WDA AGM - notes from last nights meeting

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS AGM READ OUT AND PASSED

WEST DURHAM AMALGAMATION

AGM PROPOSALS

MEETING WEDNESDAY 3rd FEBRUARY 2016

ESH WINNING 7­30 pm

Secretary:­ Brian Ford President :­ Alan Brown

AGENDA

D/V PROP­ Chairman­Alan Brown, Secretary­ Brian Ford, Transport Manager­ Peter Matthews W/D

CROOK PROPOSE. Secretary B. Ford, C/Con P. Matthews, Transport Manager R.Walton SAC

D'TON PROP­ Officials same as 2015 CON, A/P

C'F PROP­ C/Convoyer P. Matthews, Assistant Convoyer D. Jenkins D'TON

Passed as follows Chairman Alan Brown/Secretary Brian Ford/ Transport Manager Rob Walton,/Chief Convoyer Peter Matthews/Assistant Convoyer Dan Jenkins.

C'F PROP­ Drivers and helpers who ferry in but are not required to go to race point are paid a fair wage. TO FINANCE COMMITTEE

C'K PROP­Weather Committee:­ P.Matthews, M.Wade, S.Meadows D'TON - PASSED THIS IS THE SAME AS 2015

C'K PROP­Race programme can be changed to an alternative race point because of bad weather, with a committee of 5

members to discuss the matter for the race the following week end, with 5 members 1 will have the casting vote,

committee to be M. Wade, S.Meadows, P.Matthews, T. Coils & A.Brown D'TON - PASSED THIS IS THE SAME AS 2015

A/P PROP­ Check on all finances to see if a restructure could help save on finances FINANCE

T/D PROP­Remove rules 13A&13B SAC, W/D, A/P - VOTING WAS 5/5 - PASSED 293/232 VOTES - WDA BY LAWS 13 A & 13 B ARE REMOVED FROM WDA HANDBOOK - THIS MEANS NO SINGLE LIBS OR GROUPS ALL UP TOGETHER EVERY WEEK OLD BIRDS AND YOUNG BIRDS

T/D PROP­ Drinkers/water containers sterilised/disinfected after every race A/P PASSED - THIS IS A DEFRA REQUIREMENT THAT THE TRANSPORTER/PANNIERS ETC. ARE DISINFECTED AFTER USE.

All T/D picked up on same transporter. IF POSSIBLE PASSED

CON PROP­ Total membership count on all WDA voting A/P CLARIFIED AS NUMBER OF LOFTS PER FED FROM NUMBER IN WDA HANDBOOK. PASSED

CON PROP­ Set clocks on night of basketing for Bourges A/P PASSED 280/243 - NOTE IF HELD OVER RESET REQUIRED AFTER 1 DAY

C'K PROP ­Open pools for longest race D'TON ALREADY PASSED AND IN EFFECT FROM 2015

C'K PROP ­20 birds per basket on races over 250 miles to garage D'TON ALREADY PASSED AND IN EFFECT FROM 2015

C'K PROP ­WDA to have breeder/buyer sale at Bearpark WMC, date to be agreed D/V, 27 DATE AGREED TO BE SUNDAY 27TH OF MARCH

W/D PROP­Breeder/buyer to have 1st, 2nd, 3rd prizes A/P PASSED 50% TO WDA FUNDS 50% TO PRIZE MONEY

D/V PROP­ Birdage & fees to stay as 2015 TO FINANCE

4. RACE PROGRAMME

5. C'F PROP­ If y/b basketed Friday pickup times as 2015, If basketed Saturday picked up 4 hours earlier D/V PASSED

W/D PROP­ No early pick­ups on Saturday basketing D'TON DEFEATED

C'K PROP­Any NEHU classic races are not to interfere with WDA programme SAC PASSED

A/P PROP­Convoyer and management look at suitability of all race points ALREADY BEEN DONE

D/V PROP­ O/B race programme to follow the M1 route to keep away from the U.N.C. And try to keep a true line of flight from 1st to last race WD DEFEATED

A/P PROP­ Form a committee to have race points more in line with the A1 and stick to these for a number of years DTON PASSED

W/D PROP­ Find an alternative to Wakefield due to lying in a valley and the large amount of losses D'TON PASSED - DONCASTER RACECOURSE IDENTIFIED - WDA SECRETARY TO MAKE ENQUIRIES

