
Standard Rules for Affiliated Clubs, Nationals, Federations, Combines & Amalgamations
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Society should mean Club / Specialist / National / Federation / Combine.
All Member Clubs, Nationals, Federations and Combines are governed by the Disciplinary Rules of the Union, Rules 39 to 51 on pages
10-14 of the Welsh Homing Pigeon Union Rule Book, and should be applied simultaneously with the Standard Rules where applicable.
1. That Clubs / Nationals / Federations / Combines be called..............................
With the Headquarters at the..........................
2. The Officers of the Society may consist of a President and Vice President, but must consist of Chairman, Vice Chairman,
Treasurer, Emergency Committee and Secretary, to be elected annually. All Officers must be flying Members of their
Federations/Nationals/Combines, with the exception of Secretaries who must be Members of the Union. Clubs formed must
consist of five (5) flying Member lofts (from 2012 season). Any Club falling below four (4) flying Member lofts, must be disbanded
in accordance with Rule 12. All decisions of Emergency Committee on any point must be ratified at the next Club Meeting. No
Member shall hold more than one (1) Official position on any one (1) Society.
(b) That Club, appoint auditors internally or externally, that are ex officio, Federations, etc, must also appoint auditors who
should be independent of the decision making process or Management process of the Organisation.
(c) Should the Membership of Nationals fall below one hundred and fifty (150) flying lofts, the word 'National' cannot be used in
this context.
3. A General Meeting for the election of Officers and for fixing local or domestic Rules must be held annually. The Secretary of the
Organisation must notify each Member in writing/email at least six (6) weeks before the Annual General Meeting of the date, time
and place at which the Meeting will be held. In the case of Federations and Combines, such notice shall be sent to the Secretary of
each Organisation Affiliated to such Federation or Combine. No local or domestic Rules shall be made which override any of the
Rules set out in this Book. Any Member of the Organisation wishing for alteration or additions to local or domestic Rules must
give notice of the proposed alterations or additions in writing, such resolutions shall first of all include wording which will delete
that part, or the whole of the existing Rules requiring the proposed alteration to the Secretary, at least twenty-eight (28) days
previous to the holding of the Annual General Meeting. The Proposer must be present at the Annual General Meeting and the
Secretary of the Organisation MUST notify each Member of the Organisation of such proposed alterations or additions at least ten
(10) days previous to the Meeting. Any Rule made at an Annual General Meeting is binding until such time as it shall have been
deleted or amended in accordance with the provisions of this Rule at a subsequent Annual General Meeting.
3(a). Voting at General Meetings for Clubs to be a show of hands or a postal ballot if the Club Rules allow, one (1) loft one (1)
vote. Voting at Federations to be one (1) loft one (1) vote as follows:
Any change of Rules for Federations to be sent to the Clubs twenty-eight (28) days before the Annual General Meeting.
Clubs to convene Meetings and vote. Secretary to record For and Against. This vote to be entered on a voting form (new
form required) signed by the Secretary and Chairman,
One (1) loft one (1) vote. This to be forwarded to the Federation ten (10) days before the Meeting takes place. The Federation
to count the votes of each Club, one (1) loft one (1) vote. Secretary to record For and Against at the Annual General Meeting/
Special Meetings and Delegate Meetings. Clubs must attend the Meeting with a copy of the Club voting for the votes to count,
if a postal ballot has been agreed, a copy of the voting to be sent to the Federation. (At Federation AGM and Delegate
Meetings, the Federation to appoint tellers from the floor to validate the count. Management Members of the Federation
cannot involve themselves in the count)
Voting for the WHPU Annual General Meeting, one (1) loft one (1) vote, this to be from Clubs on the voting form fourteen (14)
days before the Annual General Meeting. Clubs wishing to have votes counted must attend the Annual General Meeting with
a copy of the Club voting. Members in more than one club will only have a vote in their Parent Club. Any Member or Club
found interfering, or trying to manipulate the voting system will be immediately suspended.
4. Anyone wishing to become a Member shall be proposed and seconded by Members of the Society and shall be elected by a simple
majority vote of the Members present, in the case of National / Specialist / Federation / Combine, Management Committee to
have the power to accept Membership. In Nationals / Specialist only, Membership may be allowed on night of marking, subject to
confirmation at the next Committee Meeting. All Clubs must notify the Union within seven (7) days of information of acceptance
or refusal of application and number of vote included and voting. Such elections shall be confirmed at the next Club Meeting.
Applicants not to be present during voting. Applicants when elected must immediately pay Entrance Fee and Union Fee.
Non-Flying Members may pay a Club subscription if imposed by the Club, but will not be allowed to vote or make any
propositions. Non-Flying Members must pay Union fees. Any Non-Flying Members wishing to acquire full flying Membership status
must be proposed and seconded and elected in accordance with the provisions of the Union Rules. (Rule 14,Page 4)Persons are
not precluded from applying to join any Club Affiliated to the Welsh Homing Pigeon Union.
5. No birds shall be accepted for competition unless all fees and dues are fully paid up by the Member. Members falling into arrears
which are not paid by the AGM of the Clubs/Nationals/Federations/Combines will be classed as defaulters, and on payment of
the arrears must re-apply for Membership of all Societies. All birds must be the absolute and exclusive property of the said
Member, Clubs may stipulate date of payment of Membership fees.
