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| International Ornithological Association
(COM-GB)
Affiliated to the Confederation Ornithologique Mondiale | 
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30/10/09
The International Festival of Colours , Cantelue , Normandy , France
The IOA COM GB entered a team of 42 canaries into this event which is rapidly becoming a 'must not miss' event on the European exhibition circuit . With nearly 3,000 birds on view the International Festival of Colours is more than just an exhibition , it is an event that involves the whole community . One unique part is the parties of local school children who are show around on the Friday afternoon with members of the AON each taking a small group and introducing them to the different types of birds , also on the Friday afternoon local senior citizens are honoured and the event was opened by the deputy Mayor of Cantelue .
Top Italian Colour Canary Champion , Roberto Scuratti had several hundred Mosaic canaries for sale and exotics were on offer from De Gouldamandine of Belgium , Orinphama , Versa Laga and Varma of Belgium completed the trade stands .
On the Saturday and Sunday several thousand visitors passed through the doors to marvel at the excellent birds on view.
The IOA COM team GB had some outstanding results :
Les Summers won 5 Gold , 4 Silver and a Bronze medal with his Irish Fancy .
Brian Hogg 2 Golds with a Lancashire Coppy and a Lancashire Plain Head , and a Silver Medal with a CrestBred.
Neville Guant became the first ever UK Colour Canary breeder to take a medal in a show held under the auspices of the COM winning a Gold and a Silver .
Paul Brockman won a Gold & 2 Silver Medals with his Japanese Hoso and a Bronze with a Scotch Fancy .
The 'star' of Team GB and the 'star; of the show was Saviour Camalleri whose team of 4 Norwich took 3 Gold & 1 Silver medals with his Buff Cock being adjudged the 'Best Posture Canary in Show ' .
14/07/09
Contact has been made with the organisers of the Golden Ring Show who look forward to the participation of the IOA COM GB members , details will be released in September . Ever mindfull of the welfare of our birds the IOA comittee are currently negotiating for new travel boxes to be manufactured , having seen a sample of the proposed boxes the committee where extremely impressed with the quality offered. Although this will represent a considerable investment on behalf of the membership , peace of mind whilst the birds are away at shows is priceless.
A new page has been added to the website that charts the history of the COM and the IOA , it makes for interesting reading and reinforces Great Britains commitment to International Bird Associations since 1925.
26/06/09
The L'amicle Ornithologique De Normandie ( The Friendly Bird Club of Normandy ) have joined with the CTC ( Club Technique De Canaris De Couleurs , the equivalent of the UK's CCBA ) to present the only show to be held under the auspices of the C.O.M. in France during 2009. IOA members and affiliate members are invited to exhibit at this event and show schedules and entry forms are now available if you want to participate . For more information visit this page on the website http://www.ioa-com-gb.co.uk/aonctc.html . IOA President , Paul Brockman , will be Conveying birds to this show .
09/05/09
2009 Annual General Meeting
One of the best attended AGM's for many a year began by observing a minutes silence for our recently departed President , Ron Evans 
, who many credit as being the best President the IOA has had in living history . Many ways of remembering Ron's contribution were disscussed and it was not until the Affiliation of Sandwell Avicutural Society to the IOA was ratified that a solution was hit upon. Sandwell Avicutural Society was a club dear to Ron's heart and it was agreed that the IOA would approach thier Committee with the suggestion that we present a perpetual trophy to them in Ron Evans name so that his memory may live on in an area where he was so well known.
Newly elected President , Paul Brockman , recognised and thanked many of the newly affiliated Societies who have driven up the membership of the IOA and expressed his hope that with increased membership the IOA would continue to send more birds to be exhibited at shows on the Continent as well as supporting more traditional shows here in the UK. With a new Committee in place many fresh and exciting ideas where explored and the IOA Conveyors will be taking birds not only to the World Show in Portugal but also to the Golden Ring in Belgium and the International Festival of Colour in France, giving those IOA members who can not make the World Show the opportunity to experience exhibiting on the Continent.
With more British Bird breeders being elected to the Committee it is hoped that a technical working party will be formed to formulate show standards for some of the newer mutations that in turn can be presented to the COM for adoption , cementing the United Kingdom and the IOA once again at the forefront of avicutural policy making.
The Greatest Show on Earth.
