NBRC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FLY SUB-TITLE
NBRC Item 2017-001
A proposal honoring the late Henry Cook was presented to the Committee for
discussion, entailing that his name be added as an appendage to the 2017 NBRC
National Championship Fly. The subtitle would be in recognition of Henry’s
exceptional service to the club over a 20-year period, honoring his immeasurable
contribution to the organization as one of its true cornerstones during three
decades. As NBRC Accessory
Secretary from 1996 2015, Henry became one of the most respected members in
club history, credited with rebuilding a depleted club treasury through his
selfless, dedicated effort. During his tenure, the club enjoyed unparalleled
prosperity, generating income to support various programs and offset increases
in membership dues.
Henry played a distinct role in the advancement of the breed and fellowship
among all fanciers and was renowned with helping others become better
established; known as a dedicated and devoted fancier passionate about the
hobby and highly regarded as an outstanding breeder, handler, and competitor.
Inducted into the NBRC Hall of Fame in 2001, he ended a year-long battle with
COPD on January 1, 2017.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of club members had the distinct pleasure of
knowing this club icon through convention attendance as well as through club
merchandise sales, and the consensus among committee members was a more
valued contributor to our hobby didn’t exist, and that Henry was more than
deserving of this distinction.
Under the proposal, the official name of the event would remain “NBRC National
Championship Fly” with the appendage “In Memory of Henry Cook”. This would
be a one-year memorial and the subtitle would be dropped for the 2018 event.
If passed, the official name of the 2017 competition will be:
THE 2017 NBRC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FLY
In Memory of Henry Cook
This subtitle will appear in all promotional advertisement, and will be engraved on
all plaques and awards presented to competitors in recognition of achievement.
NBRC PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR APPOINTMENT
NBRC Item 2017-003
President Jon Farr sought committee approval to support his appointment of
Cam Datanagan as the NBRC Public Relations Director, filling a vacancy
prompted by the resignation of David Curneal from office in May 2017. NBRC
bylaws mandate that any appointment to fill an elected national office is subject
to undergo Executive Committee acceptance.
The position of Public Relations Director is a four-year, elected office term.
Curneal was elected in 2015 to begin service in 2016 and continue through the
end of 2019, with the unused balance of that term being two-and-a-half years in
length. If approved, Datanagan would complete the 30-month allotment and after
the stint become eligible for succession of office as a 2019 candidate.
Bylaws pertinent to this appointment / approval process include:
Article IV — Officers
Section 1. Elected National Offices, Four-Year Terms.
National officers elected to serve four-year terms: Secretary-Treasurer, Publishing
Editor, and Public Relations Director.
Section 2. Elected Officers to Serve on Executive Committee
All national and regional officers and directors serving in elected offices provided
in Section 1 shall likewise serve on the Executive Committee, with full voting
privileges. Officers serving in elected offices shall be considered to have been
elected even if they took office initially by appointment of the President in order
to fill a vacancy in that office.
Section 7. Filling Vacancies
Vacancies in national offices and regional directorships may be filled as follows:
a) Should any vacancy occur in any elected national office for any reason, the
President, with approval of the Executive Committee, may appoint a member to
fill such vacancy for the unexpired term of office.
c) Serving in a national or regional office solely to complete the unexpired term of
the previous office holder shall not constitute a “term of office” for purposes of
serving successive or consecutive terms under these Bylaws.
Datanagan has long exemplified enthusiasm for the hobby and the consensus
among his peers is that he would prove himself to be a tremendous asset to the
NBRC. Among his qualifications, Cam has hosted the NBRC Facebook page and
served in various positions for the National Pigeon Association, organizing and
promoting national events through them.
Support for Datanagan was unanimous among the 16 committee members who
responded, with all casting a favorable vote for his installment.
Vote Result: The item passed the committee by a vote of 16-0. 21 Members did
not vote.
Acceptance: 7-10-17
Members of the Executive Committee include the President, Vice-President,
Secretary-Treasurer, Regional Directors,
Director-at-Large, Publishing Editor, and National Fly Director, and are the
governing body of the organization as specified by the National Birmingham
Roller Club Constitution and Bylaws, Article V, Section 5.
