By-Laws

Article 1 Name

• The name of this league shall be the Greater Boston Pistol League.

Article 2 Purpose

• The purpose of this league shall be to provide a common meeting ground for clubs and organizations wishing to participate in pistol team competition, to encourage the safe handling of firearms, and to provide a central governing body to supervise member-team competition

Article 3 Membership

• Sec. 1 - Membership in this league shall be open to teams from clubs and organizations affiliated with the National Rifle Association (NRA) and to teams from military organizations, whose members are individually associated with the NRA.
• Sec. 2 - Application for membership shall be made in writing to the Secretary and shall include such information as the League Council shall require. The Secretary shall submit such applications to the Executive Committee at its next regular or special meeting for their acceptance or rejection.
• Sec. 3 - No member team may resign from the league with dues in arrears.

Article 4 Management

• Sec. 1 - The management of the league shall be vested in a League Council and an Executive Committee.
• Sec. 2 - The Council shall consist of one voting delegate elected or appointed by each affiliated member-team.
• Sec. 3 - The Council shall elect by majority vote a President, who shall act as chairman of the Council, a Vice-President, an Executive Officer, a Secretary, and a Treasurer who, acting together, shall constitute the Executive Committee. Members of the Executive Committee must be members of an affiliated member-team, but need not be delegates to the Council.
• Sec. 4 - It shall be the duty of the Executive Committee to determine the league schedule of competitions; to formulate entry fees, prize awards, etc., for approval by the Council; to act as a rules committee; and to undertake such duties as the Council may, by resolution, direct.
• Sec. 5 - The President may appoint such special committees as from time to time appear necessary to further the activities of the league.

Article 5 Meetings

• Sec. 1 - The annual meeting of the Council for the purpose of electing Executive Committee members and transacting other business shall be held on the Second Tuesday of May in each year, or as near to that date as possible.
• Sec. 2 - Special meetings of the Council may be called at any time by the President or on the written demand of any two Council delegates or members of the Executive Committee, stating the cause for such meeting. Such calls for special meetings are subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. Notification of any special meetings shall be given in writing and shall specify the reason for such a meeting.
• Sec. 3 - Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held at any time, on the call of any member of the Executive Committee.
• Sec. 4 -   A quorum of the Council to hold regular league business shall consist of 50% of the delegates of the affiliated member-teams.  A quorum of the Council to change bylaws or match rules shall consist of two thirds of the delegates of the affiliated member-teams.  Any three members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum of that committee."
  
• Sec. 5 - The Order of Business at all meetings shall be as follows:

• A. Calling of the Roll and the Determination of Quorum.
• B. Proof of due notice of meeting having been sent to all member-teams.
• C. Reading and disposal of the minutes of preceding meeting. This may be waived by consent of the members present.
• D. Reports of Officers and Committees.
• E. Election of Officers, the preceding Officer first appointing tellers. This refers to the Annual Meeting only.
• F. Unfinished business.
• G. New business.
• H. Correspondence.
• I. Adjournment

• Sec. 6 - Roberts Rules of Order, revised, shall apply.
• Sec. 7 - Each member-team shall be allowed to cast one vote on each issue. No delegate shall represent more than one member-team at any meeting.

Article 6 Discipline

• Sec. 1 - An affiliated club, organization, or member-team may be suspended or expelled from the league by action of the Council after presentation of written charges and proper hearing. Such charges must be mailed to the Secretary obtaining a return receipt. Charges may be preferred by any member of the Executive Committee or by the Captain of any affiliated member-team and shall be filed in duplicate. The Secretary shall deliver one copy to the Captain of the accused member-team by mail obtaining a return receipt. The charges shall be heard at a special meeting of the Council held not less than ten (10) days after the duplicate copy of the charges has been mailed to the accused. The accused may answer the charges in writing or in the presence of any three (3) members of the Executive Committee. The vote shall be on a motion to suspend or a motion to expel, and a two thirds vote of the delegates present shall be required for suspension or expulsion.
• Sec. 2 - Any individual member of an affiliated member-team who has competed in the league program may be suspended or expelled from league competition by following the procedure in Section 1 of this article; provided that when charges are filed against an individual, they shall be filed in triplicate, the duplicate being delivered to the accused individual and the triplicate to the Captain of the team to which theaccused belongs. The answer, in writing, if any, shall be made by the accused individual and he shall be privileged to answer in person before the Council or to be represented by any member of his team.
• Sec. 3 - In any case when charges lead to the expulsion of a member-team or team member from the league, it shall be the duty of the Secretary to render a full report to the NRA.

