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Job Description: The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Union. He/she shall preside over all meetings during his/her term in office, including meeting of the Board of Directors, shall call all meetings of the Board and membership, shall appoint all committees to serve during his/her administration and shall perform all duties and direct and guide all programs under the direction of the Board of Directors.
Scope of Duties: Call Board meetings or other meetings; set locations and times; ensure the location is confirmed, and ensure the Secretary has information to send out meeting notices that include the agenda items.
Chair the (Board) meetings and the Annual Meeting at the Paper Session; document the meeting agenda. The President should be familiar with and use Robert's Rules of Order.
Nominate the chairs of all standing committees for the Board's approval. The President may suggest appointments of committee members.
Establish special committees for special projects, assigning chairpersons and committee members as appropriate.
Ensure that the Vice President has duties and responsibilities which will properly prepare the Vice President for a leadership role.
Attempt to attend as many MOU-sponsored functions as possible in order to promote the MOU (i.e., festivals, Hawk Weekend, symposiums). Encourage other Board members to do so also.
Ensure that the Immediate Past President has a full slate of officers to be presented for election at the Annual Meeting.
Ensure that the Recruitment and Awards Committee has people selected and awards ready for presentation. Select recipients for the President's Award (if the President is giving one) and have the award ready for presentation.
Review job descriptions with the Secretary on an annual basis and work with Board members and Committee chairs to edit or revise as needed.
Perform appropriate duties as directed by the Board.
Provide a report on activities at board meetings. Detailed information that should be included in the minutes should be submitted as a written report. A written report should be submitted if you cannot attend a board meeting.
Submit a written report at year end of the past year's activities.
Prepare an estimate of expenses for the upcoming year and present to the Treasurer in a timely manner for presentation at the board meeting prior to the Paper Session and Annual Meeting.
Submit receipts in a timely fashion to the Treasurer for reimbursement of expenses incurred.
Job Description: The Vice President shall perform the duties of the President in absence or incapacity and is responsible for the Annual Meeting.
Scope of Duties: In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall call the meeting to order and preside.
Confirm the date and location of the Annual Meeting and Paper Session which is the first Saturday in December.
Coordinate with the Editor of Minnesota Birding that the information for the Annual Meeting and Paper Session, i.e., date, pre-registration, menu selection, etc., is published in the 5th and 6th issues of the newsletter.
Make lunch arrangements and take lunch reservations for this event.
Arrange for the food and beverages breaks with a local Audubon organization.
Arrange for and coordinate display tables for vendors and activities.
Ensure that people are assigned to manage all of the jobs to make the Paper Session run smoothly, i.e., develop and print the program, manage pre-registration and registration at the door, receive dues, and handle special events such as the book sale.
Perform appropriate duties as directed by the President and/or the Board.
Provide a report on activities at board meetings. Detailed information that should be included in the minutes should be submitted as a written report. A written report should be submitted if you cannot attend a board meeting.
Submit a written report at year end of the past year's activities.
Prepare an estimate of expenses for the upcoming year and present to the Treasurer in a timely manner for presentation at the board meeting prior to the Paper Session and Annual Meeting.
Submit receipts in a timely fashion to the Treasurer for reimbursement of expenses incurred.
Job Description: The Membership Secretary shall keep a record of the membership of the Union and shall receive payment of dues.
Scope of Duties: Maintain a computer database with the MOU membership information. The membership database is accessible online. The membership database includes the following information: member name(s), address, date joined, membership type (single, family youth, supporting, corporate, life, foreign), membership status, and other information such as change-of-address dates and invoicing information.
Process incoming membership information.
Update the database with address changes, new memberships, and dues received each week, or more often as necessary and according to volume received,.
Stamp endorse the checks and mail to the individual designated by the Treasurer. Notify the Treasurer or the designated recipient stating the number of checks and the amount mailed.
Send welcome letter and Membership Directory (if available) and other selected available materials to all new members. As directed by the Board and as materials are available, the following items can be included with the welcome letter: decal, Occasional Papers, and the MOU official checklist.
