Farming Life - Wednesday 29/01/14

[willie reynolds]

Clough venue for Rasharkin Dinner -

Rasharkin & District has their dinner and presentation in a new venue for 2013 this year, The Rangers Club in Clough. The night turned out a great success with a large turnout enjoying the excellent meal which was supplied by Iris's Farmhouse Cuisine. One of the reasons this night is so popular each year is because of the excellent job done by club Chairman Harold Cubitt, with his cracking jokes and ways of entertaining the crowd.

The members had another great season racing in the Mid Antrim Combine this year winning the Young Bird Club Shield and topping the Combine on eight occasions. Danny Dixon topped the Mid Antrim Combine five times, Steele & McNeill won 1st and 2nd Mullingar, Milliken & Barkey won 1st Mid Antrim Tullamore and William McFetridge won 1st and 2nd Mid Antrim Combine which was one of the top results. William also won 5th and 18th Open in The Young Bird INFC National from Penzance.

Steele & McNeill were highest Prize Winners for another year winning: The Matt Barkley Memorial, Old Bird NIPA Inland National Cup Rosscarberry, Old Bird Inland Average ,Young Bird Fermoy 5 Bird, NIPA Young Bird National Rosscarberry, Young Bird Knockout, Bobby Torrens Memorial Young Bird NIPA Talbenny National cup, Young Bird Average, Best Average Two Young bird Nationals, Young Bird of the Year and The Mamie Simpson Memorial Cup for Highest Prize Winner. Harold Cubitt won: INFC Yearling National Sennen Cove, Old Bird 5 Bird Fermoy, The James McFetridge Memorial Sprint Cup, Penzance Cup, Old Bird Knockout, Old Bird Channel Averages and The Old Bird of the Year. William McFetridge won: The Old Bird Yearling Cocks NIPA National and The Young Bird INFC Penzance National. A C & T Tweed won: Hens National NIPA. Paul McDonald won The Clock Nom in Young Bird Talbenny, winning a Bricon ETS System.

After thanking the clubs main sponsors' for the season, which were Noel Twaddle Contracts (Ballymoney), and club President Tony Simpson for his generous money gift. The Chairman then thanked everyone for a great night and wished them all a great 2014.

Meetings for local fanciers -

A Section B meeting is being arranged for the local clubs to attend, probably next week and the date and venue will be confirmed later. The AGM for Ballymena & District will take place in the local clubrooms at Fountain Place on Monday 10th February at 8.00pm. Resolutions for the agenda must be with the Secretary Willie Reynolds by Friday 31st January, and any resignations prior to the AGM. The AGM for Kells & District will take place in the local clubrooms on Thursday 14th February. Resolutions for the agenda should be with Secretary Mervyn Gregg by 31st January.

For Sale – Young birds from the Ace Cullybackey loft of Reid Bros & McCloy who had a best ever season racing in 2013 with a top result of 1st, 2nd & 3rd in the Mid Antrim Combine Portland. Good deals for larger numbers. Telephone Harry on Mobile: 07784 123056.

Millisle & District Moot – Friday 07/02/14
The annual Pigeon Moot for Millisle & District will be held in the First & Last Inn on Main Street Millisle on Friday 7th February. Admission £5 includes first class supper. The panel will cover all you need to know with Neil Frazer from Frazer Animal Feeds in Banbridge, Sean Diamond from the North Coast Classic One Loft Race based in Coleraine and from the Cullybackey HPS two of the ace racers in Mid Antrim Alan Darragh and Harry McCloy of Reid Bros & McCloy. John Hollinger is the Chairman, any queries contact John Tel: (028) 91 863536.

AGM Agenda for NIPA -

The NIPA Annual General Meeting will be held in the Protestant Hall Glenavy on Saturday 15th February at 2.00pm, all member clubs are expected to call a meeting to mandate their Delegates on voting. There is plenty to discuss with 20 Resolutions down for decision and an opportunity to change the Old Bird race programme. All items including accounts are to be delivered shortly, the Committee have already discussed the financial situation and there could be a lot of big changes come the new racing season.

