First Coast Koi, Goldfish and Water Garden Club

Transcription

1 September Volume 13, No. 09 Dedicated to promoting the appreciation and joy of Koi, Goldfish & Water Gardens through education, mutual support and public exhibits in Jacksonville, Florida and the neighboring areas. Next meeting Saturday 9/21 at 5PM at the home of Mark and Michelle Masters Springmoor Ct Jacksonville, FL (904) Don t forget to RSVP to the host. Check the website for directions and also check out our facebook page. 1

2 From the Editor Don Whaley Editorial Opinion (Does NOT reflect the view of the board or club membership) It s show time again. I think this is our 12 th annual show. I ve only been a member of the club since 2006 so my experience can only reach that far back. I ve stated in the past that I will never run for office in the club but I will do whatever task is asked. Being a board member is a largely unappreciated and criticized job that someone does voluntarily. And because it is a voluntary position I don t believe their efforts for the club should be subject to ridicule. I remember at one show, a past club president that was reluctant to draft anyone to help. This was because this person noted the same 8 or 10 people showed up time after time regardless of the number of pleas for help at meetings and in the newsletter. So this President took on the extra tasks by themselves and openly expressed gratefulness to this core group. Even though the show was very successful, afterwards the critics came running out of the cheap seats complaining so much that this president resigned from the club, never to return. The pressures and number of things that have to come together to make a show successful are great, and yet the club seems to pull it off year after year in spite of the criticism. But still each year we lose more members than we gain, largely due to unsolicited criticism. Last year was the worst thus far for me. We lost several members I considered friends and genuinely liked being with them at the meetings and other club gatherings. This year has me more concerned than ever. Since we ve lost all our prior show chairmen and couldn t get a new volunteer, the entire board is sharing the responsibility. What are we going to do next year after we drive off this year s entire board membership with unsolicited criticism? My opinion is nobody takes on a task with the thought of I m really gonna mess this up. Rather everyone does the best they can do and what they believe is the right thing to do for the club. So to bottom line it. Unless that person asks your opinion, if you don t like the way someone does something, or is doing something, this year, keep it to yourself and volunteer to do that job next year. Semper Fi! 2

3 From the President Libby Mattingly To paraphrase a popular commercial, Guess what TIME it is? IT S SHOWTIME!!!!!! This will probably be the last newsletter before the show so I want to bring everyone up to date on the show. At the present time, we will be meeting at the Lodge grounds around 1PM on Thursday October 10th to start setting up tanks and tents. On Friday we will continue with whatever setting up was not accomplished on Thursday. There will be someone at the show site by 9AM. We will be able to start benching between noon and 2PM. I ask that if you bring your fish before noon that they be left in their bags until you are given the okay to turn them loose. Something new this year will be a Friday night pot luck dinner at 6PM at the Lodge. This is a time to meet our judges, vendors and fellow exhibitors. It is also a big thank you to our worker bees. I know some of us can not get off work for set up, so if you are planning on being there Saturday and more importantly on Sunday to break down, this is also for you. The club will be providing BBQ, drinks and paper goods. We will need side dishes and some desserts. This definitely needs to be coordinated to assure we don't have too many of one item. Please contact Suzette or Libby to let us know if you will be there and what you can bring. Saturday is busy all the way around. Remember to wear your new club shirt so our guests know who to go to for help or an answer! If you didn t order a shirt, I did order extras. We will need help at the club table, water quality, checking on the vendors to make sure all is well and make sure our judges don t need anything. The banquet is Saturday at 6PM at the Lodge. We are having a catered dinner consisting of roast beef, sweet chili chicken, potatoes, salad, asparagus, squash casserole, bread and deserts! I have it on good authority that this caterer is extremely good! Remember you must make a reservation. Sunday we have a walk around starting at 10AM. This is the time when our judges will answer any questions you may have about your fish. It is also a perfect learning opportunity. The judges will explain 3

4 Cont From the President Libby Mattingly why the fish they chose for Grand Champion won. You really do need to take advantage of all the knowledge the judges have to offer. Least I forget, we also have our kohaku grow out fish that will be judged separately from the show. That is not to say that your grow out kohaku can t win in the show! Here s hoping someone s will! This month s meeting will be at the home of Mark and Michelle Masters. Michelle has said that they will be having smoked meat of some kind so please bring a salad type side dish or dessert. Please RSVP our hosts so they can have a head count. Mark has a marine biologist as a speaker this month who will be speaking about koi health, medications and how and where to give a fish a shot. Let s have a great turn out to show our appreciation. As always if you need me for any reason, please give me a call or anytime. Libby 4

