ACT SECTION 56 — CONVENTION

The Convention Committee will be granted an advance to aid in organizing the Convention after their budget has been approved by the Executive Committee.

The Convention Chairman is instructed to enforce registration at the convention.

The Society will make available the NSS Convention Manual to prospective and selected Convention Chairmen and staffs. The Manual describes the responsibilities of the hosts and the various organizations involved in conducting an NSS convention, and provides background information to guide the host organization in their planning process. The NSS Convention Manual will be maintained and distributed by the Convention Development Committee Chairman. The Chairman will solicit revisions and suggestions from convention staffs and those officers and committees involved in convention planning and coperation at least onec each year, and keep the manual updated with information received. Any issues will be referred to the Administrative Vice President for resolution. Current Acts of the Board and Executive Committee administrative policies related to conventions will be incorporated into the manual.

The size of the Convention Guidebook is to be 8-1/2 by 11 inches. The Convention Guidebook will be numbered autonomously from any other publication.

Any surplus revenue from the Convention will accrue automatically to the NSS, regardless of the nature and number of other organizations cooperating in the conduct of the convention. Similarly, deficits in legitimate operating expenses entailed by the Convention Chairman, after planning his expenses as carefully as possible with the Administrative Vice-President and the Treasurer will be made up by the Society.

It is recommended that convention sites be selected to move successive sites to widely separated locations.

A policy concerning vendors at NSS or NSS member-sponsored activities is established: (1) The organizing committee of an NSS or NSS member-sponsored activity may, at the committee's discretion, welcome vendors at the activity as providing a service to the participants. Vendors will abide by any reasonable monetary and regulatory edicts. (2) No vendor may use the name of the National Speleological Society or any of its member organizations for any purposes, without the permission of the NSS or respective member organization(s). (3) The National Speleological Society or its representatives are not responsible, in any manner, for merchandise sold by vendors at NSS or NSS member-sponsored activities. (4) It is recognized that the NSS and its member organizations have the authority to charge reasonable fees and establish certain regulatory measures for vendors operating at their activities. (5) Non-profit 501(C)(3) organizations whose purpose aligns with NSS goals and is related to caves or caving activities will be allocated space, as available, at no cost to promote their organization provided their activities do not compete with vendors who paid for space.

The following recommendations are to be policy for NSS activities and are suggested guidelines for member sponsored events: (a) Provide facilities for the display and sale of products; (b) charge a reasonable percentage based fee for this service; (c) provide security to prevent theft while these areas are unattended; (d) a vendor may choose not to use the facilities provided, in which case a flat-rate fee will be charged if the vendor is permitted to sell merchandise elsewhere at the activity (f) the organizing committee may judge the appropriateness of the items to be offered for sale and reject inappropriate items. Such judging shall take place if any requests to do so are received from any member of the NSS.

Convention bids are to be circulated to all Board Members and to NSS organizations active in the vicinity of the proposed convention at least 30 days in advance of the meeting at which they are to be considered.

A $3,000.00 committee allowance will be paid to the Convention Committee to recognize their efforts and unreimbursed expenses to host the annual NSS National Convention. The committee allowance will be included in the convention budget and may be disbursed or used in any way that is deemed appropriate by the Convention Chairman.

An informative article soliciting convention proposals shall be published in the NSS NEWS at least three years prior to that convention year. The article shall include an address to contact for bid forms and a copy of the Planning Guide for Annual Conventions. The preparation of such an article and the processing of convention proposals shall be the responsibility of the Convention Development Committee.

The NSS National Convention Manual shall require that convention committees consider carefully the environmental and socio-economic impacts of a convention and take whatever actions are necessary to mitigate adverse effects.

The Convention Committee may, at their option, accommodate non-commercial displays on cave related subjects from organizations outside the Society. It this incurs a cost, the Committee may pass this cost on to the outside organization.

The Board of Governors requests that the Executive Committee arrange for exhibits and displays from NSS Committees for use at conventions.

The NSS National Convention Committees are requested to schedule no business meetings of sections concurrently with meetings of either the Congress of Grottos or the Board of Governors

The Convention Development Committee budget shall, beginning with fiscal year 1984-85, include $200 to be used to offset expenses of convention bidders that are not selected for the convention.

The Convention Committee shall make arrangements with the NSS Bookstore Manager for shipping to the NSS bookstore, all surplus guidebooks, programs, T-shirts, and related convention items within 30 days of the close of the convention.

The NSS Insurance Committee shall obtain NSS convention insurance for medical payments and liability for injury, death, or property damage for at least one million dollars. This will be paid for out of convention revenue.

Offers to host NSS conventions will be considered at the convention BOG meeting three years earlier or at the first meeting thereafter at which an offer is presented.

NSS Conventions shall be scheduled to avoid conflict with the International Union of Speleology Congress meetings when the UIS Congress schedule has been published prior to the scheduling of the NSS Convention.

Completion of a general liability waiver, approved by the NSS Legal Committee, will be required for participation at NSS Conventions.

