2.1 Status and composition of BBRC
2.1.1 Status
BBRC is a committee of BB 2000 Ltd, the company that owns and publishes BB.
2.1.2 Composition
The Committee comprises ten voting Members, a non-voting Chairman and a non-voting Secretary. An Archivist and a Museum Consultant provide additional support, along with other former members of the Committee who assist as required under the direction of the Chairman.
2.2 Voting Members
2.2.1 Role
- To assess all records submitted to BBRC
- To help write species accounts in the Report
- To help develop identification criteria
2.2.2 Qualification & Geographical Spread of Voting Members
- The prime qualifications of candidates are:
- A widely acknowledged expertise in identification
- Proven reliability in the field
- A track record of high quality submissions of descriptions of scarce and rare birds to county records committees and the BBRC
- Considerable experience of record assessment
- The capacity to handle the considerable volume of work involved in assessing upwards of 700 records per year.
- The capacity to work quickly and efficiently
- A working knowledge of IT
- Regional credibility
Membership of the committee should attempt to provide a reasonable geographical spread with members having a detailed knowledge of each of the following areas: Wales, Scotland, the Northern Isles, Northern England, the Midlands, Eastern England, the Southwest and the Southeast of England.
2.2.3 Period of Office
No member can undertake a continuous term of office of over ten years. In exceptional circumstances a retiring member may be co-opted to fill a temporary vacancy.
All voting members will be offered the opportunity to serve on the committee for a minimum of eight years and a maximum of ten years. Upon reaching this duration the member will be expected to retire.
A retiring member shall not be considered for full re-election for at least three years following their retirement.
2.2.4 Selection of Members
BBRC may nominate its own candidate to fill any vacancy but also invites further nominations, with a closing date, through an announcement in British Birds and a press release distributed to other birding magazines and internet sites.
All nominations must be proposed, seconded and be received with a letter of agreement from the candidate by the closing date.
All nominations will be formally announced in British Birds. If there is more than one candidate, an election takes place.
In the event of an election each Recording Area has five votes and each bird observatory has two votes [BB 89: 370]. Nominees will provide a brief (one page) birding CV and this will be made available to all voters. Term of office usually starts on 1st April.
The Chairman (see 2.3) is responsible for administering the election of Voting Members
2.2.5 Co-opting Members
BBRC may co-opt suitably qualified individuals on to the committee as a temporary measure if a member resigns prior to the 1st April leaving date. The co-opted member may then stand for election to BBRC.
In the event of a temporary incapacity of a member for a limited period, BBRC can co-opt a suitably qualified person to fill the temporary vacancy. This could be one of the most recent retiring members if the objective is to meet a short-term vacancy.
A co-opted member cannot stay in place for more than 15 months without formal nomination and voting to full membership. The co-opted membership must be reviewed at one year by consultation between the Chairman, the Secretary and the voting members. Co-opted membership can only be renewed in exceptional circumstances, and only for a further year.
Co-opted members have full voting rights at the AGM.
2.3 Chairman
2.3.1 Role of Chairman
To report to BB 2000 Ltd.
To take responsibility for and delegate where appropriate, all non-secretarial administration
To take responsibility for and delegate where appropriate all official external dealings of BBRC , including foreign consultancy.
To act as the conduit for policy development and ideas. All proposals relating to operating policy should be directed through the Chairman who, in turn, is obliged to raise these at the AGM.
To administer the process of recruiting new members. All approaches to potential members must be made through the Chairman or following delegation by the Chairman
To convene the AGM and set the agenda
To take members views into account when setting the agenda for BBRC’s key decision meetings
To ensure BBRC policy is applied and adhered to by the committee
The Chairman will have the casting vote in matters of policy and procedure [usually discussed at the AGM] but does not vote on records, except to stand in if a voting member is unavailable for a prolonged period.
To act as the BBRC representative on BOURC
To liaise with BB 2000 Ltd.
To assist the Secretary in procedures for circulating records of 1sts for Britain, re-circulations and other controversial records.
2.3.2 Qualification
The Chairman must have served as a voting member for at least 3 years before they can be appointed as Chairman.
Must have up-to-date expertise in bird identification and record assessment.
An ability to think and act in a strategic capacity.
Excellent organisational and communication skills.
Familiarity with IT, both in terms of daily usage and its potential for development.
2.3.3 Selection, appointment and period of office of Chairman
BBRC will select its chairman, who will be subject to approval by, and formally appointed by, the board of BB 2000 Ltd. appointment the Chairman will work initially for 12 months during which period the appointment may be terminated by either party giving one month’s notice. Thereafter, if the appointment is confirmed, it will be subject to termination by either party giving at least six months written notice.
