By-Laws, Rules for Competitions, and Merit Awards

By-Laws

1. Name of organization
   This organization shall be known as the "Lens and Leaves Camera Club."

2. Statement of Purpose
   The objective of Leans and Leaves Camera Club is to provide a structure for those who want to share in the pursuit of nature and wildlife photographic skills through participation in club programs, trips, competitions, and exchange of experiences.

3. The Membership
   

   1. Membership is open to any person interested or active in nature photography.
   2. Any other requirements for membership (dues, etc.) shall be determined annually by the Executive Committee.
   3. A member in good standing is any member who has met the established annual requisites including payment of dues.

4. Leadership: Executive Committee
   It shall be the function of the Executive Committee of Lens and Leaves to transact necessary business and guide club activities in a manner consistent with the statement of purpose in Article II. The Executive Committee shall meet (1) at the call of the president, or (2) at the request of any three club members, or (3) at the request of the Metro Parks board. Club membership shall be informed of Executive Committee affairs, and all business sessions are open to club members. Metro Parks may appoint a voting Metro Parks Representative to the Executive Committee. Other Executive Committee members and their duties are:

   1. The President of Lens and Leaves is charged with the responsibility to promote the effective operation of the club. The President presides at all meetings (including those of the Executive Committee), appoints members to chair all Standing Committees, forms and appoints such special committees as needs may require, signs all written contracts, serves as an member of all committees, and makes a report at the Annual Meeting of the club with recommendations for the following year. In the absence of the President or the vacancy of that office, the Vice President is designated to preside and function as the first officer of the club for that interim. The immediate past President remains a voting member of the Executive Committee.
   2. The Vice President chairs the Education and Activities Committee, arranges programs and field trip activities, and functions as President when necessary.
   3. The Secretary is required to keep dated and signed minutes of all official meetings in a loose-leaf notebook, act as custodian of official records, and conduct the club's correspondence, including notifications of meetings and club functions to the Metro Park Board for their convenience and publications. In the absence of the Secretary at any business meeting, the President shall choose a member present to take official minutes.
   4. The Treasurer shall act as custodian of all club funds, keep funds in an approved bank account in the name of the club, keep a running balance for reporting at any meetings, and make semi-annual written reports to the club. the Treasurer is responsible for paying bills authorized by the President or Executive Committee, submitting annual bills and receipts for dues, and providing members with official membership cards.
   5. The Webmaster is charged with the responsibility of maintaining the Club's website. This includes but is not all inclusive to: 1) posting monthly the competition results, speakers/programs, outings, miscellaneous information; 2) removing monthly all out-of-date information; and 3) posting immediately all membership news. The Webmaster is responsible for submitting invoices for all website-related fees to the Treasurer for payment. (Effective January 2007.)
   6. Members at Large may also be elected to Executive Committee membership to fulfill specified needs.
   7. The Newsletter Editor, or Co-editors, shall write and publish regular newsletters at the direction of the Executive Committee. (Note: Editorship is not an elected office but an Executive Committee appointment.)
   8. All Chairpersons of Standing Committees appointed by the President serve as part of the Executive Committee during the term of the appointing President plus one month.

5. The Standing Committees
   Standing Committee chairpersons shall select committee members of their own choosing.

   The following committees are suggested but may be optional at the discretion of the President.

   1. Education and Activities
      The Vice President's committee to assist in the development of programs for meetings, field trips, and other club activities. For planning purposes, this committee actively solicits written suggestions and requests from club members.

   2. Competition
      Functions to provide qualified persons and standards for judging of prints and slides in club competitions, and see that rules are written and available to the club members. The chairperson is responsible for recording and reporting competition results to the Secretary and Newsletter Editor (and on request, to the club).

   3. Public Relations
      Assists the Newsletter Editor in publication and mailing of the newsletter; prepares information regarding club membership, committee membership, and financial condition; maintains appropriate media contacts and submits news releases; and provides courtesy briefing of annual plans to Metro Parks within one month of the annual meeting.

   4. Membership and Hosting
      Promotes membership growth, welcomes guests, arranges for meeting places and any special equipment that may be needed, oversees needs of general comfort and seating, sees that refreshments are provided on appropriate occasions, and notifies members of special events and programs of interest.

