New York –-(Ammoland.com)- If you’re a fully paid NRA Life Member or you’ve been an NRA member for 5 consecutive years, then you’re an NRA voting member. Along with the annual Board of Directors ballot sent to voting members in January, this year you’ll also receive an additional ballot package with proposed bylaw amendments unanimously supported by all of the NRA Officers and the entire NRA Board of Directors. Please be on the lookout for this important ballot package.
PLEASE VOTE “YES” AND RETURN THE BALLOT WHEN YOU RECEIVE IT.
Key aspects of the NRA Bylaws-the Association’s fundamental rules-haven’t been updated for over 30 years. While changes are never proposed lightly, these amendments are necessary to ensure that the full membership’s democratic decisions continue to govern the Association and are not reversible by the actions of a few or by outside influences. Nearly a year of study and debate by your current NRA officers, Directors, several past presidents, the Board’s Bylaws & Resolutions Committee, and others produced this proposal to safeguard the NRA by strengthening its control by the full voting membership.
The proposed amendments comprehensively update provisions of the NRA Bylaws that can only be amended by a vote of the members. Together, they ensure that NRA members remain the ultimate governing voice of the Association in the communications era we now live in.
Here are the key proposed changes:
- Amendments to Article IX’s recall election process ensure voting members’ choices are respected, by improving the fairness of the removal process for officers and directors. Specifically:
- Allowing removal only for good cause, such as violating the Bylaws or disrupting NRA operations.
- Allowing dismissal of frivolous or malicious recall petitions designed to harm your NRA, with fair appeals for everyone involved.
- Repealing the Annual Meeting Bylaw amendment process in Article XV ensures changes in the NRA’s Bylaws are made either by the elected Board of Directors, or by the mail ballot process that reaches all of our voting members. No longer could a small group at an Annual Meeting organize to potentially harm NRA by making changes without a vote of the entire voting membership.
- The amendments update signature requirements for Board nominating petitions, recall elections, and Bylaw amendment proposals-raising the very small requirements set three decades ago to be more consistent with a membership approaching 6 million. To allow for continuing growth, the amendments include signature requirements based on percentages of valid ballots cast in the previous year’s Board election.
- Specifically:
- Candidate petitions would require at least as many signatures as 0.5% of the valid ballots cast the previous year. Based on typical turnouts, this approximates 500 to 750 signatures-not a high hurdle in the Internet age.
- Recall petitions would require at least as many signatures as 5% of the valid ballots cast the previous year. The higher requirement for recall petitions ensures that the will of tens of thousands of voting members can’t be reversed without broad support. (The NRA Bylaws already allow for the expulsion or other punishment of directors and officers for good cause through ethics hearings.)
- Similarly, the 5% requirement for Bylaw amendments proposed by members ensures that the NRA’s fundamental rules can’t be changed without broad support of the membership.
The NRA Officers and Directors proudly and unanimously endorse these proposed amendments, and urge all voting members to join in supporting them. For more information, go to https://www.nrabylaws.com
PLEASE VOTE “YES” ON THE BYLAW AMENDMENTS AND RETURN YOUR BALLOT ASAP!
About:
The New York State Rifle & Pistol Association is the state’s largest and oldest firearms advocacy organization. Since 1871, our organization has been dedicated to the preservation of Second Amendment rights, firearm safety, education and training, and the shooting sports. Our membership consists of individuals and clubs throughout the state. We are a not-for-profit 501(c)4 organization and the official NRA-affiliated State Association in New York. Visit: www.nysrpa.org