Budgerigar Society Press Release – 28th April 2021

Budgerigar Society Press Release

Summarised report of the General Council meeting held on 22nd April 2021. Mat Ackers absent due to family medical emergency.

Terms of Reference Document

All councillors present signed up to the Confidentiality section of this document. Other elements of the document are being reviewed and will be discussed at the next GC meeting.

Election of Officers

It was agreed to elect the Chairman and Vice-chairman posts only at this meeting with the others being addressed at the next meeting. Accordingly, with unanimous agreement Maurice Roberts was elected as Society Chairman and Grant Findlay as Vice-chairman. The Chairman, Maurice Roberts, thanked his proposer and seconder and all the GC for their support in electing him unanimously. He paid tribute to Ghalib who had been his Vice Chairman for his support particularly during the recent EGM situation. Grant thanked Council for supporting him with a unanimous vote and he looked forward to working with and supporting Maurice and the GC over the next three years. The Chairman congratulated Grant and felt the Society would be privileged that Grant had taken on this role.

Implementation of Rule Changes

There were 4 rule changes that were successful in the recent ballot.

Resolution 9 – GC Electioneering – For 440, Against 89 – Passed

The rule change will allow GC electioneering in other media instead of only in The Budgerigar. This will be implemented for the 2024 GC elections.

Resolution 14 – Disciplinary Panel – For 478, Against 52 – Passed

To form the Disciplinary Panel from members of the Area Societies. The Society Administrator will write to each of the ten Area Societies and ask for nominations of two paid up BS members from each Area Society, who have been approached and have consented, and who meet the criteria stimulated in the rule change, to form the Disciplinary Panel.

Resolution 21 – Colour Budgerigar rings – For 500, Against 38 – Passed

This rule change ensures that Colour Budgerigars must wear smaller rings purchased through the BS when shown in Young Bird classes. To be implemented immediately.

Resolution 22 – Plastic Show Cage – For 354, Against 164 – Passed

Provision of an additional standard for the Standard Show Cage and Team Cage to run concurrently with the existing cages.

Although the membership has approved the proposed new show cage in the recent Rule Changes, it will still need to go through the BS acceptance process. The steps include:

1. Approval of the manufacturer and payment of their annual registration fee.
2. A sample cage to be supplied and then approved by the BS Show Cage Inspector.

Until both conditions are fulfilled, the new show cage will not be accepted on the show bench. We will inform the membership accordingly once these requirements are met.

Eatwell Research

Following the resignation of Kevin Eatwell from the Society, after the result of the General Council ballot was announced, and his withdrawal of any future involvement with the BS on research, the GC unanimously agreed to withdraw the £1,000 allocated to the research being undertaken by Mr Eatwell and allocate this amount to General Research within the Society provisions.

Ballot Papers

Several members have requested the return of their ballot papers following the recent GC elections. All members are advised that the voting papers are safe and secure with the scrutineer and will remain the property of the Budgerigar Society until they are destroyed. This follows custom and practice over the many decades when the Society has never received the completed ballot papers back from the scrutineer. They are always retained by the scrutineer for a period before destruction.