   5. Subcommittees
      Each Standing Committee may appoint such subcommittees as it deems necessary to carry on activities related to its area of responsibility.

6. Meetings
   

   1. An Annual Meeting for elections and membership directives to the Executive Committee shall be held at the last regular meeting each year.
   2. The date and location of regularly scheduled meetings shall be determined by action of the Executive Committee subject to approval by Metro Parks. Regular meetings are open to the public.
   3. Special meetings and/or changes in regular meeting dates must be approved by Metro Parks before being announced.

7. Nominations and Elections
   

   1. The President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and any Members at Large shall be elected to one year terms by a simple majority of members in good standing present at the Annual Meeting. there shall be no proxies or absentee balloting, and voting shall be normally be vocal or by a show of hands unless written balloting is requested by any member in good standing.
   2. The President and the Vice President are limited to not more than two successive one year terms in office.
   3. The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee at least two meetings in advance of the Annual Meeting.
   4. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a full slate of candidates who have agreed to accept nomination for each office, but additional nominations may be made from the floor.
   5. Deliberations of the Nominating Committee are privileged and no other members of the club may be present.

8. Provision to Revise Bylaws
   

   1. One month's written advance written notice of intention to amend, adopt, revoke, or revise bylaws shall be sent to all members before such meeting to invoke change, and the changes proposed shall be specified in the notice.
   2. When such notice has been provided, a simple majority of the members in good standing present shall suffice to adopt the proposal.

Rules for Competitions and Workshops

1. Purpose: The purpose of the workshops is to provide each member with the opportunity to learn the fine points of nature photography, to achieve the acceptable norm for the international salon circuits, and to have one's pictures critiqued by members with broader experience.

2. Eligibility for Workshops and Competitions: Members in good standing and invited guests may enter workshops. Members in good standing may enter competitions.

3. Workshops: Workshops may be scheduled and topics selected by the Executive Committee. Topics and dates of planned workshops shall be announced two months in advance of the selected date.

   Participants may submit up to two (2) prints (monochrome or color) and/or two (2) slides in each workshop. A panel of not more than three (3) qualified commentators shall be selected to view each entry and comment on the photographic quality, acceptability, and technique. Each commentator may select one color slide and one print for "judge's choice" award. Collectively, the commentators shall choose one color slide and one print for "best of show" award.

4. Competitions: Competitions may be scheduled by the Executive Committee. Dates of competitions shall be announced not less than three months in advance. Competitions may be in two categories: color slides and prints (monochrome or color). In order for a competition to be held in a category at least three individuals must be competing in the category. Each competitor may submit up to four images in each category. A judge shall be selected to preside over the competition. Awards shall be given in each category for first place, second place, third place and a number of honorable mentions equivalent to 10 percent of the number of entries in each category. Images winning awards are ineligible for further club competition. Those not willing awards may be entered in future competitions.

5. Technical Requirements: All workshop and competition entries shall adhere to the requirements of the Nature Section of the Photographic Society of America (PSA). The rule is quoted below:

   The Nature Photography Section is restricted to the use of the photographic process to depict observations from all branches of natural history, except Anthropology and Archaeology, in such a fashion that a well informed person will be able to identify the subject material and certify to its honest representation. The story telling value of a photograph must be weighed more than the pictorial quality. Human elements shall not be present unless, on the rare occasion where human elements enhance the nature story, they are unobtrusive. Photographs of artificially produced hybrid plants or animals, mounted specimens, obviously set arrangements, derivation, or any form of photographic manipulation that alters the truth of the photographic statement are ineligible, with the exception of detailed micro or macro photographs and scientific banding on wild animals.

   The responsibility of honesty is upon the one submitting the image. Prints shall be mounted; the mounting may be permanent or the insert type. Prints may be of any size from a minimum of 5 in. x 7 in., not including the mat, to a maximum of 16 in. x 20 in., not including the mat. The owner's name should be on the rear so as not to be apparent to the judges. The title may be on the rear or the front. The top of the print shall be indicated by the owner wit the word "top" marked on the rear.

   Slide size shall be 2 in. x 2 in. and slide thickness shall be such as not to cause difficulty in projection.