A full appointment will last for three years and is renewable with a maximum term of service in the position of ten years.
The Chairman is reappointed annually at the AGM (subject to the conditions relating to the appointment set out below).
Nominations (which must include a proposer and a seconder) from the voting members for a new Chairman must be made to the directors of BB 2000 Ltd. more than one calendar month prior to the AGM, and where a nomination has been received, the board of B 2000 Ltd. will inform the BBRC Chairman and Secretary of the nomination(s).
Where a valid nomination has been received the Chairman of the directors of BB 2000 Ltd. is required to find out whether the current BBRC Chairman wishes to continue to stand. If so, a straight vote of the 10 voting members will be taken by secret ballot at the AGM, and a simple majority is required for the Chairman to be changed.
The Secretary or acting Secretary will act as returning officer.
Votes can be submitted electronically or by post to the Secretary if members cannot be present at the meeting.
Where there are more than two nominations for Chairman, each voting member will be able to vote for a first and a second candidate. A second round of voting will take place between the two candidates with highest scores in the first round, and again a simple majority is required if the standing Chairman is to be replaced.
In cases where there are two candidates, not including the standing Chairman, the standing Chairman will have the casting vote.
2.3.4 Temporary Chairman
Where a Chairman leaves or cannot discharge his or her responsibilities between AGM’s, any voting member can be nominated by the Chairman, or in the absence of a Chairman’s nomination by the voting members, to take over the role of Chairman until the next AGM.
This arrangement cannot persist beyond the next AGM when a formal replacement will be appointed, or for more than fifteen months where a temporary Chairman takes the role within three months of the AGM.
2.3.5 Other Matters
The Chair can appoint a vice-chair, following consultation and agreement with voting members.
2.4 Secretary
2.4.1 Role of Secretary
To receive and circulate submissions of records
To collate results of voting
To ensure the safe archiving of all submitted documentation and voting members comments
To liaise with observers and county recorders where necessary for further information
To coordinate re-circulations and record reviews
To deal with correspondence as required
To liaise with the Chair as appropriate
To provide information for the website as appropriate
To announce significant developments in relation to the Secretarial role, in consultation with the Chairman
To provide statistics and data for the annual report
Note: The Secretary is a non-voting position in BBRC. The Secretary cannot be a voting member of the committee.
2.4.2 Qualification
Experienced with IT systems, including working knowledge of databases.
An ability to manage large volumes of data from a variety of sources to pre-determined timescales.
Excellent written communication skills.
Excellent organizational skills.
Ability to think and work strategically.
The ability to liaise with other members of the committee, County Recorders and observers.
Experience of data collection, preferably relating to bird records.
A knowledge of rare birds and the BBRC.
2.4.3 Selection, appointment and period of office of the Secretary
The BBRC Chairman will select the Secretary on behalf of the Committee; this appointment will be subject to approval by, and formally appointed by, the board of BB 2000 Ltd. The Secretary will be required to sign a contract provided by the board of BB 2000 Ltd. appointment the Secretary will work initially for 12 months during which period the appointment may be terminated by either party giving one month’s notice. Thereafter, if the appointment is confirmed, it will be subject to termination by either party giving at least six months written notice.
A full appointment will last for three years and is renewable with a maximum term of service in the position of ten years.
An annual appraisal will be held, conducted by the Chairman and a representative of the board of BB 2000 Ltd.
The Secretary is reappointed annually by the voting members at the AGM.
2.5 Archivist
2.5.1 Role
To maintain the archive of BBRC records
To provide items for the Secretary and Chairman as required.
2.5.2 Qualification
The Archivist should be based at the location where the archive is stored and should have a working knowledge of rare birds in the UK.
2.5.3 Period of Office
Appointment to be renewed annually at the AGM.
2.5.4 Selection
To be appointed by the Chairman, in consultation with BB 2000 Ltd, the Secretary and voting members.
2.6 Museum Consultant
2.6.1 Role
To answer specific requests from BBRC members relating to identification features that can be determined from museum material.
2.6.2 Qualification
The museum consultant should have an acknowledged expertise in bird identification.
2.6.3 Period of Office
Annual appointment to be confirmed at the AGM
2.6.4 Selection
To be appointed by the Chairman, in consultation with the voting members.
2.7 The Secretariat
A small group of experienced members of the committee may be selected to help the Chairman and Secretary with matters outside the general remit of BBRC. This work may include the assessment of rarities from other countries at the request of either the rarities committee of the relevant country or the Association of European Rarities Committees (AERC). It may also include developing identification criteria for poorly known taxa or detailed correspondence about individual records or working with individual observers