W/D PROP­ All amal races to go on Thursday except BOURGES SAC DEFEATED

A/P PROP­ Arras, Roye, Bourges, Falaise, Arras SAC, W/D DEFEATED

C'F PROP­ Arras, Roye, Tours, Roye, Arras CON PASSED - NOTE ANY WDA MEMBERS WISHING TO SEND TO BOURGES WILL HAVE FACILITY MADE AVAILABLE

T/D PROP­Arras, Roye, Bourges, Roye, Arras D'TON DEFEATED

T/D PROP­ All channel races to be with NEHU D'TON, W/D [it was passed at NEHU meeting on 9/1/16 that all channel races for 2017 be NEHU classics] WDA WILL SET THEIR OWN PROGRAMME AND IF DECIDE NOT TO GO TO SAME POINT AS NEHU THEN FACILITY TO SEND TO NEHU CLASSIC RACES WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE.

Biggleswade has been identified as an alternative to Billericay but is only aprox 190 miles to garage, this is not on the chart but needs serious consideration, site report will be issued to Fed Secs.

INLAND, SEE CHART

OLD BIRD PROGRAMME STARTS SATURDAY 9TH OF APRIL

WAKEFIELD/DONCASTER

THORESBY HALL

LEICESTER

HUNTINGDON

BIGGLESWADE

EASTBOURNE NEHU CLASSIC

LEICESTER

ARRAS

MAIDSTONE

ROYE QUEENS CUP

PETERBOROUGH

TOURS WDA - (BOURGES NEHU ALSO AVAILABLE TO WDA MEMBERS)

BILLERICAY YEARLING CLASSIC

BILLERICAY

ROYE

PETERBOROUGH

ARRAS

YOUNG BIRDS, SEE CHART

C'K PROP­ all up together D/V PASSED DUE TO BY LAWS 13A & 13B BEING RESCINDED

T/D PROP­No Fed to be forced to have single lib W/D

D/V PROP­ Be in groups as 2015 for 1st 4 races CON

W/D PROP­ All up together, A/P If neither of these as a last resort group of W/D, D/V, SAC, D'TON­D/V

C'F PROP­ 3cs for first 4 y/b races CON, C'K

D'TON­ All up together if not D'TON to have single lib for 1

T/D PROP­ All up together, If not passed no separate libs from same transporter/trailer W/D

YOUNG BIRD PROGRAMME STARTS 30TH JULY

WAKEFIELD/DONCASTER

WAKEFIELD/DONCASTER

THORESBY HALL

THORESBY HALL

LEICESTER

PETERBOROUGH

HUNTINGDON

BILLERICAY NAT

THORESBY HALL

TRAINING

D/V PROP­ D/V to be liberated on their own not to be put in the group they were with last year A/P TO BE ARRANGED WITH DV FED AND TRANSPORT MANAGER

VARIOUS

C'F PROP­ If no venue for 2016 presentation due to Winlaton Hallgarth closing we revert back to Shildon [Shildon provisionally booked Nov 5 2016) WD CARRIED 2016 PAYOUT SHILDON CIVIC CENTRE

D/V PROP­ Wagons to be tested before the season starts (ALREADY COVERED AT PRE AGM)

MATTERS ARISING

DISCUSSION RE THE RACE SHEET HANDED TO THE DRIVER WEEKLY WITH THE NUMBER OF PANNIERS/PIGEONS FROM EACH CLUB - THIS WAS A DISPENSATION FROM DEFRA TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT TO SEND A FULL COPY OF THE RACE REGISTER/ETS ENTRY SHEETS WITH THE TRANSPORTER WEEKLY.

THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL, THIS MUST BE COMPLETED ACCURATELY WEEKLY AND GIVEN TO THE CONVOYING TEAM ON COLLECTION OF THE PIGEONS, FAILURE TO COMPLETE THIS CORRECTLY CAN HAVE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR THE WDA AND ITS MEMBERS. ALL CLUBS PLEASE NOTE.

NEWCASTLE FED ASKED WHY STRAYS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THE TRANSPORTER. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION IT WAS CLARIFIED THAT STRAYS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE PLACED ON THE TRANSPORTER ON ITS WAY TO THE RACEPOINT AS WE HAVE AGREEMENT FROM DEFRA TO RACE UNDER A LICENSE THAT MEANS ALL PIGEONS ON THE TRANSPORTER ARE VACCINATED. ALL LOFTS IN THE WDA SUBMIT A VACCINATION SHEET TO CONFIRM THIS PRE SEASON - WE ARE NOT ABLE TO GUARANTEE STRAYS FROM NON WDA LOFTS ARE VACCINATED AND AS SUCH DEFRA WILL NOT ALLOW US TO TRANSPORT THEM.

