>I think Bob C. is right on the mark on organizing a national ferret
>organization.
 
We have one - the American Ferret Association.  We have others that wish
they were.
 
I fully acknowledge that the AFA has problems but what organization doesn't.
I've been burned by some of the members.
 
The AFA needs to better utilize the internet.
 
But when Bob Jacobs needed help who responded?  The GLFA did.  They should
have as they are the local group for Michigan.  The AFA did as well.  Dr.
Freddie Hoffman (AFA VP, Health Affairs Chair and CDFA board member) went to
testify as a medical expert.  Randy Sellers (AFA ??  his title is changing
so I don't know what it is right now) went as he has over 200 times in bite
cases.  All of you know how bad it feels to lose Kodo, imagine going through
that 200 times.
 
The AFA doesn't spend a lot of time bragging on itself here on the Ferret
Digest.  Most of the leadership is too busy DOING work to deal with the
gadflys here.  There has been a problem with do-littles causing political
fights here since the early days while Chris Lewis ran the digest.
 
One of the reasons proposed for starting a "new" National organization is to
get a fresh start without these political animosities.  I'm afraid it won't
help.
 
A new organization was started to work for legalization of ferrets in
Washington DC.  Its currently been on hold as most of the participants were
involved in the efforts to save Kodo but wil start back up now.  We spent
much of the first organizational meeting talking to Bob Jacobs and Randy
Sellers on the phone.
 
Diane Rogers organized the meeting to be held at Dr. Hoffman's house.  If
folks know "political history" of the ferret groups this is a big sign that
things are getting better.  Diane decided to invite members from all of the
ferret organizations in the DC metropolitan area and further.  A PA based
organization was unable to come due to short notice and distance.  Two other
local "groups" decided inter-group politics was more important than the
legalization effort and refused to come to the meeting because I was
invited.  One by name and the other skirted around specifically naming me.
One promised to withdraw all support for the effort if I revealed this fact.
Well I guess I spilled the beans... I knew exactly who was invited and
decided to put that behind me even though I have legitimate complaints
against some of the people.  I do put the ferrets as more important rather
than merely saying that I do.
 
I tell this story for one important point.  If a new organization is formed
we can be pretty sure that at least some "groups" (that mostly amount to one
or two people really) will probably repeat this distressing scene if I am
involved.  This was several weeks ago and I did not bring this up for any
reason other than pointing this out.  I'm not looking forward to how these
folks will choose to seek revenge this time.
 
I respectfully submit that I believe we should leverage what we already
have.  The AFA has a pretty good infrastructure developing - far far more
than any other ferret organization.  Sure lets put pressure on the current
leadership to fix what might be wrong.  I'm NOT in the leadership nor do I
really want to be.  I'm fed up with the petty bickering and do not need to
be a target anymore than I already am.
 
The efforts done in the Kodo incident point out just how well most of the
ferret world is progressing.  The co-operation of the AFA and the GLFA
impressed me.  MAFFs co-operation was fine as well.  This shows that the
local groups and the National group can co-operate and achieve results when
they do.
 
We send our condolences to Bob Jacobs and family.  We also want to point out
how much further things went with the supreme co-operation shown in this
effort.  While this was going on another ferret lost its life in Michigan
but did not get the exposure Kodo did.  This other ferret did not gain an
extra month of life.
 
bill killian (just bill this time)
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1971]