By-Laws

Mission Statements

The Michigan Sporting Clays Association (MSCA) will provide organizing and governing service and assistance to our membership, our clubs and our guests throughout the State of Michigan, in order that their relationship with The National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) is a satisfying and mutually fulfilling experience. We will also co-operate with other organizations to foster growth in the clay target shooting sports with the goals of increasing our membership and creating good will among likeminded people.
As the MSCA promotes organized sporting clay events, it will stress safety first, in gun handling and in the working environment of the tournament personnel. The MSCA will also promote honesty, integrity, good sportsmanship and fellowship among the competitors.
The MSCA believes that our shooting sports offer exceptional opportunities for both individual enjoyment and family recreation. We also believe that our member’s actions and attitudes toward wildlife stewardship, conservation and the environment can have a significant impact on our ability to pass on organized shooting sports to future generations.

Article I – Name

The name of the corporation shall be the Michigan Sporting Clays Association, Inc. (hereafter referred to as MSCA) and is incorporated pursuant to the provisions of the State of Michigan Non-Profit Code(s).

Article II – Purpose
The purpose of the MSCA shall be as follows:
a.      The promotion and encouragement of organized sporting clays shooting among the residents of the state of Michigan.
b.      To increase the knowledge of the safe handling and proper care of firearms and improved shotgun marksmanship.
c.       To forward the development of characteristics such as honesty, good fellowship, self-discipline, team play, and self-reliance which are the essentials of good sportsmanship.
d.      To organize, promote, and support the sporting clays clubs within Michigan for NSCA registered shoots and other events.
e.      To adhere to and enforce the By-Laws, current NSCA Rules and Regulations for Registered Tournaments, and any directives of the NSCA.

Article III – Offices

The principal office of the MSCA and other offices used for the transaction of business shall be designated by the Board of Directors (hereafter referred to as the Board).

Article IV – Board of Directors

The Board shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, five Directors and the NSCA Michigan National Delegates who accept the invitation to join the Board. Although not required by Michigan nonprofit corporate statutes, the Board reserves the right to elect and seat a Vice President. National Delegates may also be elected to the Board. Directors shall be elected to the Board by the general membership, with the officers of the Board being appointed to the office as provided for in Article V herein.

Each member of the Board shall be entitled to one vote at all meetings of the Board. Vote by proxy shall be according to the provisions of Article XV herein.

The Board shall have general charge of the affairs of the MSCA and may properly assume, if deemed necessary, other duties which are not specifically assigned to or performed by any other committee. The Board shall have the authority to conduct investigations or hearings relative to any complaint against any shooter or club, that (in the opinion of the Board) is guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct or any prejudicial acts that are detrimental to the best interest of the MSCA and to take such action as the Board deems appropriate.

The Board shall have full charge of all matters covered in these By-Laws, including special meetings, and any and all other business that is reasonably presumed to fall within the powers or duties of the Board

A vacancy occurring on the Board may be filled by an affirmative vote by a simple majority of Board members present, even if there is less than a quorum of the Board. The Director so chosen shall serve out the term of office until the next annual election of Directors by the membership-at-large.

Election of the Board of Directors (Board):

An election committee will be appointed by the President to take nominations from the general MSCA membership and to run the election of the Board.
b.      The term of office for a Director shall be three years and commence on January 1 after their election and run for a period of three years ending on December 31st.
c.       The membership shall elect by ballot, three Board members to fill open positions of retiring members, in such a way that the Board shall always consist of nine members and any National Delegate who choose to serve.
d.      Any MSCA Board members are required to attend all scheduled Board meetings. Typically, there are five to six meetings in a calendar year which will include physical meetings and/or conference calls as needed.
Absences. Two absences in a calendar year are allowed for any reason. If a Board member is absent more than the two allowances, the Board, under direction of the President, will review the circumstances and may elect (by majority vote) to appoint a new Director from the MSCA membership to serve out the remainder of that incumbent’s term. This new, substituted appointment will carry with it all voting rights and responsibilities that were associated with the previous Director. A director may appoint a proxy as detailed in Article XV.
Directors not serving as President, Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer are required to duties on committees either as chair or member. Those duties or activities will be assigned by MSCA officers as needed to support MSCA Board of Directors initiatives.
f. All Michigan NSCA Delegates will be sent an invitation by the MSCA Secretary to join the MSCA Board. Each Delegate must reply in writing (or via electronic mail) to either accept or decline the invitation to join the Board. Until such reply is received by the MSCA Secretary, the delegate will not be considered a member of the MSCA Board. All Delegates accepting the invitation to join the Board will have full voting rights and will comply with attendance requirements and perform duties of a committee chair or member.

