I have to report to the membership that a transporter has been purchased and will be ready for use at the start of the 2008 season. The vehicle in question is a 2004 DAF bought from a firm in the West Midlands and converted from a box type body to a curtainsider. The body of the vehicle is 24 feet long, and there is space for the racking of 98 pigeon baskets. The transporter cost the federation £26,500, and the racking, which is being done this week by a firm of engineers in Kilmarnock, will cost £4000.
So far we have had two applications from persons aspiring to drive our vehicle, interviews will be held and a driver appointed before the end of this month.
We started this exercise with 145 lofts. 13 members have resigned, most of whom have given reasons such as poor health and advancing years for their resignations. I have only been advised of one member who has resigned over the £150 or what he calls a point of principle. As everyone knows the cut off point for payment was 31st January At this date 9th March we have 8 members who have elected not to pay the £150 for their own reasons. The members in question are Aitken & Rae,
J.Thornhill and R.J. Copland, all Dumfries Flying Club; A.R.Taylor,
Eastriggs Homing Club, J.McCallie and D. Maxwell, Kirkcudbright Racing Pigeon Club, A.Graham, Lockerbie Racing Pigeon Club and W.Smith, Springfield Homing Club. If any of these members have paid by the time this newsletter is received, I offer my thanks but no apologies as the cut off date was well known.
Several of the non paying members have stated their wish to remain members of their clubs but not to race. I would ask all club secretaries and persons involved in race marking to ensure that only persons who have contributed to the purchase of our new transporter are allowed to race mark their pigeons. I have consulted with the Scottish Homing Union and have been assured that I am legally correct in this stance.
I would now like to place on record my appreciation of the way that the remaining 124 members have supported the management committee in this venture. Without your wholehearted support we would not have a new transporter for the Solway Federation.
On the vexed question of basket allocation what we have done is to divide the number of members who have paid, into the numbers of pigeons the transporter can carry, using the guidelines of 25 cocks or 26 hens per basket. We have then varied the subsequent figure slightly to take into account the numbers of birds sent in previous years. There is no doubt that the capacity will be down especially for the first three young bird races but that was known when we first decided on this venture. I have no doubt at all that, with a little goodwill and common sense, all will be well. Club secretaries will be asked to indicate to the convoyer any baskets not filled to capacity so that other clubs can use the space. There is no truth in the rumour that members will be limited to 20 pigeons per race.
The old trailer, which is presently parked at Palnackie, will be sold for the value of the scrap aluminium and the proceeds placed in the transporter fund bank account
It is intended to keep this fund going and to this end I must inform the membership that there will be a young bird sale at a date yet to be set in April or May.
All members are asked to support this sale as during the forthcoming close season it is my intention to look at the question of new baskets, either aluminium or plastic so that the Solway Federation can fully meet any future requirements placed on Pigeon Associations by DEFRA.
Could I please ask any member who has an e-mail address to inform our secretary of their address, and finally can I thank the members for their support so far and wish everyone all success in the new pigeon racing season.