CLUB RULES
THE BRITISH BARCELONA CLUB
This organisation shall be called THE BRITISH BARCELONA CLUB, with its headquarters at 6, FENWAY CLOSE, DORCHESTER, DORSET,DT1 1PQ. The lofts of all members must be situated within THE BRITISH ISLES and should a member remove his loft to a place outside the area, so defined, his competitive membership shall cease.
RULES
Rules as per R.P.R.A. Standard Rules.
Club Rules
1. The object of The Club is to organise The Longest Old Bird Race from The Barcelona Area each year.
2. MEMBERS ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION will be £15.00 which shall be paid BEFORE the 31st March each year. The Entrance Fee for New Members will be £5.00.
3. The entire management of the club shall be vested in the Management Committee, five to form a quorum who shall have power to add to their number and fill up any vacancies that may occur and shall make Rules, Bye Laws, Regulations and Conditions as to the management of the Club, its races or anything connected therewith, all of which Rules, Bye-Laws, Regulations and Conditions shall be binding upon every member of the Club.
4. The Committee of Management to consist of a President, Vice-Presidents, Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and a committee of ten, who shall be elected from members of the Club at the A.G.M. of the Club.
5. The Committee reserve the right to refuse any member admission to the Club if they deem they are justified in refusing admission, and may suspend any member who wilfully violates the rules of the Club.
6. Members withdrawing from the Club forfeit all right to his property. Members being suspended from the Club forfeit all claims to prizes, pools, entry fees and property.
7. Applications for membership must be made in writing and shall be accompanied by the first annual subscription.
8. Loft locations (Longitude and Latitude) must be forwarded to the Secretary with the application for membership.The Secretary MUST be informed of any changes that occur, before you compete in ANY race. These changes may be verified by the secretary or his/her representative.
9. The Club will organise FOUR intermediate races annually. The first race will be flown from Carentan, the second shall be flown from Messac, the third shall be flown from Poitiers and the fourth shall be flown from Bordeaux.
10. The AGM is to be held the third Saturday in November in each year. The dinner to be held the third Saturday in November in each year.
11. All members’ distances will be obtained by the secretary.
12. The Club shall run a Young Bird race annually for birds with any RPRA approved rings.
12a. The Club to organise an old hens race, to be flown in conjunction with the young bird race. This race to be self supporting and not included in the averages. The number of diplomas to be decided by the committee.
13. The British Homing World to be the official organ of the Club and the publication of the race results, or any alterations of the rules, regulations and conditions therein, shall be notice to all members.
14. Officers and members of the committee shall notify the Secretary, in the event of illness, preventing non-attendance at a meeting of the committee. Absence without notification for two consecutive meetings of the committee, excluding the Annual General Meeting, shall bring about automatic resignation from the committee.
15. That The British Barcelona Club become a Member of “The Alliance of Specialist Clubs”.
16. NO competitors to share the same Basket or Container and that NO Cardboard Boxes be allowed EXCEPT those provided by and delivered by Courier Service and ONLY by prior arrangement with The Secretary.
17. That a diploma to be known as “The Spanish Diploma” be awarded to a member, who times in the same bird, in race time, three times in all, flying NOT LESS than 630 miles in the club’s longest Old Bird race. A member who times in the same bird, three times in all, flying less than 630 miles shall be awarded a diploma to be known as a “Diploma of Merit”. To receive these awards members MUST CLAIM and with their claim they must forward on to the Secretary four photographs of their bird suitable for reproduction onto the Diploma and for sending on to the fancy press along with the following information. Full RING NUMBER of the bird raced by him/her, the RACEPOINTS and DATES, Position won in SECTION and OPEN, the DISTANCES FLOWN, VELOCITIES recorded, and the total number of birds entered in SECTION and OPEN in each of the races concerned.
Race Rules
Rules as per R.P.R.A. Standard Rules.
Club Race Rules
1. The longest old bird race to be confined to birds 2 years old or over.
2. Birds will have an early morning liberation and in the case of a hold over the liberation will be left to the Convoyers discretion.
3. The longest old bird race will be flown on velocity proper and will close at 150 y.p.m.
4. Hours of darkness
a) For the FIRST THREE intermediate Old Bird races the Hours of Darkness shall be 22.00 p.m to 05.00 a.m.
b) For the FOURTH intermediate Old Bird race the Hours or Darkness shall be 9.30pm - 05.30am.
c) For the YOUNG bird race the Hours of Darkness shall be 8.00pm - 06.30 am.