Article V – Officers

The Board shall elect the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer from among the active Directors at the first meeting of the calendar year. Any of the above positions including President may be occupied by the same person in consecutive years and if reelected, until the end of their term on the Board.

Article VI – Duties of the Elected Officers

President

The President shall preside at all Board meetings and is empowered to execute all contracts and legal instruments, has general charge and supervision of the affairs of the MSCA. The President shall be a member of all committees. If the President is unable to preside, the Vice President and the Secretary shall preside in order of availability.

Vice President

The Vice President shall have the responsibility for the general promotion of MSCA shooting activities in the state. Duties can include new shooting club organization under the auspices of the MSCA and NSCA, All-State Team recognition and State shoot promotion.

Secretary

The Secretary shall distribute and keep all minutes of MSCA meetings, issue all notices, be responsible for publishing all membership newsletters, shoot schedules, and shoot cards, and any other secretarial related duties the President or Board may require.

Treasurer

The Treasurer is authorized to receive all funds due the MSCA, such as dues and MSCA target fees and is charged with depositing said funds in the bank or banks so designated by the Board. The Treasurer shall make no disbursements other than those which are authorized by the Board or under the knowledge of the President. The Treasurer shall act as custodian of trophies, securities, and vouchers of the MSCA and shall preserve receipts of all monies paid out. A Treasurer’s Report of all monies received and disbursed must be given at all Board meetings. At the discretion of the Board, a bond in the sum of $2,000.00 must be furnished at the expense of the MSCA. The Treasurer shall electronically file Federal Tax Form 990 N with the Internal Revenue Service before June 15^th each year based upon the prior year’s activities. The Treasurer will also serve in the role of Resident Agent representing MSCA, Inc. in matters involving the Michigan Department of State’s Licensing and Regulatory Affairs office (hereafter LARA). The Treasurer shall prepare and submit the mandatory current year Annual Report and filing fee with LARA before October 1^st each year.

Article VII – Membership and Responsibilities

Club Membership

Any organization in the State of Michigan having at least one sporting clays course, shall be eligible for membership in the MSCA provided said club is a member in good standing of the NSCA.

Club Responsibilities

In hosting a registered shoot, the club has the responsibility to;

Ensure all participants are current on their NSCA membership by presenting their membership card. (NSCA membership fees and dues are described in Articles VII and IX herein.) If it is ascertained later that a participating shooter was not a current member of the NSCA, the club will be responsible for said dues as billed by the NSCA.
Each club shall use qualified referees as defined by NSCA rules for all registered shoots. If squad appointed referees are being used, it must state as such in the program and be posted by the club on the day of the shoot.
Set menu(s) of “fresh” targets and ensure that no NSCA registered participant will visually preview or shoot the course in advance of the tournament.

Host clubs are required to provide the MSCA Board with complete and accurate contact information upon submittal of the annual MSCA dues and shoot date requests. This contact information will include club representative name(s), club/representative mailing address, email and telephone number.

The Board shall have the authority to suspend any member club found in violation of these By-Laws for not less than 30 days and not more than one year from the date of Board action. Any member club accused of a By-Law violation shall be notified by certified mail and given the opportunity to appear before the Board prior to any Board action being taken.