5 Guest Speaker Mark and Michelle have arranged a guest speaker for this month s meeting. Below is a brief bio of Carolina. If you have any questions this will be a good time write them down and bring them to the meeting. See you at Mark and Michelle s home. In 2008, I graduated from the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine with a certificate in aquatic animal medicine. I then went on to complete a small animal medicine and surgery rotating internship at Affiliated Veterinary Specialists in Maitland, FL. In the Fall of 2009, I received a National Research Council research associate position at the Navy Marine Mammal Program (NMMP) in San Diego, CA, where I was a clinical and research veterinarian. My research focused on developing rapid tests for assessing immune function in neonatal dolphins. The following year I was hired by the National Marine Mammal Foundation and transferred to Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, where I currently act as managing veterinarian for the NMMP's satellite facility. I also volunteer with veterinary services at the Jacksonville Zoo and am involved with the NE Florida Marine Mammal stranding network. Occasionally, I provide relief veterinary services at Mandarin Animal Hospital in Mandarin, FL. 5

6 From the Secretary Doug Stuber First Coast Koi Club Meeting July 20, Home of Bill and Marcia 5:00 PM - 16 Members in Attendance 1) Motion made and seconded to accept the meetings minutes as written in the last newsletter. Vote carried. 2) No Vice President Report 3) No Secretary s Report 4) Treasurer gave report on our general finances, and provided outstanding checking account balance. Please see Treasurer for more details. 5) General discussion about our website commenced, with Libby describing what the Board is doing in the way of a search for new site/support/webmaster, etc. Doug discussed our current status regarding our present website. Don suggested we will want to keep our member information on any new website restricted for security purposes. 6) Libby advised a Show Meeting will be held at her house on Thursday, 7/25. All are invited. 7) Alina reported out to the club with the details of possibly holding our Show Banquet at the Hilltop Restaurant, with facility description, potential menus, etc,. Show committee to take under advisement along with other bids for the Banquet. 8) Doug raised the question of any interest in holding a Late Summer Koi Auction some time before the Show in October. At this time it would have to be held in September, but appeared there was little interest in holding one at this time, as expressed by the club members in attendance. 9) Alina made a general suggestion that the club attempt to gain interest in Koi Club activities by teaming up with a local High School. She will pursue the details of doing so further and report out at a later date. 10) Dale mentioned that we tend to lose members at SHOW TIME due to the tensions, criticism, etc., brought on by the heavy work demands of holding a show. She asked that everyone agree to take a 6

7 From the Secretary Doug Stuber Pledge not to criticize the work at the Show done by others, and there was general agreement this was a good idea. 11) Bill Torrence, our host, concluded our meeting by giving away plantings from his garden and led anyone interested on a general tour of his pond and beautiful water gardens. Submitted by Doug Stuber FCKC Secretary 7

8 From the Secretary Doug Stuber First Coast Koi Club Meeting Minutes Home of Glen and Amy Fontan 5:00 PM, Saturday, August 17, Members and Guests in Attendance 12) Treasurer s Report Given -- Please see Treasurer Suzette Alexander for details. 13) Vice Pres. Report - Mark masters discussed the Navy Veterinarian from Kings Bay set to speak at our meeting next month. Mark asked for presentations ideas we could pass along to our guest speaker and both Fish Nutrition and injection sites for medications were were suggested. 14) Doug Stuber and Glen Fontan presented information on a possible pond pull and rescue of some koi located north of Palatka. It was determined in discussion this might be a fun and interesting exercise for the entire club as the logistics of this activity could be very similar to a Japanese style harvest of fish in mud ponds. It was tentatively decided we d hold the activity on 10/26/13 and auction off the fish on 11/2 if the pond owner was willing to wait until that date for us to clean out the pond for him. There was some concern expressed by Glen that the might have wanted this done sooner. 15) We agreed that should the pond harvest be arranged, we would make make that date and location our November meeting.. 16) Libby agreed to speak to Trads Nursery about using their facilities on 11/2/13 for the auction should we conduct the pond pull and there were sufficient fish to hold the activity. Mary Moriarity requested members send her local neighborhood publication information so she could advertise our upcoming show. Craigslist was also suggested as a good place to advertise our show by some of the Club members. Meeting was adjourned. Submitted by Doug Stuber Secretary First Coast Koi Club 8

9 Coming Events Oct 11,12,13 FirstCoast Koi Club 11 th Annual show. 9