EAST DOWN COMBINE

Reports by Clifford Browne

REPORT ON THE 2013 AGM

The East Down Combine held its AGM on Saturday January 12th 2013 in the War Memorial Hall in Crossgar and the turnout of members was low, which either means that the membership are content with the way things are going or as we all get older apathy sets in.

Len McCavery was in the chair and got proceedings underway just before 2.30pm and after welcoming all members present requested a minute's silence for those who had passed away since the previous year’s meeting, making special mention of the passing of Ken McConaghie almost a year ago, and at the end of this report I want to share with you a verse from the Ballylesson club members which adequately sums up not only that club's feelings but also those of us who knew Ken.

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. He had a special word of thanks for Sam Duke who had put in a tremendous amount of work as Financial Secretary. Len then thanked the PROs for all their work throughout the season keeping the Combine to the forefront in many areas. He next 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. Len went on thank Marshall Feeds for once again supplying the on board feeding throughout the season, especially at this time of recession. In conclusion Len extended congratulations to all the 2012 prize winners. Once again 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 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 not only his role as chairman of the Combine in 2012 but also having completed a very successful year as Combine president and he welcomed the incoming president Colin Watson. 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 2012.

Moving on to look at the accounts and financially it had been quite a good year and whilst it ended with a deficit on the income and expenditure account this was due in the main to a one off cost of £8180 for modifications to one of the lorries which, if it had not occurred, would have seen a healthy surplus for the year. Sam then went through the various other items of income and expenditure as well as the 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 a question on telephone accounts had been dealt with.

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. This was further endorsed by the Combine’s other auditor Len McCavery.

The next item was the election of Office Bearers for 2013 and Len McCavery invited Ronnie Johnston once again to conduct this part of the meeting. The principal Office Bearers elected for 2013 are as follows:

PRESIDENT Colin Watson
VICE PRESIDENT P Burns
JUNIOR VICE PRESIDENT M Irvine
CHAIRMAN Len McCavery
V/CHAIRMAN Colin Smyth
FINANCIAL SECRETARY Sam Duke
RACE CONTROLLER Paddy McComb
Assistant Race Controller Trevor McKelvey
PROs Ronnie Johnston, Brendan McLoughlin, Trevor McKelvey, Clifford Browne

There were a number of additions to the general committee for 2013 as several members were standing down. Newly elected to the committee were Albert Cousins, Dorothy Smyth, John Kirk, Dolan Croskery, Rodney McCormick and Roy Irwin.

With the election of the Office Bearers complete it was then time to look at the new business of the afternoon which included a couple of rule changes as well as the setting of the race programmes for 2013. As there were no proposals to change last year’s programme the race programme is that of 2012 which is:

OLD BIRDS (commencing Saturday April 13th)
MULLINGAR
TULLAMORE
1st MOUNT CHARLES (Nenagh)
2nd MOUNT CHARLES (Nenagh)
1ST FERMOY
SKIBBEREEN OB CLASSIC
2ND FERMOY
1ST TALBENNY
2ND TALBENNY (in conjunction with the Derek Wishart Memorial Classic Race from Fermoy - Limit increased to 15 birds)
BUDE
PENZANCE and PENZANCE CLASSIC
OLD BIRD DERBY (ST MALO)
　
The Young Bird Programme (commencing July 20th)
1st NAVAN
2nd NAVAN
MULLINGAR
TULLAMORE
1st MOUNT CHARLES (Nenagh)
FERMOY
1ST SKIBBEREEN YOUNG BIRD DERBY &TALBENNY YOUNG BIRD DERBY (on same day)
2nd MOUNT CHARLES (Nenagh)
2ND SKIBBEREEN YOUNG BIRD DERBY
　
With the race programme in place there then followed two further items, both of which were proposed by the East Down Combine General committee and both of which were adopted. The first of these concerned the pools for Derby and Classic races and was as follows:

"Pools in Derby & Classic races (with the exception of the Penzance Classic) are amended as follows.
Open Existing Pools: 20p, 30p, 50p, £1, £2, £5, £3 nom no limit
Proposed Amended Pools: 50p, £1, £2, £3, £5 five Bird nom (nominate 5 birds for £5)
Proposed cuts of Open Pools: 50p, £1, £2, £3, Divided 20%, 13%, 11%, 8%, 4 @ 5%, 7 @4%, Open £5 five bird nom divided 3 cuts, 1st cut 50%, 2nd cut 30% 3rd cut 20%.
Section Existing Pools 20p, 30p, 50p, £1, £2, £2 nom one bird
Proposed Amended Pools 50p, £1, £2, £2 Three Bird Nom (nominate 3 birds for £2)
Proposed cuts of Section Pools 50p, £1, £2, divided 20%, 15%, 12.5%, 10%, 7.5% 7 @ 5%. Section £2 Three Bird Nom Divided 2 cuts. 1st cut 60% 2nd Cut 40%.”
　
The Second Proposition from the General committee was a Proposed Rule Change to Rule 20. Existing Race Rule 20: Race results must be with the Combine Secretary on the day following each race. All paperwork for each race must be with the Combine Secretary no later than the Saturday following each race.
　
Proposed New Race Rule 20: Race results must be with the Combine Secretary before 3.00pm on the day following the race. The result must include bird clocking time, clock set and run times plus clock variation and each birds ring number. All paperwork for each race must be with the Combine Secretary no later than the Saturday following each race.

As I said, these propositions were both passed by the membership.

Under Correspondence for 2013 an application to join the Combine was received from the Portavogie club and their application was successful and it is hoped that they will enjoy racing with the Combine commencing in 2013.

Just before the meeting closed it was agreed that the Committee would look at the system of items for inclusion for the Agenda of future Agms so that submitting clubs could be advised on the suitability or otherwise of proposals for inclusion on the agenda. As this was the last item of business for the afternoon the vice chairman then closed the meeting after thanking everyone for their attendance and wishing all members a very successful 2013 season.

I said at the start of this report that I would share a verse forwarded to me by the Ballylesson club in memory of their esteemed member and the East Down Chairman for so many years, Ken McConaghie, the 1st anniversary of whose death is on the 3rd of February.

We cried when you passed away, we still cry today
A golden heart stopped beating
Hard working hands at rest
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best

Ballylesson H.P.S Members

---
　

East Down 2bird News

The East Down 2bird club are holding their Annual dinner and prize distribution on Friday February 8th in Magee’s Lounge in Crossgar, tickets priced at £12. This is always a good night and I hear numbers are good for this year. If you intend going please contact either Secretary Stephen Logan on 97564983 or Dorothy Smyth on 90826081 as soon as possible. The main prizes were won as follows but more on this after the dinner. The league winners were:

League A S Brown & sons 30 points
League B Mackey& Lockhart 30 points
League C McComb Bros 32 points
League D J Maguire & ptnrs 28 points
League E Gordon Bros & sons 26 Points

Gibson cup - McComb bros 32 points
Old bird inland avg - McCartan& Woodsides
Old bird Skibb classic - McComb bros
Penzance cup - D Croskery & son
St Malo - S & K Duke
Channel avg - R Moore & son
Old bird combined avg - R Moore &son
Old bird of the year - R Moore &son
1st skib yb derby - B&H Marshall
2nd skib yb derby - McCartan & Woodsides
2nd Tyone mills - A Cousins & sons
Combined averages - McComb bros
Yb of the year - D Croskery & son
Best average ob derby& 2 yb derbys - McCartan & Woodsides
　
　

---