Member clubs will vote on the Old Bird Race Programme, a choice between the 2013 Programme and the New Programme submitted by the NIPA Committee. For the Young Birds we have a choice between last season’s programme and one submitted by Newry & Dist. Voting Papers to be returned on or before AGM on 15th February.

Programme (1) – the OB Race Programme of 2013

April 12th Committee decide on race point, April 19th Tullamore, April 26th Roscrea, May 3rd Clonmel, May 10th Fermoy, May 17th Rosscarbery Inland Nat, May 24th Pilmore Beach, May 31st Talbenny, June 7th Talbenny, June 7th Rosscarbery Yearling Cock/Hen Nat, June 14th Bude, June 14th Fermoy 5 Bird Championship, June 21st Penzance, June 21st Penzance Classic, June 27th St Malo (France) Nat.

Programme (2) – the OB Race Programme Submitted by NIPA Committee
April 12th Tullamore, April 19th Roscrea, April 26th Roscrea, May 3rd Clonmel, May 10th Mallow, May 17th Rosscarbery Inland Nat, May 24th Talbenny, May 31st Bude, May 31st Rosscarbery Yearling Cock/Hen Nat, June 7th Truro, June 7th Mallow 5 Bird Championship, June 14th Mallow, June 14th Penzance Classic, June 21st Penzance, June 21st Roscrea Comeback, June 28th St Malo (France) National.

Two Programmes to decide Programme A is last season and Programme B was submitted by Newry & District.

YB Programme A is last seasons

July 19th Area Liberations, July 26th Area Liberations, August 2nd Mass Liberation, August 9th Roscrea, August 16th Clonmel, August 23rd Fermoy, August 30th Talbenny National, August 30th Comeback Race, September 6th Fermoy, September 6th Fermoy 3 Bird Championship, September 13th Rosscarbery Inland National.

YB Programme B submitted by Newry & District

July 19th Mullingar Sections A, B, C & H, July 19th Tullamore Sections D, E, F & G, July 26th Tullamore Sections A, B, C & H, July 26th Roscrea Sections D, E, F & G, , August 2nd Roscrea Mass Liberation, August 9th Roscrea, August 16th Clonmel, August 23rd Fermoy, August 30th Talbenny National, August 30th Tullamore, September 6th Fermoy, September 6th Fermoy 3 Bird Championship, September 13th Rosscarbery Inland National.
Club votes to be returned on or before 15th February 2014.

2014 SECRETARY`S REPORT - YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED COPIES OF THE RESOLUTIONS AND BALANCE SHEET FOR 2013 SEASON.

REF THE BALANCE SHEET THIS IS THE WORST SET OF FIGURES I HAVE EVER PRESENTED TO YOU A DEFECIT IN THE NO1 ACCOUNT OF £3,883.69 AND THE NO2 ACCOUNT £19,115.02
THE GENERAL ACCOUNT DEFECIT OF £3,883.69 IS MAINLY DUE TO THE RISE IN WAGES WHICH WE COULD NOT AFFORD, A PRESENTAION TO MR L BOYLE OUR PATRON ON HIS 90TH BIRTHDAY
THE NIPA DONATED £1,000 TO THE PRESENTATION AND WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE RPRA FOR DONATING £2,000, THE IRISH REGION £1,000, AND STEPHEN McGARRY £500.

Mr Boyle was presented with a magnificent chair costing around £3,000 and Sky being installed into his room. This will assist to make his stay in his Nursing Home much more comfortable and enjoyable. His health is reasonably good and he wishes to thank everyone for their kind generosity.
We will not have this expense in 2014

The remainder of the expenditure is under control and is broadly in line with 2012
On the income side members fees have risen by £460. However we did loose 55 members
Pools and prize money down by £10,224.
The committee will do their utmost to hold down any increase to a minimum.
The Transporter Account is in some difficulty, Income from birdage down around £18,000 some 40 to 45,000 less birds entered in races. I have never seen such a massive drop in birdage. If the number of birds transported had remained the same the transporter account would have looked respectful.