NBRC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FLY COMMEMORATIVE PIN REDUCTION
NBRC Item 2017-002
Committee Members were asked to consider a reduction in fly pin distribution as
a cost saving measure for the club. The financial statement from last year’s
National Championship Fly indicated that participation numbers over the last
three years has dropped from 730 to 650 to 550… caused in part by an increase in
regions only entering the minimum amount of 10 kits to earn qualifiers. This drop
of 180 entrants has translated into significant less revenue to finance the fly,
while still requiring the same number of stops for the Finalist Judge.
The expense of running the fly has gone up, most notably in airfare and related
travel expense, yet the club has not increased the fly entries to keep in line. With
more and more regions entering the minimum 10 kits for $200, the lessened
participation and rising travel cost demands that the NBRC either raise entry fees
or start cutting costs. It is foreseeable that in the future the club will most likely
be forced to set a minimum entry fee per region, or raise kit entry fees.
To keep the competition more cost effective and help in refraining from resorting
to an immediate cost increase, it was proposed that the club award one pin per fly
entrant, rather than one pin for every kit entered as has been done in the past.
Fly pins for participation cost around $1.20 each, which is seemingly inexpensive
until multiplying that individual cost by the total kits entered. The total becomes a
significant sum in the hundreds. This proposal was presented as a way to realize
a modest savings for the NCF and while a $400 savings on fly pins may seem
insignificant, it may translate into a year or two of time without having to increase
fees.
As long as participation stays low, and regions enter only the minimum number
of kits to gain a qualifier, funding will be a concern. The National Fly Director has
done a commendable job of managing the budget by saving money on airline
expenses, etc. but finishing each season with little carryover funds used to start
up the following year with purchases of score pads, fly pins, and such.
While the intended savings may seem insignificant, RDs were informed that this
year’s score pad order will basically drain what is left in our Fly Account.
RDs will continue to receive a couple of extra pins in the event some are lost
along the way, and/or as a gift to a young fancier or a spectator that the club may
have an opportunity to recruit.
The proposal is one fly pin per person/entrant. If approved, NBRC 2017-002 would
modify NBRC National Fly Policy 001.06 awarding one pin per flier or member
who enters, rather than one pin per kit entered.
The awarding of fly pins is inclusive in the National Fly Policy, 001.06.
006.01 currently reads: “Each flyer shall receive one fly pin for every kit entered.”
If the proposal meets approval, 006.01 will be revised to read:
“Each flyer shall receive one fly pin for participation in the National
Championship Fly.”
Vote Result: The item passed the committee by a vote of 19-0. 18 Members did
not vote.
Acceptance Date: 02-27-17
Certified Spinner Program
The purpose of the NBRC Certified Spinner Program is the recognition of
superior Birmingham Roller performance. The goal is continued improvement of
the Birmingham Roller as a performing breed.
NBRC members who wish to certify a bird will do so by submitting an official
NBRC Spinner Certification Application Form with all the required information.
The form will be submitted to the NBRC Certified Spinner Director for
examination and approval.
