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Spring 2003 Newsletter : Secretary's File

Subscriptions

Subscription collection takes up much of the Secretary's time during December and January each year. Fortunately 60% of members are either in Life Membership or pay by Banker's Order. 
Those who currently pay on annual invoice could save themselves and the Secretary a lot of time, and the Branch a lot of money, by changing to Banker's Order. Just email parsonsbury@hotmail.com today and I will send you the requisite form. 
It is really very straightforward and leaves you in active control of payments, unlike the Direct Debit system. 
For those who wish to continue to pay on annual invoice, may I make a plea that you pay promptly on the first invoice. From 122 renewals sent out, the following pattern of payments illustrates how persistent late payers create problems for the Branch:
After 4 weeks - 64 paid 
After 8 weeks - 80 paid 
Reminders then sent. 
After 12 weeks - 92 paid 
25% still to pay after three months.

John Atherton

It is with deep regret that we have learned of the death, after a short illness, of John Atherton, founder and managing director of York-based egg quality measuring instrument manufacturer Technical Services and Supplies (TSS). John, 65 and internationally recognised as the 'father of egg quality', entered the poultry industry in 1960, subsequently working for Thornbers, BOCM/Unilever, Green Hammerton Hatcheries and Feedex Agriculture.
He set up TSS in 1985, along with his wife Delia, and ran this very successful business with his sons Mike and David, selling egg quality measuring equipment to no less than 62 countries worldwide.
John was certainly one of the nicest men you could ever wish to meet and will be sadly missed by all who knew him. His family will continue to run the business and Mike Atherton has joined WPSA in his father's place.

Membership

We are delighted to welcome the following new members who have joined the Branch since our last Newsletter:  The following members have resigned from the Branch: Congratulations to Wendy Wakeman of Roche Products on the completion of her well earned Post-Graduate Doctorate, also to Aaron Cowieson, winner of the WPSA President's Prize at the 2000 Annual Meeting, on the successful completion of his PhD at SAC Auchincruive.

WPSJ for Libraries

The Editorial Board of the World's Poultry Science Journal has agreed that it should increase the circulation of the Journal to libraries. Editor David Martin now needs to compile a list of the most important libraries around the world which have a significant science section and which should receive copies of the Journal. If any member has knowledge of a particularly relevant library, please email the Secretary (parsonsbury@hotmail.com).

Humane disposal of day-old chicks in hatcheries - further advice

The Humane Slaughter Association (HSA) has issued its latest guidance on the humane disposal of day-old chicks in hatcheries. Technical Note No 9 - Instantaneous Mechanical Destruction - is aimed at personnel in hatcheries which use this method for the disposal of day-old chicks. 
This publication has information on relevant legislation, IMD specifications, staff training and maintenance. The HSA wants all hatcheries to obtain a copy of the Technical Note and to incorporate it into their current chick disposal procedures. 
Copies are available FREE of charge and can be obtained by sending a A4 SAE with 2 x 1st class stamps to: Humane Slaughter Association and Council of Justice to Animals, The Old School, Brewhouse Hill, Wheathampstead, Herts, AL4 8AN. Tel: 01582 831919, Fax: 01582 831414, Email: info@hsa.org.uk, website:www.hsa.org.uk.

Egg Printing Legislation

I am reminded that Commission Directive 2002/4/EC requires that all sites with over 350 birds must be registered by 31 May 2003 and that all their eggs placed on the market for human consumption must be printed with the farm registration number, the identity of the farming method and the country code by 1 January 2004. There are a number of suppliers of ink jet labeling systems in the UK. 
Those identified at present include:

Joyce Darling's Retirement

Most members will know Joyce, Finance Officer of BSAS, for her cheerful help and her excellent organisational skills in relation to our Annual Meetings, where she has done much of the behind-the scenes work and also manned the reception desk. BSAS Treasurer Brian Cooke writes to tell us that Joyce is retiring in April after twenty years sterling service and WPSA members are invited to contribute to a retirement presentation to be made to her at York (please - she does not know about this!). Contributions may be sent by cheque, payable to B C Cooke, to Dr Brian C Cooke, Hafod, 1 Jenkins Orchard, Wick St Lawrence, Weston-super-Mare, N Somerset BS22 7YP.

WPSA (World) Newsletter

The latest issue, 16 (Winter 2002) was received in January, containing much interesting and useful information on the activities of WPSA worldwide and with reports from the President, Secretary and Treasurer and WPSJ Editor. This is available in full on our two websites: www.wpsa.com.

WPSA Scholarship Awards - a reminder

The Foundation for Promoting Poultry Science of the Netherlands Branch of the World's Poultry Science Association has announced that its third group of awards will be presented at the XXII World's Poultry Congress in Istanbul, Turkey in 2004. The awards are normally made in each of three categories - Education, Organisation and Research - which coincide with the wording of the WPSA logo. An internationally representative committee chosen by the Board of the World's Poultry Science Association will decide the recipients. While it is anticipated that one award will be made in each category, this may vary depending on the number and quality of recipients.  
Each award is worth €11,000 (currently about £7,300). Nominations have to be submitted to the WPSA Awards Committee at least six months before the start of the Istanbul World's Poultry Congress and so the deadline for the receipt of submissions is 1 December 2003. 
Possible nominations will be discussed at the Autumn meeting of the WPSA UK Branch Council. Council members have full details of the awards and the nomination procedure. If any member wishes to suggest a suitable nominee, please ask any Council member for these details or contact the Branch Secretary (parsonsbury@hotmail.com).

UK Branch Government

The UK Branch of WPSA is currently governed by its elected officers, including a President and an Immediate Past President. It is proposed to open a discussion at the 2003 Annual General Meeting to assess the level of support for amending the Constitution by the introduction of a new office of Vice President to replace the existing office of Immediate Past President. After four years in office the Vice President would then normally become President for the following four years. 
It is suggested that a weakness of the present system is that, when a newly elected President takes office, although frequently an existing Councillor, he/she generally has no previous knowledge or experience of the day to day running of the Branch. 
Any change to the existing Constitution will need to be adopted according to the Constitution. A ballot could then take place at the 2004 Annual General Meeting.