At the recent meeting of The National Council for Aviculture the management committee considered a nomination from the Canary Council for its past chairman and also past NCA Publicity Officer Barry Mills, to be considered for inclusion onto the NCA Roll of Honour; this met with unanimous approval. The NCA extends its warmest congratulations to Barry for achieving this honour.

The management committee was also informed that DEFRA has removed its current 28 day rule, whereby overseas exhibitors were required to have their birds staying at a holding within the country before a show. This decision came about from a meeting held between DEFRA and the Sustainable Users Network (SUN) of which the NCA is a member, and which was attended by Chris Smith, Vice Chairman of the NCA. This is a good move that will allow fanciers from the Channel Islands and Europe to exhibit in Britain without any restrictions.

Many amendments to the Constitution including new Disciplinary & Appeal Rules with tiered and individual ring membership and Terms of Reference for officers were considered and approved. These will be sent to all Life Members and affiliated societies in the New Year to be voted on at the AGM to be held on 2nd April.

The NCA continues to run a very comprehensive Public Liability Insurance for clubs; covering all affiliated societies activities throughout the year including shows. More information about this scheme can be obtained from the NCA Office, Davies House, Spring Gardens, Northampton NN1 1DR.

The NCA has managed to gather a small team of birds, at short notice, to take to the COM World Show in Tours, France, and for the first time ever budgerigars from Great Britain will be present at this prestigious show.

The NCA is planning two further management committee meetings in January and February prior to the AGM in April. More news can be obtained from the NCA website at www.nca.uk.net

THE C.O.M. WORLD SHOW – 2011

The CONFEDERATION ORNITHOLOGIQUE MONDIALE (C.O.M.) will be holding its 59^th Annual World Show in France in January 2011. This is an event not to be missed as, apart from the 20,000+ birds on display there are so many sales stands available for fanciers to buy an array of goods as well as birds. Every year one member country of the C.O.M. hosts this prestigious event and G.B. has always participated through the International Ornithological Association (IOA) as the C.O.M. G.B. member. However, the competition has always been restricted to IOA members.

The National Council for Aviculture (NCA) has affiliated to C.O.M. for this year and all fanciers who are members of societies affiliated to the NCA through their parent bodies (Budgerigar Society, Canary Council, Foreign Bird Federation) will be entitled to exhibit at the World Show next January to be held in Tours, France, providing their birds are rung with a closed coded ring of the actual exhibitor purchased through their societies. The World Show operates on a two-year owner bred young birds; so only 2009 and 2010 owner bred closed rung birds can be accepted at the show but with the exception of sections A, B, C, D & E who only accept current year 2010 rung birds.

The event takes places in the town of TOURS, situated in the heart of Touraine, the Loire and the Cher and surrounded by gardens and castles (Villandry, Chenonceau, Loches, Tours, Azey le Rideau, Chinon, Amboise ...), famous vineyards (Vouvray, Mont Louis, Chinon ...), TOURS, Gallo-Roman, birthplace of the Kingdom of France bears the mark in its monuments of its past.

The show takes place from departure of the British team on Friday 21^st January; judging will be in progress between 24^th-26^th and the show will be open to the public between 28^th-30^th January. C.O.M. shows are judged on the points system and there will be the well sought after gold, silver & bronze medals for each class. Do not worry about taking your birds yourself as there will be conveyors from G.B. who will be taking the G.B. Team to and from the show. Entries have to be in by 30^th November and must be sent to the NCA Office (Spring Gardens, Northampton NN1 1DR). Entry fee per cage is £10 + £12 compulsory for the catalogue.

Birds are well looked after while away at the show; watered and fed daily. Publicity for this event has always been well covered in Cage & Aviary Birds

For each colour class there is also a team class of 4 birds. You can enter up to 5 birds maximum in any one class but as many classes as you like and for the teams you can enter as many teams of 4 birds as you wish.

For further information and entry form/classification contact the NCA Secretary Dave Whittaker (01604 624549).

NCA’s Farewell to Barry Mills
Reported by Ghalib Al-Nasser, NCA Publicity Officer - August 2010

The National Council for Aviculture held its management committee meeting on 25th August 2010 at a new venue in The Charnwood Arms, Coalville, Leicestershire with the chairman, Dennis Webster, welcoming delegates who were in attendance.

The Chairman reported his sadness at the recent resignation of Barry Mills from the NCA executive, following his resignation as the Canary Council chairman and, therefore, their representative on the NCA. Barry was praised for the sterling work he did on behalf of the Canary Council, as well as the NCA in his capacity as Minutes Secretary and Publicity Officer keeping the hobby well informed with NCA activities.

Due to this vacuum Barry left behind, members of the executive volunteered to the following posts:

Minutes Secretary            Chris Smith

Publicity Officer                Ghalib Al-Nasser

CBS Liaison Officer           Ghalib Al-Nasser

EIG Representative          Gordon Grist

Awards Committee        Dave Paine, Terry Salt, Dennis Webster & Dave Whittaker

A newly designed certificate for the Roll of Honour was presented at the meeting and various amendments were discussed and agreed for the final version to be printed.

