EAST DOWN COMBINE

with Clifford Browne

East Down Combine Prepare for “A Golden Year”

IHU gives £1,000 sponsorship for Old Bird Derby

 

The East Down Combine held it’s AGM on Saturday January 14th January 2017 in the War Memorial Hall in Crossgar

The Combine chairman Len McCavery got the proceedings underway just after 2pm and after welcoming all members present requested a minutes silence for those who had passed away since the previous year’s meeting.

Apologies were then received and recorded and the Financial Secretary Sam Duke was then requested to read the minutes of the previous AGM which were passed as a true record of that meeting.

The meeting then moved on to the first item on the Agenda which was the Chairman’s Report from Len McCavery and in a very comprehensive report all the Officials ,Centre Officials and General Committee were thanked for all their hard work and support throughout the season. Colin Smyth (vice chairman) was thanked for his help and Len had a special word of thanks for Sam Duke who had put in a tremendous amount of work as Financial Secretary , and for Dorothy Smyth for all her tireless work and for her organisation if this year’s breeder/buyer . The Outgoing President Francis Gilmore was thanked for his contribution to the Combine throughout his year in office.

Len then thanked the PRO’s for all their work throughout the season keeping the Combine to the forefront in many areas, he also thanked the Transport Committee, Race Controllers & Drivers & Auditors.

The weather Committee were thanked for all the work they had put into making decisions regarding basketing days etc which although not always popular were made in the best interests of the membership based on the information available to them at the time and congratulated Doley Croskery who had done so well in his first year as Race Controller. . Len went on to thank Marshall Feeds for once again supplying the On Board feeding throughout the season.

In Conclusion Len extended congratulations to all the 2016 prize winners. The Chairman’s report was well received by all those present.

The next two items were the Secretary and Treasurer’s reports and as Sam Duke combines both roles as Financial Secretary he combined his reports. Starting with the Secretary’s report Sam reiterated all of what Len had said by way of thanking all those who worked so hard for the Combine and he had a special word of thanks for Len McCavery for his role as chairman of the Combine in 2016 and Francis Gilmore for his year as President. He also had a special word of thanks for Dorothy Smyth for the outstanding amount of work she had put in over the year especially with the Organisation of the Breeder/Buyer, and the Annual Dinner .He also thanked all the club Secretaries and Treasurers for their assistance throughout the past season and extended his congratulations to all the prize winners of 2016

Moving on to look at the accounts and the 2016 season had incurred a large item of expenditure for new shutters for the lorries which had produced an overall deficit for the year but on a positive note the Irish Homing Union had given £1000 of sponsorship for the Old bird Derby and this will be awarded as prize monies in that race with £400 to the winner and £200 to the winner of the opposite section from the winner and then £100 to the next four places after the winner excluding the winner and the winner of the opposite section . The meeting much appreciate this sponsorship and thank the IHU.

Sam then went through the rest of the Income & Expenditure account and Balance sheet in detail and then invited questions or comments from the floor but as his explanations had been very detailed the Accounts were passed after one question from the floor.

Brendan McLoughlin then spoke on behalf of the Combine Auditors and endorsed what Sam had explained to everyone. Stating, that the Combine were very fortunate to have an excellent treasurer with the books being prepared and kept in a very professional manner. As there was no 2016 correspondence the meeting moved on to the election of office bearers for 2017 and Len McCavery invited Colin Watson to conduct this part of the meeting. Colin congratulated the 2016 prize winners and conducted the election of the office bearers for 2017

The principal Office Bearers elected for the 2017 season are as follows ;

 

PRESIDENT John Albert

VICE PRESIDENT Mrs Dorothy Smyth

JUNIOR VICE PRESIDENT John Kirk

CHAIRMAN Len McCavery

V/CHAIRMAN Colin Smyth

FINANCIAL SECRETARY Sam Duke

RACE CONTROLLER Dolan Croskery

Assistant race Controller Mrs Dorothy Smyth

PROs Ronnie Johnston

Mrs Dorothy Smyth

Clifford Browne

 

With the election of the Office Bearers complete it was then time to look at the new business of the afternoon which involved a proposition for a rule change and setting the race programme for the 2017 season from a number of proposals. Dealing with the rule change first which was as follows :

EXISTING RULE 7: Should a clock have varied at more than a rate of five seconds per hour, a fast clock will be regarded as correct, a slow clock shall have double the proportionate lost time added. Should member’s clock stop through not being properly wound up or set, the said member shall have his entry fee and pools monies returned in full. Any Electronic Timing System clock that varies by 3 seconds or more per day must be returned to the manufacturer for testing. Any pigeons recorded on this clock will not be accepted for inclusion in the race result until the manufacturers test report has been seen.

PROPOSED NEW RULE 7: Should a clock have varied at more than a rate of five seconds per hour, a fast clock will be regarded as correct, a slow clock shall have double the proportionate lost time added. Should a member’s clock stop through not being properly wound up or set, the said member shall have their entry fee and pools monies returned in full. Any Electronic Timing System Clock that varies by three seconds or more per day must be returned to the manufacturer for testing. Any pigeons recorded on this clock may be included, at the discretion of the Combine Chairman and Secretary in the published race result. The East Down Combine General Committee will decide if pigeons recorded on the clock should be included in the result when the manufacturers report has been received.

