NCA Awards
Reported by Ghalib Al-Nasser, NCA Secretary & Publicity Officer

Cage Bird Societies that are affiliated to the National Council for Aviculture (NCA) can enjoy benefits from the NCA Awards scheme. The NCA have the following Awards on offer:

1.       The Hall of Fame is reserved for the posthumous recognition of services to aviculture.

2.       The Roll of Honour    marks the achievements of living aviculturists.

3.       Nominations for the Hall of Fame and the Roll of Honour must be made in writing to the NCA Awards Panel through the secretary, formally proposed and seconded, preferably by officials of a recognised avicultural organisation on their headed notepaper, stating in no more than 150  words  the  case  for an award to be made.

4.       Nominees are expected to have distinguished themselves in one or more of the following ways:

·         For outstanding contribution to the world of aviculture through inspiration and example

·         For long and outstanding service as an official or judge at club, national or international level

·         For the successful breeding of new, rare or difficult species

·         For outstanding success on the show bench throughout a season or over a number of years

·         For work to save endangered bird species and/or their environment

·         For work to widen our understanding of birds and their welfare e.g. academic research / veterinary treatments etc.

·         For the making of an innovative product that contributes significantly to the advancement of bird keeping

·         For educating, informing or entertaining bird keepers and the wider public on any and all aspects of bird keeping.

5.       All nominations to be submitted to the Awards Panel through the secretary who will consider applications and   make recommendations to the full NCA Management Committee.

6.       Diplomas will be issued by the NCA for presentation by the organisations who submitted the nominations at their A.G.M.s or directly by the NCA on special occasions.

7.       The names of all successful nominees to be published on the NCA website and in Cage & Aviary Birds Magazine.

The NCA also offers the Long Service Badge Award which is for any member of any association affiliated to the NCA who is nominated by his or her club as a bone fide member who has served that club for 15 years (a Bronze Badge), 20 years (a Silver Badge) or 25 years (a Golden Badge).

Club Secretaries should apply to the NCA Awards Panel through the secretary giving the names of members who qualify and which badge they require. The NCA will provide badges free to all its affiliated societies.

The NCA continues to run a very comprehensive Public Liability Insurance for clubs; covering all affiliated societies’ activities throughout the year including shows. The limit of the indemnity has been increased to £5,000,000 for any one claim to include all legal costs and damages. The cost of the insurance to the affiliated societies, through the parent bodies, is £48 for the year’s premium which includes 5% Insurance Premium Tax. For Cage Birds Societies the affiliation fee is £20 and with the insurance cover is £63 (affiliation + insurance).

The NCA welcomes the return of the British Bird Council to its fold in 2012 after an absence of one year and look forward to working closely with the BBC and their delegates for the benefit of the British Bird aviculturists.

Clubs wishing to affiliate to the NCA should visit our website (www.nca.uk.net) or contact the Secretary Ghalib Al-Nasser at Davies House, Spring Gardens, Northampton NN1 1DR (Tel: 01787 282332 or email at info@nca.uk.net).

The date of the next AGM is Saturday, 31st March, 2012 commencing 10.30am at the Charnwood Arms, Coalville, Leicestershire LE67 1TB.

Secretary & Chairman of the NCA at The Woking Event May 2011

New Officials elected at the recent NCA Meetings
Reported by Ghalib Al-Nasser, NCA Publicity Officer

The National Council for Aviculture held its Annual General Meeting on 2nd April at the Charnwood Arms Hotel in Coalville, Leicestershire. The Chairman, Dennis Webster, welcomed those who attended and presented his written report, stating that he would not be seeking re-election to the chair after three years in that position. He highlighted the current situation with regard to the formation of a federation between the NCA and the IOA after the meeting held between the two parties with officials from the Confederation Ornithologique Mondiale (COM) at the World show held in Tours, France in January. He informed members that an agreement, in principle, was reached at that meeting between the two parties subject to ratification by the IOA members at their AGM. Because of the NCA affiliation to COM, the NCA was able to send a small team of 37 birds to the World Show and the team won 3 medals; a gold, silver & bronze in the budgerigar section. The NCA was represented at the Sustainable Users Network (SUN) with DEFRA which resulted in the lifting of the “28 day rule” which will enable exhibitors from outside the UK to come and exhibit at our shows. Two new members were added to the NCA Roll of Honour namely Rueben Girling and Barry Mills, for outstanding services to the fancy and sadly two members; Bill Taylor & Alan Dunford, who passed away during the year were added to the NCA Hall of Fame. In his final words Dennis thanked all members of the management committee for their support to him over the past three years in the chair.