Prepare and send special acknowledgment card to new life members and for gift memberships.
Notify Editor of Minnesota Birding of all new members for acknowledgment in the newsletter.
Update membership database during the first week of each month or as soon as possible after the first of each month.
Send invoice with return addressed envelope to organizations (businesses, libraries, museums, etc) requiring this information for their billing records. This information is noted in the database and found under the heading “Bill now.”
Send notices to all members with past due memberships using the printed “Your MOU Membership has Expired” postcards for that purpose.
The Loon and Minnesota Birding: Determine the number of issues needed for printing upon request of the editors. Members with expired memberships do get a copy of the current Minnesota Birding, but do not get a copy of The Loon. This information is programmed into the database.
E-mail an appropriate file to the addressing/mailing service at a date determined by the respective editors.
Other Duties: Respond in writing, telephone or e-mail to all membership inquiries.
Ensure that a membership renewal reminder notice is included in each newsletter.
Prepare a Bibliographical Detail Sheet for the upcoming year as requested by subscription services.
Work with the Editor of The Loon to prepare a semi-annual Membership Directory.
Ensure that all entities receiving complimentary issues are approved on an annual basis, by the Finance Committee, Advertising Coordinator, or Board Members.
On an annual basis, ensure that all entities receiving exchange mailings are appropriate.
Acquire supplies as needed from the Resource Management Committee.
Perform appropriate duties as directed by the President and/or the Board.
Prepare an estimate of expenses for the upcoming year and present to the Treasurer in a timely manner for presentation at the Board Meeting prior to the Paper Session and Annual Meeting.
Provide a membership report for each Board meeting.
Submit receipts in a timely fashion to the Treasurer for reimbursement of expenses incurred.
Do not ever release the membership list in any form (printed, disk, CD, or by mail) to any organization or person except as directed by the Board.
Job Description: The Treasurer shall keep a full and accurate accounting of all Union assets, income and disbursements. The accounting shall be subject to an audit by a committee appointed by the President with concurrence of the Board of Directors. The accounting records of the Union shall be consistent with requirements of government agencies, including but not limited to Internal Revenue Service and Minnesota Attorney General.
The Treasurer shall prepare and present financial statements to the Board of Directors at each regular meeting of the Board. The Treasurer shall prepare and present a budget for the subsequent fiscal year to the Board of Directors prior to the December Board meeting. The Treasurer shall make appropriate reports of the Union's financial condition, including assets, inflows and outflows, and the annual budget to the general membership at the Annual Meeting and in Minnesota Birding. The Treasurer shall establish and implement procedures consistent with accepted practices of segregation of responsibilities for the receipt, investment, and disbursement of Union funds.
Scope of Duties: Maintain and control procedures for deposit of checks and currency into checking account. Write all checks as authorized by Board, and collect all contributions and monies owed. Reconcile checking account. Make certain that all signature cards with bank and others are current with incumbent board members and officers.
Authorize transfers to or from checking, money market, and savings accounts to other investment vehicles, e.g. Certificates of Deposit, Mutual Funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts.
Maintain books in sufficient detail as to meet IRS and other regulatory agencies requirements Complete and file forms required by IRS and Minnesota Attorney General as follows:
Prepare an annual financial report and proposed budget in advance of the December board meeting so that it can be accepted during that meeting. Prepare and distribute interim financial statements to the Board of Directors at board meetings.
Respond to the Membership Secretary upon receipt of checks for dues.
Prepare and mail letters as required by IRS regulations for gifts/memberships.
Maintain records supporting the balances in reserve accounts, e.g. Savaloja, Carter.
Reimburse cash expenses upon receipt of invoices and/or receipts.
Perform appropriate duties as directed by the President and/or the Board.
Submit a written report at year end of the past year's activities.
Submit receipts for reimbursement of expenses incurred.
Job Description: The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of all meetings of the Union and shall record all policy decisions; furnish essential information concerning operations to the Union publications so that the membership may be kept informed on activities of the Union; handle all correspondence which does not come under the responsibility and jurisdiction of the Committee Chairpersons or other officers. He/she shall be directly responsible to the President.