Certification Fly Rules
- Certification of a bird will be authenticated by a minimum of three qualified
judges (other than the owner of the bird) on at least two different occasions. At
least two of the three certifying judges shall be present for each session to
witness the performance. A qualified judge will be an NBRC member in good
standing who has regularly flown in NBRC competitions for at least the past five
(5) years and/or who has judged NBRC or World Cup events on more than one
occasion. Authentication by the judges will be made by their signature on the
certification form (judges should sign the form only after all other information has
been entered). - A bird being certified will be at least one year old or banded with a seamless
band from a year prior to the year of certification. The owner will be a current
NBRC member in good standing. The judges will verify the band year on the bird
in question. - The bird being certified must be designated before liberation and must be
easily and clearly identifiable while in flight. Certification may be done in
conjunction with a world, national, regional, or local kit competition. If there is a
question in a judge’s mind as to the identification of the bird or it meeting the
criteria for certification due to distance, weather, or any factor affecting the
observation of the bird in judgment, the bird should not be certified. - The bird must perform with outstanding speed and style sufficient to blur out
the wing tips and execute cleanly from start to finish. The bird must spin a
minimum depth of thirty (30) feet or a duration of three (3) seconds and should
have enough frequency to spin once a minute. The bird must demonstrate a
strong desire to kit and return quickly after a spin, it should never turn away from
the kit or be an out bird during judgement. The bird will be judged for a minimum
of fifteen (15) minutes and must not land without the kit or until twenty (20)
minutes have passed since liberation (whichever comes first). - Should the judges find the bird worthy of certification the owner of such bird
will complete a NBRC Certified Spinner Certification Application Form. The form
shall contain the printed name of the owner and signature, the printed name and
signature of each judge certifying the bird, a current contact number for each
judge, and any comments the judges wish to add (list competition being judged),
date/time of certification, location of certification (loft name, city, state), and
names of any other witness present during the certification (other than the
owner). In addition, the form shall include relevant information on the bird to
include the band number (with year), color and markings, sex, age, and name (if
any) that might have been given to the bird in question by the owner. - Forms should be legible and completed in permanent blue or black ink with no
“mark-throughs” or corrections. Completed forms should be mailed to the
current NBRC Certified Spinner Director for inspection. Once certification is
authenticated the bird will be recorded in the Certified Spinner Register, the bird
is not deemed certified until it is registered. A maximum of three (3) birds may be
certified per year per owner. - Any attempts by a member with the intent to falsify, forge, or counterfeit a
document or form either in whole or part shall result in disciplinary action. The
disciplinary action should be consistent with the violation committed up to and
including a lifetime ban from the NBRC. Minimum disciplinary action will include
forfeiture and removal of any previous Certified Spinners from the Certified
Spinner Registry.
A judge who certifies a spinner by his signature on the form has found the
candidate bird to be a meritorious and praiseworthy example of what we all hope
to achieve in the air
Commentary:
The proposed Certified Spinner Program met positive feedback from all
participating EC members with no opposition expressed during the discussion
period. Comments such as “a great idea” were echoed with remarks including
“several in my area would be interested and it has the potential to attract new
members” and “it’s something that will appeal to our backyard members.”
During the open discussion, questions were asked such as “how much will it
cost? If it is a free program, then reconsider. There should be an entry fee per
bird entered or one slandered fee for up to three birds entered.” It was stated that
there will not be any cost to the club other than postage to mail out certificates.
“What time of the year should this be held? This might require flying three judges
around, who is going to pay for that?” It was clarified there was no timetable and
that “it is not a competition. A bird can be certified anytime of the year. A member
may only certify one bird at a time, up to 3 per year maximum. The club isn’t
providing judges or flying any around. The member wishing to certify a bird must
plan for at least 2 other members in good standing, who have competed regularly
in the last 5 years or have judged WC or NCF flys, to be in his yard to certify the
selected bird if they deem it worthy. He must also plan another day for at
least one other different member who meets the qualifications to be a certifying
judge, to be there, along with another (a fourth member judge), or one of the first
two. The bird must be judged on two separate occasions, and be judged by at
least 3 judges, at least two present each time. Nobody is going to have to pay for
it. The judges will likely be some of his region members, perhaps a regional judge
and can do it during a club fly, regional qualifier for WC or NCF, or a day he
chooses just to fly a bird he wants to show and get certified.
Part of the program is to get roller guys together, to watch kits/birds perform and
support each other in a fun way as a hobby. Somewhere along the path we have
lost a lot of the human element of ‘gathering’ to enjoy roller flying. Part of our
stated mission as NBRC is to promote fellowship amongst its fanciers.”
“We have to make sure we maintain the integrity of the program and not let it
deteriorate like it did before to the point where guys were certifying their friend’s
birds to raise the price tag on their birds. How can we prevent that from
happening?”
