Spring 2004 Newsletter : Secretary's File

The turn of the year is always when the most membership activity happens. Subscription renewals often remind members that they have long since retired and that they really meant to cancel their membership of WPSA! This effect has been accentuated this year by the necessity for us to change our banking arrangements and to ask members paying by banker's order to renew their authorisations.  This has brought several not quite forgotten names out of the woodwork.
However, there is good news also and we are now delighted to welcome the following new members, who have joined the Branch since the last Newsletter:

Mr Sam Arkle, University of Newcastle upon Tyne (student). 

Miss Deborah Cross, SAC Auchincruive (student). 

Dr George Mann, University of Nottingham. 

Miss Ros Mayne, Roslin Institute (student). 

Miss Natalie Simmonds, Humane Slaughter Association. 

Mr Shan Sithambaran, SAC Auchincruive (student). 

Mr Nicholas Wood, Waterfowl Consulting and Research 

In addition WPSA ran a recruitment exercise at the Quality Symposia in France in September and we are pleased to welcome the following four new members who accepted one year's free membership. We hope that they will remain members in future years: 

Mrs Donna Lammie, University of Glasgow (student). 

Mrs Victoria Maltby, The Royal Veterinary College (student). 

Dr George Mieras, British Poultry Science. 

Mrs Rosita Neilan, Department of Agriculture, Eire. 

The 'first year free' exercise was initiated and sponsored by UK Branch member Dr Gordon Rosen, who is repeating his offer at the Branch Annual Meeting in April. We are most grateful to him for his generosity. 

Regrettably the following members have now left the Branch and we wish them well: 

Mr W H Beaumont, Ashford, Kent. 

Dr Colette Clarke, DEFRA 

Prof Mike Forbes, University of Leeds. 

Dr John Jones, Norwich. Mokhtar Khajavi, University of Newcastle. 

Mr Ji-Hyuk Kim, Roslin Institute. 

Ms Anne Knox, Roslin Institute. 

Mr C W Mason, Humane Slaughter Association. 

Mr Ian Nicholson, Scunthorpe. 

Mr Robert Parry, Spain. 

Mr Neville Prescott, Silsoe Research. 

Mr Kenny Rutherford, Roslin Institute. 

Miss Catriona Webster, Bayer. 

Mr Gwyn Williams, Bury St Edmunds. 

Mr Roger Winstanley, Chichester.

It is with great regret that we report the death of Gordon Pickering, for many years a member of WPSA, at the age of 80. He died suddenly at home in Essex on Wednesday 3 December 2003 and his funeral was attended by many members of the industry. 

After war time service in the Royal Navy, Gordon studied at the National Institute of Poultry Husbandry at Harper Adams and later lectured at the Cheshire Farm Institute and at Harper Adams. He joined NAAS (Later ADAS) in Warwickshire in 1966 and was a very popular and well-respected adviser both there and in Essex, to which he later moved. In retirement he was deeply involved with both the NFU Turkey Association and the Anglian Turkey Association, among many other activities, and, until his untimely death, was still inspecting franchised farms for Kelly Turkeys.

Tom Newman Memorial Award

We are delighted to announce that the WPSA UK Branch Nominees, Dr Malcolm Mitchell (Roslin Institute) and Mr Peter Kettlewell (Silsoe Research Institute) have been jointly awarded the 2003 Tom Newman Memorial Award for their work on improving the welfare of broiler chickens in transit. This prestigious award is presented annually by the British Poultry Council Chicken Breeders and Hatcheries Sector Group to the living author who, in the opinion of the judges, has made the most significant research contribution, in one area of poultry science, which will benefit poultry husbandry.
The award was presented by Mr Ben Bradshaw MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, DEFRA, at the Annual Awards at the House of Commons on 2 December 2003. 
Congratulations to you both. 

Better offer on Summer Vacation Scholarships 2004

Since details and application forms were distributed to all members with their Autumn Newsletter, a number of improvements to the terms offered have been agreed:

• Two scholarships are offered each now worth up to £1000. 
• These are now open to BSc or to MSc students. 
• Applicants may be in receipt of concurrent awards from other sources. 

Theclosing date for applications is Friday 26 March. Full details and the new terms are available from the Branch Secretary: parsonsbury@hotmail.com and by following this link.

Symposium Proceedings on CD-Rom

The whole proceedings of the XVIth European Symposium on the quality of poultry meat and the Xth European Symposium on the quality of Eggs and Egg Products, held in St Brieuc, France form 23- 26 September 2003, is available on CD-rom. Details are available from WPSAFrance@aol.com at 30 euros per CD, including postage. 

Student summer placement

A 23 year old female student from Cameroon, currently an undergraduate in the Netherlands, is seeking a work placement during May to August 2004. She is particularly interested in organic production and would like to obtain experience in production and marketing. 
If any member can help, please contact her directly: edithneh@yahoo.com 

Change of email addresses - WPSA World Secretariat

Please note that the email address of the Association Secretary, Dr Piet Simons, has changed to piet.simons@wur.nl and the email address of his secretary (and Assistant Editor of the Journal), Mrs Dorien Kleverwal, has also changed to: wpsa@xs4all.nl. 

Branch Constitution

Discussions have continued in Council on draft proposals to replace the office of Immediate Past President with a new Vice President. Opportunities for all members to be involved in these discussions will be given at the AGM.