26th April 2015

Meeting Attendees:

Chairman- Evan Murray / Graham Bates
Secretary- Colin Ronald / Richard Greenwood
President- Gary Eaton / Richard Henderson
Vice President- Mark Rudd / Paul Littlewood
Helen Seed

REQUIRED ACTIONS SHOWN IN BLUEBOLD BLACK TYPE SHOWS COMPLETE

Minutes / Actions:

Item 1 / Introduction by Chairman
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The Chairman opened the meeting and thanked everyone for attending, with special thanks to President Gary Eaton who had been suffering from poor health. He reminded everyone that when discussing NPA matters those present must be respectful to both NPA members and Committee members alike.
Item 2 / Apologies
No apologies.
Item 3 / Draft Minutes of Meeting Held on 8th February
Helen Seed proposed and Richard Henderson seconded that these minutes were an accurate record of this meeting. Carried.
Item 4 / Matters Arising
Richard Henderson asked about the current status of the Norwich Cropper Club, Richard Greenwood answered that this was on-going. Richard Henderson also asked if the Secretary had received a response to the letter sent to Andy Lowe. The Chairman and the Secretary said they had an email from Andy and the Secretary had spoken to him. Richard Greenwood asked if the Nottingham Shows and the Blackpool Show had affiliated to the NPA this year. The Secretary said that Nottingham Pigeon Club had affiliated for 2015.
Item 5 / Decisions Made by Chairman and Secretary Between Meetings
The Chairman said that judges had been added to the Horseman Pouter judges list and this had now been approved by the breed club.
Richard Henderson asked if the European Show advert was to be included in the June issue of FPW? The Secretary said that the EE Show date had been included in the April issue so he did not think another advert was necessary. Graham Bates said that the NPA is part of the EE so should include a proper advert in FPW. Helen Seed said that the Metz Show clashed with UK Championship shows. A vote was taken for an eighth of a page advert in FPW: 5 for, 1 abstained, 2 against, carried.
Actions / EE Show advert to be included in FPW. / FPW / June issue
Item 6 / Ring Secretary/Treasurers Report
  1. Report
The Secretary reported that compared to the same date last year all items were slightly down for various reasons (listed below in italic). Membership plus subscriptions is 566 (605), rings sold 18,650 (25,340) -no free rings sent this year, transfers 333 (592) -transfers were unusually high last year.77 new members have joined. Only 28 Junior members so far this year which is concerning.
The increase in subs (to include FPW) has meant a decrease in overseas membership. The current membership is above Graham Bates’ forecast for the FPW finances which is encouraging.
Item 7 / NPA Management
  1. Accounting Year
Paul Littlewood proposed that the accounting year go back to run between September 1st and August 31st. The Secretary said he agreed with Paul’s proposal as it was hard work finalising the accounts in January for presentation at the February AGM when January is the busiest time of the year with memberships and ring requests coming in with show returns. The Chairman and Richard Henderson explained that a change in accounting year must go to ballot as per the Constitution and could not be implemented until 2016.The accounting year “date change” going to ballot was voted on- carried, unanimously.
  1. AGM Venue/Location
At the February AGM Dennis Ison asked about moving the location of the AGM so it was in the north one in every three years. Richard Henderson thought this was a good idea as although the attendance probably wouldn’t increase it would give different members an opportunity to attend.A discussion followed around finding North, Midlands and Southern venues so the AGM could move around. Paul Littlewood said that the 2015 AGM would need to stay at Rugby and in the event of a change an announcement could be made then. Paul also offered to get a quote from a venue on the M62 which could be used as a Northern venue. Gary Eaton (Shell Club) and Graham Bates (Bradfield venue) offered to get quotes for potential Southern venues. Helen Seed asked the Secretary how much it cost to hire Rugby for the current AGM- the cost is £125.
  1. Patronage
This was a fundraising idea put forward by the Secretary in 2014 which had been pushed back because of the launch of FPW. Helen Seed asked if an advert explaining the NPA Patronage could be included in the September issue of FPW. The Chairman asked the Committee to think of a title and a donation amount so it can be decided upon at the July meeting and included in the September issue of FPW.
  1. FPW Yearly Plan
Graham Bates started by giving a brief update on the progress of FPW (2015). Helen Seed also gave an update on Breeders Cards and the Club Register. The Chairman said that these require proof reading before the September issue. Mark Rudd said that the response for trade adverts had been poor and asked the Committee to look for opportunities in this area. Graham Bates said that the FPW editors found it hard to format the Breeders Cards and asked if there could be a cut-off date prior to the March issue. The Committee thought that this would be too restrictive, especially with regard to amendments.
The Committee then decided on an issue-by-issue content plan for FPW:
March Issue: List of NPA affiliated Agricultural shows. Minutes from the September Committee meeting. Award winners article.
June Issue: Request for Committee nominees and proposals. List of Championship Shows and contacts. Request for nominees for NPA awards. Minutes from the February Committee Meeting.
