On Friday last, an information meeting was held for the press at the base of the pigeon society Union & Liberté in Merelbeke. This was in response to the 5-year policy period of the new board. At their basketing location at Eurotuin / Bistro Jardin in Merelbeke, the operations of one of the largest pigeon associations in our country were explained.
History
“Union & Liberté,” as it exists today, originated more than a century and a half ago in 1867 and was baptized as the “Royal Pigeon Society Union & Liberté Gent.” In the autumn of 2018, current Honorary President Daniël Aerens resigned after approximately 50 years in office and transferred the presidency to Johan Devroe with the members' approval.
As the newly elected president, Johan was immediately confronted with the closure of the then-location “Melac” in Zwijnaarde, making a move unavoidable. Thanks to his good personal relationships with the directors of Eurotuin, De Vroe managed to secure the current dream location: containers + storage space on a paved parking lot that accommodates about 200 cars, adjacent to a magnificent brasserie providing necessary food and drink options. The new president was not only responsible for expanding and rejuvenating the daily management, but also created a completely new dynamic within Union & Liberté. Their basketing location/container was significantly renovated and expanded, the IT materials and associated programs were modernized, and a bar was installed to provide members with snacks and drinks. Additionally, the staff grew exponentially, as a team of about 18 people (board and staff) is ready to assist pigeon enthusiasts in practicing their beloved hobby starting in April.
From left to right: Treasurer Eric Demeulemeester, Secretary Nick De Vos, Deputy Treasurer Myriam Van Oost, Deputy Secretary Geert De Clercq, and President Johan De Vroe
Evolution 2019-2024
Starting in 2019, weekly training flights were organized from the French locations Niergnies or Maissemy, with release on Wednesday mornings, and the sprint players were offered a full-fledged pigeon game. Additionally, efforts were made to expand and collaborate with surrounding societies. This led to the creation of the Scheldeverbond 1.0 for sprint and small long-distance players, a collaboration of 4 locals: Merelbeke, Eine, Kluisbergen, and Ronse. It proved to be very successful as a large number of pigeons were entered for the weekly training flights from France, with about 100,000 pigeons recorded for the races annually. Starting in 2023, a broader collaboration for the major long-distance races was sought and achieved with “Local Unique” in Ronse, resulting in significant numbers of pigeons and participants for the 7 International races. For the upcoming season 2024, Union & Eiktak Eeklo will also join this collaboration, which will certainly boost the numbers within this association even further. “Under the motto: ‘stronger together,’ this is a win-win for everyone!” noted President Johan De Vroe, who rightfully praises the enthusiasts: “Thanks to the belief and support of the pigeon lovers in our new Union & Liberté project, we have been able to increase our membership from about 45 at the takeover/start in 2019 to currently 115 members, of which 88 are registered loft members. Regarding the pigeons entered, in 2021 there were 49,552, in 2022: 53,528, and in 2023: 56,593 pigeons handled by our staff!”
Intentions for the upcoming season
For the members, Union & Liberté provides an advantage in 2024 amounting to as much as €26,350 that will be returned to enthusiasts in the form of various championships, as pigeon competitions, and honorary prizes. Additionally, there will be a free reception during the championship celebration and the annual dinner featuring “Gentse waterzooi à volonté” at the champions' award ceremony of “Klokke Roeland.” This income is generated through sales at the bar, sponsorships, member contributions, profits from organized flights, and revenue from the auction sales via Pitts, which brought in exactly €17,001 this year.
Program booklet 2024 Union & Liberté