The treasurer, Dave Whittaker, reported on a healthy bank balance and that the insurance scheme was doing very well with many societies supporting the scheme. All affiliated CBS clubs receive 4 rosettes, one for each section, for their annual open shows.

Members of the management committee had the opportunity to study the minutes of the meeting held on 14th August between representatives of the NCA and IOA to discuss the formation of the Federation representing both parties as COM-GB. A sample of a constitution sent by COM was presented at that meeting after minor adjustments for the IOA to consider. The IOA informed the meeting that they will have to ballot their members on whether to join the Federation or not and, depending on the results, a future meeting will be convened.

All fanciers who are members of societies affiliated to the NCA through their parent bodies (Budgerigar Society, Canary Council, Foreign Bird Federation) will be entitled to exhibit at the World Show next January to be held in Tours, France, providing their birds are rung with a closed coded ring of the actual exhibitor purchased through their societies. The World Show operates on a two-year owner bred young birds; so only 2009 and 2010 owner bred closed rung birds can be accepted at the show but with the exception of sections A, B, C, D & E who only accept current year rung birds.

Discussion took place regarding the current DEFRA 28 day rule whereby overseas exhibitors have to have their birds stay at a holding within the country for 28 days prior to the show. This, of course, deters exhibitors from mainland Europe from exhibiting in this country. As this affects canary exhibitors the Canary Council was asked to write to DEFRA to seek the removal of this clause from the general licence for bird events.

The management committee is to convene another meeting on 27th September to discuss the Constitution with the view to having amendments put forward to the next AGM to cover disciplinary and appeal procedure and the need to cater for individual members and other societies who are not coming through one of the parent organisations.

The NCA will be present and showing their newly designed stand at the forthcoming Stafford show on 10th October. More news can be obtained from the NCA website at www.nca.uk.net

Delayed   NCA  AGM Honours Foreign Bird Fancier
June 2010

The National Council for Aviculture held its annual general meeting on 26th June, 2010 at the Charnwood Arms Hotel in Coalville, Leicestershire. The delay of almost two months from its normal date in April was caused by its former venue, the Fieldhead Hotel, double booking a wedding on the same day. The postponement was inconvenient but did not affect the validity of the meeting.

Chairman, Dennis Webster (FBF/ZFS), welcomed all attendees and presented a written report of the NCA’s activities in 2009. Highlights included the publication of the ‘Welcome to Bird Keeping’ booklet which has proved popular with fanciers and the general public alike and can be viewed on the NCA’s website (www.nca.uk.net) ; the purchase of a new exhibition stand which had its debut at the Stafford Spring Show and will be at the National Bird Show of the Year in October; the affiliation to the Confederation Ornithologique Mondiale (COM) and the initial meeting with COM executive and representatives of the IOA at the last World Show as a prelude to the formation of a federation of the two UK organisations in the next twelve months.

The British Bird Council has suspended affiliation to the NCA for the moment for practical reasons but the Chairman  hoped they will return   at the first opportunity as one of the four ‘parent bodies’. NCA Secretary, Dave Whittaker was able to report that affiliations from clubs were up and participants in the public liability scheme had also increased. This was confirmed in a written report from the outgoing Treasurer, George Booth, who noted that the additional expenditure in this past year did exceed income but represented an investment in the hobby and that the NCA’s financial situation remains very sound. In common with most clubs and organisations George lamented the low interest payments on savings and investment accounts. In spite of this the meeting agreed to hold subscriptions at their current level for a further year (i.e. £20 for affiliated CBSs and £200 for parent bodies).

 During 2009, recently deceased Foreign Bird enthusiasts Ian Hinze and George Coe were entered into the NCA Hall of Fame, while Don and Irene Bargett have been entered into the Roll of Honour for services to aviculture.  At the AGM an application by the Foreign Bird Federation for well-known aviculturist Reuben Girling, who among many other achievements was keeper of the Foreign Bird Breeding Register from 1984 until he recently retired from that post, to be placed onto the Roll of Honour for his contributions to aviculture was unanimously approved.

Nigel Hewson, spokesman for the FBF commented on this news:  

 " The Foreign Bird Federation is delighted that the NCA has decided to recognise Reuben's many years of dedicated work on the FBF Breeding Register with this well-deserved honour.  Collating and producing the register is a mammoth task which Reuben has accomplished with distinction, in addition to his work for other organisations in the fancy."

In response to proposals made by affiliated clubs and decisions made at last year’s AGM a number of modifications were made to the NCA’s constitution allowing greater participation in decision-making by member clubs. An updated version of the constitution will shortly be available on the NCA website.

Dennis Norton agreed to serve as President for one more year and Life Member, Denis Glasby, was adopted as President elect for 2011. In the management meeting following the AGM, the following officers were appointed: Chairman, Dennis Webster (FBF); Vice Chairman, Chris Smith (CC); Secretary & Treasurer, Dave Whittaker (BS); Minutes Secretary & Publicity Officer, Barry Mills (CC); Website Manager, Ghalib Al-Nasser (BS).

The date of the next AGM was agreed as: Saturday, 2nd April, 2011 commencing 10.30am at the Charnwood Arms, Coalville, Leicestershire  LE67 1TB. The date of the next management committee meeting is Wednesday, 25th August,2010 commencing 10.30am at the same venue.