1.     The organisation shall be called the NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR AVICULTURE, referred to hereafter as the NCA

2      Objects

  (i)        To promote the welfare, study, breeding, development and exhibition of birds within a managed environment.

(ii)       To represent the hobby of aviculture within the U.K.

(iii)             To liaise with Government Departments in forming legislation relating to all aspects of aviculture.

(iv)              To promote and protect the interest of breeders and exhibitors

(v)                To stimulate and encourage greater public interest in the objectives of the NCA.

(vi)              To assist the progress of scientific knowledge.

(vii)            To promote education and awareness of aviculture.

(viii)          To serve as a parent body in a closely knit affiliation of like minded groups.

(ix)             To establish common codes of conduct within aviculture.

(x)               To facilitate the exchange of research information.

(xi)      To reward work of outstanding merit with awards or other marks of recognition.

3.     Membership

Membership of the NCA shall consist of:

(i)                 Four Parent Organisations one for Canaries (The Canary Council), one for British Birds (The British Bird Council), one for Budgerigars (The Budgerigar Society) and one for Foreign Birds (The Foreign Bird Federation)

(ii)               Affiliated Cage Bird Societies.

(iii)             Members granted Honorary Life membership prior to 31^st March 2007.

(iv)              Members paying life membership prior to 31^st March 2007.

(v)                Honorary Life Vice Presidents elected by a majority at the AGM.

4      Conditions, Rights and Obligations of Membership

(i)                 Parent Organisations and Affiliated Cage Bird Societies must complete an application for membership and pay the annual subscription applicable to them.

(ii)               All members accept to be contractually bound to the constitution of the NCA.

(iii)             Membership in each year shall commence on 1^st January or the date of application if later and shall terminate on 31^st December.

(iv)              Any Parent Organisation or Affiliated Cage Bird Society that has not paid an annual membership subscription by 31 March in the year for which it is due will cease to be a member. They may no longer be represented at any meeting of the NCA until such time as they have re-applied for membership and paid the amount due.

5      Subscriptions

(i)        The Annual Subscription for all grades of paid up membership shall be proposed by the Management Committee and determined at the AGM.

6.     Representation

(i)                 Each Parent Organisation will be eligible to send four representatives to meetings of the Management Committee and any other meeting of the NCA.

(ii)       Affiliated Cage Bird Societies will be eligible to send one representative to the AGM and any EGM.

(iii)      Honorary Life members, Life members paying a subscription prior to 31^st March 2007 and Honorary Life Vice Presidents will be eligible to attend the AGM and any EGM.

7.     Voting

The following structure will apply to all meetings that members are eligible to attend.

(i)        Parent Organisations 4 votes each.

(ii)               Affiliated Cage Bird Societies 1 vote each.

(iii)             Honorary Life members, Life members paying a subscription prior to 31^st March 2007 and Life Vice Presidents 1 vote each.

8      Management and Administration

(i)                 Management of the NCA shall be vested in the Management Committee which shall be entitled to delegate management to sub committees and individuals.

(ii)               Sub committees and individuals must report to the management committee in accordance with their terms of reference.

9       Officers

            The officers of the NCA will be:

(i)                 The President who will serve for a term of one year from the AGM and will be entitled to attend all meetings of the NCA without the power to vote unless he qualifies under condition 7.

(ii)               Honorary Life Vice Presidents who will be entitled to attend the AGM with the power to vote.

(iii)             The Chairman who will be elected for a three year period by the management committee and will be an ex officio member with only a casting vote on all committees. The chairman may stand for re-election. If the elected chairman is already a representative of a member organisation then that organisation will be permitted to replace him.

(iv)      The Vice Chairman who will be elected by the management committee from within their ranks for a period of one year but may stand for re-election at the end of that period.   In the absence of the Chairman the Vice Chairman will become chairman with the associated rights.

            (v)       A Secretary who will be elected annually by the management committee.

(iv)              A Treasurer who will be elected annually by the management committee.

