NAME

The name of the Union shall be "The Irish Homing Pigeon Union."

DEFINITIONS

In the construction and application of these rules unless the context requires different meaning:

'Union' means the Irish Homing Pigeon Union.

'Affiliated Society' means any club, society, federation or regional organisation of such bodies formed for the promotion of pigeon racing and/or showing and affiliated to the Union in accordance with these rules.

'Supreme Council' means the Supreme Council of the Union as hereinafter described.

'Councillor' means a member of the Supreme Council.

'Secretary'  means the Secretary of the Union.

THE   OBJECTS

The objects for which the Union is established are:-

(a) The regulation of the sport of pigeon racing and showing homing pigeons and all matters connected with the sport in Ireland.

(b) The improvement of the homing pigeon by awards to the owners of the birds.

(c) The promotion and protection of the interests of members of the Union in all matters connected with the sport in Ireland.

(d) The provision of a Supreme Council for the determination, management resolution of disputes within the membership of the Union in accordance with the Rules of the Union.

(e) The exhibition of homing pigeons' apparatus, appliances, food and other matters connected to the sport and care of pigeon racing and showing pigeons.

MEMBERSHIP

RULE 1

There shall be two classes of membership: Affiliated and Individual Members.

RULE 2

Affiliated members are members of Affiliated Societies. Individual members are persons elected as members of the Union in a manner hereafter provided.

RULE 3

Any applicant may seek membership of the Union as an Affiliated Society or new Individual member by application in writing to the Secretary of the Region supported in writing by two existing members of the Union and in the event of the application for affiliated membership including also details of the names and addresses of all members of that body.

RULE 4

The Region Secretary shall within seven days inform the secretary of each Affiliated Society within the Region of the application for membership and objections to such membership shall be signed by the Secretary or another responsible officer of the objecting Affiliated Society and shall be received by the Region Secretary within twenty-one days of the date of his letter.

RULE  5

The applicant shall be advised in writing by the Region Secretary of an objection within seven days of receipt of the objection. Thereafter, the applicant has seven days to deliver to the Region Secretary any answers to the objection.

RULE  6

In the absence of any objection within this Rule, The Region Secretary shall accept the applicant as a full Affiliated or Individual member of the Union.

RULE  7

In the event of an objection the Region Secretary shall refer the application  for determination by the Supreme Council, such referral to be received by the Secretary at least twenty-one days before the next meeting of the Supreme Council.

RULE  8

Each application shall be accompanied by a non-refundable fee and each objection shall be accompanied by a refundable fee, returnable in the event  of the objection being sustained, and no application or objection shall be accepted under this Rule in the absence of the accompanying fee.

RULE  9

The Supreme Council shall from time to time set out details of all the requirements of membership.

RULE  11

The Region Secretary shall retain up to date records of all Affiliated membership and current individual membership and such records shall be open to inspection. Every Affiliated Society shall before 30 April each year furnish to the Secretary of the Region a list describing the names and addresses of its membership at that date and in the case of partnerships the name and address of each partner.

SUPREME   COUNCIL

RULE  7

In the event of an objection (to an application for membership) the Region Secretary shall refer the application for determination by the Supreme Council, such referral to be received by the Secretary at least twenty one days before the next meeting of the Supreme Council.

RULE  9

The Supreme Council shall from time to time set out details of all the requirements of membership.

RULE  15

The Supreme Council of the Union shall be the supreme controlling body of all the affairs of the Union. It shall be composed of six delegates from each Region plus Union President, Secretary and Treasurer.

RULE  19

General meetings of the Supreme Council shall be held at least twice yearly at a time and venue determined by the supreme council and otherwise as often as directed by the Supreme Council. The Annual General Meeting shall be held on the third Saturday of February.

RULE  20

Notice of place, date, time and agenda of all meetings of the Supreme Council shall be posted to delegates at least fourteen days beforehand and all motions and other matters up for didcussion at meetings must be received by the Secretary at least twenty-one days before the date of the meeting.

RULE  21

The Chairman may accept for discussion at any meeting matters raised by delegates which are not and do not relate to motions before the meeting. In relation to those matters the decision of the Chairman will be final.

RULE 22.

No business shall be determined at any meeting of the Union unless a quorum of one-third of the delegates are present.

RULE 23

Each delegate shall have one vote which shall not be exercised by proxy. In the case of equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote. Voting shall be by show of hands, but any delegate may demand a card vote on questions determined by the Chairman to be of vital importance, unless seventy-five per cent of the delegates present are against him. Such card vote shall determine the question before the meeting.

RULE 24

Unless otherwise specified by these Rules, decisions of the Supreme Council shall be carried by a simple majority vote of delegates present.

RULE 25

The President shall preside as Chairman at meetings of the Supreme Council and in his absence the delegates present shall elect one of their number to act as Chairman.

RULE  26

The Secretary shall keep records of all motions and procedings of meetings of the Council and in particular shall record:

(a) The names of all delegates present at meetings of the Supreme Council.

(b) All motions and decisions of the Supreme Council.

(c) All appointments of officers in the Union.

(d) Decisions of the Supreme Council which require endorsement at the next Annual General Meeting.

RULE  27

A special meeting of the Supreme Council shall be called within fourteen days of the receipt of a written request for a meeting signed by not less than six delegates of the Supreme Council (twenty delegates for a Region Meeting).

 

FINANCE

RULE      28

All income however derived shall be applied solely towards the objects of the Union and no member shall receive payment other than by way of remuneration for services actually rendered to the Union.

RULE  29

The Supreme Council shall keep true accounts of all monies received and expended by the Union.

RULE 30

The Banking Account of the Union shall be kept in such bank or Financial Institution as the Supreme Council may direct in the name of the Union and all monies received by or on behalf of the Union shall be paid into such an account excepting only a sum authorised by the Supreme Council from time to time, which shall be retained by the Secretary in cash. Cheques on the said banking account shall be signed by such persons as the Supreme Council directs.

RULE 31

The Union's financial year shall close on 31st December and all accounts due to the Union must be paid on or before 30th November each year.

RULE 32

Auditors appointed by the Supreme Council shall each year examine the accounts of the Union and shall certify that at the date of the Annual General Meeting the accounts reflect a true and correct view of the state of affairs of the Union at that time.

RULE 33

A copy of the audited accounts shall accompany the notice convening the Annual General Meeting where the delegates shall vote approving the accounts.

DISCIPLINE

RULE  34

Any member guilty of dishonourable conduct in connection with the sport, or wilfully these rules or the rules of the Region or his Affiliated Society or non-compliance with a decision in relation to such matter is liable to be fined or suspended or expelled by his Affiliated Society or Region or the Supreme Council. During such suspension a member shall cease to be a member of the Union and shall not be entitled to any of the privileges of the Union but shall be entitled to attend any meeting relating to the suspension but only in relation to that time of the agenda only.

RULE  35

Suspended members or Societies will be suspended from racing, showing, sale and transfer of birds. The registered address will also be suspended except where exempted by the Supreme Council. Where an appeal has been lodged the suspended member or society or club should be entitled to the normal rights of membership except the transfer of rings and where fraud has been proven.

RULE  36

Any affiliated society Guilty of the conduct described above may be fined or suspended or expelled ny the local Region.

......../still  under   construction