Article 7 Duties

• Sec. 1 - The President shall preside at all meetings of the league and of the Executive Committee, shall exercise general supervision over the affairs and activities of the league, shall perform all other duties usually pertaining to that office.
• Sec. 2 - The Vice-President, in the absence, disability, or refusal to act of the president, shall possess all of the powers and perform all of the duties of that office.
• Sec. 3 - The Executive Officer shall, in the event of the absence of both the President and Vice-President, take on the duties of the president; and shall be empowered to give rulings on any challenge which may be brought up, subject to appeal to the Executive Committee and thence to the Council.
• Sec. 4 - The Secretary shall conduct all correspondence and have custody of all books, papers, and documents pertaining to the league; shall keep the minutes of all meetings; shall notify the Executive Committee of its meetings; shall notify member-teams of Council meetings; shall see that the league bulletin is mailed out monthly to each team Captain of any affiliated member-team. All Council meetings shall have a minimum of seven (7) days notice.
• Sec. 5 - The Treasurer shall have charge of all funds of the league and shall be responsible for them thereafter; shall keep an accurate account of all financial transactions and render a detailed report at the annual meeting; shall after consultation with and approval of the Executive Committee, pay all bills for supplies and other proper expenses.
• Sec. 6 - Division Officers shall be appointed by the Executive Committee. Division Officers shall keep records of the scores fired in the regularly scheduled matches for teams and individuals comprising their division. These scores are to be tabulated in a manner approved by the Executive Committee and sent in to the Secretary before the last day of each month involved in the schedule of the matches.
• Sec. 7 - The Executive Committee is empowered to approve the spending of the leagues monies to pay the following items:

• A. Dues to the NRA.
• B. Supplies needed for bulletins, correspondence, scorebooks, etc.
• C. Cost of postage and telephone calls.
• D. Cost of awards.
• E. Expenses incurred for the annual banquet.
  All other expenditures will only be made after approval of the Council. The expenditures of the Executive Committee will not exceed the total amount of monies receivable from dues for the current fiscal year.

• Sec. 8 - The Executive Committee shall make all rules interpretations after the league competition has once started, until the next meeting of the league Council.

Article 8 Shooting Rules

• Sec. 1 - All league competitions shall be governed by the general rules and regulations of the NRA. NRA league regulations will also apply.
• Sec. 2 - Special Match Rules shall supercede NRA rules and regulations.
• Sec. 3 - NRA rules and regulation changes or adoptions shall become league rules and regulations immediately upon notification to each member-team, except when the change or adoption is contrary to the Special Match Rules and regulations governing league competition.
• Sec. 4 - Special Match Rules and regulations shall not become part of the Bylaws in order to facilitate changes. They shall be treated as a separate item so that changing a rule or a regulation need not involve a change in Bylaws. A majority of the quorum at a Council meeting shall be necessary to change Special Match Rules of the league.
• Sec. 5 - Team Captains shall make every effort to inform themselves about special rules in existence at the ranges they are visiting, and see that their team members are acquainted with them.
• Sec. 6 - The course of fire shall be the Gallery Match Course and is to be fired in the following sequence: 10 shots slow fire, 10 minutes; 10 shots timed fire, 20 Seconds per 5 shot string; 10 shots rapid fire, 10 Seconds per 5 shot string.
• Sec. 7 - The targets used shall be the official pistol target for fifty (50) feet as designated by the NRA.
• Sec. 8 - Not more than five (5) rounds shall be loaded in the gun at any one time.
• Sec. 9 - One refire will be allowed in the slow fire stage and one refire in the combined timed and rapid fire stages. A range malfunction requiring a refire will not be counted against the shooter.
• Sec. 10 - Each team will at all times have one person assigned for scoring of targets and one person to act as a range officer. Scorers and checkers will initial targets. The range officer of the home team shall be the Chief Range Officer.
• Sec. 11 - Each team will come provided with a copy of the current NRA Rules and regulations and a copy of the Special Match Rules of the league at every scheduled or rescheduled match it fires.
• Sec. 12 - Not less than three (3) persons shall be considered a legal team. If less than three persons show up, the team shall forfeit the match.
• Sec. 13 - Only one (1) dummy score may be used by a team at any single match. The dummy score shall be the lowest counting score used for the team total by either team minus five (5) points.
• Sec. 14 - The official NRA scoring plug (Rig plug with spring) is the official league scoring plug and must be used properly. Plugged shots shall be witnessed and confirmed by the opposition before removal of the plug.

Article 9 Elections

• Sec. 1 - Elections and installations of officers will take place at the annual meeting.
• Sec. 2 - In the event that a position is vacant on the Executive Committee, the President shall appoint a member pro tem to the vacant office.
• Sec. 3 - The term of the office for the Executive Committee members shall be for two consecutive years.
• Sec. 4 - In order to maintain administrative continuity, the offices of President and Treasurer shall be voted upon at the same election year, and those of Vice-President, Executive Officer, and Secretary shall be voted upon at the alternate election year.

Article 10 Miscellany

• Sec. 1 - An auditing committee, composed of two members of the Council, but not members of the Executive Committee, shall:

• A. Audit all books pertaining to finances of the league.
• B. Take annual physical inventory of all league equipment.
• C. Report in detail on the above duties at the annual meeting of the league.

• Sec. 2 - All special committees, with exception of the auditing committee, shall be appointed by the Executive Committee.
• Sec. 3 - It will be the duty of the Executive Committee to determine the number of divisions in the league.

Article 11 Amendments

• Sec. 1 - Notice of any changes or amendments of these bylaws must be submitted to all member-teams at least ten (10) days before the meeting at which such amendments shall be acted upon. A notice in the league’s bulletin will serve as sufficient notice.
• Sec. 2 - A two thirds vote of delegates of member-teams in good standing and present at the meeting shall be necessary to pass and adopt such amendments. These bylaws shall take effect immediately upon their adoption.