All persons making convention proposals should clearly identify any known deficiency in their proposal from the standards established in these acts, the Convention Planning Guide, and significant traditions. The Chairman of the Convention Planning Committee shall immediately report subsequent deficiencies to the Administrative Vice President. The Administrative Vice President will inform the Board of Governors of any significant and uncorrected deficiencies.

The Junior Speleological Society Committee, in the Department of the Administrative Vice President, is responsible for the administration, content, and implementation of NSS youth educational and recreational activities, including youth activities at NSS conventions. The JSS Committee shall coordinate with the Convention Development Committee to determine the budgetary and facility support required form Comvention Committees for JSS activities.

All bids submitted for NSS National Conventions shall include draft financial projections showing major expected expense and income categories.

All NSS National Convention budgets shall follow the standard NSS-supplied Chart of Accounts (COA) listing specific expense and income categories.

The Chairman of the NSS National Convention is responsible for appointing the NSS Convention Treasurer. The NSS Convention Treasurer shall provide financial reports to both the NSS Convention Chairman and agents of the NSS Secretary-Treasurer. The NSS Secretary-Treasurer is responsible for establishing financial process and reporting requirements for NSS Conventions. The Convention Chairman, or his agent, must approve all convention expenses before payment.

Within one year after the Board of Governors accepts an NSS National Convention proposal, the Convention Chairman shall submit a convention budget to the Executive Committee (EC) for approval. The Administrative Vice President (AVP) shall include that budget in his report to the Board following EC acceptance of the proposed budget. Subsequent revisions to the budget exceeding 5% must be approved by the AVP and the Convention Chairman.

All Convention Staff activities associated with preparation of an NSS National Convention are carried out on a volunteer basis. Travel related expenses (e.g. travel, lodging, meals) incurred by Convention Staff are not reimbursable except at the discretion of the Convention Chairman from the NSS approved convention committee allowance. (See Act 56-293)

A final NSS National Convention report shall be submitted to the NSS Administrative Vice President for inclusion in his report to the Board of Governors at the Spring meeting following the close of the convention. The report should include a description of “lessons learned” as a result of the convention experience. A final NSS National Convention financial report shall be submitted to the NSS Secretary-Treasurer at the same time, for inclusion in his report to the Board of Governors. The Financial Report shall compare actual and budgeted income and expenses in accordance with the NSS Chart of Accounts.

Acceptance of an NSS Convention bid by the Board of Governors will not occur at the same meeting of the BOG during which the bid is presented.

A representative of the Convention Development Committee may receive reimbursement for travel expenses incurred, up to the amount budgeted by the Board, for travel to and examination of potential sites for future NSS National Conventions. A report on the suitability of the sites visited will be provided by the Convention Development Committee Chairman to the Board following visits to these sites. Funds for this travel reimbursement will come from the Convention Surplus Restricted Fund.

The NSS Convention Chairmen are encouraged to offer complementary day passes for public relations purposes, particularly to those people involved in cave management, such as members of state and federal agencies and private cave owners, as well as government officials.

NSS National Convention Registration and Fee Policy is adopted (See Appendix AO).

NSS Convention staffs shall ensure compliance with all municipal and/or county noise ordinances. Convention staffs shall enact effective measures to separate campground areas from those areas where amplified music is permitted. Convention staffs shall ensure that quiet areas for campgrounds are designated and enforced. In the event sufficient separation of camp and party areas is not feasible, Convention staffs shall set and enforce a curfew on amlified music.

Beginning in 2002 the NSS Executive Committee shall recommend the distribution of the undesignated proceeds from the upcoming NSS Convention Auction as part of the annual budget process and report their recommendation at the spring meeting for Board review. Unless the Board moves to modify, such recommendation shall be implemented.

Any vendor with a principal who is an NSS member may sell NSS convention guidebooks to NSS members if they have a current signed vendor memorandum of understanding on file at the NSS Office.

The Convention Development Committee is established, reporting to the Administrative Vice President. The Committee is responsible for: a) soliciting from NSS internal organizations and members proposals to host an annual NSS Convention; b) visiting the proposed convention sites and working with the proposing organization to prepare a satisfactory proposal; c) providing its analysis of proposals submitted to the Board for consideration; d) after a host is selected, working with the host organization to help them take advantage of lessons learned from past conventions, guide their planning process, mentor key convention staff members, and integrate their efforts with other NSS committees that have an active role in NSS conventions; e) maintaining and distributing the Convention Manual.

The 2009 NSS Convention will be held in conjunction with the International Congress of Speleology (ICS) on July 19–26 at Schreiner University, Kerrville, Texas. The organizing committee for the ICS shall be the organizing committee for the NSS Convention. The NSS Administrative Vice President shall appoint a Chairman for the NSS 2009 Convention to serve on the ICS Organizing Committee. The Convention Chairman will report to the NSS AVP.

Accident insurance is required for future conventions.

Cross Reference

15-020 Bonding
15-494 Federal Tax Identification Number
15-495 Tax ID Reporting Requirements
18-598 Convention Surplus Restricted Fund
65-768 2009 International Congress
Appendix U Policy for Acceptance of Salon Entries
Appendix AO NSS National Convention Registration and Fee Policy

12-6-06

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