>From: Margaret Merchant <[log in to unmask]> My personal opinions follow... >Subject: National Ferret Organization >Now, down to questions. > >Would you like the organization to be pure educational and publicity related >or do you feel it should be directly involved with local politics? Educations, publicity _AND_ politics. A major issue is the recognition of the domestic ferret as a legitimate and non threating family pet. There are laws that need to be passed, mis-guided laws that need changing, and a variety of inconsistent regulations at state and local levels. A national organization must be prepared to address the legal/political issues at all levels. Personally, I don't think regulation of pets should be a federal issue but there are national advisory and regulatory bodies (such as CDC) who may figure in any activity. >Would you want the group to be solely a national group, or also have >regional and/or state groups, which could also work independently of a >national organization? Why don't we first figure out if we can find the leadership and staff to start a national group. If it gets sufficiently large, we can address regional or state level sub-groups at such time. >Should the group involve itself with any shows of its own or of any other >group's? Personally speaking - no. We already have groups handling that. Suggest you refer back to Bob C.'s original posting for a good starting set of interests. If we start a new organization lets not cripple it by taking on more than is necessary in the early days. >Would you like the group to be involved with funding of any kind for any >individual or shelter? No. Again this is an initial situation. If in the future such a national group became large enough and wealthy enough that it wanted to consider that then we could do so at that time. Initially stay focussed on the areas that are _NOT_ being addressed nationally by other groups. [Posted in FML issue 1972]