Club Bylaws

Article 1: Name and Purpose 

Section 1: The name of the club shall be “The High Plains Falconers.” High Plains Falconers will be referred to as HPF in this article. Falconry is defined as the “Hunting of quarry with a trained raptor.”
Section 2: The purpose of the club shall be to foster and protect the tenets, practices, and cultural heritage of traditional falconry. HPF will pass on the field craft, hawkmanship, and etiquette pertaining to the sport in its traditional form.
Section 3: The members of this club will abide by all rules and regulations set forth by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and any local agencies. 

Article 2: Membership and Dues
Section 1: All prospective members shall submit an application and an outline of their falconry status (if already licensed) or their goals (if not licensed or not becoming a falconer). Members do not need to be falconers, but members will be required to attend one in-person meet or get-together per year unless circumstances prevent attendance.
Section 2: The club Secretary will keep an updated list of members, contact information, and dues. This individual will alert members on December 1st that their due will be due on January 1st of each year. Members are allowed to pre-pay for years to come. If membership dues are more than a month late, the club reserves the right to terminate membership. Dues shall be $25 per year. The club will strive to give membership any updates from CPW, newsletters, summer get together, seasonal hunting meet up, and access to club merchandise.
Section 3: If a member goes against any bylaws, they will be removed from the club immediately. No refunds of membership dues will be attributed. 

Article 3: Board Members
Section 1: The Board shall consist of 3 members: President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer. Members that are General or Master Falconers with hunting experience with at least 4 different raptor species, are able to serve as President. Members that are General Falconers that have hunting experience with at least 2 different raptor species, are able to serve as Vice President. Any level of member may be Sec/Treas. These individuals should be open and welcoming to other members and willing to teach others. They should be willing to take on an Apprentice as needed to help expand club membership. They should be willing to help advertise the club to potential members and interested parties. They should be able to communicate with others quickly, efficiently, and politely. They should be willing to contribute to the growth of the club.
Section 2: The Board may be nominated by any other member. The term of the individual will be 2 years unless the individual resigns earlier. The voting email will be sent by the Vice President to the membership one week before expiration.
Section 3: The Board will have quarterly meetings (March, June, September, December) in which club updates will happen, newsletters will be emailed out to members and other business will be taken care of. The Committee will be active communicators with each other and with other members as needed.
Section 4: The Board will create quarterly newsletters to be emailed out to all membership by the Secretary. The newsletter will be simple and may include photos, stories, recipes, and activities from members of the club. It will contain educational topics as needed as well as any updates from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The goal of the newsletter is to keep the members up to date and connected about the sport of falconry. The Board Secretary will ask membership for things to add to the newsletter around the time of the quarterly meeting.
Section 5: Board Positions: 

President: Duties shall be to preside over meetings; chair any political action committees set up; participate in all Colorado Parks and Wildlife negotiations; and to be the general spokesperson for the club. The President will be in charge of setting up a yearly BBQ/get-together.
Vice President: Duties shall be to attend meetings; assist in creating the quarterly newsletters; and chair meetings if the President is unable to attend. The VP will call for nominations and voting when the term is coming to an end. The VP will be in charge of setting up a seasonal club hunting meet-up for members wanting to attend.
Secretary/Treasurer: Duties shall be to attend meetings; assist in creating the quarterly newsletters and send them to the club member email list; keep track of all membership (contacts, dues, emails), maintain club t-shirts, and send out due reminders one month before membership is due; and keep track of all club finances. 

Article 4: Activities
Section 1: HPF shall endeavor to host at least 1 BBQ/Get-Together and 1 Hunting Trip each year. The dates, times, and locations will be at the discretion of the Board. All members are entitled to attend these activities.
Section 2: The Board shall try to find deals on cooperative pricing on things such as leather, equipment, and bird food to offer to the membership.
Section 3: All licensed falconers shall be entitled to participate in any educational outreach events hosted by HPF. Apprentices may only participate with their bird if a General or Master is present.