STAFFORDSHIRE MOORLANDS & DISTRICT FEDERATION OF HOMING SOCIETIES

GENERAL RULES 2018

1. This Federation shall be called Staffordshire Moorlands & District Federation

of Homing Societies with Headquarters at Kidsgrove Working Men’s Club,

Kidsgrove, Stoke on Trent, or where so ever the Federation from time to

time decide and this Federation shall be affiliated to the Royal Pigeon

Racing Association and shall be bound by the rules in force for that body.

2. The area of the Federation shall be as mapped but with the Southern

Boundary amended to read Latitude 52.46.00 N. There shall be three

Sections, namely West, East and North. For details see Appendix A or visit

the Federation Website www.moorlandsfedpigeons.co.uk

West Section: Berryhill WMC FC, Kidsgrove Premier FC, Leek IFC,

Macclesfield FC, Milton HS, Packmoor & DHS, Pool Dole HS and Shelton

DHS.

East Section: Blythe Bridge HS and Ipstones FC. North Section: Dukinfield FC, Longdendale HS and Poynton RBLHS.

3. The lofts of all Affiliated Club Members must be situated within the Federation area.

4. All Clubs shall pay an annual subscription of £12.00 per member loft whether

a member of other Clubs or not, and must be submitted together with a

membership list showing the names and addresses and flying distances of

all members before 15th March in each year.

5. The entire management of the Federation shall be vested in a Management

Committee consisting of President, Vice Presidents, Chairman, Treasurer,

Secretary and two delegates from each affiliated Club. All such Committee

Members to be appointed at the Annual General Meeting (names,

addresses and telephone numbers to be given to the Federation Secretary).

In the event of a named delegate not being able to attend a meeting it shall

be permissible for the Affiliated Club to send a substitute on notification to

the Federation Secretary. The quorum shall be fixed at 5 and the method of

voting at all meetings shall be on the basis of 1 Club 1 vote.

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6. The Annual General Meeting shall be held not later than the last Saturday in the January of the following year to consider and adopt, if appropriate, the previous season’s Statement of Accounts and Balance Sheet, election of Officers, alteration or addition to Federation Rules and the authority to destroy unwanted documents. The financial year to be 1st November to 31st October.

7. In the case of equality in the number of votes cast the person presiding at

the meeting shall have a casting vote.

8. The Management Committee shall have the power to suspend or expel any

Club or individual on having proof of misconduct or willful violation of the

Federation Rules. Any Club resigning, suspended or expelled, shall forfeit

all claims to the property of the Federation.

9. An Emergency Committee consisting of the President, Vice-Presidents,

Treasurer and Chairman of such Committee may be called by the President

in consultation with the Secretary at any time with power to deal with any

emergency that may arise.

10. There shall be a Committee to consider all aspects of the finance and

transportation of the Federation who will also have responsibility for the day

to day running of the Federation.

11. Each Club shall telephone, text, e-mail or deliver by hand the leading times

for their Club, to the Race Secretary or nominee by 11.00 hours on the day

following the close of the race. The Race Secretary or nominee shall then

place a provisional list of leading times on the Federation website by 18.00

hrs on the day following the race closure. The day following the close of

each Federation race, Club Secretaries shall forward a completed copy of

the Federation Race Report form, a copy of the full Club result together with

clock dials or ETS arrival sheets to the Race Secretary who in turn shall

publish a Federation result showing the first 30 Open positions and the First

position for each Section. Any Club not complying with this Rule shall be

disqualified from taking Federation positions. Three days will be allowed for

postal time, Sundays and Bank Holidays allowed in addition to the three

days.

12. No objections will be entertained against any competitor unless the same is

lodged by a Club with the Federation Secretary, in writing, within 7 days of

the Federation result being sent to Club Secretaries.

13. All inland races to close at 23.00 hours, on the day of liberation. Races up

to 450 miles at 22.30 hours on the second day after liberation, races over

450 miles at 22.00 hours on the third day after liberation. Young Bird races over

250 miles close at 20.00 hours on the second day after liberation. Hours of

darkness: Races under 450 miles from 10.30pm to 4.30am, races over 450 miles

from 10.00pm to 5.00am. Young bird race from 8.00pm to 6.30am.

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14. The Federation Secretary, or whoever he/she may appoint, shall have the

authority to visit and examine any Club’s marking, clocks and other

documentation whilst in the possession of a Club or Club member at any

time he/she thinks fit.

15. Each Club shall be sent a bill for convoying every week and Clubs shall pay

these within seven days of receipt of same. Clubs who fall in arrears after such time will have 10% added to their bill.

16. Birds winning Federation positions may be physically verified by the

Federation Secretary or whomsoever he/she may appoint.

