I have been through the death of an association.  I would have grown old
with them-if they had been who they represented themselves as.
 
I have been through all of its stages now.  The death of a loved one.
GCFA
 
I have written hours of E-mails, called them, and begged them to return
the funds they misappropriated all through the year.  They finally said
the money would be returned to those who paid for the memorial
cages-cages that were never going to exist-over 6 weeks ago.  The money
would be returned immediately after the Oct. show.  IT WAS NOT.
 
So I wrote to the two critical people at the shelter.  Still no checks as
promised.  So I wrote THREE times via E-mail to the president.  Still no
checks.
 
So I wrote via E-mail to the board that had already voted weeks ago to
give the money back right after the show.This time I was told the checks
were in the mail.  That was another false statement.
 
Now it is the same thing as months ago.  This problem will be discussed
and looked into at the next board meeting, I was E-mailed..
 
I believed all this time-up until right before the show in Oct.  -that
the memorial cages were coming.  I paid for them.  Then-because people
were E-mailing me wanting pictures of the memorials of their babies-I
paid for more so the doggone cages would be ordered, and put in.
 
Norm told me all about them.  He had the name of the person who made
them.  They had been in touch.  They were roomy.  No sharp edges for
people to cut or scrape themselves on.  He would order four at a time
because there was no room at the shelter to build more than that at once.
 
But four turned into six. So I paid for more.
 
The announcement at the show for the cages was forgotten in the busy
atmosphere.  So word would go out in the next newsletter, Norm told me.
It did not.
 
This was because even other things that needed to go in there did not,
Norm said.  It would go out in the next newsletter.  It did not.
 
I have been waiting for these cages since Sept.  Or Oct. of 2001.
There are not going to be any.  Norm said that the funds were
"misappropriated": I was at the shelter shortly before the show when I
learned that from him.
 
A letter from the president of GCFA-sent to the FML- was written
literally hours after I was writing a board member that to misappropriate
means purloin, to steal, or to cheat.  And that the money had to be given
back.  That this was not something to sugar coat.  This was a serious
issue.
 
I also showed that board member via E-mail the pleasant thing I wrote
about GCFA and had already sent in to the FML because I completely
believed at the time that they would make amends and give the money back.
I HAVE BEEN WRONG.
 
I have done everything possible to make this organization give this money
back.  It has cost me the ability to trust this shelter ever again.  It
cost me my health.  I was literally sick over this.  It cost me my
friendship I hoped to have for years with these people.
 
I have my speculations as to the possible main person who disregarded
every note I wrapped around every check for the cages.  I was not going
to even have a table at the show because of this person.  I filled the
form out over the phone with Norm, and sent it in.  The board member
who took it and my money E-mailed me that I did not fill it out
satisfactorly.  She took my money for the table, but discarded my
application for a table at the Oct. ferret show.
 
I would have gone to the Oct. show in my $200 van rental with the back
filled with boxes of ferret art that took weeks to put together in boxes.
And I would not have had a table.  It was only by my perserverance that I
discovered this.
 
I could go on for pages.  I have.  I have a stack of e-mails I printed
that I sent out to get the money returned so I could believe in GCFA
again.  So people would have their moeny back.  So I could at least
attend the party and show with my neice.
 
Today was the deadline to do that.  They knew it.  I gave them plenty of
time.  They have had since 2001.
 
I had to know by today for several reasons.  They took even the Christmas
party with my neice away from me.  That is the straw-the last straw.
 
This is my busy season.And I take care of my mother every Sunday now-all
day until late at night.  I do not want a bunch of people to write in
response to this to be gossippy.Please do not.
 
I cannot take my niece to the Christmas party now.  I cannot pretend to
celebrate the birth of Christ with people who keep dishonoring their
word.  My niece adored going to these functions.  GCFA has destroyed that
special time we could have shared for years to come.  The Oct.  show and
the Christmas party were her favorite thing to go to.
 
This last show-she told me she always wanted to come with me to these
events-year after yer.  GCFA has killed all that.  I will NEVER forgive
that.
 
 -----------------------------
[Posted in FML issue 3964]