Individual Membership

All NSCA individual members residing in Michigan are automatically members in good standing of the MSCA. As such, they must agree to abide by all NSCA and MSCA rules and regulations. There are two types of individual memberships;

Associate Member (Non-Voting Member) – Any member of the NSCA who does not shoot registered tournaments.
Voting Member – Any MSCA member who is in good standing and shoots a minimum of 100 registered targets in the current year. Any shooter in good standing with the NSCA and MSCA, and not in violation of the NSCA and MSCA rules and regulations and not in violation of any State or Federal laws;

Shall be allowed to come upon the grounds of any member club holding an open registered shoot and participate if they so desire. It is the responsibility of the individual member to display their current NSCA membership card. They are also responsible for paying all target fees when shooting registering targets.

Voting rights of MSCA membership. Including Board of Directors election, State shoot selection, and other voting activities that may present themselves from the MSCA Board

Board of Directors Candidacy. Any voting member in good standing will be afforded the opportunity to run for the Board and serve as an elected director.

Article VIII – Club Affiliation Dues

The MSCA reserves the right to set dues on an annual basis. The annual dues are payable in advance and only those clubs which have paid their dues shall be considered in good standing.

No club will be allowed to register NSCA targets unless they are members in good standing with the MSCA. Affiliated clubs will be invoiced on September 15 of each year with a notice of request for tournament dates for the next calendar year (see Article XII). Payment of annual dues for the next calendar year shall be made to the Treasurer and are due by November 1 of the current year or when registering shoot dates for the following year. Membership runs on a calendar year basis (January 1 to December 31).

Article IX – Shooter Target Fees

The MSCA reserves the right to set target fees on an annual basis. MSCA target fees may not exceed any maximum per target amount established by the NSCA. The MSCA affiliate clubs shall charge the shooters the assigned target fees at all NSCA registered shoots. Within 15 days following a completed registered shoot, the host club is required to file a shoot report and forward all fees to the MSCA Treasurer. Failure to do so within this specified time may result in a fine of $25 per late report.

Article X – Annual Tournaments

The Board shall solicit and encourage all member clubs to participate in the host selection process for either or both of two, annual major shoots; The Michigan State Championship and the Great Lakes Championship. Any club that meets the host criteria may submit a bid to the Board to host one or both shoots in any given year. Bid proposals for both shoots are due to the MSCA Secretary on or before April 1 of the year prior to the year of the proposed shoot. For example: bid proposals for the 2020 State and Great Lakes shoots would be due to the MSCA Secretary by April 1, 2019.

Bid application(s) will be made available upon request or at http://miclays.com/.

Michigan State Championship:

Host club selection to be made by MSCA general membership. All collected state shoot bids for the following year will be presented to the MSCA membership at the current year’s State Championship. MSCA shooters in good standing and in attendance at the current year’s State Shoot will vote on the next year’s host club. Members of the host club who are working the State shoot and not participating are also eligible to vote provided they are members in good standing with the MSCA as noted in Article VII. Note: NO proxy ballots will be allowed. There is no limitation on the frequency that a club may bid on or host the State Shoot. A club may bid on and host the State Shoot in consecutive years.

Upon conclusion of the vote, the winning host club announcement will be made to the MSCA membership and all clubs that participated in the bid process.

Host Club Requirements for the State Shoot:

Must have previously hosted the Great Lakes Championship, State Shoot, or another NSCA registered shoot with 100 or more shooters.
Show evidence of financial stability, a safe shooting environment, and have trained trappers and scorers at each stand.

Great Lakes Championship Shoot

Host club to be selected by the MSCA Board of Directors. After reviewing all bids, the host club for the Great Lakes Championship will be selected by the MSCA Board at the first meeting after the April 1 deadline. To encourage the development of clubs capable of hosting the State Shoot, a club may not host this tournament two years in a row unless they are the only club to submit a bid.

Host Club Requirements for the Great Lakes Championship:

Tournament experience: Must have held at least four NSCA tournaments in the combined two years prior, with at least one tournament with at least 50 shooters.
Show evidence of financial stability, a safe shooting environment, and have trained trappers and scorers at each stand for the Main event.