The Treasurer, Dave Whittaker, presented the Income and Expenditure accounts which showed a loss due to the purchase of the Society’s new stand and other items.

The Secretary, Dave Whittaker, also presented his written report stating that the MC met 4 times since the last AGM and highlighted the fact that the Public Liability Insurance package is still popular with 78 clubs taking up the offer and 36 clubs have affiliated. Other items that the Secretary raised in his report were similar to that of the Chairman.

Members present unanimously approved the new Constitution with the addition of the disciplinary & appeals procedure. A new rate of subscription was approved to commence from 1st January 2012 with a reflection on tiered membership depending on the number of members. The new rates are Ring member £5, Cage Bird Societies £20, parent body with membership up to 500 £50, up to 1000 members £100 and over 1000 members £200.

The Secretary informed the meeting that he will be stepping down as secretary and will not seek a position on the Management Committee. He informed the meeting that the following representatives from the parent bodies will form the Management Committee and they are; Foreign Bird Federation ~ Peter Collins, Dave Paine, Dennis Webster and another; Budgerigar Society ~ Ghalib Al-Nasser, Gordon Grist, Alex Woan and another; Canary Council ~ Andrew Triolo, Brian Hogg, David Allen, Terry Salt and reserve Len Thompson.

Dennis Glasby was inaugurated as the new President and thanked all members for this honour. Honorary Life Presidents were confirmed as Brian Hughes, Dennis Norton and Charles Woolley while Barry Mills was elected as President Elect. Members present recorded their thanks to the outgoing President Dennis Norton, outgoing Chairman Dennis Webster and the outgoing Secretary Dave Whittaker for their past services to the NCA.

The Management Committee held their meeting soon after the AGM and elected Chris Smith as the new Chairman and Dennis Webster as Vice Chairman. Other officers elected were Ghalib Al-Nasser as the new Secretary, Dave Whittaker remaining as the Treasurer but without a seat on the Management Committee, together with Minutes Secretary Dennis Webster and Ghalib Al-Nasser publicity officer and website controller.

The date of the next AGM was agreed as: Saturday, 31st March 2012 commencing 10.30am at the Charnwood Arms, Coalville, Leicestershire LE67 1TB.

Clubs wishing to affiliate to the NCA should visit our website (www.nca.uk.net) or contact the new Secretary Ghalib Al-Nasser at Davies House, Spring Gardens, Northampton NN1 1DR (Tel: 01787 282332 or email at info@nca.uk.net).

Successes at the World Show by the NCA

Reported by Ghalib Al-Nasser, NCA Publicity Officer

At the recent World Show organised by the Confederation Ornithologique Mondiale (COM) in Tours, France, the National Council for Aviculture (NCA) managed to gather a small team of birds to be part of Team UK with our sister organisation the International Ornithological Association (IOA). The NCA team did well by winning a gold, silver and bronze medal in the budgerigar section from Fred Wright’s team. It was the first time ever that budgerigars from the United Kingdom had been present at this prestigious show. The show received an entry of 23,121 by 2,826 exhibitors from 19 countries and a total of 2,351 medals were awarded at the show.

Mr. Wright’s gold medal winner in the budgerigar section scored 94 points which was the highest in points of the gold medals won in the budgerigar section; making his winning bird the best budgerigar in show had there been such an award. Other fanciers exhibiting in the budgerigar section were Ghalib Al-Nasser, Roy Aplin, Roger Carr & Ian Ward who all scored with highest points of 89. The small canary team was represented by the NCA Vice- Chairman Chris Smith, and he too scored a high point of 90 in the Variegated Fife Fancy while Ralph Munday scored 88 points in the same class. There is every opportunity to build on those successes in the future; next year’s show will be held in Almeria, Spain.

Productive talks were held between representatives from the NCA and IOA under the chairmanship of COM during the show with the aim of forming a Federation called COM-UK. The aims, constitution and election of officials will need to be ratified by both organisations at their next meetings to be held soon.

All NCA Life Members and affiliated societies will have recently received a copy of the proposed new Constitution which included new Disciplinary & Appeal Rules with tiered and individual ring membership and Terms of Reference for officers. This amended constitution will be considered and voted upon 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. The limit of the indemnity has been increased to £5,000,000 for any one claim to include all legal costs and damages. The cost of the insurance to the affiliated societies, through the parent bodies, is £48 for the year’s premium which includes 5% Insurance Premium Tax. For Cage Birds Societies the affiliation fee is £20 and with the insurance cover is £63 (affiliation + insurance). More information about this scheme can be obtained from the NCA Office, Davies House, Spring Gardens, Northampton NN1 1DR.

More news can be obtained from the NCA website at www.nca.uk.net