My response to Dave Herrings (BS Publicity Officer) comments in cage and Aviary Birds November 5th.
2009.
First I am pleased that Dave Herring withstood the pressure placed upon him by certain people (who are not members
of the General Council (GC)) not to respond to my letter, which would have been an abuse of freedom of expression and uncouth!
There are a certain clique of people within the Budgerigar Society (BS) who would wish to restrict freedom of expression and
democracy. This action by the BS has helped to restore some of my faith in the eminence and candorof the General Council.
However, I must address Dave Herrings point regarding rule19b (i) and 19b (ii) that permits Budgerigar Society
(BS) Members to submit resolutions only once every three years as opposed to the General Councils prerogative of every year.
The Resolution proposed in 2003 was opposed by the GC, and therefore indicates the General Councils attitude
to equality and fairness in this area: as to the BS Members fundamental democratic rights.
My observation that the membership has now developed into lethargy, is born out of the number of people who vote
at the BS General Meeting in May each year, with approximately only 600 out of 3000 members bothering to vote. Stimulating
the BS Membership is critical if it is to survive, especially with the active participation of BS members who have specialist
professional knowledge in areas like advertising, economics and business development. The General Council have the power to
appoint these people who have these special skills as they do not need to be a member of the GC.
There are less and less members who will remember the great days of Gerald Binks in the 1980s who led and showed
the way in promoting the Budgerigar through fabulous shows, superb presentation
and professionalism, which also published the Budgerigar World Magazine that
dragged the BS kicking and screaming forward to reform and a change in their approach to the hobby . Even to this day these
shows have never really been equalled.
This time was a golden era in the Exhibition of Budgerigars which was never capitalised on by the Budgerigar
Society, but it did prove and show that with professional business skills the BS can move forward.
Therefore, there must be a commitment by the GC to a professional businesslike approach that will include BS
Members who have established and run very successful businesses; by listening and giving them apart to play in the promotion
and management of the hobby... However, they can not expect these members to come to them as this is where the GC
Members will need to use their persuasive skills. We have had very successful business people who have run large organisations
elected onto the GC in recent years but have resigned after a very short time when their ideas have been rejected.
The GC will retain overall democratic control of decision making. Never the less, they must be prepared to be
flexible and support what may seem to them to be radical reform in some circumstances.
Accordingly, it is important to inform the members who were not a part of the BS at this time (1980s) and to
explain and illustrate to them what can and should be done.
