As the first month of the new year has already passed, we still want to wish all our members and visitors a happy new year! May it be a wonderful season and may you all stay healthy!
Building the Future Together
In 2025, we want to continue building the future of the pigeon association Verenigde Vrienden Scherpenheuvel together with our members. To start the season positively, members will receive €20 in their account for their first participation in a race in 2025 as a reimbursement for the loft list. Additionally, the reimbursement of shipping fees to members from 2024 will also be credited to their accounts. With this, we offer our members a financial boost to start the new season with full enthusiasm.
Just like in previous years, we remain committed to providing a qualitative and sporty operation. In 2025, we will even expand our guarantees and organize a number of extra activities to support our enthusiasts and the pigeon sport in our region.
Competitions and Sectoral Results in 2025
We receive many questions about the competitions in 2025, and to dispel the "cowboy" stories and provide our enthusiasts with accurate information, we will clarify the competitions! Our members had voted at the general meeting in November to maintain the existing competitions and were NOT in favor of a sectoral result. At the same time, we are partly dependent on the decisions within these existing competitions, and our members were also very clear that these competitions (Samenspel Hageland and Hafo Vlaams-Brabant) should be maintained. During the Hafo Vlaams-Brabant meeting, a majority (2/3) decided to request a sectoral result. This means that the results of Hafo Vlaams-Brabant and Demer and Dijle 1/2 fond will be combined. After this vote, Hafo Vlaams-Brabant officially submitted a request for a sectoral result for 1/2 fond sector 2 + sector 3. Note: sector 3 only includes the locations Diest, Schaffen, and Bunsbeek.
Situation within Samenspel Hageland
Within Samenspel Hageland, the situation was more complex, with only the Scherpenheuvel location allowing its members to vote. The other two locations subsequently decided to consult their members about whether they wanted a sectoral result for speed races. After all locations consulted their enthusiasts, the majority (2/3) were not in favor of creating a sectoral result for speed races. Based on this, Samenspel Hageland contacted the 6-verbond to inform them that we do not want a sectoral result for speed races. Unfortunately, one of the locations independently of this decision still submitted a request to participate in the sectoral result. This is unfortunate, as it was done outside the agreed arrangements within Samenspel Hageland.
Sectoral Results: Advantages and Disadvantages
For the 1/2 fond, we decided to support a sectoral result. This offers enthusiasts an attractive game with more pigeons and enthusiasts, mainly because the pigeons are released with the same overseer and are released simultaneously, while the local result is maintained. Due to the situation with speed races and the request outside Samenspel Hageland from one of the locations, there was a real chance that we would have to play speed races alone. By applying to participate in the sectoral game for speed races, we managed to maintain the existing Samenspel Hageland, as requested by our members at our general meeting. These decisions were made after thorough and mutual consultation and taking into account the decreasing number of enthusiasts and pigeons. We believe that locations playing alone will not survive in the future. A condition to create a sectoral result for 1/2 fond was that we also had to create a sectoral result for speed races. Taking these points into account, we applied to create a sectoral result for speed races. Although it is not possible to pool on the sectoral result, we are still obliged to take Bauwens as the overseer so that there is one overseer for the locations participating in the sectoral result. As a board, we regret this, as we have been able to work well with Vanderstukken for many years and are now forced to take a different overseer for the speed races from the 2025 season onwards.
Local Results Remain Important
For the heavy 1/2 fond, we did not apply for a sectoral result or competition, as the participating locations are NOT allowed to have a local duplication in the heavy 1/2 fond. Maintaining local results remains essential. For this, our members and sports enthusiasts clearly voted at the general meeting in November. For the heavy 1/2 fond, there are sufficient duplications such as provincial, Brabantse-Unie, zonal, and national. Local results offer a unique added value, allowing local enthusiasts to compete against each other, and we want to continue defending this local duplication as requested by our members and sports enthusiasts.
Competitions 2025
There will be a sectoral result for speed races, with the Samenspel Hageland and 6-verbond competitions being combined into one sectoral result. There will also be a sectoral result for the 1/2 fond, with the Hafo Vlaams-Brabant and Demer & Dijle 1/2 fond competitions being combined into one sectoral result. Enthusiasts cannot pool on the sectoral results, and all enthusiasts participate for FREE in the sectoral result!
Voice of the Members
We are proud that we, as one of the few locations in our province, have given our members the opportunity to vote on important decisions. We will continue to defend that all locations in sectors 2 & 3 compete in speed and 1/2 fond, for which our members and sports enthusiasts have voted with a large majority. We hope that future KBDB candidates will also pay attention to this. Listening to the members is crucial, although it is not always easy in practice, as we have experienced ourselves. But we, as a board, have compared all the pros and cons to achieve the best for our club. We hope to offer our enthusiasts a great pigeon sport and that we are prepared for the future.
Local Opening on Sunday, February 9
The local will be open on Sunday, February 9, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. People who want to register for our dining day can visit the local then, as well as for questions and a chat. For urgent questions, you can reach us via our email address info@verenigdevrienden.net. Registration for our dining day can be done via our website www.verenigdevrienden.net or through the board members.
We look forward to a sporty and successful 2025, together with all the enthusiasts. Together we will make it a fantastic year!
With sporty regards,
Board of Verenigde Vrienden Scherpenheuvel
Naam schrijver: Buelens, Geert