Scope of Duties: The Secretary is the custodian of the MOU minutes, records and reports, except those specifically assigned to others such as the Treasurer's reports and other financial information relating to that office, the Historian's records, the membership information held by the Membership Secretary, etc.
Have available at the Board Meeting the minutes for the previous five years of meetings, the By-Laws of the organization, and the Articles of Incorporation. A copy of all approved minutes and reports should be turned over to the Resource Management Chair for archiving.
Maintain job descriptions for all officers of the Union and descriptions of committee responsibilities. The Secretary will make available to all officers and committee chairs a packet of job descriptions.
Send out a meeting notice approximately one month prior to an upcoming meeting as directed by the President. The meeting notice should go to all Board members and Committee Chairpersons and should contain the proposed agenda items and a request for additional agenda items as well as a deadline date for additional items to be included. The meeting notice should be posted on the MOU internet list service and website.
Prepare an agenda to be distributed at the Board Meeting at the direction of the President prior to each meeting.
Arrange for a conference call phone line for Board meetings.
Call the meeting to order and preside in the absence of the President and Vice President.
Record the minutes for all Board Meetings and distribute, within the month following the meeting, to all Board members and Committee Chairpersons. The minutes should be available to any member upon request.
Deliver a draft version of the Board Meeting minutes to the Editor of Minnesota Birding for publication in the newsletter following that meeting.
Reregister the Union as a non-profit organization with the Minnesota Secretary of State by December 31.
Write letters as directed by officers of the Union.
Maintain current addresses (e-mail and USPS) and telephone numbers of all Board members and Committee Chairs.
Perform appropriate duties as directed by the President and/or the Board.
Provide a report on activities at board meetings. Detailed information that should be included in the minutes should be submitted as a written report. A written report should be submitted if you cannot attend a board meeting.
Submit a written report at year end of the past year's activities.
Prepare an estimate of expenses for the upcoming year and present to the Treasurer in a timely manner for presentation at the board meeting prior to the Paper Session and Annual Meeting.
Submit receipts in a timely fashion to the Treasurer for reimbursement of expenses incurred.
Job Description: The Immediate Past President shall be an unelected member of the Board and serve on the Board during the term of the current President. The Past President's duties include assisting the current Board and chairing the Nominations Committee.
Scope of Duties: Serve as the Chair of the Nominations Committee, a sub-committee of the Recruitment and Awards Committee, and present the slate of candidates to the MOU Board and to the general membership at the MOU Annual Meeting.
Work with Recruitment and Awards Chair to locate possible nominees for the Board of Directors.
Provide continuity to the MOU Board from previous MOU meetings.
Assist the current President, as appropriate, to transition to the office of the presidency.
Perform appropriate duties as directed by the President and/or the Board.
Provide a report on activities at board meetings. Detailed information that should be included in the minutes should be submitted as a written report. A written report should be submitted if you cannot attend a board meeting.
Submit a written report at year end of the past year's activities.
Prepare an estimate of expenses for the upcoming year and present to the Treasurer in a timely manner for presentation at the board meeting prior to the Paper Session and Annual Meeting.
Submit receipts in a timely fashion to the Treasurer for reimbursement of expenses incurred.
Job Description: The Editor is responsible for the timely production of the MOU’s official journal, The Loon, which is published four times a year, generally in the months of January, April, July, and October.
Scope of Duties: Design the issue, determine the cover art, the interior layout and the sequence of the articles.
Collect and review all material for publication to determine if they are suitable for use in The Loon. All material appears at the discretion of the Editor. Contributed works include articles, Notes of Interest, illustrations, photographs, book reviews and the Seasonal Report.
Be responsible for ensuring the quality of The Loon and the accuracy of its content. Content for The Loon is contributed by MOU members or other qualified authors.
Enlist the assistance of associate editors if desired, especially for The Seasonal Report. These associates proof read articles for content and readability as per their expertise. They then advise the Editor who may or may not act on their recommendation. Additional volunteers may assist in the compilation and preparation of The Seasonal Report and in the typesetting of some material.