September Issue: Membership Form. Champion Birds. Minutes from the April Committee meeting. Ring Nomination promotion.
December Issue: Ballots and voting papers. Notification of the AGM. Previous AGM minutes. Minutes from the July Committee meeting.
Anything that requires returning needs to be loose-leaf.
  1. Accounts Structure/Lay Out
The Chairman asked how the Committee would like the accounts laid out in future. Graham Bates said that he wanted more detail in the accounts so we can better see where the profit was made last year (accounts were simplified after the February 2014 meeting). Paul Littlewood said that the FPW postage should be separated out from the main postage. The Committee decided that the accounts should be rolling and in the same format year on year. It was decided to use the 2012 accounts as a template for 2015 and future years.
The Secretary asked if the Committee wanted to stick with the current independent accountant? Richard Henderson proposed and Richard Greenwood seconded that we stick with the current accountant. Carried unanimously.
Graham Bates asked the Secretary for a breakdown of income for 2014.
  1. Junior and Partnership Membership Comparison.
The Chairman asked the Secretary if there was an increase in members joining the NPA as a partnership in 2015. The Secretary said that there were 5 new partnerships but only 1 of these is made up of previous members, the other 4 are completely new to the NPA. The Chairman asked the same question in relation to Junior members but these were slightly down on last year (mainly due to Junior members becoming adults).
  1. Magazine Income Update
This was covered in 7 (d).
  1. EE Update
Mark Rudd offered an EE update. He said that he has had a lack of response to letters sent to the EE concerning British Breeds. British breeds have had GB removed from them on the EE website. Mark felt that the EE think they have a right over all breeds and are not considering British views. The Secretary said that other countries are having the same issues (such as Spain and Portugal). Richard Greenwood asked if Mark should concentrate on the core British Breeds and not the peripheral ones. Graham Bates asked if a meeting could be set up between the NPA and the EE at Liepzig. Mark said he would try and organise a meeting. Mark said that he would keep a foot in the EE camp and work with them as much as he could but suggested that British Breed Clubs do their own thing in the background. The Committee agreed. The Chairman said that this would be a good exercise as a nation and thanked Mark for his hard work.
Actions / Ballot for change to accounting year.
Quotes for AGM venues.
Patronage title and amount.
Proof reading of Breeders Cards and Club registers
Breakdown of income for 2014
Meet with the EE at Liepzig / Secretary
PL/GE/GB
Committee
Chairman
Secretary
Mark Rudd / Sept Issue
July
July
Sept Issue
July
December
Item 8 / Shows
  1. Pigeon Breed Sections
The Committee started by confirming that the NPA listed breed sections would be used to clarify the “two breeds in a section judge’s rule” only and would not be used as a recommendation for show sections. Both the Secretary and Mark Rudd offered alternative breed sections. A vote was taken and Mark’s sections were carried, unanimous.
  1. Champion of Champions
Helen Seed asked the Committee to decide on the future of the NPA Champion of Champions now that Blackpool was no longer a Championship Show. The Committee felt that with the absence of Championship status at Blackpool, the NPA Champion of Champions would not go ahead. Gary Eaton said that a ring number was required for BIS on the NPA returns form to check against the birds entered in the Champion of Champions. He asked if this should be removed. Graham Bates proposed that this remained on the form, seconded by the Secretary, unanimous.
  1. Junior Members Points-Award
Helen Seed asked the Secretary to make sure that Best Junior was included on the Championship Show returns form. The details of the points system could be agreed by the Committee by email. Helen would award the winner at the AGM.
  1. Champion Bird Certificates
As agreed at the February meeting, the Committee had decided to go back to the two certificate system with red or black type depending on the award going to the breeder or the owner (if different). Helen Seed offered a competitively priced prototype from her local printing firm and the Secretary offered a version printed at home on card. The Committee liked Helen’s version with a small change, the grey text changed to black. Helen said she would bring them to the next meeting.
  1. Breed Club Annual Returns
Paul Littlewood said that the flow of information from the Breed Clubs was not good enough and in order to improve this The Committee should impose a strict deadline on the return of information including updated judge’s lists, club committee members and so forth. The secretary pointed out that there was already a shortage of judges and being able to add and remove judges through the year helped with this. The Chairman pointed out that if a deadline were imposed, the Committee could still approve new judges through the year. The Committee decided that a deadline of January 31st for return of information would be imposed on the Breed Clubs only. Paul offered an example of a form which could be sent to the breed club’s asking for all the relevant information.
  1. Championship Show Notification
Paul Littlewood asked the Committee if the notification of Championship Show dates could be improved. The Committee felt that this was already as organised as it could be with all shows advertising in FPW. Some shows were unable to book their venues until certain times of the year.
