Association of Specialist Budgerigar Societies
Incorporating the CBC, CBBA, RV&CBS, SBBA & VBC
Including Colour Budgerigars
Founded 1st January 2018
www.specialistbudgerigars.co.uk

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Specialist Budgerigar Clubs Join Forces
The Case For Amalgamation
By Ghalib Al-Nasser (September 2017)

From January 2018, four of the six UK national specialist budgerigar societies have decided to amalgamate as one Association. They are the Crested Budgerigar Club (CBC, founded in 1962), Rare Variety & Colour Budgerigar Society (RV&CBS, founded in 1980), Spangled Budgerigar Breeders’ Association (SBBA, founded in 1987) and the Variegated Budgerigar Club (VBC, founded in 1969).

The concept of the amalgamation came from a question posed in the VBC magazine in 2015 asking if the area and specialist societies are still viable. This triggered a chain of events that resulted in this amalgamation.

In February 2017 the RV&CBS and SBBA met for their annual committee meetings on the same day, one society in the morning and the other in the afternoon. This saves on time (allocating a complete day rather than two different days) but the most important saving is on travel costs.

The amalgamation idea was an agenda item on both meetings. Looking at the officers of all four societies below you will see there is a significant overlap (those marked * were absent when this concept was discussed). The initial idea was for the CBC, RV&CBS and SBBA to amalgamate as one.

A long debate between those members present at the two meetings took place and concentrated on pooling resources and thinking positively about the future.

We know that membership in all societies world-wide is on the decrease and despite all the ideas and intentions the trend remains. Many fanciers are also members of two or even three of these specialist societies and others are members of just one but in the interests of progress and safeguarding the future, the concept of amalgamation is appealing.

The committees also felt that the CBC, RV&CBS and SBBA and are already in a unique position as follows:

1. One joint Annual Members Show in May.
2. One joint Open Show in June.
3. One joint publication (commenced May 2017).
4. Common committee members.

After much debate the committees voted unanimously on amalgamation and for it to be put to the membership at their AGMs in May and June 2018. The details are:

Title: to keep the identity of each society it was agreed to have a new name and to incorporate the names of the Crested, Rare Variety and Spangle Societies.

Finance: following amalgamation, the funds from the three societies would be merged together providing a very healthy financial state, enabling more to be done for the members. For example, the new subscription rate will be less than the total of two individual subscriptions.

Life Members, Honorary Life Members and Honorary Life Vice Presidents of any one society will be honoured in the new association.

Awards: all patronage awards and trophies from each society will be kept but rosettes may be streamlined. Crested awards for badges etc. will remain the same and likewise for the RV&CBS and SBBA. Plus, all members under the new association will be eligible for all awards on offer by the new association.

Patronage: currently open show promoting societies apply for patronage individually for the three societies. This will reduce paperwork and printing in the schedule. The same reduction will occur when paying for patronage. Currently show promoting societies can pay up £24 for patronage from the three societies. Under the new scheme this will also be a saving.

Breeding: it was thought that membership of the new association may encourage breeders to try other varieties and this can only be a positive step to promote the varieties.

Honorarium and postage: currently three lots of honoraria are paid and prior to May 2017, three lots of postage for magazines. Under one association it will be a single payment.

Annual General Meetings

The three societies put the concept of amalgamation to its members at their AGMs with an article appearing in the combined magazine prior to the AGMs.

The RV&CBS and SBBA had their AGMs in May 2017. At the RV&CBS meeting only one member voted against the proposal and at the SBBA meeting the vote was unanimous. At the CBC AGM in June their vote was also unanimous.

The VBC also had their AGM in May but the concept was not an agenda item and was discussed under Any Other Business. Although the members present were in favour, under the rules of the society they were unable to vote on it so an EGM was called in June 2017 with only one agenda item “Amalgamation”. Details were sent out to all members and those who attended the EGM voted unanimously to amalgamate with the other three societies from 2018.

From January 2018, the amalgamation of the four specialist budgerigar societies (CBC, RV&CBS, SBBA and VBC) is now a reality.

What’s next?

A joint committee meeting of the four societies was called in August to discuss a new constitution, subscription rate, patronage, magazine etc. and to form a combined caretaker committee from 1^st January 2018 with proposals to be put to all paid up members of the new Association at the combined AGM to be held in Bugbrooke on 13^th May 2018.

I am pleased to inform members that the officials attended that special meeting in August voted for a new name ASSOCIATION OF SPECIALIST BUDGERIGAR SOCIETIES (Incorporating the CBC, RV&CBS, SBBA & VBC).

A new Constitution was formulated with a new caretaker committee being formed from 1st January 2018 with new subscription rates (based on a 75% the rate of two societies) as follows:

All current Life Members, Honorary Life Members and Honorary Vice Presidents of one society will automatically become a LM, HLM or HLVP in the new Association.

A new patronage package will become operative from 2019 as all patronage applications for 2018 need to be sent out prior to the AGM in May.

A new logo was accepted and new banner bearing the new title with a new website address to be added. Members who wish to join the new Association can pay at the BS Club Show at the new stand with cheques made payable to the new Association. There will be a new publication in the Spring with a new cover.

The caretaker committee from 1st January 2018 is:

Please note that paid up members of the new Association that attend the 2018 AGM will confirm the Constitution, subscription rates, patronage rates, officials and more.

However the great news is, the new Association is now here to stay