10    Management Committee

(i)        The management committee shall consist of not more than seventeen members. Sixteen will be representatives of the four parent organisations. The seventeenth member will be the Chairman duly elected by the members of the management committee.

(ii)       No person will be allowed to remain on the management committee if he has ceased to be a member of the parent organisation.

(iii)             The management committee will meet at least four times a year with a period not exceeding four months between consecutive meetings.

(iv)              The management committee shall ensure that minutes of all NCA meetings are fully recorded.

(v)                The management committee shall ensure that reports of all NCA meetings are published.

(vi)              A Quorum at a management committee meeting shall be 50% plus of the committee members.

11    The Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting will be held before the 30^th April in each year.

The time, date and venue of the AGM shall be determined by the management committee.

The agenda for the meeting shall be sent by the Secretary at least 28 days before the meeting and shall include the items listed below.

(i)                  To receive and approve the balance sheet and profit and loss accounts for the previous year

(ii)                To receive a written report on the NCA’s year from the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.

(iii)              To elect the President.

(iv)              To appoint Honorary Life Vice Presidents.

(v)                To receive the names of the management committee.

(vi)              To elect the Auditors.

(vii)            To determine the rates of subscription.

(viii)          To consider any matter referred to the AGM by the management committee.

(ix)             To consider any resolution submitted to the secretary prior to the 31^st January in the year of the meeting by the Management Committee, a Parent Organisation or two or more Affiliated Cage Bird Societies.

(x)               A Quorum at the AGM shall be a minimum of ten members present.

12    Extraordinary General Meeting

(i)                 An Extraordinary meeting of the NCA will be called by the Management Committee upon receipt by the Secretary of a written requisition from two or more Parent Organisations or eight Affiliated Cage Bird Societies.

(ii)               The sole purpose of the EGM will be to determine the requisition.

(iii)             The date, time and venue of the EGM will be determined by the management committee but must be within 90 days of the request being received.

(iv)              The Secretary shall give all members at least 20 days prior notice of an EGM.

(v)       A Quorum at an EGM shall be a minimum of 50% of the total voting membership of the NCA.

13                Voting at General Meetings

(i)        Resolutions relating to General Business must be passed by a simple majority of members present and voting at the meeting.

(ii)       Resolutions relating to changes to the constitution must be passed by a two thirds majority of members present and voting at the meeting.

14.   Accounts

(i)                 All monies shall be kept in account(s) with a national bank or building society, and shall be in the name of the National Council for Aviculture.

(ii)               Cheques will require the signature of any two of the following Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer.

(iii)             An annual audit by a competent person or company shall be undertaken.

(iv)              The financial year will run from 1st January to 31^st December.

15    Expenses

(i)                 The Parent Organisations and Affiliated Cage Bird Societies will be responsible for all expenses incurred by their representatives in attending meetings of the NCA.

(ii)               Honorary Life Members, Life members paying a subscription prior to the 31^st March 2007 and Honorary Life Vice Presidents shall be responsible for their own expenses.

(iii)      The Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer shall be entitled to claim such expenses as allocated by the management committee for carrying out their duties.

(iii)             The cost of meeting rooms, light refreshments and all administrative expenses will be paid for by the NCA.

16    Winding Up

In the event of a resolution to wind up the NCA being passed, its funds shall be divided equally between the paid up parent organisations at the date of the resolution.

17    Constitution

            (i)        This constitution shall become effective from the 2007 AGM.

(ii)       The constitution can only be altered at an AGM by a two thirds majority of all votes cast at the meeting.

(iii)      Amendments to the Constitution must be submitted in writing to the Secretary by the 31^st January in the year of the meeting.

------------ O -------------

The subscriptions for 2008 to be as follows.

Parent Organisations                         £200.00

Affiliated Societies             £20.00

Fourth Draft Amended 24/8/06             

Fifth Draft Amended 17/2/07.

© 2007 NCA.

Last revised on 28^th April 2007, Markfield, Leicestershire