>From:    "H. Moore" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: national org. concerns
 
We agree with most of your comments.
 
>I also feel that this is a duplication of existing national groups, such as
>the AFA, except that this group will work more toward legislative issues.
>Perhaps the folks who want this new group should try working with AFA to
>form a legislative committee within the existing group.
 
Well you really mean volunteer to join the legislative committe and help
Randy Sellers and Diane Rogers.  Randy was heavily involved in helping
Robert Jacobs and Diane has led the efforts in Baltimore city, county and
Maryland state.
 
>These efforts seem to have been hampered by internal politics.  Do you think
>this won't happen in the new group?
 
Not internal politics at all.  The AFA is the least political of the ferret
groups.  Their efforts are less reported because of politics from other
groups.  They are currently working on efforts in up to a dozen states.  If
this is an area that interests folks then call up the AFA and volunteer
1-888-FERRET1 or email to [log in to unmask]  I was just talking to Sally Heber
about this and the biggest problem the AFA has is volunteers that end up not
doing what they said they would.
 
>From:    Anonymous Poster <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Maggie Butt Out
>Because I am in CA CA Land I do not have personal experience with clubs, or
>ferret people
 
There is the CDFA, Ferrets Anonymous, the Golden State Ferret Society and
the CFL IN California.  And the AFA and LOS both have members there as well.
 
All of us East coast folks basically know that as big as California is, when
they go legal the California folks have the ability to move the domination
to the West coast.  You can already join ferret organizations.  You can see
first hand probably the most political infighting anywhere in the country
among ferret folks.
 
>From:    "Monkey, Kona, Mitz, Two, Beezer, & Lucky" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: National Ferret group?
 
Finally someone is actually answering the questions!
 
>The ferret community already seems exclusive to us, and that is just from
>what we read on FML.
 
Okay.  What could a group on a National level do to help you with this?  If
you can answer that then I promise I personally will make efforts in this
area.  Its not a perfect solution but the internet is one of the ways I see
to reach the more isolated areas at a reasonable cost.  LOS admits its a
national group because of on-line services (they started on Prodigy).
 
I agree on the high dues.  From the beginning we joined all the local and
all the national groups.  We've let a couple lapse when we thought they were
doing little to help either ferrets or us.  But we are currently in the AFA,
NAFA and LOS (and thus LIFE) on the national level.  We're lucky that we are
in the ferret belt as you put it.  Most do little for the ferret enthusiast
in remote areas.  Its expensive to join all of them, I don't recommend it
for everyone.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1976]