Any club awarded either of these shoots must provide to the Board proof of compliance to a minimum set of requirements, as stated below, 150 days prior to the scheduled shoot. The Board must also approve the Shoot Program 150 days prior to the scheduled shoot.

The host club shall provide as a minimum:

On site food service for 150 people.
Clubhouse or covered seating for 150 people.
Parking for 100 vehicles. Shuttle must be provided from off-site parking areas.
Restrooms to accommodate 150 people. (may be portable)
A two-day event with a virgin 100 bird Sporting Clays course each day.
One trapper and one scorekeeper at each station when manual traps are used. Otherwise, a scorekeeper/trapper only.
Shooting stands and gun racks at each station.
Master score sheets at each station.
A minimum of 12 stations with a minimum of 24 traps.
Four water coolers or stations on the course.
Golf cart accessible and allowed.
Adherence to the current NSCA Rules and Regulations for Registered Tournaments.
Must provide certificate of insurance for $1,000,000.00 of liability insurance with Michigan Sporting Clays Association listed as additionally insured for the event.

MSCA Monetary Commitment to the State and Great Lakes Championships:

State Championship – The MSCA will provide the host of the State Championship with a minimum of $4,500 designated towards class and concurrent purses and a minimum of $2,500 designated for use towards Main Event resident trophies.

Great Lakes Championship – The MSCA will provide the host of the Great Lakes Championship with a minimum of $1,200 for use towards Main Event trophies.

The Board reserves the right to review the above monetary commitment amounts as required.

Article XI – Tournament rules

The current NSCA rules shall govern all tournaments sanctioned by the MSCA. A minimum of three shooters per squad is required for all events without referees.

Article XII – Tournament Scheduling

Shoot schedule development for the next calendar year will begin in September of the current year. All clubs in good standing that desire to register a tournament with the NSCA shall make their application through the MSCA. A shoot selection form will be made available via the MSCA website and the annual MSCA dues invoice. MSCA will send in all tournament dates to the NSCA.

The next years shoot dates will be selected and awarded based on the shoot selection form as received by MSCA. Club representatives must have authority to make decisions regarding date changes should a conflict arise with another club. If there is a conflict with another clubs’ date, an alternative date will be offered, or no date given if the shoot calendar is full.

If a club chooses a shoot date and then cancels that shoot, notification to the MSCA and NSCA is required. It is the sole responsibility of the host club to notify shooters that the tournament has been cancelled.

Article XIII – Annual and Special Meetings

The Annual Meeting of the MSCA shall be held prior to the Shoot Selection Meeting in November (to coincide with club dues) of each year.

Special meetings of the Board may be called at any time by the President, or upon written request to the President by any two elected Board members. Notice of any Special Meeting and the purpose thereof shall be transmitted via regular mail, electronic mail, and/or telephone by the President or Secretary of the MSCA to the Board at least 15 days prior to the date fixed for such meeting. If mailed, notice shall be considered to be delivered when deposited with the United States Postal Service. No other business shall be transacted at such meeting except as specified in the notice. Special meetings may be held by telephone or any other communication device or means, or combination thereof.

All MSCA meetings will be conducted by Roberts Rules of Order.

Article XIV – Quorum

A simple majority of the Board members will constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business at any regular, special, or annual meeting. Phone votes or e-mail votes may be used by the President for any emergency business that may come up between meetings.

Article XV – Voting by Proxy

Any member of the Board may be represented by written proxy in the event that they are unable to attend any regular or called meeting. The President may secure a vote on any resolution pertaining to MSCA business, except amendments to the By-Laws, by sending a ballot or electronic mail to each member of the Board. Upon conclusion of the vote, all Board members shall be notified of the results of any such action voted on.