17. The Race Secretary shall phone or text all Clubs with time of liberation or no

toss message.

18. In the event of race birds not being liberated by the third day following the

official race day all wind-up clocks shall be reset on the evening of the third

day. Failure to comply with this rule shall lead to disqualification.

19. Any member who times in in any other member’s clock shall put his or her

name in the thimble with the race rubber, if appropriate.

20. The Transport & Finance Committee shall consider the Race Programme.

Clubs may submit suggested Race Programmes to the Federation Secretary

within 28 days of the last Federation race of the season for consideration.

21. All claims for Federation trophies and average winners shall be submitted to

the Race Secretary within 28 days of the last Federation young bird race.

22. All averages and trophy winners and their velocities will be advised to all

Club Secretaries, any objections to be raised within 14 days.

23. Open and Section Diplomas shall be awarded for each Federation race to

the first 20 birds in the open result and to the first bird in each Section.

24. When applicable the Breeder/Buyer race shall be flown in conjunction with

the longest Young Bird Race of the Federation Programme or a suitable

alternative liberation site/date selected by the Management Committee. The

Race Secretary shall issue a list of ring numbers to members and Club

Secretaries when the list is completed.

25. In races of more than one day duration, members’ clocks must be struck off

against the Club Master Timer before midnight on the day a bird has been

timed in. Clocks do not need to be opened until after the closure of the race

if a member so wishes.

26. The Federation Secretary shall take charge of and organise all non-racing

activities on behalf of the Federation, such as Young Bird Sales, Moots,

Dinners and Prize Presentations etc.

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27. The Federation shall provide an annual directory on the Federation Website of all member Club Secretaries’ names and telephone numbers within the Federation at the beginning of every current season. Any alterations during the current season shall be communicated to all the Club Secretaries via the Federation Website.

28. At least once every three years the Federation shall publish up-to-date copies of its Rules and issue these to each of its Affiliated Club Secretaries unless no changes have been made to the Rules during that period. New Members shall be furnished with an up-to-date copy of the Federation Rules upon joining the Federation. It shall be the responsibility of each Club Secretary to ensure that all members of their respective Clubs receive a copy of the Federation Rules. The year of issue shall be printed on the front page of the Rules.

29. The Federation shall have a minimum of 10 Old Bird Inland races per

season.

30. The Federation shall have a minimum of 7 Young Bird races per season.

31. The young fancier of the year trophy shall be judged by the Management

Committee. All claims for this trophy to be submitted to the race secretary

within 28 days of the last young bird race.

32. The bird of the year trophy shall be awarded on a points system based on

the first 20 positions in the Fed. With 20 points awarded to 1st position and

down to 1 point for 20th position pro rata. All claims for this trophy to be

submitted to the race secretary within 28 days of the last Federation young

bird race.

RACING RULES 2018

1. The Federation shall appoint a Race Advisor.

2. The liberation time shall be left to the discretion of the Race Advisor and the

Convoyer.

3. No member shall communicate with the Convoyer, Race Advisor or Race

Secretary in any way whatsoever on the day of liberation. Anyone found

doing so will be disqualified.

4. In the case of an hold-over birds are not to arrive before 9.00am.

5. Crates. Before dispatch all Clubs shall ensure that all crates are clean and

properly sealed.

6. Marking. The full metal ring numbers to be read out as per RPRA rule 238.

7. Counter stamping. The Federation is empowered to counter stamp any bird. Such counter stamps shall be valid race marks.

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8. Wing stamping. As per RPRA rule 121.

9. In the event of an outbreak of any disease in any Club within the Federation,

the Federation Officials have the power to stop that Club from racing.

10. Whilst every care will be taken by the Committee of the birds in their charge,

it must be clearly understood that all birds will be entirely at the owner’s risk

from the time they leave their hands.

11. In all races it shall be deemed to be the ring and not the bird which is entered.

RPRA rule 93.

12. In the event of poor weather conditions the Convoyer and Race Advisor are

empowered to move the birds to an alternative race point to enable

liberation.

13. Anything arising not provided for in these rules shall be decided by the

Emergency Committee whose decision shall be final subject to RPRA rules.

FEDERATION CUPS AND TROPHIES Old Bird Inland Average – Mr & Mrs W E Parkinson Shield Channel Average Shield Young Fancier of The Year Cup Combined Old Bird Average Young Bird Average Phil Lovatt –The Wanderer Trophy Combined Inland Average Shield Combined Inland Average Cup Combined Average All Races Sentinel Trophy Fougères Cup Breeder and Buyer Cups Gold Ring Shield SMDF Championship League Trophy North Section Average Cup

Rules updated: 12th Jan. 2015 (A.W.) 27 March 2017 (JS) 7 February 2018 (JS)

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Appendix A

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