President's Corner
The Fort Collins Audubon Society will soon be...
by John Shenot
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am excited to announce that Fort Collins Audubon Society will soon be changing our name to Northern Colorado Bird Alliance!
In October 2023, an overwhelming majority (69 percent) of FCAS members who cast ballots authorized the Board of Directors to present at least two potential new names for the organization to members and rename the organization to an option that garners broad support. That is exactly what we've done.
The Board formed an ad hoc Name Change Committee that spent months brainstorming and screening potential names, with input from members and the broader public. Members then had the opportunity in November 2024 to express their support for any of three potential names advanced by the Name Change Committee and to rank the names that they supported in order of preference. The results pointed clearly toward Northern Colorado Bird Alliance, which was supported by 89 percent of voters and was the most preferred option for 53 percent.
Changing our name will have no impact on our relations with the National Audubon Society. We will remain a local chapter of that outstanding national organization, but we are joining at least 28 other local chapters in 14 states that have recently changed their own names to some version of “Bird Alliance.” In addition, our mission and the programs and services we provide to members and the and the public will not change.
The final step in formalizing this momentous decision is to amend the organization’s constitution and bylaws. The Board has drafted proposed amendments, which are avail-able on our website at ProposedBylawsAmendmentsFeb2025.pdf. These amendments will not only rename the organization, but also create a new Diversity, Equity, and Inclu-sion Committee and correct errors in the current bylaws. Members who attend our February 13 program will be asked to approve the proposed bylaws amendments, and if a two-thirds majority approves we will officially become Northern Colorado Bird Alliance.
If you would like to chair our hospitality commit-tee in 2025, please contact a board member ASAP.