6. Members wishing to resign must do so in writing before the Annual General Meeting or they will be held liable for their
subscriptions and domestic fees for the following year, also any Club equipment must be returned. The subscriptions and
domestic fees to a Society must be decided at the Annual General Meeting of the Society and must be entered in the Minutes of
the Meeting. It must not be made a condition of Membership of the Society that a Member must take part in fund raising
schemes.
7. Should any dispute arise on any matter connected with the Society, the same shall be referred to the Officers and Committee,
who shall then decide on a Meeting of which both parties shall be notified in writing and the nature of the dispute shall be set
out and a Meeting called with seven (7) days notice to all Members in writing who shall then have power to deal with the dispute
in question. (With the exception of National / Specialist / Federation / Combine, where the Management Committee shall have
full power to deal with the dispute.)
8. A Special Meeting of which all Members must be notified in writing/email may be convened at any time on a requisition being signed
by at least five (5) Members in a Club consisting of ten (10) or more Members, at least three (3) Members in a Club of less than ten (10) Members, with the exception of Federations with four (4) Clubs to convene Special Meeting, (any Federation falling below four (4) Member Clubs cannot use the word Federation in its context) and Combines with three (3) Federations, who shall state business for which Meeting is to be called. No business other than that set out on the Agenda shall be dealt with. Only one (1) Special Meeting will be allowed for the particular agenda item within the season, i.e. AGM to AGM. Any Rule made under Rule 3 cannot be changed by the provisions of Rule 8.
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9. Any Member not having cleared his dues to the Club within fourteen (14) days of receipt of demand of such dues from the Club
Secretary will be reported to the Union as a Defaulter.
10. The Secretary shall keep a record of resolutions, proposers, and seconders and votes cast, at Club / Specialist / National /
Federation / Combine Meetings, same to be confirmed at next Meeting and signed by the Chairman of the Meeting.
11. Chairman to chair all Meetings, or in his absence Vice Chairman, or in the absence a Chairman elected from the floor. Chairman is
accorded full power as to order and procedure at Club Meetings. All Members on these two points to be governed by him. Should
any ruling of the Chairman be challenged the Members present shall decide procedure. Chair to be addressed respectfully, and
Chairman to have the casting vote should the vote be equal on all resolutions by Clubs.
In Nationals / Federations / Combines, etc, the Chairman to have the casting vote only. Voting will be either by show of hands or
by postal ballot. National / Federation / Combine Meetings may be Chaired by the President.
12. a). The Society shall not be dissolved or Headquarters changed without the explicit consent of the WHPU and on the assent of at least two-thirds of the Members present and voting at a Special Meeting called for the purpose of which every Member must be notified in writing/email. Notice of such a Meeting must be given to the Union Secretary in writing/email who reserves the right to be present at such Meeting. In the event of a Society being disbanded under this Rule, assets of the Society shall be realised and proceeds divided equally amongst the then active fully paid up Members - one loft one share - Sale of all assets of Clubs / Nationals /Federations / Combines must be advertised at least ten (10) days prior to the sale in the Fancy Press, giving time, date and place of said sale. No Society will be allowed to dissolve or change the radius and re-apply for Membership under any other name specifically to disenfranchise an existing Member of a Society. Clubs / Nationals/ Federations /Combines leaving the Welsh Homing Pigeon Union to distribute assets in accordance with this Rule.
(b) The Society shall not change the flying route or Federation during the racing season except on the assent of at least two- thirds of the Members present and voting at a Special Meeting called for the purpose, or on the assent of a majority of Members present and voting at a Special Meeting called for the purpose outside of the racing season. A Special Meeting can only be convened Following notification to every Member in writing/email. Notice of such Meeting must be given to the Union Secretary in writing/email who reserves the right to be present at such Meeting.
13. The Executive Body of the Union may appoint an Executive Member to be present at any gathering where official business is taking
place.
14. The Organisation shall have a Banking, Building Society or Post Office Savings Account and where possible all payments shall be
made by cheque, signed by the Secretary, Treasurer and/or one other Club Official. The Bank, Building Society or Post Office
Passbook shall be laid on the table at each Meeting for inspection by Members.
15. Any Member excluded or expelled for dishonourable conduct or suspended as a defaulter, which has been confirmed by the
Union, will forfeit all rights and claims to the assets of the Club / National / Federation / Combine, and shall be incapable of
becoming a Member or hold Office in any Affiliated Society to the Union. The Society has the right to withhold all prizes won by
such a Member.
16. Every Member and Official of a Society shall be a Member of the Welsh Homing Pigeon Union, and shall be bound by the Rules for
time being in force of that body.
17. Acceptance of Rules is a condition of Membership. All Rules will be strictly adhered to. Ignorance of same will not be accepted as
an excuse.
18. No Member of a Club shall represent his Club unless mandated to do so at Federation and Union Meetings.
19. That in all Organisations existing Officers will be eligible for re-election.
20. Where likely conflict of interest may arise, where an individual is a management representative or delegate to two regulatory
Organisations, it would seem politic to declare interest in the event of agenda items likely to bring the individual or his
Organisation into conflict. By declaration of interest, there would be no requirement for Vacation of Meeting when a conflicting
agenda item is being discussed.
21. That all Federations/Combines Affiliated to the Welsh Homing Pigeon Union, shall circulate the Minutes of all their Federation /
Combine Meetings to Clubs/Federations following the confirmation of the Minutes at their next Meeting.