Article XVI – Amendments to the Bylaws

The Bylaws may be amended as follows. The proposed amendment(s) shall be submitted to the Secretary at least 30 days prior to the Annual meeting or Special meeting. The Secretary shall then notify each member of the Board at least 15 days prior to the meeting stating exactly what amendment(s) to the Bylaws are contemplated. The proposed amendment(s) will be presented to the Board by the petitioners for discussion. A majority vote of Board members present is needed to pass or defeat the proposed amendment(s).

Article XVII – Order of Business at Meetings

The order of business at all meetings shall be as follows:

Roll call and seating of Board members
Reading of the Minutes
Report of Committees
Amendments to the Bylaws
Unfinished Business
Election of Officers or appointment of vacant offices.
Awarding Annual Tournaments
New Business
Adjournment

Article XVIII – All-State Teams

The All-State Team selection rules will be decided by the Board at the Annual/Shoot Selection Meeting. At that time the Board may decide to use NSCA guidelines or another format. Awards will be presented to the All-State Team at the following year’s State Championship.

Amended January 2015

Amended June 2019

Addenda to By-Laws

Addendum 1

MSCA Hall of Fame Nomination Criteria and Form

Original Date: Jan 01, 2016

Amended: June 06, 2019

There are two ways to be nominated for induction into the MSCA Hall of Fame:

SELF-NOMINATION: Accumulate a minimum of 400 HOF points, recorded by shooter and verified by the MSCA Board.
PEER NOMINATION: Be nominated by a fellow shooter via the HOF nomination form which is available upon request or at http://miclays.com/.

Any potential nominee must be a member in good standing with the MSCA and NSCA for a minimum of 10 years. Nomination forms should be submitted to the MSCA Secretary on or before April 1 for MSCA Board review. Induction into the MSCA HOF, regardless of nomination method, requires two-thirds majority vote by the MSCA Board with special preference given to those who have met the 400-point minimum requirement.

Addendum 2

MSCA Hall of Fame Service Distinction

Original Date: Jan 04, 2017

Amended: June 06, 2019

In reference to the Michigan Sporting Clays Association (MSCA) Hall of Fame, these criteria are intended to amend the Hall of Fame requirements to allow for an individual to be nominated and inducted into the MSCA Hall of Fame under a service distinction.

Service distinction is defined as an award for providing significant, sustained, and/or consistent contributions in the interest of promoting growth of Michigan Sporting Clays. Eligible contributions consist of; club management, vendor relations, MSCA Board service, supporting scholastic shooting efforts, and consistent volunteer effort both physical and financial, or a combination thereof.

Any potential nominee inducted into the MSCA Hall of Fame under the Service Distinction will have demonstrated a consistent work ethic in combination with a spirit of service to the game of sporting clays with the interest of sustaining and growing the sport in the state of Michigan. This individual has provided physical or financial benefit with a service ideal. Stepping up when called and responding positively when needed. The potential nominee must be recognized as a true patron to sporting clays within the State of Michigan.

The process for admitting a person(s) to the MSCA Hall of Fame under Service Distinction is as follows:

A business case must be written by the potential nominee or a MSCA/NSCA member(s) in good standing stating reasons for that nominee’s recognition.
Submitting that business case to a MSCA Board Director for review.
Upon review with the potential nominee, the nominee and his Board of Director sponsor then reviews that case with the MSCA Board of Directors at large.
MSCA Board of Directors will review and discuss the business case and call a vote.
With a two-thirds majority vote in favor of the nominee, said individual will be inducted into the MSCA Hall of Fame at the next Michigan Sporting Clays State Championships

In the event a potential nominee does not progress through the process outlined above, he/she maintains their eligibility for future Hall of Fame consideration but will need to initiate the process again.

Once a Hall of Fame nominee is identified that individual’s eligibility does not expire. He/she can initiate the process once every two years.

An individual inducted into the Michigan Sporting Clays Association Hall of Fame with the Service Distinction will enjoy the same recognition as an individual inducted with the Shooting Distinction with both being equal in privilege and respect for their contributions to Sporting Clays in the State of Michigan.