Farr’s answer to “how do we protect the integrity” of the program was that “we
keep it positive. There is virtually no way, without sending men on police detail to
supervise, of guaranteeing that some won’t try to take advantage. It’s a ‘for fun’
program. There is a rule written against fraud. The honest men will be honest
and the liar will still be that, too. I realize there will be some who use it to promote
themselves and/or their birds and perhaps make better sales, etc. So what? If a
guy gets a thrill off having a book full of certificates on his birds, good for him. Is
it really any skin off our neck that he does so? It already happens now (bird
sales, inflated promotions, champions on every perch) without any standard
criteria. I think we have to trust those who sign their names as judges and
witnesses that the bird is in fact a superior Birmingham roller. We can choose to
live questioning everyone’s motives, believing they are conspiring somehow, or
we accept that people’s motives are their own and until proven otherwise, give
them benefit of the doubt. The reason I wanted a 3 bird per year limit is so that a
few men don’t monopolize the program for selfish purposes, which may still
happen. But, they will now have to go through the prescribed processes to
accomplish it.”
Designee Director Jay Yandle added “If a flyer chooses to certify a bird during a
comp and the judge agrees to it, then the flyer will suffer whatever discount on
points happens because of it and it’s on him, not the judge nor the region. There
are also several judges, not just one, which brings up another point, what if
one judge says no and the others say yes? It has to be unanimous and I think that
probably should be stated. With that said, it’s important to note that the
certification may mean more to the flyer than the score.”
National Fly Director Don Macauley added that “we must make it optional whether
the Judge of a regional finals fly would be committed to certifying spinners
during these flys. Some may be perfectly willing and some may feel it is a
distraction from their main purpose of judging the fly. We have had a few Judges
willing to pick out the best bird of the fly and some that preferred not to in past
region flys. So to have to focus on a certain individual bird up for consideration
could be tough for a Judge to do while scoring the overall performance of the
kit.”
Their input was not added to the proposal before it was voted upon, thus
deeming Yandle and Macauley’s critique recommendations versus actual policy.
Vote Result: The item passed the committee by a vote of 20-0. 15
Members did not vote.
Acceptance Date: 09-21-17
National Birmingham Roller Club Constitution and Bylaws, Article V, Section
5.NBRC CERTIFIED SPINNER PROGRAM NBRC
Item 2017-004
In an effort to increase membership involvement in club-sponsored activity,
President Jon Farr sought committee approval to support the reinstitution of the
Certified Spinner Program. The following proposal was presented by Farr for
committee consideration. Members of the EC: “I’m asking for your inputs and
support for a new “certified spinner program”. One of the criticisms against the
NBRC that I think has merit, is that the majority of the programs and attention of
the club is directed towards our National Championship Fly. There are a number
of members who do not compete, but who value their membership and I want to
offer something they can participate in and earn recognition for their
breeding/flying efforts. I also believe this is in line with the NBRC stated mission
of “promoting the Birmingham roller pigeon and fellowship among its fanciers”. I
also realize there are numerous local diploma/certification/recognition programs.
My intent is not to replace or discredit any of those, but to have a national
opportunity for certification. There are no ‘fly dates’ or entry fees to work around.
A person can certify a bird any time of the year as long as the proposed
requirements below are met. Certification may take place coincidental to a WC or
NCF fly as well. It requires membership to apply as a candidate bird owner, and
membership to be a certifying judge, which enhances the fellowship and ‘getting
together’ of fanciers within our ranks. Jay Yandle has agreed to serve as the
inaugural director to administrate this program. He contributed the majority of the
write-up for this proposal. A couple of comments on the rules/criteria being
proposed: I want this to be a difficult certification to achieve. I imagine the kind of
birds that ought to be certified are those handful of special spinners a person
may be blessed enough to own in a lifetime. I also recognize that everyone sees
things a bit differently and that differences exist from region to region around the
US. So, some birds that may be certifiable in one area, would not in another. But
that’s somewhat the nature of the beast with flying rollers. I also want to point
out, this is not a competition between birds or fanciers. There will absolutely be
some birds better than others and both still meet the criteria for and deserve
certification. I have a couple of specifics I think are important. One is that the bird
must be at least a year old. This ensures a mild measure of stability. We all know
of one-year wonders that can spin great as young birds but don’t hold up. Those
kinds, in my mind, are not what we are seeking to promote as a breed. Also ,I
think it is important that the bird be judged/witnessed on more than one
occasion. Birds can have good and bad days just like we do. I don’t want to have
a bird certified that has its 1/100 day and gets certified. If it can do it on a couple
of occasions, being declared as a candidate before liberation, then in my mind it
has earned the status. By requiring 3 signors, it minimizes the “good ole boy, you
scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” phenomenon. As birds are certified, I
would like to recognize them in our bulletins and webpages by descriptions and
photos. The following proposal is presented for your consideration.”