5. Pools will be optional and will be paid out less 5% up to and including £1 at 20-1, £2, £5 and £10 Pools at 10-1.
6. Race fees and pools are not returnable to members whose birds fail to arrive at the marking station.
7. The FOUR intermediate Old Bird Races and Young Bird Race will be flown on velocity proper and will close at 220ypm.
8. Sections in ALL races will be governed by the members Barcelona (Code No 5046) Distance i.e. if a member is in Section A from Barcelona he is in Section A in other races.
9. The form of entry will be divided into two parts. Form A to be sent with cash. Form B to be sent, or delivered, with birds.
10. Form A to be in the Secretary’s hands 5 days before the date of marking of each race. Form B to be delivered with the birds at the marking station. Form A received after the given date, to be returned to the competitor with notification that his birds cannot be accepted. Extra birds will be accepted on the day of marking (room permitting) at a surcharge of £1.00 per bird. No extra pools/noms to be added. Birds to be paid for at the marking.
11. The Committee shall decide the amount of Prizemoney and Birdage Fees in ALL races and arrange the dates for EACH race.
12. The first 150 positions of races to be published in fancy press.
13. All birds in the Club’s races must conform with the necessary requirements of DEFRA. Failure to comply will entail disqualification.
14. The Secretary on receiving early times of pigeons clocked can request any member to visit another member’s loft to verify the pigeon(s).
15. Any member Overstating their distance for whatever race shall be disqualified.
16. The Club to introduce a lifetime gold ring scheme. Cost of rings and prize money to be decided by the committee.
17. The Club to produce average tables for the intermediate old bird races. One by member and one by pigeon.
Clock Rules
Rules as per R.P.R.A.
Club Clock Rules
1. Clocks may be set by local Club, N.F.C. or Federation Clock Stations, as approved by British Barcelona Club. All Rolls, Dials MUST be signed by TWO Officials. ETS clocks to be set at the BBC marking station.
2. ALL competing members in whatever race MUST after timing his/her FIRST BIRD
a) Telephone the verification line WITHIN ONE HOUR of clocking his/her FIRST BIRD and state your CLUB NUMBER and SECTION, the TIME of BIRD shown on your clock, your NAME and TOWN and FULL METAL RING NUMBER.
b) The details of the FIRST BIRD clocked showing Full metal ring number, and Verification number MUST then be shown on the VERIFICATION PAPER and CLOCK PAPER.
c) The competing member MUST also list on the verification paper IN THE ORDER OF CLOCKING all other birds that are timed showing the time of clocking and full metal ring number(s). Failure to carry out this rule will entail disqualification.
3. All competitors must have their clocks checked the day of timing in.
4. Neither the Committee or any officer of the Club shall be held liable to any clock owner for any damage or loss that may occur whilst the clock is in their, or his custody or in the custody of another competitor or in transit, but every holder of a clock shall be responsible for the clock issued to him for use in a race and shall make good on any damage or loss that may occur thereto whilst in his possession.
5. When sealing the clock, clock setters will use string and the knot in the string will be covered by the seal.
6. Each competitor must fill in a Verification card correctly and hand in to the clock official along with his or her clock. Only the clubs verification card will be used and no other will be accepted. It is the competitor’s responsibility to ensure the clock official sends in the verification card along with the clock envelope. It is the competitor’s duty to ensure that his clock envelope is filled in correctly, by the clock official. Only the clock envelopes issued by the club will be accepted. The verification card, together with the clock dials or slips, and rubber rings will be forwarded to the secretary in the clock envelope, bearing a postmark NO LATER than 48 Hours of the member’s clock being opened and checked. Failure to comply with any part of the above rule will entail disqualification.

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INSTRUCTIONS TO CLOCK SETTERS
1. If you set any clock, that is being used for a British Barcelona Club National race the same time as other clocks, the Master Timer used MUST leave a permanent record and the Master Timer dial/roll etc. MUST be available on request, this will of course be returned to you if requested.
2. If a separate Master timer is used for ONLY clocks being set for a British Barcelona Club National race, then the Master timer dial/roll etc. MUST be sent with the competing members own clock dials/rolls plus rubber/s, seal and verification paper, sealed in the clock envelope provided and duly signed and posted by one of the officials in charge.
3. The competing members must hand the clock sheet and clock envelope to the clocksetter so that all details required can be filled in correctly by the officials and or clocksetter/s.
4. All dials/rolls and ETS sheets MUST be signed by two clock setting officials.
We are trying to make it as easy as possible for you the member, to get your clock set for any British Barcelona Club National race that you compete in, by letting your own local clocksetter/s do them for you. It would be advisable for you to show the Clock Rules as printed in the club's handbook to the clocksetter/s so that they are aware of these rules as laid down also make sure that your Club Number and Section given to you on your receipt are shown on ALL paperwork used in each race.
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