Judy, thanks for your comments on the GCFA show!  I'm glad your ferrets
were successful and you got to take home ribbons!  Overall, it was a fun
time, but running the thing is tiring for all of us.
 
>I completely agree with you that the acoustics are not great there.  Last
>year I was a steward for one of the judges and could barely hear her
>comments...had to listen very closely.
 
Compared to the sound system the fairgrounds provides, this one (brought in
by a club member) is much better, but if there is somebody with suggestions
on how to improve it, we'll gladly listen to ya!  We're always looking for
good ideas on how to improve from year to year.  Somebody suggested putting
comment sheets in the show packets...we did this for several years and got
very little feedback.
 
>As to your second, and very "on target" constructive criticism...about
>finding a place where the time constraints are not so strict, in all
>fairness I would like to say that it's very possible that the show would
>have been able to finish inside, and on time, had the judges taken their
>rings when they were first asked to.  I don't know if you were there for
>the beginning of the show, but the announcer requested that the judges
>begin judging at least 3 times that I, personally, heard, over a period
>of at minimum, 1/2 hour.  It may easily have been longer.  The judges are
>aware of the time constraints, yet they stand around and talk and ignore
>repeated requests to begin judging on time...or even close to on time.
 
Thank you, Judy, for noticing this!  This year we DID have to take the
judging outside because they ran overtime...luckily, it wasn't raining like
it was last year or cold.  And, yes, they were aware of the constraints and
were told again and again we had to be out of there.
 
>Ring #1 - Good shoulders & muscles; nice coat
>Ring #2 - Solid boy; nice color
>Ring #3 - Overweight; sweet boy
 
Almost everybody I talked to had the same comment from Judge 3 in the alter
class--"Overweight"...if my one boy was any skinnier, he'd be skin and
bones!  I'm pretty sure Duncan was getting his winter fur and weight by
that point... though I must admit, the 3 kit/breeder judges all gave my
Chaos the comment of "nice coat"...too bad it didn't help him win any
ribbons! :)
 
>P.S.  As always, I think Deb and the GCFA group did an AWESOME job.  I had
>visitors come in from all over the country who were very impressed with the
>entire show...with the exception of some of the judging.  Lil Will E did an
>ASTOUNDING job on the quilt...the shelter took in mega $$$ due to her hard
>work and the donations of the quilt squares.  Thanks Lil Will E!!!!
 
Here!  Here!  She did any EXCELLENT JOB!!!!  Even if I didn't win the
quilt! :)
 
If anybody has any comments about our show, please let me know.  I'll see
they get passed on.  Please try to be constructive about your criticism...
just saying "the show sucked" is NOT going to help us improve it.
 
BTW, our show next year will be in SEPTEMBER.  It was the only fall month
available at the fairgrounds next year (October 2000 was already booked
back in January for Year 2000 parties for something)
 
MJ
director, GCFA
(all comments are my own and do not reflect the views of the GCFA)
[Posted in FML issue 2833]