"Monkey, Kona, Mitz, Two, Beezer, & Lucky"wrote
>1. Who cares about people who want to be big frog in their area by having
>a title and power.  Do I really want someone who cares about that in charge?
>No.
 
As a small town person we deal with that on a govermental and civil level on
a daily basis and it really has a tendancy to hurt everyone especially the
ones that supposed to be helped.  Money being diverted to pay for this old
building restoration or that and not being used to fix the road to get there
in the first place.  If what i've read is true then some leagues aren't
helping the issues they are muddling them by doing that which gets them
noteriety fastest ( not all mind you)
 
>3.  I can't even find a local ferret group in Louisville, KY (nearest is
>over an hour away in Ohio- a very long dull drive I might add).  And I don't
>even know what they emphasize in their group.  This type of info needs to be
>more available.
 
The easiest way to disseminate this information is a national based
association (IMHO).  the people that run this organization (I'll call It UFO
re:Elton and Nancy Sanders) could be, and this is hypothetical, made of
several different branches and roots There is no top frog there are two
people who can be trusted not to go for the lime light.  Below them are the
department heads: rescue stations, clubs, legal, medical, emergency and
publicity.each department would have a number of contacts in a number of
divisions throughout the North American Continent, potentially the world.
 
--Rescue stations: not coopting the existing ones, just getting the data
from them, if nessesary establish new ones in a given area that has shown a
need for a rescvue station.
 
--Clubs: each division is divided into smaller areas and these areas would
have a "individually run club".  These clubs are run at a local level but
answer to the inter/national level for membership info and help for
individuals and areas in need.  Local club information is handles through
all, ALL pet stores in the area.
 
--Legal: this is the repository of all leagal information concerning ferrets
in the covered areas.  as Part of starting up the new club and or ferret
rescue station the laws pertaining to ferrets must be gleaned from the books
as a way of protecting the individual owners right wherever.
 
--Medical: here is where the latest and the greatest information is
gathered, about anything and everything pertaining to ferret health and can
contact the areas where the vets aren't up to speed on the latest info.
Pricing for vaccines and distribution points are a must and should be given
on a days notice.( I speak from experience.  I still haven't heard from the
new vet where I moved to aout anything ferret related price wise).  Medical
info could be faxed out at any time.
 
--Emergency: these are people who respond to emergencies as they filter up
through the club owners, to the division heads to the head of clubsover top
the emergency area.  each head must do their best to solve the emergency
before "passing the buck".
 
--Publicity: this department controls the dissemination of information to
the masses.  Every one has a right to know whats going on and every one has
a responsibility to spred the "good word" about ferrets in their particular
area.  I don't know to much about publicity but I do know that a lack of
information is disasterous to any thing.
 
These are simply my ideas and in no way represent anything but what has come
out of my own head.  I am open to ideas and CONSTRUCTIVE critisism.  please
don't flame me because this is just ideas.  I've never been involved in a
non profit organization before, so in depth as far as planning it Where will
the money come from and how will we know where it goes to?  AH publicity!
my idea is this
 
This thing will be huge and will need money to run as does anything in this
world however costs can be cut by using Ferret Freindly Folk whereever and
whenever we can.  A FF lawyer is more willing to reduce his cost that an
average attorney.  but still the money must come from somewhere.  A pamphlet
explaning what we do when and benifets is critical, like insurance.  pay
something like $10 a year and 6 bucks go to a fund for emergencies and 4
bucks to the area club for helping with fundraisers.  it takes money to make
money and we need to make money FOR EMERGENCIES.  legal fees and the like.
every peney must be accounted for and diplayed for all to see what we are
doing with it.  Any Joe with a calculater should go through our records and
get 2+2=4.  always.
 
 
>4.  I can't even find my fellow local ferret owners... and when I do in my
>area, they are heavily religious and it isn't my religion.  Even their web
>sights have Bible quotes.  Not that there is anything wrong with this, I
>just am not of their religion.  And want a religion free group to have FUN
>with.  After all it is about ferrets right?
 
You are so correct.  Living in a small town in the middle of the Bible belt
the are no ferrets clubs, that I know of and I have asked at the local pet
stores, in the area the nerest one is at least 150 miles away.  I want to
share my ferrets with others who own fuzzies.  this way we can.  as far as
contact the clubs invade the pet stores and give a name and # for contact
and maybee leave brochures( most pet stores will do this) i'll get off of my
soapbox and sit in my corner again.
 
I am sorry about Kodo.  I grieve with thee.  hopefully this won't happen
again, if we can get this right the first time.  now is not the time to
squabble now is the time for action.
 
Phil and Kristie.
Loki (The Ferret God Of Mischief);
Snicker("I smell soap! ")
Tootsie-Roll("me too! Daddy put the soap box down!")
[Posted in FML issue 1976]