Determine the length of each issue based on the amount of material contributed. Because of the way The Loon is printed, the number of pages contained in any issue is a multiple of four, generally being between 48 and 72 pages. Typical is 56 pages.
Compile a complete index to that year’s volume once each year. This is published in the winter issue of The Loon.
Deliver to the printer the entire camera-ready issue. Examine the printer’s galley proofs and ensure that the printer will deliver a finished product on a timely basis.
Prepare the MOU Membership Directory every other year, the annual List Supplement to accompany the winter issue of The Loon, and the MOU’s Occasional Papers (articles of an ornithological nature that are too large to publish in The Loon).
Perform appropriate duties as directed by the President and/or the Board.
Provide a report on activities at board meetings. Detailed information that should be included in the minutes should be submitted as a written report. A written report should be submitted if you cannot attend a board meeting.
Submit a written report at year end of the past year’s activities.
Prepare an estimate of expenses for the upcoming year and present to the Treasurer in a timely manner for presentation at the board meeting prior to the Paper Session and Annual Meeting.
Submit receipts in a timely fashion to the Treasurer for reimbursement of expenses incurred.
Addendum: The process of assembling The Loon is followed by a proofing process using associate editors and other volunteers. All articles are proofed by at least two different people. Authors often also proof their submitted papers.
The final digital document along with a digital version of its mailing envelope and any other pieces to be printed are delivered to the printer on a CD or by internet (currently to Jann Jarvis at the University of Minnesota Printing Services building on Como Avenue in SE Minneapolis). Printing Services produces a galley proof for the Editor. If the issue has color, those color proofs are also reviewed. If acceptable, the Editor signs-off on all proofs. After the Editor signs, the printer supplies the Editor with a job number and a quantity to be printed is agreed upon. Generally, the quantity is fifty more than the current membership (this number must be known in advance in order to give it to the printer).
The Editor then visits with a representative at the place where mailing takes place (currently Lauren Smith at the University of Minnesota Addressing and Mailing building on Como Avenue in SE Minneapolis). A job is set up supplying information on expected date of delivery from Printing Services, number of copies to be mailed, where to deliver any extras (room 300 at the Bell Museum), whether or not additional pieces are to be added to the envelope, which mailing permit is used (currently the U of M permit which is printed directly on the envelopes by Printing Services), how the mailing labels will be delivered (currently by internet), how billing is done (currently the MOU is invoiced), and any other issues.
The MOU Membership Secretary is then notified by the Editor that The Loon is at the printer and mailing labels need to be delivered to Addressing and Mailing.
Job Description: The Editor of Minnesota Birding (the newsletter) is responsible for the timely production of the MOU’s newsletter which serves the purposes of the organization and the birding interests of its members.
Scope of Duties: Collect, edit, assemble, and prepare written material for publication.
Ensure delivery of the newsletter to members no later than the 20th day of the months of January, March, May, July, September, and November. Of primary importance is the regular and timely production and distribution of Minnesota Birding, which is published six times a year, at regular two-month intervals.
Provide illustrations and photographs as possible and work with the Designer to incorporate these into Minnesota Birding.
Work with the Designer and Advertising Coordinator.
Be solely responsible for the appropriateness of the content. Content can be contributed by regular or occasional writers. All material appears at the discretion of the Editor. The purpose and reputation of the organization must always be considered when material is evaluated.
Publish information on the MOU grants program, board meetings, actions of the Board and awards nominations.
Work with the Vice President and publish information for the December Annual Meeting and Paper Session in the 5th and 6th issues of Minnesota Birding.
Publish information on a timely basis for regular birding events such as Salt Lake Weekend and Hawk Ridge Weekend.
Contact sources of information for specific events at least 60 days prior to the deadline of the issue in which the information is to appear, alerting the sources of the need for information. In many cases, the event descriptions from the previous year may serve as outlines for the new stories.
Assemble information for the Minnesota Events Calendar. All birding clubs, Audubon chapters, birders, and other organizations with similar missions should be given the opportunity to submit items for the calendar.