You'd be forgiven for reading the headline and expecting to see an article on the 1952 film of that name , directed by Cecil B. DeMille , starring Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde & Charlton Heston and telling the tale of Circus life. The Show in question is not held in a Big Top in Mid-West America , but in the Quartiere Fieristico di Piacenza (Exhibition Center of Piacenza) and is of course the 57th World Ornithology Championships or The World Show .
The Northern Italian Town of Piacenza, capitol of the province of Piacenza , saw its population of 104, 000 grow by many thousands as exhibitors from across Europe decended on the small town , in the heart of the mountainous region of Italy , as it played host to the biggest gathering of bird men & women in mainland Europe.
3215 exhibitors from 20 Nations entered 27,964 birds , a record in World Show history , so great was the entry that the FOI ,(Federazione Ornicoltori Italiani ) had to draft in 106 OMJ Judges to complete the judging in the alloted 3 days . Canaries accounted for 19, 585 , 12.672 of these being Colour Canaries , 5,819 Posture Canaries ( on the Continent our traditional type canaries , Border , Fife Gloster etc fall into this group) & 1,094 of the singing varieties.
Not only was this years show a record for the amount of birds it was also a record for Great Britains medal haul of 2 Gold , 3 Silver & 3 Bronze. 26 British IOA members , which included 3 of our close friends from Gibraltar , who show along side us , entered a total of 168 birds . Cliff Griffin secured Silver with his Irish Fancy and it was also the Irish Fancy that took a Bronze medal for Les Summers . Frank Carter was awarded a Silver for his Opal Java Sparrow and newcomer to the World Show Scene , Stephen Williams , now has a Bronze Medal to show for his Crossbill / Bullfinch hybrid . With out doubt the 'Star' of the British entrant was Bernard Howlett with 2 Golds a Silver & a Bronze , the Golds coming via an Albino Song Thrush and a Cinnamon Song Thrush .
Away from the competative side of the show , IOA Members Brian Hogg & Kevin McCullam successfully completed their OMJ entrants exam and now join the ranks of World Judges . A full acount of the UK entry will appear at a later date along with photographs from the show both in the C&A and on the IOA website www. ioa-com-gb.co.uk.
12/11/08 Any day now the schedule and the entry form for the World Show 2009 , should be dropping through the letter box's of those who have indictaed they intend to exhibit thier birds.
This is a final call to all IOA members or IOA affiliate member societies who's birds are close rung with ID coded colour sequence rings who would like to join team GB.
If you have not received a schedule or an entry form but would like to show please send a self addressed , stamped envelope to : COM-OMJ & World Show Co-ordinator: Simon Tammam , 396 Ashley Road , Poole BH14 0AA . Phone 07768 285 713.
If you attending the World Show as a visitor and would like to join Team GB at the Gala Dinner on the Saturday 24th January you should also contact Simon at the above address.
15/10/08 Affiliation on the increase.
The Committee of the IOA are delighted to accept as Affiliate Members the following organisations:
The British Bird Council,
Yorkshire,British Bird & Hybrid Club.
The Northern Counties,Native Bird & Hybrid Club 2007.
27/09/08 A Badge of 'Distinction'
Brian Preddy proposed that to commemorate individual IOA members participation at The World Show a special edition of our distinctive badge be struck with a gold (as opposed to silver ) background and that every IOA member that exhibits birds at the World Show should receive one of these badges free of charge. This excellent proposal was accepted unamiously by the committee .
06/09/08 The IOA Announce a new Website Service for Members .
Have you ever thought that you would like to have your own presence on the internet? Many people like the idea of having their own website but find that they have neither the time nor the knowledge to acheive this but with the IOA's new 'Mini-Site ' service it is now a possibility.
You don't need any programing skills as your Mini-Site will be made and maintained for you by the IOA Website Manager ,
Paul Brockman , all you need to do is supply the information you want to be included along with photographs etc. . Your Mini-Site will have its own address www. ioa-com-gb/yourname.co.uk so that you can direct visitors to it . This service is available to IOA members only at a cost of £20 per annum ,(less than 40p a week ), and all monies raised go toward the running costs of the website with any surplus going to the World Show fund. In the first instance , if you want to take advantage of this service , contact Paul by phone on 01293 458360 or by emailing lizcol@sky.com who will be pleased to 'talk you through' the process. Yet another service the IOA offers its valued members , to recap:
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Your own presence on the internet
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Your own unique website address
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You can add or remove items as you wish by phone or email
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Most Mini Sites up and running within 7 days of Treasurer receiving payment
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All for less than 40p a week.
