Autumn 2004 Newsletter : WPSA UK Branch Annual Meeting

5 -6 April 2005

The Annual Meeting and AGM are important events in the life of the Association. Past experience suggests that, providing a superb mixture of scientific, social and business activities, next spring's events should really not be missed.

Return to the University of York

After four successful years on the attractive and convenient campus of the University of York, the 2005 Annual Meeting will be held here once again, alongside that of BSAS. Easy access by road and rail from most parts of the country makes this an excellent choice of venue. The extensive modern facilities offer the opportunity for a highly integrated event with the major benefit of everybody being on one site. Having both excellent conference facilities and good quality accommodation, York offers sufficient space for WPSA and BSAS to meet both together and separately over the two days and one night of our Meeting.

Programme

Following a similar pattern to last year, the meeting will commence at coffee time on Tuesday 5 April. The afternoon session will include a Mini-Symposium entitled "The chicken genome and its application to our science". At 5pm will be the Robert Fraser Gordon Memorial Lecture, given this year by Prof Kirk Klasing from the University of California, Davis, whose title will be announced later. This will be followed as usual by the Gordon Reception.

The big change this year sees the Branch Annual Dinner move off the University Campus to the lovely surroundings of St William's College at York Minster.

Wednesday morning will see the Branch AGM, followed by sessions of short original communications and poster discussions as well as one guest speaker Josse De Baerdemaeker, an engineer from Leuven University whose topic will be "Novel methods to detect the physical quality of egg shells".

Full details will be included in the Programme and Application Form, which will be sent to all members early next year.

Papers and Posters

Members are now invited to submit papers and/or posters for consideration by the Programme Committee. These may be on any topic relating to poultry science. Details for submission of papers and posters appear on the Abstract Preparation Page where there is also an example paper.

WPSA UK Branch Annual General Meeting

The Branch AGM will be held at 8.45am on Wednesday 6 April 2005 (full details to be announced in the Spring Newsletter).

We would encourage all members to come along and contribute to the way in which the Branch is run. This year we need to elect/re-elect two Councillors. Dr Paul Rose retires as an elected member of Council, having served two consecutive terms of four years, for which we are all deeply indebted to him. He will need to be replaced but may, however, remain on Council as Chairman of the Programme Committee until 2007. Mr Andrew Ball has completed one term of four years and, being eligible, offers himself for re-election. Details of the existing Council and the procedure for elections is set out below.