| Feature
Article: Trials and Tribulations of a Bird Keeper
The Green Singer
by Nicole Smith
Secretary’s Report:
January 11, 1999.
Bird Nutrition by Dr. George Messenger
The meeting convened at 19:55. For 1999 the Bird Mart dates are 4/17, 6/26 and 9/18.
Reserve tables are $25 in advance and anyone interested in reserving a table should talk
to Steve Tanner. The Nashua Armory was mentioned as a possible site for BOAF events such
as the fall show and rents for $800 which includes use of the kitchen and a janitor. Pam
Ellis suggested we include seminars with our show. The treasurer’s report was
presented by Steve Tanner. Scarlett Bird foods expressed an interest in getting involved
with our bird show, possibly even covering some of the expenses. Sugar Babies will supply
the contact person and Denise will contact that person about getting Scarlett involved.
The status of our stop payment check was discussed. The woman had accepted the
registered letter but hasn’t responded since. The next step is to file in small
claims court so the club needs someone to go up to Concord to follow up on this.
Dr. Messenger started his talk on bird nutrition at 20:29. Most birds he sees in his
office are suffering from some form of malnutrition. Essentially, a healthy bird diet
consists of six basic nutrients: water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and
minerals. He explained the need for each and suitable sources for bird foods. He further
explained why an all seed diet is inappropriate since it lacks Vitamin D3 which is
necessary for calcium absorption. His recommendation was a diet consisting of 70 – 80
percent formulated food (pellet or extruded) and 20 – 30 percent table foods (pasta,
rice or beans). He concluded the presentation with a question and answer session ending at
21:43. A short break followed and then we held the raffles. The meeting adjourning at
22:10.
IMPORTANT
This is the time to renew your BOAF membership. The revised form is on page 9.
If you haven’t renewed prior to February 25, 1999, you will not receive the March
1999 Bulletin. No exceptions!!!
Although the BOAF staff tries very hard to avoid
errors, should any member have the wrong date on their label, call Nancy Storey to get it
corrected. Please do this before the February 25th renewal date so you do not miss any
issues of the bulletin.
Membership Drive
You ask why I say revised renewal form? Good question. At the last directors meeting it
was decided to provide added incentive to the member-get-a-member initiative. Now, BOAF
members get a $4 credit toward his/her renewal when he/she refers a potential new member
who joins BOAF. Make sure the new member puts your name as the referral. Refer five new
members and next year your membership will be free!
We miss you Pat!
As many members know, Pat Lawrence was taken seriously ill just before last
year’s annual fall show. When she called me to excuse herself from her show
commitments, she could barely speak. Pat wrote us a letter to tell us that she is doing
much better now and that the oxygen tanks have finally been removed from her home.
Although the lung problem will never be cured, it is under control.
Dear members,
Thanks to BOAF for sending me a note of get well wishes. This card arrived on a day I was
feeling low and it did help my day.
Also I would like to thank all of the BOAF friends who sent notes, cards and telephone
calls. For now my lung disease has been calmed down and as of Thursday, Jan. 21, the
oxygen tanks have been removed from my house. I am now breathing on my own.
I have had to sell all of my finches and other birds. This was a very hard task. I have
had birds as pets since I was a child. But we do what we have to do to survive. This
seemed strange to me that I all of a sudden developed an allergy to the birds, but the
doctors say the protein in the bird droppings and dust created an allergy and collapsed
one of my lungs. They feel I have had this at least 6 years. I certainly did not know it
until January 1998. We always had two of the air cleaners running at all times, but
evidently this was not enough.
I must say, I have of course kept John Deere, the Double Yellow Head, and I have 4 of
my old canaries, a couple of cockatiels, and a Rosey Bourke.
I hope soon I will be attending the meetings, and it will be good to see everyone
again.
Sincerely,
Pat Lawrence
Pat, we’re glad to hear you’re doing better and hope to see you at an
upcoming meeting.
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Notes from
the Editor One member gave me half a dozen
articles. Thanks Nicole. Spring Bird Mart Handouts are available now and colored flyers
will be distributed at the next meeting. For black and white copies, please photocopy the
announcement on page 8. I have also prepared a short BOAF publicity brochure (which
includes a mail-in membership application). It, too, will be distributed at the next
meeting. If every member puts these forms in their local pet shop, BOAF will get a
tremendous boost in exposure, membership and attendance at special events.
I have a request for classified advertisers. Please use upper and lower case when
preparing your ads. Microsoft Publisher, the program used to prepare this bulletin,
doesn’t handle hyphenation of words in all caps well, if at all. Unless I rework
them, these articles take 3 or 4 times the space they should.
If you have something to be published, give it to me at a meeting or send it to:
Ray Schwartz
19 Olde Common Drive
Atkinson, NH 03810-2177
or e-mail them to editor@boaf.com
or call me at (603) 362-6106
Report on Directors Meeting - Jan. 25, 1999.
Denise Bourgault called the meeting to order at 7:45 p.m. Denise, Steve
and Ray will go to Buffalo, NY in March to present BOAF as a host for the 2001 National
Cage Bird Show.
Pat Beardsley was appointed raffle table chairperson for both meetings and the fall
show
Ray will modify the BOAF membership application to include a "referred by"
notation. Any member who recruits a NEW member will get a $4 credit toward his/her next
renewal. Anyone recruiting 5 or more members in a year will get a free renewal.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:20.
Next Directors Meeting
Date: Wednesday November 17, 1998
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Steve Tanner’s Home
Agenda:
At this meeting the Board of Directors will finalize plans for our
presentation to host the 2001 National. If you have suggestions, please join us and
present them at the meeting.
If you are not an Officer or Director, but have a topic to be addressed,
please notify one of them prior to the meeting.
Loon
Mountain Trip on Hold
What are we doing wrong? BOAF has close to 300 members in over 190 households. How come
only 9 people representing 5 households expressed interest in going on a field trip to see
a raptor/ wild bird demonstration? Wrong topic? Wrong locale? Lack of time? Lack of
interest?
Please provide guidance to your directors. If you would like us to forget about such
special events, please tell us. If, on the other hand, you know something BOAF bird people
would enjoy, share it with us. Please forward your comments/suggestions to me and
I’ll present them at the next directors meeting.
Webmasters Report By Allen
Fox
It has been quiet on the web front as of late and
it is time for something new. I have some suggestions and if you have an opinion drop me a
line. How about an online discussion forum where anyone can ask or answer questions? This
would be a place where members could help members and the avian public at large. Would
there be any interest in a monthly meeting where I could present what is out there on the
web? This could be a primer to show how much information is at your fingertips. As always
suggestions are always welcome.
Fall
1999 Show Update
Plans for this fall’s show are progressing rapidly even though we still do not
have a hall. Pat Beardsley has volunteered to be raffle table chairperson and will solicit
donations from all the advertiser’s in Bird Talk, plus local bird product vendors.
Last year we missed out on a potential source of income for BOAF — ads in the show
programs. We received a grand total of one. The time to get these ads is now, well in
advance of the show. I know it is still winter, and the show seems to be a long way off,
but would someone like to volunteer now as ad chair for the fall show? It isn’t that
challenging considering that we accept payment for ads in cash or, more importantly, in
merchandise. Any volunteers?
Fifty-Fifty Raffles
At every meeting we have a fifty-fifty raffle. Half the money collected goes to the
club; the other half, to the lucky winner. What better prize than a fistful of cash!! |