   Slides shall bear the owner's name and a title. The owner's name should be on the reverse side so as not to be apparent to the judges making a final decision with a viewing box. The proper viewing position for slides shall be indicated by placing a readily visible spot on the lower left hand corner of the mount when the slide is oriented correctly for hand viewing.

   In any competition the essential photograph must be the work of the photographer alone; however, any slide or slide duplicate need not be home processed nor is it required that any print processing or mounting of a print be the work of the exhibiting photographer. The spirit of integrity must prevail and the responsibility of honesty is upon the photographer.

6. Competition Judging: Members and guests shall not offer unsolicited comments while judging is underway.

   All entries in a competition category will be given a preliminary run-through. Entries will then be judged during one or more additional run-throughs. The audience is to be informed whether an entry is "in" or "out" by voice or signal equipment.

   During the preliminary run-through a member may challenge entries on grounds such as: Non conformance with PSA Nature Section rule; subject matter not related to the topic assigned; ineligible entry; etc. The owner may withdraw the entry or request a decision for retention or disqualification by the judge/judges whose decision is final.

   Final selection of the winners may be by the use of a slide viewing box or print grouping. Winners will be presented to the audience in reverse order with the HMs announced first and first place announced last.

   In any competition a member will be permitted only two awards in a category, including HMs. If more than two awards are received during the initial judging the lesser entries will be disqualified and the judge shall select other images for those awards.

7. Merit Awards: Members in good standing are eligible for merit awards based on points earned from participant in club activities and other authorized functions. A point value table, as approved by the Executive Committee shall be published annually. Additionally, the Executive Committee shall determine the number of awards to be given and the number of points required to receive each award. Each member shall maintain his/her own point earning record. The responsibility of honesty is upon the member. A member, once having obtained sufficient points for an award, may petition the Executive Committee on the form for that purpose.

8. Addendum: Beginning with monthly photography competitions after December 31, 2003 held at regular club meetings, the By Laws shall be amended to allow for the inclusion of photographs of cultivated or non-naturalized plants. Other hand of man rules as adopted by the Photographic Society of America shall remain unchanged. No member's photograph shall be disqualified for presenting photographs of any species of plant.

9. Addendum 2: Beginning for competitions after 12/31/2005 for one year, add a competition category for any member in good standing that has accumulated less that 400 merit points as of 12/31/2005. This category will include prints [only] (monochrome or color) and follow all other rules of competition as documented in Section 4. The executive committee shall evaluate this competition category in November of 2006 to determine if this category will be continued in the future. The purpose of this category is to increase opportunities for newer member to participate in competitions. Stricken as of December 2006 due to (1) insufficient number of members in the 400+ category, and (2) an extra category adds a significant amount of time to each meeting.

Merit Awards

The Lens and Leaves Nature Club awards medallions and trophies for participation in photo competition and other club activities as follows:

The Executive Committee of the club has established the following merit award point structure beginning in 1992. (Events prior to 1992 score from the old form.)

1. Lens & Leaves Photo Competitions

   First Place	8 points
   Second Place	5 points
   Third Place	3 points
   Honorable Mention	2 points
   Each non-placing entry	1 point

2. Metro Park Nature Photo Competitions

   Best of Show	15 points
   People's Choice	15 points
   First Place	12 points
   Second Place	8 points
   Third Place	5 points
   Honorable Mention	3 points
   Each non-placing entry	1 point

3. PSA International Nature Club Competitions

   Top Honors (1st, 2nd, or 3rd place)	20 points
   Honorable Mention	10 points
   Each entry selected to represent club	5 point

4. PSA Nature Salon or Exhibition

   Each acceptance

   10 points

5. Publication for Lens & Leaves or Metro Parks

   Each acceptance

   3 points

6. Participation in a non-competitive photo display for Lens & Leaves or Metro Parks

   Each piece accepted to a maximum of 18 points

   3 points

7. Conduct of lectures, slide shows, workshops, or leading a club outing, for Lens & Leaves

   Each occasion

   10 points

8. Attendance at club outing

   Each occasion

   2 points

Members are responsible to maintain their own merit point record. Members in good standing may petition the Executive Committee for awards by presenting the record of their points earned. Merit record sheets are available for you to print.

For more information, or to submit photos to be used on the webpages, email photos at lensandleaves.org.