Consult routinely with MOU officers and committee chair people to determine the need for articles within the purview of these officers/chair people. It is reasonable to ask the officers/chair people to provide the articles in question.
Appoint proofreaders at your discretion for the material assembled.
Perform appropriate duties as directed by the President and/or the Board.
Provide a report on activities at board meetings. Detailed information that should be included in the minutes should be submitted as a written report. A written report should be submitted if you cannot attend a board meeting.
Submit a written report at year end of the past year’s activities.
Prepare an estimate of expenses for the upcoming year and present to the Treasurer in a timely manner for presentation at the board meeting prior to the Paper Session and Annual Meeting.
Submit receipts in a timely fashion to the Treasurer for reimbursement of expenses incurred.
Appoint a Designer, at your discretion, to assist with the assembly of the newsletter, and/or an Advertising Coordinator to assist with the gathering of advertising material for Minnesota Birding. If the Editor chooses not to appoint persons to these positions, these duties become the responsibility of the Editor. Descriptions of those duties are as follows.
Designer: Take responsibility, along with the Editor, for the layout of the newsletter.
Deliver to the printer the final camera-ready copy necessary for printing the newsletter.
Examine the printer’s galley proof and ensure that the printer will produce a finished product on a timely basis.
Assist the Editor in determining the size of the newsletter (in units of four pages— 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, etc.) based on the needs of the organization, the interests of the members, and the newsletter budget. Availability of advertising also is a factor in size determination.
Determine the content of the cover of the newsletter in consultation with the Editor.
Be responsible for the overall appearance of the newsletter.
Submit receipts in a timely fashion to the Treasurer for reimbursement of expenses incurred.
Advertising Coordinator: Advertising space for products and services that are consistent with the mission of MOU is available in the newsletter. Inserts can also be accepted. Rates for advertising and inserts are determined by the Publications Committee. Advertising is used to offset a portion of the costs of production and mailing and to provide information useful to the members.
Work with the Membership Secretary to ensure each advertiser receives a copy of the newsletter in which their advertising appears. After each issue is completed, update the MOU mailing list so that each advertiser is mailed a copy of the newsletter. All advertisers for the newsletter are entered in the database as COMP-A, and each receives a complimentary issue of the newsletter. Repeat advertisers may be given a complimentary one-year subscription to Minnesota Birding.
Notify each advertiser of the next deadline for the next newsletter and informs them that his/her ad will repeat unless a cancellation request is received. It is assumed (unless otherwise known or obvious) that all advertising repeats with each issue. This eliminates the need to “sell” each issue.
Solicit potential advertisers explaining the newsletter/advertising opportunity when and where appropriate.
Prepare invoices for advertising placed in Minnesota Birding.
Submit receipts in a timely fashion to the Treasurer for reimbursement of expenses incurred.
Job Description: The Avian Information Committee is composed of its chair and several members. The Committee is responsible to the Board of Directors.
Scope of Duties: Systematize and formalize the acquisition of observational information on Minnesota birds, by interacting with data base managers, local groups, citizen science groups, etc., to regularly obtain all pertinent information on Minnesota birds.
Regularly obtain copies of relevant scientific literature.
Maintain a dialogue with individuals who are reluctant to share information, with the aim of resolving any perceived difficulties.
Solicit personal historical records of bird observations and advise MOU members that the MOU will maintain these records in a permanent historical archive.
Encourage MOU members to get involved in citizen science projects related to birds and bird monitoring in Minnesota.
Archive all paper records electronically, based upon recommendations by the Electronics Communications Committee.
Ensure that all electronic records are appropriately backed up, based upon recommendations by the Electronic Communications Committee.
Maintain a permanent repository for MOU records at the Bell Museum. Paper records should be stored in archival storage materials. Priority should be given to maintaining records (personal records, MOURC records, seasonal report records, and others), as opposed to publications.
Maintain a detailed list of record and publication holdings. Publish this list yearly.
File newly received materials in the MOU's collection on at least a quarterly basis.
