary and Members.
(3)
Rejected records should also be published with the above data, except that
observers' names should not be included. For the purposes of publication, the
term "unaccepted" should be used instead of "rejected."
(4)
"Pending records" should not be published.
COMPILED BY THE
LBRC, Adopted 19 October 1979:
James
R. Stewart, Chairman
Robert
D. Purrington
Harland
D. Guillory
J. V. Remsen, Jr.
Horace
H. Jeter
Buford
M. Myers, III
David
B. Crider, Secretary
BYLAWS REVISED
BY THE LBRC, 23 SEPTEMBER 1989:
David
P. Muth, Chair
Steven
W. Cardiff
Alfred
E. Smalley
Donna
L. Dittmann, Secretary
Revisions
proposed, adopted 31 March 1990:
B.
Mac Myers III, Chair
Steven
W. Cardiff
Donna
L. Dittmann, Secretary
David
P. Muth
Alfred
E. Smally
Bylaws updated
with adopted amendments, 6 June 1991:
B.
Mac Myers III, Chair
Steven
W. Cardiff
David
P. Muth
Alfred
E. Smalley
Donna
L. Dittmann, Secretary
Bylaws updated
with adopted amendments, 29 April 1995:
David
P. Muth, Chair
Steven
W. Cardiff
Ronald
J. Stein
Joseph
P. Kleiman
Paul
E. Conover
Donna
L. Dittmann, Secretary
Bylaws updated
with adopted amendments, 6 September 1997:
David
P. Muth, Chair
Charlie
E. Lyon
Paul
Conover
Ronald
J. Stein
Joseph
P. Kleiman
Steven
W. Cardiff
Donna
L. Dittmann, Secretary
Bylaws reviewed
and updated, adopted 25 September 1999:
Steven
W. Cardiff, Chair
Paul
M. Dickson
Phillip
A. Wallace
Peter
H. Yaukey
Joseph
P. Kleiman
William
R. Fontenot
Donna
L. Dittmann, Secretary
Bylaws reviewed
and proposed amendments revised, adopted 27 October 2001:
Steven
W. Cardiff, Chair
Paul
M. Dickson (proxy)
Phillip
A. Wallace
Peter
H. Yaukey (proxy)
B.
Mac Myers III
William
R. Fontenot
Donna
L. Dittmann, Secretary
Bylaws
reviewed, proposed amendments revised and compiled by email, adopted 14 October
2002:
Steven
W. Cardiff, Chair
Paul
M. Dickson
Phillip
A. Wallace
Peter
H. Yaukey
B.
Mac Myers III
William
R. Fontenot
Donna
L. Dittmann, Secretary
Bylaws
reviewed, proposed amendments revised and compiled by email, adopted, 30
September 2003:
Steven
W. Cardiff, Chair
Paul
M. Dickson
Phillip
A. Wallace
Peter
H. Yaukey
B.
Mac Myers III
William
R. Fontenot
Donna
L. Dittmann, Secretary
Bylaws reviewed
and updated, revised prior to publication at the LOS website, adopted 23 April
2005:
Steven
W. Cardiff, Chair
Paul
E. Conover
William
R. Fontenot
James
L. Ingold
B.
Mac Myers III
Phillip
A. Wallace
Dave
Patton, Second Alternate
Curt
C. Sorrells, First Alternate
Donna
L. Dittmann, Secretary
Bylaws amended
9 September 2006:
Steven
W. Cardiff, Chair
Paul
E. Conover
William
R. Fontenot
James
L. Ingold
Curtis
C. Sorrells
Phillip
A. Wallace
Nancy
L. Newfield, Second Alternate
Dave
Patton, First Alternate
Donna
L. Dittmann, Secretary
Bylaws amended
14 March 2009:
Steven
W. Cardiff, Chair
Paul
E. Conover
James
L. Ingold
Dave
Patton
Curtis
C. Sorrells
Phillip
A. Wallace
Nancy
L. Newfield, First Alternate
B.
Mac Myers III, Second Alternate
Donna
L. Dittmann, Secretary
Bylaws amended
12 March 2011:
Steven
W. Cardiff, Chair
Paul
E. Conover
James
L. Ingold
Dave
Patton
Curtis
C. Sorrells
Phillip
A. Wallace
Nancy
L. Newfield, First Alternate
B.
Mac Myers III, Second Alternate
Donna
L. Dittmann, Secretary
Bylaws amended
15 March 2025:
Robert
C. Dobbs, Chair
Paul
E. Conover, Secretary
Christopher
G. Brantley
John
K. Dillon
Erik
I. Johnson
Larry
Raymond
Chloe
St. Germain-Vermillion
James
Smithers
Casey
Wright