Jon Farr NBRC President
NATIONAL BIRMINGHAM ROLLER CLUBNATIONAL BIRMINGHAM ROLLER CLUB
PROPOSED Certified Spinner Program
The purpose of the NBRC Certified Spinner Program is the recognition of
superior Birmingham Roller performance. The goal is continued improvement of
the Birmingham Roller as a performing breed. NBRC members who wish to certify
a bird will do so by submitting an official NBRC Spinner Certification Application
Form with all the required information. The form will be submitted to the NBRC
Certified Spinner Director for examination and approval .
Certification Fly Rules
1.Certification of a bird will be authenticated by a minimum of three qualified
judges (other than the owner of the bird) on at least two different occasions. At
least two of the three certifying judges shall be present for each session to
witness the performance. A qualified judge will be an NBRC member in good
standing who has regularly flown in NBRC competitions for at least the past five
(5) years and/or who has judged NBRC or World Cup events on more than one
occasion. Authentication by the judges will be made by their signature on the
certification form (judges should sign the form only after all other information has
been entered).
2.A bird being certified will be at least one year old or banded with a seamless
band from a year prior to the year of certification. The owner will be a current
NBRC member in good standing. The judges will verify the band year on the bird
in question.
3.The bird being certified must be designated before liberation and must be easily
and clearly identifiable while inflight. Certification may be done in conjunction
with a world, national, regional, or local kit competition. If there is a question in a
judge’s mind as to the identification of the bird or it meeting the criteria for
certification due to distance, weather, or any factor affecting the observation of
the bird in judgment, the bird should not be certified.
4.The bird must perform with outstanding speed and style sufficient to blur out
the wing tips and execute cleanly from start to finish. The bird must spin a
minimum depth of thirty (30) feet or a duration of three (3) seconds and should
have enough frequency to spin once a minute. The bird must demonstrate a
strong desire to kit and return quickly after a spin, it should never turn away from
the kit or bean out bird during judgement. The bird will be judged for a minimum
of fifteen (15)minutes and must not land without the kit or until twenty (20)
minutes have passed since liberation(whichever comes first).
5.Should the judges find the bird worthy of certification the owner of such bird
will complete a NBRC Certified Spinner Certification Application Form. The form
shall contain the printed name of the owner and signature, the printed name and
signature of each judge certifying the bird, a current contact number for each
judge, and any comments the judges wish to add (list competition being judged),
date/time of certification, location of certification (loft name, city, state), and
names of any other witness present during the certification (other than the
owner).In addition, the form shall include relevant information on the bird to
include the band number (with year), color and markings, sex, age, and name (if
any) that might have been given to the bird in question by the owner.
6.Forms should be legible and completed in permanent blue or black ink with no”
mark-throughs” or corrections. Completed forms should be mailed to the current
NBRC Certified Spinner Director for inspection. Once certification is
authenticated the bird will be recorded in the Certified Spinner Register, the bird
is not deemed certified until it is registered. A maximum of three (3) birds may be
certified per year per owner.
7.Any attempts by a member with the intent to falsify, forge, or counterfeit a
document or form either in whole or part shall result in disciplinary action. The
disciplinary action should be consistent with the violation committed up to and
including a lifetime ban from the NBRC. Minimum disciplinary action will include
forfeiture and removal of any previous Certified Spinners from the Certified
Spinner Registry.
