Club News
Southern Cavy Club – the future.
At the end of 2022 The Southern Cavy Club (SCC) took the decision to make some fundamental changes in its structure and in how it operates. This was not an easy decision and has been some time in the planning.
The Southern Cavy Club was established 85 years ago. It has been highly successful in its time, attracting large numbers of members, indeed Tony Cooke remembers the Club having well over 1000 members during his and Gill’s time as secretaries.
But times change, all the small animal Fancies are shrinking and losing established members without new ones coming in. It is no longer a common part of everyday life for people to keep small animals and birds, and this inevitably impacts on Fancies such as ours. We now have a much smaller membership and fewer affiliated clubs. And so the Southern is having to change in response to how the Fancy is today.
Another factor in our decision is the lack of experienced club members coming forward to join the committee in place of senior officials who are now retiring from the committee or stepping back from their present roles. After much thought and discussion, the SCC Executive has taken the decision that the SCC can no longer continue in its current form but must become a club which has fewer responsibilities and so is easier to run with a smaller and less experienced committee. And so the Southern CC will become an Area Club rather than a regulating body as it has been up to now.
Another argument in favour of what has been decided is that with a significantly smaller Fancy, it makes a lot of sense to have just one governing body for all the clubs and shows in the UK.
From 2023 the Southern will no longer offer affiliation to clubs in the south of the country. We are recommending that these clubs affiliate to the National Cavy Club if they have not already done so, to make sure they have appropriate insurance. All shows in the UK will then run under National CC Rules and Show Regulations. If local clubs don’t wish to do this they have the option of becoming an independent club. The Southern CC’s insurance runs from September 1st and has already been paid for 2022/2023. We have extended affiliations already paid for 2021/2022 to cover clubs up to the end of August 2023 without further payment being needed, to allow time for the transition to be completed. This is to ensure that club committees have time to consider and discuss with their club members the preferred way forward for their club. It is obviously important that all clubs are insured against unforeseen events and this is secured by having appropriate insurance.
We will continue to have Southern CC members and to hold Stock Shows and Pet Cavy Shows at clubs in our area who offer to host them. Indeed, much of the Southern’s affairs will go on as before. We will award Certificates of Merit and we will be replacing the Star Scheme with a Points Competition, of which more details will follow. We will also be looking for new things to offer our members. The cost of membership to the Southern has been reduced across the board from 2023.
The SCC Club Rules will become much simpler, and will not include for example a Complaints Procedure because complaints will be dealt with by the National CC. We also intend to train more judges, as the current panel is very small, and exhibitors appreciate the opportunity to get opinions from a greater variety of judges than is currently possible.
The Southern Cavy Club held an Extraordinary General Meeting on the morning of Saturday November 26th to which all SCC members were invited. At this meeting (with some members joining us in person at Wavell College and some by Zoom) we went into more details about these changes, and members had the opportunity to ask the committee questions about what this means for clubs and members in the south.
The Southern Cavy Club is therefore entering a new era in which much change is expected. We would still, as always appreciate hearing thoughts and ideas from our members (and others) with suggestions for the future shape of the club.
I have stepped down as Secretary (although I will be involved with judge training) and Kaye Thomas is the new SCC Secretary. Margaret Hooper is stepping down as Chairperson, but is staying on the committee as Membership Secretary. Lisa Dunning is the new Chairperson. Kaye and Lisa can be contacted on keyholekaye@btinternet.com and ashwaterfarm@outlook.com respectively.
Penny Bell
SCC Secretary, Kaye Thomas keyholekaye@btinternet.com
If you are a member of the Southern Cavy Club and change any of your contact details, please remember to tell Margaret Hooper about it, as it is Margaret who looks after the members’ database along with the subscriptions. Margaret’s contact details are below.
2023 subs are due. Thank you to those who have already paid for this year. The rates are unchanged and details of how to pay can be found on the website on the “About Us” tab and then on the “How to Join” drop down box, where an application form can also be downloaded. Please use this form if you are renewing your subscription as well as if you are a new member, and please, to help Margaret, fill in ALL the sections! Subscriptions should be sent to Margaret and should be posted with the correct fees to:
Margaret Hooper, 15 Westminster Road, Toothill, Swindon, Wiltshire SN5 8JF.
SOUTHERN CAVY CLUB
SHOWS 2023
Despite the lifting of restrictions around Covid, the virus hasn’t gone away, so if you have tested positive for Covid or have any cold like or flu like symptoms, please don’t come to shows. There are people who are still vulnerable and it is only responsible to think of their need for protection.
Continuing to do such things as mask wearing (especially when you have to get close to people, such as when penning and for stewards bringing pigs to the judge), using hand sanitiser and not crowding together for example round the judging tables, may be regarded as worth doing to try and keep people safe, even though they are no longer a legal requirement.
Many thanks for your continued support of the shows. Lets keep safe and enjoy our hobby