WHEN THE CONVOY HAS BEEN LIBERATED DEFRA ARE HAPPY FOR THE WDA TO TRANSPORT STRAYS BELONGING TO MEMBERS BACK FROM THE RACEPOINT AND THESE ARE HANDED TO JEFF & DENISE WALTON WHO RUN THE WDA STRAY CENTRE AT BISHOP AUCKLAND. (WDA HAVE BEEN REPATRIATING MEMBERS PIGEONS UNDER THIS ARRANGEMENT FOR APPROX LAST 5 YEARS).

Following the AGM meeting there will be a General Meeting.

AGENDA

RECOMENDATIONS FROM OFFICIALS TO TAKE BACK TO FEDERATIONS

Yearling Derby, Young Bird Derby and Gold Rings More support needed or remove from programme, only 1 fed in yearling derby and 2 feds in yb derby, 2 members nominated 14 birds into gold rings FEDERATIONS AGREED TO REMOVE THESE COMPETITIONS DUE TO LACK OF PARTICIPATION.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS RAISED

X RING SCHEME - SACRISTON FED RAISED THE PRICE OF X RINGS (PREVIOUSLY BROUGHT UP BUT DID NOT APPEAR ON AGENDA THAT YEAR). WISH WDA MEMBERS TO CONSIDER INCREASING THE PRICE OF X RINGS FROM £1 TO £5 AND TO LIMIT THE NUMBER AVAILABLE TO EACH LOFT. CURRENTLY PRICE HAS NOT INCREASED SINCE INTRODUCTION WHEN LIFE RINGS WERE 6P TO CUBS AND X RINGS £1. (LIFE RINGS CURRENTLY 25P EACH TO CLUBS). AT THE MOMENT SOME INDIVIDUALS ARE BUYING X RINGS FOR THEIR OWN RING SCHEMES/OPEN RACES AND REDUCING NUMBER AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS. SACRISTON HAVE HAD TO HAVE Z RINGS AND NOMINATE THEM AS X RINGS IN 2016, SIMILAR HAPPENED TO WD FED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO....

SACRISTON FED WOULD LIKE THE PRICING AND AVAILABILITY OF X RINGS TO BE DISCUSSED BY ALL FEDS BEFORE THE 2017 PRE AGM/AGM

SACRISTON FED ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION AS TO THE AMENDED BOUNDARY OF RICHMOND H.S. AS PER THE POSTS ON THE WDA WEBSITE FROM RICHMOND HS SECRETARY ON THE 21/12/2015 AND THE 17/1/2016 WHICH STATED THE CLUB BOUNDARY WAS NOW OPEN SOUTH. THESE WERE NOT TOTALLY CLEAR AS TO WHETHER NEHU RULE 2A AND WDA RULE 2 WERE BEING COMPLIED WITH.

DISCUSSION WAS HELD AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT NO CLUB/FED BOUNDARIES CAN EXTEND BEYOND THE WDA/NEHU BOUNDARIES AND NO MEMBER OUTSIDE THE NEHU/WDA CAN BE ACCEPTED FOR MEMBERSHIP BY ANY WDA CLUB (NEHU RULE 2A/WDA RULE 2 ).

IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT ADARLINGTON & DISTRICT FEDERATION REMIND THE OFFICIALS OF RICHMOND HS THAT ANY MEMBERS MUST BE LOCATED WITHIN THE WDA/NEHU BOUNDARIES TO BE OFFERED NEHU MEMBERSHIP.

(NOTE THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY SIX LOFTS WHO PREVIOUSLY SLIPPED UNDER THE RADAR IN ROMAN ROAD HS/BROMPTON HS AT SOUTHERN END OF NEHU AND ALSO ONE OR TWO IN SCOTLAND AT THE NORTHERN END OF THE NEHU (THESE LOFTS ARE RING FENCED SOLELY AT THEIR CURRENT LOFT LOCATION TO COMPETE FOR NEHU PRIZES/RETAIN UNION MEMBERSHIP).

DELEGATES WERE REMINDED THAT NEHU RULES OVERRULE WDA BY LAWS/RULES AT ALL TIMES AND THE WDA CANNOT INTRODUCE RULES/BY LAWS THAT CONTRADICT/IGNORE NEHU RULES.