AGM Proposals 2021

AGM AND PROPOSALS 2021
21 October 2021
The Annual General Meeting of the Royal Pigeon Racing Association will take place on Friday 29th October 2021 (9.00am) at the Novotel Hotel,  Bostock Lane, Long Eaton, Nottingham NG10 4EP. A meeting of the RPRA Council will follow.

See this article on the Accounts for 2020 and CEO’s comments.

Below is the list of proposed rule changes to be voted upon at the AGM, together with an explanation of the reasons for the proposal. A printable copy of the agenda and proposals may be downloaded here. We would encourage clubs to discuss the proposals and send delegates to their local region to vote on them.

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21/1 COUNCIL OF THE RPRA PROPOSE
Delete Rule 26
Each club (including any National or Specialist club) shall before 1st March each year pay to the secretary of its Local Region an annual payment to the Association of £2.00 (inclusive of VAT) for each member of the club except any member who has paid the annual payment through another club.

Replace with
Each club (including any National or Specialist club) shall before 1st March each year pay to the secretary of its Local Region an annual payment to the Association of £2.00 (inclusive of VAT) for each member of the club except any member who has paid the annual payment through another club. Any member of a national or specialist club who pays their RPRA fees direct to their region shall also pay the £2 insurance fee.

Reason: to provide clarity in respect of the insurance premium and those members who pay their subscriptions direct to regions.

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21/2 COUNCIL OF THE RPRA PROPOSE
Delete Rule 27
Each Club (including any National or Specialist Club ) shall pay to the Secretary of its Local Region. (a) an annual subscription to the Association £7 ( inclusive of VAT) for each member of the Club except any member who has paid their annual subscription through another Club. (b) and an annual subscription to the Clubs Local Region of £3 for every member of the Club except any member who has paid their annual subscription to the Local Region through another Club. (c) all Junior members under the age of 18 who are members of a Club will pay an annual subscription to the Association of £3 (inclusive of VAT) except any Junior member that has paid their subscription to the Association through another Club. and an annual Page 5 subscription of £2 (inclusive of VAT) to the Clubs Local Region except any junior member that has paid their subscription to the Local Region through another Club.

Replace with
Each Club (including any National or Specialist Club ) shall pay to the Secretary of its Local Region. (a) an annual subscription to the Association £9 ( inclusive of VAT) for each member of the Club except any member who has paid their annual subscription through another Club. (b) and an annual subscription to the Clubs Local Region of £1 for every member of the Club except any member who has paid their annual subscription to the Local Region through another Club. (c) all Junior members under the age of 18 who are members of a Club will pay an annual subscription to the Association of £3 (inclusive of VAT) except any Junior member that has paid their subscription to the Association through another Club. and an annual Page 5 subscription of £2 (inclusive of VAT) to the Clubs Local Region except any junior member that has paid their subscription to the Local Region through another Club.

Reason: move the association towards implementing efficiency savings identified/proposed by the ‘Executive Committee’. For the proposal to work the role/work of the region secretaries would have to be reduced by bringing the annual subscription payments into HQ (within the existing staffing structure) and therefore reducing expenses at region level.

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21/3 WELSH REGION PROPOSE
Delete Rules 27 & 32
Rule 27

Each Club (including any National or Specialist Club ) shall pay to the Secretary of its Local Region.
(a) an annual subscription to the Association £7 ( inclusive of VAT) for each member of the Club except any member who has paid their annual subscription through another Club.
(b) and an annual subscription to the Clubs Local Region of £3 for every member of the Club except any member who has paid their annual subscription to the Local Region through another Club.
(c) all Junior members under the age of 18 who are members of a Club will pay an annual subscription to the Association of £3 (inclusive of VAT) except any Junior member that has paid their subscription to the Association through another Club and an annual subscription of £2 (inclusive of VAT) to the Clubs Local Region except any junior member that has paid their subscription to the Local Region through another Club.

Rule 32

An individual Member shall pay
(a) An annual subscription of £5 to the Association and
(b) An annual subscription of £5 to his Local Region.
(c) An individual Junior member under the age of 18 will pay to the Association an annual subscription of £3.
(d) an individual Junior member under the age of 18 will pay to their Local Region an annual subscription of £2. All individual subscriptions shall be paid to the Secretary of the Local Region not later than 1st March each year and are inclusive of VAT. Individual members will only be entitled to the privileges and benefits of the Association when the fees for that year have been paid. Individual members may apply from 1st November for the following years membership.

Replace with
The annual membership subscription shall be set annually by the Council.