We reduced expenditure by £7,205. The Committee will have to look at expenditure and see if we can make any more savings. There has been no increase in crate costs for quite a number of years, on these figures an increase looks likely, not welcome news I am sure your committee will hold any increase to a minimum.
At the moment we have over capacity with seven transporters collecting pigeons, it would make sense to reduce our transporters to six, however this would mean great inconvenience to members with collection times advancing. I do not have a solution for this problem.

We must do everything possible to increase the number of birds being transported. I will comment on this problem when speaking about certain resolutions.
Pigeon Line income is up I feel this income will fall in the future as more and more members are getting all the information they need on the Web Site. Income from Dept. of Employment is welcome at £1,725. This is money given by the government if you give someone a job who is currently out of work and signing on the bureau.
There was a loss this year on other transport income, convoying charges and National races. The committee have already looked at this problem with the auditors and will take steps in 2014 to try and rectify this problem. This loss would have been much higher if we had not received income from other organisations as we transported their pigeons to a number of races.

The balance sheet is still very strong. Bank interest received of £6,061 helped to reduce the overall value of your organisation by £16,937.61 and some good news a further £2,367 has been received and lodged for transportation costs. This amount will be carried forward to 2014.
Your Organisation is valued at £624,053.39. Some members believe this is a cash balance, it is not it includes all your assets.
We all need to encourage new members into our organisation more members means more birds, and more birds means more revenue and that helps to keep the costs down.
At THIS TIME WE DO NOT NEED TO TURN AWAY REVENUE FOR THE NIPA.
If anyone needs any further clarification on these accounts feel free to phone and ask or call at the NIPA office where you will be made most welcome.
It is good to have such a strong balance sheet as it can stand this loss.

The Resolutions this year number 20. You must ask yourself, are they all in the interests of the NIPA and its members.
I cannot tell you what way to vote that would be wrong of me. I can only ask you to look at them carefully, study them, and ask yourself do we really need that change and be certain in your own mind that it is in the interest of ALL the members of the NIPA and the organisation .

The NIPA committee will issue each club with guide lines as to how birds are being race-marked on the ETS system. These guide lines must be introduced by your club, you can not deviate from them.
They must be followed to the letter and the NIPA will set up teams of members to call unannounced at your club to check on everything. They will make a report and if any club is found to be breaking rules they will be in serious trouble.
DRUG TESTING WILL TAKE PLACE THIS YEAR ANYONE CAN HAVE THEIR BIRDS TESTED.

If we suspect there is something going on your clubs birds will be checked before being allowed to continue to the race point. If ANY MEMBER HAS ANY DOUBTS PLEASE CONTACT ME IN STRICT CONFIDENCE.
The 2013 season is over and a new season is just around the corner.

There are many people I would like to thank for the assistance given to our organisation.
The President, Vice Presidents, Committee members Race Controllers, Transport Manager, Drivers, Secretary`s, Result Secretary`s, who now can send me a result on the day of the race and a full result published by mid-morning the following day what a change. Remember you can now E-mail your result. Met Erin, fanciers on route keeping us informed regarding weather conditions in their area especially those in Wales, England, Channel Islands, and in France. To all of you a sincere, thank you from all the members of the NIPA.

Before I conclude my report I must bring it to your attention how all organisations must work together our sport is on the decline and in not to many distant years the number of pigeon fanciers will fall dramatically.
In Southern Ireland we need all the friends we can get, remember it is where the majority of our racing takes place. There are people not pigeon men trying to do their utmost at trying to ban pigeon racing through-out IRELAND. We must do our utmost to keep Dublin Airport Authorities on our side work with them to try and prevent a serious crash involving racing pigeons. If this should ever happen it would be the end of our sport in an instance. BALLDONNELL MILITARY AIRPORT WHICH IS SITUATED SOUTH WEST OF DUBLIN - DO NOT LIBERATE PIGEONS ANYWHERE NEAR THEIR SITE THEY WANT ALL OF US BANNED.

When we are on the mainland at Talbenny, Bude and Penzance, liberations should be kept to a minimum so as pigeons are not crossing the Airport all day.
What I have told you is serious we are doing our part to cooperate please do you yours.

I hope the weather is kind to us in 2014 and we all enjoy a wonderful season. Fred Russell Sec.