Resolution Governing the TBRC

AMENDED RESOLUTION GOVERNING THE OPERATION OF THE TENNESSEE BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE (TBRC), A SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE TENNESSEE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY (TOS).

I. The TBRC shall have three primary responsibilities:

A. The TBRC shall be concerned with thorough, scientific verification of the first, second, and third sightings of the bird species in Tennessee. Verified species will be added to "The Official List of Tennessee Birds".

B. The TBRC shall be concerned with the thorough, scientific verification of sightings of any species which as a certain status code for the appropriate season and geographic region. For each species on "The Official List of Tennessee Birds", the TBRC will assign seasonal status codes for each of the three major geographic regions of the state. The TBRC will adopt a system of codes which it deems appropriate, and such codes, with definitions, will be published alongside any published report of the TBRC as required elsewhere in these by-laws. Such publication willalso indicate which codes require documentation.

C. The TBRC shall consider and take action upon any other record submitted by any observer.

A. Verified extant specimen (and written evidence from the person examining the specimen, preferably the curator of an ornithological collection, who can thoroughly compare the specimen with related specimens).

B. Verified extant photograph.

C. Verified extant sound recording (and written evidence from the person examining the recording, preferably someone who can throroughly compare the recording with other pertinent recordings).

D. Verified written documentation of three independent observations of a species OR verified written documentation from three independent observers of the same individual bird.

III. Any sighting which is not a first, second, or third sighting for a species may be verified with a minimum of five affirmative votes.

IV. In the absence of evidence fitting one of the above categories, a species may become a provisional species on "The Official List of Tennessee Birds" if supported by verified written documentation of one or two independent observations. In this case, verification also requires a minimum of five affirmative votes.

V. In cases where documentation of a first state record of a species is not approved by the TBRC, the species will not appear on "The Official List of Tennessee Birds". The committee will retain the documentation on file in the event that future review of it may be advisable. Review of unaccepted documentation will be granted automatically upon request by any observer who provides new and/or additional documentation about a sighting which has not been approved.

VI. The TBRC shall consist of six regular members appointed by the TOS President at the fall meeting of the TOS. One alternate member will also similarly be appointed. Prior to any such appointment, the TBRC will nominate two candidates for each vacancy on the committee. The President must choose from among the nominees. If the President rejects any or all of the nominees, the committee will nominate two additional candidates for each seat which remains open. This process will continue until all vacancies have been filled. Pairs of appointees will serve staggered terms, and each term will last three terms. Regular members may not serve more than two consecutive terms, but an alternate may do so. A regular member may be appointed as an alternate in a successive term, and an alternate may be appointed as a regular member in a successive term. If an alternate becomes a regular member due to the inability of another regular member to complete the three year term, the alternate will nly serve out the remainder of the regular member's term.

VII. Each fall, after the appointment of new regular or alternate members by the TOS President, the TBRC will elect from among themselves a secretary to handle the affairs of the committee for the next year. The outgoing secretary will turn over to the incoming secretary all the current files of the committee in a timely manner. Completed files will be turned over to the TOS curator for archiving.

VIII. The TBRC secretary will be responsible for calling one or more special TBRC meetings per year as required and for making arrangements for TBRC meetings at the spring and fall state meetings of the general TOS membership. Intent of these meetings will be to ensure as much as possible that each year's bird-record submittals are acted upon before or during the fall general meeting.

IX. The secretary of the TBRC will maintain minutes of the meetings of the committee and files on all actions taken by the committee. Copies of the minutes will be available to all TOS members who wish to have them. The TBRC will be responsible for organizing its procedures. These procedures will be printed (and published in "The Warbler" whenever modified and additionally as necessary, and copies will be available from the TBRC secretary to all TOS members. Meetings of the TBRC will be open to all TOS members and publicized in advance.

X. During votes, an alternate may not vote unless a regular member is disqualified. Members must disqualify themselves when votes are taken on sightings of birds they originally found, but they may vote on birds they have seen if the birds were found and identified originally by other observers. If there are not enough eligible members, only the member who submits the initial documentation will be disqualified. During meetings of the TBRC, voting will be documented, roll-call vote. Voting by mail may occur when appropriate to expedite the affairs of the committee.

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