A judge who certifies a spinner by his signature on the form has found the
candidate bird to be a meritorious and praiseworthy example of what we all hope
to achieve in the air
Commentary:
The proposed Certified Spinner Program met positive feedback from all
participating EC members with no opposition expressed during the discussion
period. Comments such as “a great idea” were echoed with remarks including
“several in my area would be interested and it has the potential to attract new
members “and “it’s something that will appeal to our backyard members.
“During the open discussion, questions were asked such as “how much it will
cost? If it is a free program, then reconsider. There should be an entry fee per
bird entered or one slandered fee for up to three birds entered.” It was stated that
there will not be any cost to the club other than postage to mail out certificates.
“What time of the year should this be held? This might be requiring flying three
judges around, who is going to pay for that?” It was clarified there was no
timetable and that “it is not a competition. A bird can be certified anytime of the
year. A member may only certify one bird at a time, up to 3 per year maximum.
The club isn’t providing judges or flying any around. The member wishing to
certify a bird must plan for at least 2other members in good standing, who have
competed regularly in the last 5 years or have judged WC or NCF flys, to be in his
yard to certify the selected bird if they deem it worthy. He must also plan another
day for at least one other different member who meets the qualifications to be a
certifying judge, to be there, along with another (a fourth member judge), or one
of the first two. The bird must be judged on two separate occasions, and be
judged by at least 3 judges, at least two present each time. Nobody is going to
have to pay for it. The judges will likely be some of his region members, perhaps
a regional judge and can do it during a club fly, regional qualifier for WC or NCF,
or a day he chooses just to fly a bird he wants to show and get certified Part of
the program is to get roller guys together, to watch kits/birds perform and
support each other in a fun way as a hobby. Somewhere along the path we have
lost a lot of the human element of ‘gathering’ to enjoy roller flying. Part of our
stated mission as NBRC is to promote fellowship amongst its fanciers.”
“We have to make sure we maintain the integrity of the program and not let it
deteriorate like it did before to the point where guys were certifying their friend’s
birds to raise the price tag on their birds. How can we prevent that from
happening?
“Farr’s answer to “how do we protect the integrity” of the program was that “we
keep it positive. There is virtually no way, without sending men on police detail to
supervise, of guaranteeing that some wont try to take advantage. It’s a ‘for fun
‘program. There is a rule written against fraud. The honest men will be hone stand
the liar will still be that, too. I realize there will be some who use it to promote
themselves and/or their birds and perhaps make better sales, etc. So what? If a
guy gets a thrill off having a book full of certificates on his birds, good for him. Is
it really any skin off our neck that he does so? It already happens now (bird sales,
inflated promotions, champions on every perch) without any standard criteria. I
think we have to trust those who sign their names as judges and witnesses that
the bird is in fact a superior Birmingham roller. We can choose to live questioning
everyone’s motive, believing they are conspiring somehow, or we accept that
people’s motives are their own and until proven otherwise, give them benefit of
the doubt. The reason I wanted a 3 bird per year limit is so that a few men don’t
monopolize the program for selfish purposes, which may still happen. But, they
will now have to go through the prescribed processes to accomplish it.”
Designee Director Jay Yandle added “If a flyer chooses to certify a bird during a
comp and the judge agrees to it, then the flyer will suffer whatever discount on
points happens because of it and it’s on him, not the judge nor the region. There
are also several judges, not just one, which brings up another point, what if one
judge says no and the others say yes? It has to be unanimous and I think that
probably should be stated. With that said, it’s important to note that the
certification may mean more to the flyer than the score.”
National Fly Director Don Macauley added that “we must make it optional whether
the Judge of a region or finals fly would be committed to certifying spinners
during these flys. Some may be perfectly willing and some may feel it is a
distraction from their main purpose of judging the fly. We have had a few Judges
willing to pick out the best bird of the fly and some that preferred not to in past
region flys. So to have to focus on a certain individual bird up for consideration
could be tough for a Judge to do while scoring the overall performance of the
kit.” Their input was not added to the proposal before it was voted upon, thus
deeming Yandle and Macauley’s critique recommendations versus actual policy.
Vote Result: The item passed the committee by a vote of20-0.15Members did not
vote. Acceptance Date: 09-21-17