Monitor requests for access to the MOU's materials and devise a more structured method for providing access if this becomes necessary. Currently, access to the MOU's materials is provided only by Anthony Hertzel or Bob Janssen.
Perform appropriate duties as directed by the President and/or the Board.
Provide a report on activities at board meetings. Detailed information that should be included in the minutes should be submitted as a written report. A written report should be submitted if board member cannot attend a board meeting.
Submit a written report at year end of the past year’s activities. Please include committee members’ names in your report.
Prepare an estimate of expenses (budget) for the upcoming year and present to the Treasurer in a timely manner for presentation at the Board Meeting prior to the Paper Session and Annual Meeting.
Submit receipts to the Treasurer for reimbursement of expenses incurred in a timely fashion.
Addendum: The primary types of information for which the MOU should be the repository include:
Job Description: The Committee shall be composed of the Chairperson and as many members appointed by the Chair as is deemed necessary. The ChairpersonÊis duly appointed and approved by the Board, and the Committee is responsible to the Board of Directors.
Scope of Duties: Select the recipients of the following awardsÊon an annual basis:
Thomas S. Roberts Award,Êfor outstanding contributions to Minnesota ornithology and birding;
Brother Theodore Voelker Award,Êfor special achievement in field ornithology during the past year;
Young Birder Award,Êfor someone under the age of 25 contributing to knowledge of Minnesota birds or to the MOU.
Solicit nominees for these awards from the MOU membership through the mou-net listservice, the Minnesota Birding newsletter, or other appropriate means.
Arrange with a business or individual to have a plaque made for each recipient.
Arrange to have the recipients present at the December Papers Session (if possible) to receive their awards, and to have someone prepare a presentation on each recipient's behalf.
If no one is deemed suitable for any of these awards, the Committee reserves the right not to name a recipient for that year.
On an occasional basis as the situations arise, the Committee may also present awards to recognize individuals or businesses who host unusual birds on their property and allow special access for visiting birders to see them.
Perform other appropriate duties as directed by the President and/or the Board.
Provide a report on activities at board meetings; a written report should be submitted if no Committee member can attend a board meeting.
Prepare an estimate of expenses for the upcoming year and present this to the Treasurer in a timely manner for presentation at the board meeting prior to the Paper Session and Annual Meeting.
Submit receipts in a timely fashion to the Treasurer for reimbursement of expenses incurred.
Job Description: The Finance Committee shall be composed of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Immediate Past President and at least one non-officer of the Corporation. The Committee will be chaired by a non-officer who is duly appointed and approved by Board. The Committee is responsible to the Board of Directors.
Scope of Duties: Recommend to the Board the distribution of invested funds among financial advisors to spread risk.
Recommend to the Board the distribution of invested funds among equities, fixed income and other investment vehicles.
Serve as an audit committee at the direction of the Board when the Board deems an audit is necessary.
Assist other committees and officers as requested on financial matters.
Recommend and arrange for appropriate insurance coverage to protect the organization, its officers, and assets.
Perform appropriate duties as directed by the President and/or the Board.
Provide a report on activities at board meetings. Detailed information that should be included in the minutes should be submitted as a written report. A written report should be submitted if you cannot attend a board meeting.
Submit a written report at year end of the past year’s activities. Please include committee members’ names in your report.
Prepare an estimate of expenses for the upcoming year and present to the Treasurer in a timely manner for presentation at the board meeting prior to the Paper Session and Annual Meeting.
Submit receipts in a timely fashion to the Treasurer for reimbursement of expenses incurred.
Job Description: The Education Committee coordinates and oversees educational outreach opportunities that utilize M.O.U. volunteers to engage the public in birds, bird conservation and the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. The Education Committee includes the Youth Mentor Program Coordinator as a member of the committee. The Youth Mentor Program trains and coordinates a state-wide team of volunteers who present wild bird programs for students of all ages, with a primary focus on those from Kindergarten through grade 12.
Scope of Duties: Attend the quarterly M.O.U. Board Meetings.
Hold Education Committee meetings to set goals, develop action plans and monitor progress on goals.
