In an apparent misrouting this was sent a while back but never made it. [Moderator's note: Wasn't a misrouting actually - I received it but thought it wasn't meant for the list. BIG] I talked with Vickie McKimmey one of the trained judges along with Sally Heber, Denise Edens and several others for the IFA show standards and later in differing groups responsible for creating the standards for LAFF and other independant clubs as well as (in different groupings) the AFA and LIFE show standards. I was verifying information that I had posted before but since I had been questioned on it I wanted to be sure I was not mistaken. I would have been very upset to have made a mistake in improperly crediting work to the wrong people. Vickie sent me an article she wrote along with a press release written a couple years ago by Ann Davis when she was vice-president of LAFF under Vickie. I've secured permission to post the news release from LAFF. Vickie was the original person in charge of the LIFE shows in the position now held by Jodi Schroth. Vickie McKimmey - August 14th 1995 The 100 point scoring system currently in use for independent clubs originated during a work session at the Lucketts Community center in Lucketts Virginia prior to the Loudoun Area Ferret Fanciers (LAFF) Ferrets on Parade 1992 show. The parties involved included Carol Keith, Diane Rogers, Denise Edens, Ginny Rogers and Vickie McKimmey. The system was developed exclusively for and by LAFF for use at their 1992 show. LAFF disaffiliated with the International Ferret Association (IFA) and felt there was a need for a comprehensive point and titling system better structured than the IFA's and more understandable than FURO's convoluted multiplication factoring system. Standards were then developed based on the old IFA system. IFA had a zillion different color/pattern/experimental schemes and we felt a collapsing was in order. Over the last three years some enhancements have been made to the color classifications and conformation structures, placing more emphasis on temperament and maintenance and less emphasis on color, for example. During 1992, Metro Ferret Friends (current Metro Ferret Rescue League) and the Greater Chicago Ferret Association used the system for their shows. This was the time period old IFA - trained judges (Carol Keith, Denise Edens, Ginny Rogers, Vickie McKimmey and Karen Yaremkowych) trained new judges (Tanya Iacaruso, Ellen Byrne, Mark Fincham and Kaycie Chester). Mrs. Davis got involved while serving as the Vice-President of LAFF (4/92 to 4/93) during the planning of the 1993 LAFF show. The members of the LAFF Show Committee consisted of Mr. & Mrs. Davis, Tanya Iacaruso, Charlie Fellows, Carol Keith and Vickie McKimmey. The planning session around the Davis' dining room table was for the development of a new judging sheet, using the same system established the prior year. It was also during the planning and orchestrating of the LAFF 1993 show that Vickie McKimmey (LAFF President '92 and '93) and Mrs. Davis (LAFF Vice President '92) decided to present LAFF's independent show standards and judging system to other clubs (please refer to the article "A New Direction" by Mrs. Davis in LAFF's 1992 December Vol. 5 No. 7 LAFF Lines newsletter - reprinted below for your easy reference) Mr. Davis created the LIFE name. "A New Direction" by Ann Davis December 1992 LAFF Lines Vickie's end of year message to the club reads like a roster of changes. The club has been going in these directions for some time but it seems like everything has just clicked for us this year. I will try to summarize a couple of the more important events of the year - INDEPENDENCE. All of you who show ferrets are aware of our independent status. It was a hard decision, to be affiliated, or not to be affiliated, with one of the national groups. We greatly admire and respect all the large national ferret organizations, but felt no one met our particular needs. One thing we have found for sure, is that independent clubs are fiercely independent! We are a club full of breeders, rescuers, former national affiliate ferret judges and just plain ferret fanciers who all had their own opinion as to how to run, judge and stage a championship show. There were many suggestions and heated discussions until we decided to just stay independent, form our own point system, and run our own show. Having close connections with our sister club, Metro Ferret Friends, who are throwing their first show, we decided to try a bold new idea and for a group of independent clubs, who sanction their own shows, provide their own judges, set their own standards, and here is the idea in bold - SHARE POINTS. The bold idea was to merge our databases and take into account any existing points from other organizations, that our members cared to have entered, so that with our system a ferret could go to any show he wanted and carry his pints and titles with him. The points would thus accrue and you would no longer be restricted to one organization. We think this gives our members a definite advantage and encourages them to go to many other shows. We designed a 100-point system which we believe is fair, and established standards for colors and conformation. We really like our system, and so do the judges who have used it. But in the true spirit of independence, we don't force our system on any of our sister clubs, we merely offer it. So far, two have used it besides LAFF, and one has tried their own point system. The upcoming Flower City Ferret Fest in Rochester, New York will be using it and will be judged by Vickie McKimmey, Carol Keith and Denise Edens. We also had the thorny issue of certificates. We took a poll and found that they are important to most members, so we designed a certificate that could be used by any participating club with only a few word changes. We will also issue interim certificates: if members in our database report extra points earned at non-independent shows, with proper verification we will simply add those to their existing points -- and if they are due a new title, issue it. This is because other national groups have worked hard on their standards too, and we respect them. Vickie McKimmey is keeping the database for our independent group of clubs, and we are growing by leaps and bounds. Together we print and format certificates. At first the certificates were costly to print, but by taking on the entire operation, Vickie and I have gotten the cost down. Since we have managed to eliminated the commercial printer from the loop and Vickie and I are donating the paper (and monumental time), we have decided to earmark all the funds collected from certificates to go the Black Footed Ferret, either for the captive breeding and reintroduction programs, or where the need is greatest. We have decided to call our newly formed group the League of Independent Ferret Enthusiasts or LIFE, because in Diane Rogers own words "who couldn't love life." ... (The remainder of this letter specifically deals with LAFF internal issues and so is not reprinted here. If requested, we can provide a copy of the letter as it appeared in its entirety in the LAFF newsletter) [Posted in FML issue 1292]