  1. Scottish Championship Show Dates
Helen Seed and Mark Rudd informed the Committee that after communication with John Thomson, the East of Scotland Show would now be on 31st October. The Chairman said that the close proximity of dates could kill off Scottish Shows. It was a step forward that neither of the Scottish Championship Shows clashed with Lancashire but the two Scottish Shows being only a week apart will affect entries.
Actions / Mark Rudd’s Section List to be used when approving Champ Show judges
Junior points system decided upon by email.
Champion Bird Certificates
Information Form sent to Breed Clubs with January deadline. / Secretary
HS/Committee
Helen Seed
Secretary / Ongoing
August
July Meeting
September
Item 9 / Advertising
a)New Promotional Leaflets
Graham Bates offered his latest version of the new NPA Promotional Leaflets which were well received. The Secretary said he would email over some photos of pigeon breeds kindly donated by Thomas Hellmann. Mark Rudd said that it was good that DEFRA were mentioned on the leaflet. Richard Henderson said that the Face Book link should also be included on the leaflet. Helen Seed offered a very good quote for printing which the Committee agreed on.
b)John Elsdon’s Book
The Secretary said that many years ago John Surridge had been asked to update a very informative book written by John Elsdon. John Surridge has offered to pick this task up again. The Committee asked the Secretary to approach John Elsdon and ask his permission, this would be well received.
Actions / Update new promotional leaflets
Print Promotional Leaflets
Ask John Elsdon for permission to update his book / Graham Bates
Helen Seed
Secretary / June
July
Sept Meeting
Item 10 / General Correspondence Received
  1. Letter From The Modena Club
The Modena Club wrote to the Committee asking if they could offer NPA Certificates at their Young Bird Show which is to be held in conjunction with the Nottingham Young Bird Show. Paul Littlewood consulted the NPA rules and this was thought to be a contravention of rule B3 and B4 as the Modena Club already had one stand-alone single-breed annual show. Not approved.
  1. Letter From Dennis Thornton
The Secretary read out a letter from Dennis Thornton regarding subsidies for shows. The Committee asked the Secretary to thank Dennis for his letter and offered a suitable response.
  1. Letter From the Magpie Club
The Magpie Club wrote asking if they could offer NPA Certificates at their annual show in Nottingham in December. Richard Henderson said that he would rather the Breed Clubs held their annual shows at existing Championship Shows but accepted that stand alone shows were included in the NPA C&Rs. Richard Henderson proposed that this be accepted, seconded by Richard Greenwood. Unanimous.
  1. Letter From the Jacobin Club
The Jacobin Club wrote asking if they could offer NPA Certificates at their annual show in Darlington in January. The Secretary proposed that this be accepted, seconded by Richard Greenwood. Unanimous.
Actions / Respond to letters / Secretary / May
Item 11 / Any Other Business
Helen Seed offered an updated version of the Show Rep Reports for Championship Shows which would be emailed to Committee members. Helen also showed the Committee the updated design for the Lifetime Award which was well received. She also asked Graham Bates if some adverts had been selected for inclusion in BHW? The Secretary also asked about articles for Avicultura Europe? Graham said that this was in hand.
Richard Henderson asked if prize cards for the National Show in Pickering could be paid for by the NPA again this year. Graham Bates proposed and Gary Eaton seconded that prize cards be paid for by the NPA. 6 for, 2 against. Carried.
Graham Bates asked if the Committee should consider further financial input of £250 into Pickering as it hosted the NPAs national show. Richard Greenwood said that the Committee should consider that money was tight in the NPA. The Chairman said that the National Show, hosted by the BPSS, was an imperative part of the NPA and £250 is cheap under the circumstances. Mark Rudd asked Richard Henderson if it was true that prize money was being offered in a separate Show Racer section this year at Pickering. Richard Henderson said that this was true. It was the BPSS’s intention to build up to a Blackpool Qualifier. All prize money had been donated. Graham Bates proposed a £250 donation by the NPA to the BPSS but there was no seconder. Richard Henderson offered his thanks to the NPA for funding the prize cards.
Mark Rudd said that judges should be encouraged to use withheld slips (for NPA Certificates). The Secretary said that withheld slips were posted to Championship Show Secretaries on request and placed on the front desk at shows. He said that some judges do not like issuing them.
The Secretary had, prior to the meeting, notified the Committee of his intention to step down as Secretary. He clarified that it was his intention to remain as a Committee Member. The Chairman asked the secretary about his preferred time frame/hand over period. The Secretary said that he would like to use September as a hand over period, with the new Secretary fully in place on October 1st. Although he would stay on for longer if required. The Chairman asked for a suitable advert to go onto the website and into the June issue of FPW with a view to interviewing potential candidates during August.
There being no other business, the meeting closed at 16.30 with thanks offered to the Chair.
Actions / Email new Show Rep Reports to Committee
Advert for new NPA Secretary on website and in June issue of FPW / Helen Seed
Secretary / May
May

Next Meeting- 26thJuly 2015