Coordinate the MOU Booth at the Minnesota State Fair. Extensive details of the list of duties associated with this item are in the addendum.
Coordinate M.O.U. information tables at events such as raptor releases, bird festivals, Hawk Ridge weekend, etc. An M.O.U. educational presence at these events depends upon on receiving ample volunteer support.
Coordinate an informational booth at the M.O.U. Papers Session to encourage attendees to volunteer for the MOU.
Work with the Youth Mentor Program Coordinator to assist them in their role and promote the Y.M.P. program at informational booths.
Work with Youth Mentor Program coordinator to see that requests for an education program, educational booth or educational field trip leader are responded to in a timely manner.
Addendum: Minnesota Ornitholgists' Union State Fair Booth Duties
Request admission tickets from the MN DNR for MOU State Fair Booth volunteers. The requested number is based on the number of shifts.
Coordinate information materials, interactive displays and hand-out materials for the State Fair Booth. Work with the publications committee to develop printed materials.
Create informational materials to support M.O.U. volunteers during their shift.
Contact previous volunteers via the list-serves and postal mail to encourage volunteering. Use the list-serves to encourage new volunteers, give updates on shifts which need volunteers, etc.
Maintain an M.O.U. education volunteer database.
Maintain an internet-based calendar, accessible to volunteers, of M.O.U. State Fair Shifts and monitor to fill all shifts with two volunteers.
Mail out State Fair tickets and instructions to volunteers.
Monitor the State Fair booth during the fair. Upgrade and change materials and/or layout based on volunteer and committee assessments.
Send thank-you notes to volunteers for their service.
Job Description: The Publications Committee shall be composed of the editors of The Loon and Minnesota Birding, the newsletter designer and the advertising coordinator, and the co-authors of the Star Tribune articles.
The Committee is responsible to the Board of Directors.
Scope of Duties: Determine rates for advertising and inserts in Minnesota Birding to offset a portion of the costs of production and mailing in consultation with the Treasurer.
Produce articles for the Star Tribune or other publications.
Propose additional publications as deemed appropriate.
Recommend purchases and other disbursements from the publications reserve.
Design and produce specific publications as requested by the Board.
Perform appropriate duties as directed by the President and/or the Board.
Provide a report on activities at board meetings. Detailed information that should be included in the minutes should be submitted as a written report. A written report should be submitted if you cannot attend a board meeting.
Submit a written report at year end of the past year's activities. Please include committee members' names in your report.
Prepare an estimate of income and expenses for the upcoming year and present to the Treasurer in a timely manner for presentation at the board meeting prior to the Paper Session and Annual Meeting.
Submit receipts in a timely fashion to the Treasurer for reimbursement of expenses incurred.
Job Description: The Chairman is responsible for providing and maintaining the MOU web page and the MOU-net mailing list.
Scope of Duties: Design the MOU web pages, provide for the collection of Seasonal Report records, analyze submitted data, and update the web with information from each issue of The Loon.
Each season additional sighting records are provided by MNBBA and ebird. This information is added to the MOU sighting database when it becomes available.
Interface with the Avian Information Committee to update "occurrence information" for each species for each season. Detailed dates are recorded for any species that has occurred in a county in a season fewer than 5-times.
Maintain an electronic copy of The Loon. This requires a PDF file provided by the editor of The Loon, which is then separated into individual pages for display.
Maintain a species index to The Loon. A process is available to add species to the "On-line Index to The Loon" for MOURC species. Other species need to be added by hand for each issue.
Provide a tool for seasonal report compilers to access the information for a season and edit the seasonal report that goes into The Loon. An attempt has been made to provide a version of the seasonal report that is ready for publication before the compilers start their effort.
Develop and maintain a process for reporting all the information that goes into the Listing Supplement, a compilation of how many species are seen by each observer in each county, month, or year as well as big day totals.
Provide a Gallery of images of birds seen in Minnesota as well as birds seen around the world. Photographers are able to add their images to the gallery of images. Photographers are also able to share current images on the Showcase and Recently Seen galleries.
