|
|
|||||||
Members'
Websites ¥ Birdy Links ¥
Join the Club
|
|||||||
|
Photo by Rae Officers for 2007President Art Usher Vice President Walter Harrington Treasurer George Annis Secretary Prudence Pease Board of Directors:Leah Britch Fran French (membership) Darren Godette (Breeder
Directory) Jordan LaPlaca Wayne & Sheila Marcelle Harry Russell Brad Tuckerman (Newsletter) Marian Welch Interim Directors: Jarred Felch (Junior
Director) Join the VBFC mail list Membership in the Club isn't required, and you don't have to be a Vermont resident. You just have to like birds. Come and join us!
|
A Brief History of the
Club The Vermont Bird Fanciers
Club was founded in 1998 to promote the various aspects of bird fancy
including conservation and education. Holly Wilson, then of Quechee, Vermont, was the mover and shaker who made the
effort to bring her idea of a bird fancier club to fruition in our little
state. The Bird Club has now become a vital part of bird fancy in Vermont. In the first year there
were 65 family memberships. The Club has now grown to approximately 200
members, consisting of mostly families in Vermont, and also counts members in
Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and even
Canada, making the Club international in scope. The Club didn't just
happen by itself. Until the first annual meeting when officers were voted in,
the Club had a steering committee consisting of Holly Wilson, Jennifer Megyesi, Dick Connor, Claude Rathburn,
George Stancliffe, and Rick Butler. These people
were instrumental in getting the Club off the ground. The first elected
officers and board members of the VBFC who were a vital part of the
beginnings of the Club and deserve credit for their efforts and foresight in
guiding the Club in those early days were Rick Butler (president), Claude Rathburn (vice-president), Holly
Wilson (secretary/treasurer), and board members Dick Connor, Eleanor
Ellis, and George Stancliffe
From the beginning, the
VBFC has produced a newsletter, which has been the mouthpiece of the Club,
informing and educating members about avian culture, pest and disease
prevention, notices from the state vet's office, news about upcoming events,
etc. Holly Wilson produced the initial issues in 1998. The Newsletter's reins
were then handed over to Rick Butler and Eleanor Ellis who compiled and
edited the Newsletter from 1998 to 2001 when Eleanor resigned due to illness.
Rick continued until 2003. Then Michael Cuba produced the newsletter from
2003-2004. In 2005, Rick Butler returned, and is our current editor. Thanks
to our present and past editors, the "bird word" has gotten out to
all our members. Naturally, the vitality
of the VBFC depends on an active membership composed of people with a special
interest in poultry, waterfowl, cagebirds, and
other feathered friends. It became apparent that there was a real need for a
directory to inform members about who had what kinds of birds and to make it
easy for bird fanciers to contact each other. Thus, the VBFC Breeder
Directory was born. The early solution was a listing compiled by board member
Claude Rathburn, and it was first handed out in
1998 to the membership. In 2004, it morphed into an attractive, liberally
illustrated and annotated booklet format, compiled and edited by Elaine Villamarin. The annual VBFC Breeder Directory has always
given a complimentary listing to every member who wishes to be in it. A free
copy is mailed out to all members upon publication. Advertising space is
available at reasonable cost. The Club has had a booth
at the Barre Farm Show every January since 2000,
when, due to a cancellation, the Club was offered a spot. That year, Holly
Wilson, Meagan Howe, Art Keefe, and Harry Russell greeted visitors. In 2001
and 2002, George Annis made it happen,
making sure that the Club had a presence at the premier agricultural event of
the year. In 2003, Walter Harrington took over managing the Club's booth,
continuing to promote bird fancy to the agricultural community. It's always
been a magnet for poultry lovers at the event. One of the fun things
that the Club has sponsored since 2002 has been the field trip to the Poultry
Show at the Northeast Poultry Congress in Springfield, Massachusetts, that
comes around every January. The people who were instrumental in getting this
organized were Art Usher and Harry Russell. The Club rents a van or two and
picks up members by pre-arrangement along I-89 and I-91, and we all motor
down to the show together. Sheila and Wayne Marcelle
have been the key members at keeping what has now become a
Club tradition going. It's been a nice mid-winter break for poultry
lovers to go to the show to see lots of high quality birds. There is a Bird
Sale section as well. George Annis has taken
several of our youth members to the Show over the years, and the children
always seem to have an over-the-top time. The VBFC has had a web
presence on the Yahoo Group site, which had been set up by Holly Wilson in
2000. However, the Board of Directors recognized that the membership was
becoming more and more computer-conscious all the time. The VBFC needed to
have a better web presence to offer to our members. Enter Rachel Rice, with
her great knowledge and willingness to forge and launch this website as the
newest Club development in 2006. Everyone who's interested in birds may
subscribe to the online group, whether they are VBFC members or not. Vermont
residence isn't required either. To subscribe, just send a blank email to vermontbirdfanciersclub-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
.
If anyone has any
comments, suggestions, or ideas, or would like to have a link to their
bird-related Web site, please contact the webmaster, Helena
Nicolay, sqrlmavt@burlingtontelecom.net. |
||||||
Members'
Websites ¥ Birdy Links ¥
Join the Club
|
|||||||
You are visitor number
Last updated: April 2008