Such subscriptions shall be paid by each Club (excluding any National or Specialist Club) for each member of the club except for any member who has paid their annual subscription through another Club.

Individual members (those who are not a member of a club, excluding national or specialist clubs) shall pay their fee direct to their region. All individual subscriptions shall be paid to the Secretary of the Local Region not later than 1st March each year.

Individual members will only be entitled to the privileges and benefits of the Association when the fees for that year have been paid. Individual members may apply from 1st November for the following years membership.

Reason: this will allow the association to budget effectively and provide stability for association and its membership.  

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21/4 COUNCIL OF THE RPRA PROPOSE
Delete rule 30
All National and Specialist Clubs shall have on their annual subscription form a statement to the effect ‘I certify that I have paid my RPRA subscription to . . . Club.’ All members of National or Specialist Clubs must pay their RPRA subscriptions and Region subscriptions through their local club or region. Members who are only members of National or Specialist Clubs must pay these fees directly to their Local Region Secretary.

Replace with
All National and Specialist Clubs shall have on their annual subscription form a statement to the effect ‘I certify that I have paid my RPRA subscription and insurance premium to . . . Club.’ All members of National or Specialist Clubs must pay their RPRA subscriptions and Region subscriptions through their local club or region. Members who are only members of National or Specialist Clubs must pay these fees directly to their Local Region Secretary.

Reason: to ensure national/specialist clubs and members of such clubs are aware of their requirements in relation to the insurance premium.

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21/5 COUNCIL OF THE RPRA PROPOSE
Delete rule 32
An individual Member shall pay (a) An annual subscription of £5 to the Association and (b) An annual subscription of £5 to his Local Region. (c) An individual Junior member under the age of 18 will pay to the Association an annual subscription of £3. (d) an individual Junior member under the age of 18 will pay to their Local Region an annual subscription of £2. All individual subscriptions shall be paid to the Secretary of the Local Region not later than 1st March each year and are inclusive of VAT. Individual members will only be entitled to the privileges and benefits of the Association when the fees for that year have been paid. Individual members may apply from 1st November for the following years membership.

Replace with
An individual Member shall pay (a) An annual subscription of £9 to the Association and (b) An annual subscription of £1 to his Local Region. (c) An individual Junior member under the age of 18 will pay to the Association an annual subscription of £3. (d) an individual Junior member under the age of 18 will pay to their Local Region an annual subscription of £2. All individual subscriptions shall be paid to the Secretary of the Local Region not later than 1st March each year and are inclusive of VAT. Individual members will only be entitled to the privileges and benefits of the Association when the fees for that year have been paid. Individual members may apply from 1st November for the following year’s membership.

Reason: move the association towards implementing efficiency savings identified/proposed by the ‘Executive Committee’. For the proposal to work the role/work of the region secretaries would have to be reduced by bringing the annual subscription payments into HQ (within the existing staffing structure) and therefore reducing expenses at region level.      

21/6 COUNCIL OF THE RPRA PROPOSE
Delete rule 39
The officers of the Association shall be a President and three Vice Presidents who shall be elected from delegates representing four different Local Regions at the annual general meeting of the Association and shall hold office for one year. Any officer shall be eligible for re-election provided that no officer shall hold the same office for more than three successive years. The conduct of the nominations for and election of officers shall be regulated by the Council.

Replace with
The officers of the Association are the President and three Vice Presidents. These officers shall along with the CEO operate as an Executive Committee of the RPRA. Such officers to be elected annually.

Reason: During the pandemic the RPRA council used rule 142 to empower a small group of people (President, Vice Presidents and CEO) to make decisions and react to opportunities and threats in a timely and effective way. The fact that Pigeon racing was the first competitive sport to commence during the restrictions associated with the pandemic can be attributed to this decision. The existing structure would not have been facilitated a position whereby this could have been achieved. This structure will place the association in a better position to be able to react to opportunities and threats. The proposal would also move the association towards implementing efficiency savings identified/proposed by the ‘Executive Committee’, drastically reducing the costs of meetings and expenses.      

21/7 CUMBRIA REGION PROPOSE
Delete Rule 39
The officers of the Association shall be a President and three Vice Presidents who shall be elected from delegates representing four different Local Regions at the annual general meeting of the Association and shall hold office for one year. Any officer shall be eligible for re-election provided that no officer shall hold the same office for more than three successive years. The conduct of the nominations for and election of officers shall be regulated by the Council.

