The National Cockatiel Society, Inc. - A 23-Year Success Story

Abstract

Introduction

Enthusiasm, growth, endurance, a commitment to established ideals lfhese traits serve as the benchmark that detne the National Cockatiel Society (NCS) as a success among cockatiel societies worldwide, with its proven record of growing a prosperous membership base for more than two decades. Founded in November 1983, it shortly achieved non prott status as a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt, educational organization. NCS membership has included thousands of breeders and enthusiasts from all geographic regions of the United States, with international members as close as Canada and the nearby islands of the Caribbean no as far away as distant Japan - down to the very southern hemisphere of Australia itself, the endogenous birthplace of the cockatiel, Nymphicus hollandicus. NCS continues to serve the membership as an all-encompassing vehicle addressing every aspect of cockatiel culture and the needs of hobby breeders, pet owners, show exhibitors and seasoned aviculturists alike.

Mission

According to the NCS by-laws and NCS Articles of Organization, the mission of the National Cockatiel Society is to: educate its members on the proper care, handling, maintenance and breeding of cockatiels; to provide educational and informative articles through its bimonthly journal; to support avian research related to cockatiel nutrition, reproduction and the study of disease; to encourage the breeding of color mutations through the study of genetics; to encourage selective breeding, closed banding and record keeping; to establish a standard of excellence for judging the ideal cockatiel; to establish an NCS Judges Panel of qualired judges to maintain a uniform quality in judging governed by the standard; to hold an annual National Cockatiel Society show each year; to encourage ethical, thoughtful and constructive interactions among its members and fellow aviculturists; and any other provisions of these Articles, the purposes for which the National Cockatiel Society is organized are exclusively within the meaning of Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law.D

History

The rrst meeting of the National Cockatiel Society took place at the 1983 National Cage Bird Show, which allowed for slanding room only. DThis initial meeting acted as the catalyst that Died over 100 charter memberships and prompted the election of oft.cers in January 1984, with a membership numbering more than 200. The 1984 charteryearsawthe election of the rrst board of directors, the formation of the NCS judges' panel of grandfathered judges plus testing materials for new judges, and the initial showclassitcations and point system. It also produced the 52-page, educational NCS Journal, the approved and ratlted set of NCS by-laws, and the authoring of the state coordinator guidelines, the written NCS Show Standard of Excellence and the visual standard that are still in use today. The rrst NCS annual show, held in November 1984 at the National Cage Bird Show, brought in a record-breaking number of 233 cockatiels in the newly approved NCS division.

AFA National Specialty Organization

The National Cockatiel Society joined AFA upon its founding, even before NCS elected its rrst slate of oft.cers. Fully understanding the value of AFAafDiation, several members covered afDiation cost for the charter year. Once the NCS by-laws were approved by the board of directors and ratlted by the membership, annual afDiation became part of the constitution so thatAFA renewal was required at the beginning of each year.

NCS has been an AFA national specialty organization for nearly quarter of a century. Over the years, NCS members have attended AFA conventions, participated in the specialty meetings and held their bi-annual meeting of the NCS membership atAFA. At one of AF A's largest conventions, the 10th annual convention in 1984 (which was attended by over 900 people from the U.S., South Africa, Trinidad, Sweden, Canada and Spain), NCS entered the club booth contest in the commercial exhibit hall and won Second Best Educational Booth for its display of live cockatiel mutations. IThe display included the newlwhiteface mutation among them. NCS continues to run a booth each year in the exhibit hall, publishes AFA in Brief in its journal, run legislative updates in both the NCS Journal and on its website, and supports AFA by occasionally sponsoring a cockatiel convention speaker from time to time.