THIS WAS PASSED

Moving on to the setting of the 2017 Race programme and there were several programmes on the table for both Old and Young birds and these were as follows:

The 2016 East Down Combine Old Bird Race Programme automatically goes in the Agenda for 2017 and this was

1st Tullamore ,2nd Tullamore Thurles , 1st Fermoy, Mallow, Skibbereen Classic , 2nd Fermoy , 1st Talbenny, 2nd Talbenny & Derek Wishart Memorial Classic Mallow 15 Bird limit (on the same day) Bude ,Penzance and Penzance Classic, St Malo Old Bird Derby.

Proposal (A ) submitted by Killyleagh Central HPS

Mullingar, Tullamore,Tyne Mills, Mount Charles, Mallow, Skibbereen Classic and Skibbereen Club race, Mallow, 1st Talbenny, 2nd Talbenny Bude & Derek Wishart memorial Classic Bude , Penzance & Penzance Classic, St. Malo Old Bird Derby .

Proposal (B ) submitted by Bangor RPC

1st Tullamore, 2nd Tullamore,Gowan Park, 1st Fermoy, Mallow, Skibbereen Classic, 2nd Fermoy ,1st Talbenny, 2nd Talbenny & Derek Wishart Memorial Classic Mallow 15 Bird Limit (On the same Day) Bude, Penzance and Penzance Classic, St. Malo Old Bird Derby .

Last Year’s Programme was passed

 

YOUNG BIRDS

The 2016 East Down Combine Young Bird Race Programme automatically goes on the Agenda for 2017

1st Navan, 2nd Navan, 1st Tullamore , 2nd Tullamore, 1st Thurles, Fermoy, 1st Skibbereen Young Bird Derby & Talbenny Young Bird Derby (on the same day) 2nd Thurles 2nd Skibbereen Young Bird Derby.

Proposal (A) submitted by Killyleagh Central HPS

1st Navan, 2nd Navan, 1st Tullamore, 2nd Tullamore,1st Mount Charles , Mallow, 1st Skibbereen Young Bird Derby & Talbenny Young Bird Derby(on the same day), 2nd Skibbereen Young Bird Derby.

Proposal (B) submitted by Bangor RPC

1st Navan, 2nd Navan, Mullingar, Tullamore, 1st Gowan Park, Fermoy, 1st Skibbereen Young bird Derby & Talbenny Young Bird Derby ( On the same day ) 2nd Gowan Park, 2nd Skibbereen Young Bird Derby

Proposal (C) submitted by The East Down General Committee

1st Navan,2nd Navan,1st Tullamore, 2nd Tullamore, 1st Thurles, Fermoy, 2nd Thurles & Talbenny Young Bird Derby(on the same day) 1st Skibbereen Young Bird Derby, 2nd Skibbereen Young Bird Derby.

Proposal C from the Combine General Committee was passed

Racing commences on the 2nd Saturday in April which is the 8th

There was one final proposal which was submitted by Killyleagh Central HPS

“That all birds arriving in Race time from the Old Bird Derby should be awarded a position and a certificate”

This was passed

As this was all the business of the afternoon the chairman closed the meeting after thanking everyone for their attendance.

2Bird Dinner and AGM

Just a reminder that the 2 bird Dinner will be held in the Temple Golf club on Friday 27th January followed by the club’s AGM on Monday 13th February further details can be obtained from Dorothy Smyth .

 

 

Ballylesson’s New Year Show

   

 

The Ballylesson club held their New Year’s Show on Saturday January 7th 2017
and the club wish to thank the judges Doley & Mickey Croskery and Michael Jennings and also thanks to Robert & June Kirkwood & Frazers Feeds for sponsoring their show the results of which were :

Through The Wires
1st Mackey & Lockhart 2nd J Patterson 3rd C&D Smyth & sons 4th Mackey & Lockhart (Reserve) J Patterson (v.h.c) J Patterson (h.c )Gillispie Bros (commended) J Patterson

Old Cocks Handled

1st C&D Smyth & sons 2nd J Kirk & sons 3rd Gillispie & bros 4th Mackey & Lockhart (reserve) C&D Smyth & sons (v.h.c) J Patterson (h,c) J Kirk & sons (commended) P&C Johnston

Old Hens Handled

1st J Patterson 2nd C&D Smyth & sons 3rd Mackey & Lockhart 4th J Kirk & sons (reserve) J Patterson (v.h.c) J Patterson (h.c) J Kirk & sons (commended) Mackey & Lockhart

Young Cocks & Young Hens Handled

1st J Patterson 2nd J Kirk & sons 3rd J Patterson 4th J Patterson (reserve) J Patterson (v.h.c) J & S Albert (h.c )C&D Smyth & sons (commended )Mackey & Lockhart

Eyesign

1st C&D Smyth & sons 2nd J Kirk & sons 3rd Mackey & Lockhart 4th P&C Johnston (reserve) J&S Albert (v.h.c ) J Patterson (h.c ) J Kirk & sons (commended) J Kirk & sons

B.I.S. C&D Smyth & sons

B.O.S. C&D Smyth & sons

The Ballylesson hps members wish all fanciers a happy and successful 2017