Eire Budgerigar Society

 TO WBO DELEGATES AND AFFILIATED SOCIETIES’ OFFICIALS

FROM SECRETARY / TREASURER

We are well into spring in the northern hemisphere with mixed weather conditions, but it is autumn in the southern hemisphere with many shows organised already in many of the southern hemisphere countries. However, the big event will be the Australian National next month on 23^rd & 24^th May. Having attended 3 previous Nationals I can still feel the buzz that the event creates. On this occasion the National will be staged in the State of Tasmania. We wish our Aussie friends every success.

Since my last correspondence (by email) to you on 3^rd November 2008 I would like to bring to your attention the following items:

Next Meeting: Our next WBO General Council meeting will be held on Friday 16^th October 2009 at a new venue. Instead of the initial place Piacenza we shall now meet in the seaside resort of Jesolo, near Venice. The meeting will commence at 14.00 hrs. Nearest airports are Marco Polo Venice, Treviso and Ronchi dei Legionari. Our friends Club AMICI will be celebrating their 20^th Anniversary and they are organising a trip to Venice during the weekend of the show.

As of now they have not organised the hotel yet but as soon as I get the information I shall pass it on to you.

The 2010 meeting will be held on 29^th October in Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal and the 2011 meeting will be held on 27^th May in Canberra, Australia.

Societies News: The B.S. of New Zealand is celebrating its 75^th Anniversary this year and we wish them every success for the future. They are the 3^rd oldest specialist budgerigar society in the World after the U.K. Budgerigar Society formed in 1925 and the Danish DUK who celebrated their 75^th Anniversary last year.

I am very pleased to announce that the Swedish society Svenska Undulatklubben (SUK) have rejoined us late last November after a short broken membership. We welcome them back to our fold.

The Eire BS was renamed in January to B.S. of Ireland (Formerly Eire BS, founded in 1952) and a new society in the Republic of Ireland was formed recently and has affiliated to the WBO, called Exhibition Budgerigar Society (Ireland).

Northern Ireland Budgerigar, Zebra Finch & Foreign Bird Society has also affiliated to the WBO as well, bringing membership to 34 affiliated societies representing 25 countries from the 6 continents. This is indeed a milestone in our history and we are still seeking membership in more Latin American countries as well.

Sadly the National Bird Society of Pakistan ceased operation at the end of last year and their members joined one or both of the other two societies in Pakistan.

Balance Sheet: I attach the Income and Expenditure Account sheet for the year 2008, which shows a profit over the year of £571.28. This is very encouraging in comparison to the huge loss in 2007 due to the cost of the Pictorial Ideal. The profit is attributed to the increase in the affiliation fee for 2008. Please contact me by 1^st July if you have any questions on the Accounts.

Subscriptions: The annual subscription rates were due on 1^st April. Many societies have already paid their annual subscription for 2009 and some are paying for 2 years to overcome bank charges. I enclose the Information Sheet, which I request that you fill in and return to me with your subscription fee (the form is also on the website, 2^nd form). The WBO bank details are also included on the sheet should you wish to pay by bank transfer. It is important that I receive this completed Information Sheet to update my records with your society’s details. I am happy to accept the equivalent payment in Euros or US Dollars depending on the exchange rate at the time.

From the Information Sheet I can also update the 2009 Rosette Winners’ file with the date and town of your national show. I have already added that information to some of the shows that I know of and with your assistance I can complete that file with all the appropriate details and post it on the WBO website.

The official WBO Pictorial Ideal: I am pleased to report that more societies have now adopted our WBO Pictorial Ideal and are using it for themselves. However, glancing at websites of various countries I cannot help noticing that some are still using either the failed 3-dimensional model or the proposed 2007 Pictorial Ideal.

I will be grateful if delegates and officials check their own societies’ websites and ensure that the official WBO Pictorial Ideal of June 2008 is the one that is used. Although there is not a great deal of difference between the 2007 & 2008 Ideals, the blue shadow around the tail area is the official 2008 Ideal. I am attaching the Pictorial Ideal again.

Other News: Please make note of the following:

Website – This is updated on a regular basis as and when necessary. May I request that you have a look at the Contact Information for member countries file and check that all the necessary details of the contact person (name, postal & email addresses and website address) are correct and so help to ensure that your society’s details are correct and up to date. I know that one or two websites are not correct and current so please help me to have the updated information on the website.

2. WBO Judges Panel – Please be sure to check your own Judges Panel on the WBO website and inform me of any alterations you wish me to make. Please ensure that all your judges comply with the WBO regulations before submitting new names.

3. Research Article – Please find attached research articles on the subject ‘Sick Budgie Breakthrough’ by Don Burke and Michael Cannon supplied kindly by B.S. of N.S.W., Australia. I do hope that you make the best use of these articles by publishing them in your own magazines so that your members can all benefit from such articles.

4. Rosette Winners – Please find attached the 2008 Rosette Winners’ list and I would like to express my sincere thanks to all the societies who were kind enough to supply me with the names and photos of winners.

5. Secretary – There were no other nominations for the position of Secretary sent to me by 31^st December 2008 as per our Rules. I am pleased to inform you all that I shall continue to serve as Secretary for another two-year term commencing 1^st April 2009. I shall be moving house at the end of May and will let you have our new address and details soon after the move.

6. Links – Many WBO affiliated societies have still not included the WBO as a link on their own website. I would be grateful if all WBO affiliated societies will do us this honour and include the WBO website as a link on their own society website please.

If you have any comments on any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact me at your earliest. On behalf of our Chairman Gerd Bleicher, Vice Chairman Carl Slavin, Immediate Past Chairman Roger Carr and myself we wish you all good health, happiness and successful breeding/show seasons and look forward to seeing you at the next meeting in Jesolo, Italy on 16^th October.

Yours sincerely,

Ghalib Al-Nasser

Secretary / Treasurer