Maintain the membership database. This database provides the ability for the Membership Chairman to update membership information and produce mailing labels for the MOU publications.
RQD, Request for Documentation, are input on the MOU site. Information about the outcome of MOURC voting is included in the display of an RQD.
On the MOURC pages, previous copies of the proceedings of MOURC are available. The MOURC pages capabilities have recently been extended to allow on-line voting on birding records.
Requirements: The pages on the MOU site are written in HTML, CSS, PDF, JavaScript, and PERL. They make heavy use of the MySQL database. An ECC chairman needs to be familiar with these languages.
Job Description: The Conservation Committee is composed of its Chair and individuals who can be called on to attend events or do advocacy work in their general area. Committee members are recruited and appointed by the Chair. The Committee is responsible to the Board of Directors.
Scope of Duties:
Addendum: Conservation has long been a part of the MOU's stated mission. In addition to directly benefiting birds, actively contributing to conservation will strengthen the MOU's visibility and influence with decision makers and other natural resource stakeholders. The MOU is a rich source of knowledgeable individuals who care passionately about birds and bird watching. Greater application of this energy and expertise would benefit bird conservation considerably.
Many bird populations are declining. Habitat for breeding and migratory birds in Minnesota continues to be lost and degraded as resource pressures increase. Many gaps exist in information critical for sound conservation of Minnesota birds and their habitats.
Job Description: The Chairperson shall conduct meetings annually, or more frequently as needed, to determine the acceptability of unusual bird sightings for inclusion in the permanent record of Minnesota birds.
Scope of Duties: Chairs all meetings to maintain the official list of Minnesota birds and to define the status of each species on that list.
Provides information on Minnesota birds as requested by other states' record committees or other scientific organizations.
In cooperation with other committees, designs the forms used in gathering information on Minnesota birds.
Provides direction to birders in methods of keeping records and documentation of rare species.
In appropriate circumstances, solicits comments from persons with expertise on the species under review before a record is sent to the Committee for a vote.
Semiannually, writes the Proceedings article for The Loon magazine the summarizing the actions of the committee regarding the inclusion, or exclusion, of records of species on the official list of Minnesota birds.
Informs the primary observer who documented the record of the Committee's decision after voting on a record is completed.
Selects a replacement member if a vacancy occurs by resignation of a regular member before that member has served the maximum six-year period.
Breaks tie votes when voting occurs to replace members whose term has expired.
Job Description: The Resource Management Committee is basically a one person committee that takes care of the MOU functions and duties at the Bell Museum of Natural History at the University of Minnesota.
Scope of Duties: Pick up of the MOU mail at the Bell Museum on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule.
Sort, distribute and send this mail to the proper people such as the Membership Secretary, Editor, Treasurer, MOU officers and any other destination as needed.
Retain and file the following exchange journals in the proper place at the Bell Museum. The exchange journals are "The Auk", "Wilson Bulletin", "Passenger Pigeon" (Wisconsin), South Dakota Bird Notes, "Colorado Field Notes", "Nebraska Bird Review" and "Iowa Bird Life".
Send the above exchange journals to any MOU member as requested.
Keep a proper and up to date file of all back copies of “The Loon” magazine (normally 25 copies).
Keep a proper and up to date file of all back copies of the newsletter “Minnesota Birding” (25 copies).
Mail copies of "The Loon" and "Minnesota Birding" as requested to individuals or subscription service agencies.
Maintain inventory of MOU envelopes, letterheads and bird checklists and send these items to various people as requested.
File paper copies of any bird records in the species file at the Bell Museum (overlap with Avian Information Committee).
Job Description: MOU Field Trip chair duties and responsibilities
Scope of Duties:
Attend board meetings or provide notes to attendee if unable to be present.
Keep contact list of trip leaders, trips taken and plans for future trips
Outreach to appropriate members of the MOU birding community to ask if they would be willing to lead birding trips
Collect and summarize details of each trip planned for forwarding the the electronic communications committee for posting to the MOU website
Post information about each trip on the MOU List-serv
Assist with other board duties as needed