Replace with
The Executive Committee of the Association shall be elected annually at the AGM and consist of a President, Senior Vice President, Junior Vice President and two members of Council and shall hold office for one year.

Once elected the Executive Committee shall be eligible for re-election to the same office for a term of 3 successive years. The President, Senior Vice President and Junior Vice President shall be elected from the delegates of three different regions.

Reason: This new rule allows the RPRA to move forward in a progressive manner and able to respond rapidly to any future challenges.

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21/8 CUMBRIA REGION PROPOSE
Delete Rule 52
The Council may form such Committees of Councillors as the Council may from time to time determine. The Council shall be empowered to delegate its authority to any such Committee either wholly or partly and whether or not subject to any conditions. The composition of any such Committee shall be a matter for the Council save that the Management Committee of the British Homing World shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting of the Council and shall consist of the President, three Vice-Presidents, plus one councillor from each of the remaining Local Regions not already represented, plus the Editor for the time being of the British Homing World and the Chief Executive.

Replace with
The council may form such committees of Councillors as the Council may from time to time determine. The council shall be empowered to delegate its authority to any such committees either wholly or partly and whether or not subject to any conditions. The composition of any such committee shall be a matter for the council.

Reason: The number of Councillors on the BHW Management committee should be a matter for Council.

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21/9 COUNCIL OF THE RPRA PROPOSE
Delete rule 152a
The officers of an Organisation shall consist of a president, vice-presidents, chairman, treasurer, auditors, committee and secretary and such other officers and officials as the Organisation may deem necessary. All officers shall be elected annually.  Such powers shall be delegated by the Organisation to its officers as the Organisation considers appropriate.

Replace with
The officers of an Organisation shall consist of a president, vice-presidents, chairman, treasurer, auditors, committee and secretary and such other officers and officials as the Organisation may deem necessary. All officers shall be elected annually, unless they are employed by the organisation. Such powers shall be delegated by the Organisation to its officers as the Organisation considers appropriate.

Reason: to avoid a situation whereby association rules conflict with employment law.

21/10 NORTH EAST REGION PROPOSE
Delete rule 159(b)
Any RPRA member who is refused membership of a club in accordance with Rule 159 shall be notified in writing. Such notification shall include a reason for the refusal. The applicant then has 14 days to object the decision to his/her local region. The region shall determine whether the reason is justifiable. If the region find that the refusal for membership was not justifiable then the RPRA member will be granted membership of the club.

Replace with
Any RPRA member who is refused membership of a club in accordance with Rule 159a shall be notified in writing. Such notification shall include a reason for the refusal. If the applicant has not been a member of a club, excluding national clubs, for at least 12 months he/she then has 14 days to appeal the decision to his/her local region. The region shall determine whether the reason is justifiable. If the region find that the refusal for membership was not justifiable then the person will be granted membership of the club. The Region decision is final.

Reason: The motivation of rule 159b is not to allow members to become members of multiple clubs but to assist RPRA members in becoming members of at least one club (excluding national and specialist clubs). The addition of the wording in relation to the regions decision being final is just to provide clarity of this fact.

21/11 DERBYSHIRE & S. YORKSHIRE REGION PROPOSE
Delete rule 159 & 159 (b)
Any person wishing to become a member of an Organisation must apply to the secretary of the Organisation in writing. The application must be accompanied by any entrance fees required by the rules of the Organisation to be paid to the Organisation. Each such application shall be notified to the members of the Organisation or to the Committee of the Organisation, as specified in the rules of the Organisation. The application shall be determined by a simple majority of those attending and voting at the next meeting of members or the committee, as prescribed by the rules of the Organisation. The application shall not be dealt with at an annual general meeting of the Organisation.
159 (b). Any RPRA member who is refused membership of a club in accordance with Rule 159 shall be notified in writing. Such notification shall include a reason for the refusal. The applicant then has 14 days to object the decision to his/her local region. The region shall determine whether the reason is justifiable. If the region find that the refusal for membership was not justifiable then the RPRA member will be granted membership of the club.

Replace with
Any person wishing to become a member of an Organisation must apply to the Secretary of the Organisation in writing accompanied by any entrance fees required by the Rules of the Organisation to be paid to the Organisation.

Each such application should be notified to the members of the Organisation or to the Committee of the Organisation as specified in the Rules of the Organisation.

The application shall be determined by a simple majority of those attending and voting at the next meeting of members or the Committee as prescribed by the Rules of the Organisation. The application shall not be dealt with at an Annual General Meeting of the Organisation.

