Contest and Records Committee Chair

Current Committee Purpose: To encourage, maintain, and regulate the U.S. national system of organized sport rocketry competition and performance records.

NAR By-Laws Language: Article 11, Section 5: The Contest and Records Committee shall have as its duties the certification of applications for sanction of contests by the Association, the certification of results of contests sanctioned by the Association, and the homologation of records established or surpassed by members under the standards and regulations of the Association.

Specific Expectations:

1. I will operate the Committee and ensure that its decisions concerning sport rocketry competition are made impartially and in accordance with the principles of fairness and good sportsmanship, keeping in mind the long-standing philosophy of the NAR that “model rocketry is FUN”. I will ensure to the best of my ability that all competitions and record attempts are conducted in accordance with the U.S. Model Rocket Sporting Code, and will promptly advise the NAR President of any situation where I have reason to believe that this has not been done.

2. I will maintain a single national database of competition points, and will ensure that it reflects the results of all contests whose results have been reported to any Regional Contest Board within 30 days of receipt of those results by that Board. I will ensure that this database, thoroughly checked for accuracy and updated with all the results of all contests flown during the Contest Year ending on June 30, is provided to the Contest Director of the National Meet by the day before competition begins at the National Meet.

3. I will provide a current list of the “Top 20 Competitors” in each competition age division and of the “Top 20 Sections” to the NAR webmaster and to the editors of Sport Rocketry and the Model Rocketeer at least once every three months starting November 1 of each year.

4. I will approve the proposed events for the National Meet each year and will attend the National Meet to assist the Contest Director in reviewing results to determine the National Champions for the contest year that ends at this Meet.

5. I will ensure that a single national database of U.S. record-setting flight performances is maintained, by age division, covering each competition event for which such records may be set. I will ensure that any record-setting flight that is reported to or noticed by my Committee and that is found to be valid and accurate is entered in this database within 30 days. I will provide this database to the NAR webmaster and to the editor of the Model Rocketeer at least once every six months.

6. I will maintain the master copy of the U.S. Model Rocket Sporting Code, promptly reflecting all approved changes, and will ensure that an updated version of this master copy is provided to the NAR webmaster any time a change is made. I will provide this master copy to the NAR Headquarters Manager whenever required to support production of new printed copies of this Code.

7. I will ensure that a process for revisions to the U.S. Model Rocket Sporting Code is operated on a biennial basis with sufficient advance public notification to the NAR membership that all members who wish to do so have the opportunity to submit, comment on, and vote on proposed changes.

8. I will ensure that a process for establishing provisional competition events is operated, and will publicize this process in order to encourage NAR members to foster innovation in competition and expansion of the popularity of contest flying.

9. I will maintain an open dialogue with NAR members who participate in competition, using such techniques as e-mails, a newsletter, or columns in NAR publications to encourage participation in competition and to solicit and respond to feedback on how to improve and popularize competition.