The decision of the members or the Committee is final. Any person refused membership cannot reapply for a period of 12 months.

Reason: Membership of Clubs should be determined by Club members not Regional or Council  Committees who have no knowledge of local conditions.

All applications for membership are from persons who are members of adjoining Clubs, in most cases in the same Federation  therefore, reducing birdage and income to the detriment of the parent Club.

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21/12 WESTERN REGION PROPOSE
Delete Rule 235
(a) Electronic rings must be allocated to the ring numbers of the member’s pigeons a minimum of 7 days prior to the use of the ETS.

Allocation on marking nights will only be permitted due to a defect or loss of an electronic ring.

(b) Should a member present a bird for allocation of rings prior to the start of or during old bird or young bird racing and the electronic ring indicates another member’s loft number/details, then proof of ownership of the ring must be supplied before assigning the ring to the member’s bird.

If proof of ownership cannot be furnished by the member then action may be taken under rules 169/70.

(c) Additional ETS Zeroes – the leading zeroes that are automatically added by ETS systems are acceptable.

Replace with
(a) Electronic rings must be allocated to the ring numbers of the member’s pigeons a minimum of 1 day prior to the use of the ETS.

Allocation on marking nights will only be permitted due to a defect or loss of an electronic ring.

(b) Should a member present a bird for allocation of rings prior to the start of or during old bird or young bird racing and the electronic ring indicates another member’s loft number/details, then proof of ownership of the ring must be supplied before assigning the ring to the member’s bird.

If proof of ownership cannot be furnished by the member then action may be taken under rules 169/70.

(c) Additional ETS Zeroes – the leading zeroes that are automatically added by ETS systems are acceptable.

The reason for this amendment is to simplify the allocation of ETS ring process as the 7 day period has no relevance to the security of ETS.

Usual load of rubbish not one proposition improves  the sport.

21/6 is out of order first sentence not correct.

Every propositionn should be by individual voting.

Easiest thing in the world, all the clubs have to do is send in how the club membership vote on each proposition.

At the present time a representative goes to the Region and sticks a hand up on a proposition he/she represents 6 members, next to him/ her is another representative from a club with 60 members who votes the other way, so 6 members nullyfy those of 60 member club. ( pointed this out 45 yeas ago).

In the end you could have. as an example I gave, a proposition being passed with 500 being against and 50 for.

Every member should have a vote on the President and Council members and on every proposition, the clique will not be broken if not, the long established contaminate those who want to join the club and when you get a number who refuse to comply they get a vote of no confidence andare kicked out.

Why on earth the membership allowed the Council to ignore the Hall Report is beyond any reasonable explanation.

The report in eccense said NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE and nothing has changed.

APATHY OH APATHY.

Regards.

MISTY wrote:

Usual load of rubbish not one proposition improves  the sport.

21/6 is out of order first sentence not correct.

Every propositionn should be by individual voting.

Easiest thing in the world, all the clubs have to do is send in how the club membership vote on each proposition.

At the present time a representative goes to the Region and sticks a hand up on a proposition he/she represents 6 members, next to him/ her is another representative from a club with 60 members who votes the other way, so 6 members nullyfy those of 60 member club. ( pointed this out 45 yeas ago).

In the end you could have. as an example I gave, a proposition being passed with 500 being against and 50 for.

Every member should have a vote on the President and Council members and on every proposition, the clique will not be broken if not, the long established contaminate those who want to join the club and when you get a number who refuse to comply they get a vote of no confidence andare kicked out.

Why on earth the membership allowed the Council to ignore the Hall Report is beyond any reasonable explanation.

The report in eccense said NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE and nothing has changed.

APATHY OH APATHY.

Regards.

One of my pet hates here etc over the years Misty that 6 representing 6 or 60 type of thing. A Rort of the highest order I'm   sadly,  that has no justification of fairness any which way from my perspective.

one thing i always wondered was the process for hiring and firing at the rpra

yes darren, who decides when we have a new ceo , who interviews him and tells him hes got the job ......?

as far as im aware some jobs go to those voted in, but i presume other jobs would be basic office jobs advertised for people to apply for, or maybe family and friends get chosen .......

According to the balance sheet there are a few employees not actually involved in the racing side and are employed just as any other employee, decent salary and pension rights. Rightly so.

Who chooses them ?????.

General Manager I think is chosen by the Council.

Have met some at times and know some have pigeons in their families but not directly involved themselves.

Have no problem with that as long as they can do the job and I have always found them helpful.

Tis the Council that in my opinion needs sorting out.

Regards.