Report on March 15 Meeting
Hello All!
What a turnout for our March meeting! We are on our way, if not already, to being a club that is talked about amongst other clubs. For me, it was a little bit intimidating overseeing such a group. Of course, I could not do it without all the help I have been getting. It’s great that not only is the club growing but everything else that goes along with it. I must thank not only the helpers, but people buying raffle tickets, bringing in fish for the auction, bidding and buying fish. I like the way we can all talk not only with each other but also during the meeting. It’s a club and everyone is participating even if there is a little friendly heckling. It makes it fun!
Our presentation about Axolotls by our vice president Nefes was amazing. You would not have known that was her first fish club presentation at all. The PowerPoint, pictures and video were right on. There was such interest with many questions afterwards. I was thinking that if anyone wants to get Axolotl eggs, we could do a group buy from the breeder and split them up at the meeting. Send me an email if you think this would be something you might want to do.
I am still working on getting my friend to do a presentation on tub gardens for the next meeting. Spring is coming and it is fun to put some fish out for the summer. If he cannot, I may do my presentation on installing a small simple pond. It’s like a tub but just a little bigger and more permanent.
Our fish show was another success with Buzz taking first and third, and Evelyn giving him a run for the money, so to speak, taking a close second. Which leads me to the fish calendar that we want to make. If you want your fish to be in the calendar, send the pics to liasphotos@gmail.com and we will edit them and put them in. We have time and I will talk about it during our next meeting.
Tom Keegan, President
March 15 Meeting
Hello All,
Our next meeting is only a week away on Friday March 15. Yes, it is the Ides of March and the start of St Patty’s Day weekend. What better way to start it off than with a fish club meeting? We will also be enjoying daylight savings time, so it will be a little lighter when you arrive at the meeting, and not as cold.
For this meeting, we want to try a new order of things. I will open the meeting by going over a few items. Then we’ll have the door prize, raffle, fish show, and auction. And I want to try to add another item to our meetings. At our last meeting we had the angelfish dais, and the question-and-answer session went so well I would like to include that in every meeting, by including a brief question-and-answer session. It could be about anything. Maybe a fish you are breeding or trying to keep. A sick fish you are having a problem curing. Some kind of fish you are looking for or an item like a fish tank or filter part. So if you have a question, problem, or something you are looking for, put it out on the floor. At this point we all know each other well enough that we have no problem talking in the group setting and this is what makes our club special from many of the others.
The presentation at this meeting will be by Nefes on Axolotls. She has kept them for quite some time now and they are an aquatic amphibian that is becoming very popular. Nefes has risen in our ranks from ticket sales to becoming one of my right-hand people as Vice President in a very short time. Right now, she is in medical school studying to be a neonatal doctor. I am looking forward to her presentation.
With all that said, it should be a fun meeting again. Please try to arrive between 7:00 and 7:30. I would like to start the meeting closer to 7:30 than 8:00 so we do not have to rush through anything. Do not worry if you are late. There will be breaks to put your fish in the auction or you can put them in while I am talking.
See you there!
Tom Keegan
President
Report on Feb. 16 meeting
Hello All,
Our meetings seem to be getting better and better. I have never experienced a meeting with a dais of expert members on a particular fish. I thought angelfish would be a good subject because of all the steps it takes to raise them. It went quite well and it could have gone on longer, but we had move on to the other parts of the meeting. I truly thank the two Jeffs and Gene for being put on the spot up front and center. There are other subjects I would like to set up the same way and I would like your input on them at the next meeting.
The fish show was another great success with a bunch of entries. Ray took third with one of his amazing guppies. Bob took second with a nice large black angelfish and Buzz took first with a killifish. As you all know the judging is done by you, a jury of peers. Bring in a fish and you never know.
We had quite a large fish auction for a regular meeting with some show-class angelfish from the breeders on our dais. I thank all who bring fish into the auction to help the club. I also thank the people who buy them, knowing it not only helps the club but also helps our breeders sell fish. It would not be an auction without Ed. He makes the action fun, with lots of laughs the way it should be. Thank you, Ed.
I will send out a mail next week about our next meeting. I have a presentation in the works from one of our newer members who has risen in the ranks very fast. It will be interesting and about one of the newest popular animals in our hobby.
Tom Keegan, President
Feb. 16 Meeting Angelfish
I have had some questions about angelfish breeding so I thought it would be a good topic for a talk. I will give a brief presentation with some of the basics. Then I have arranged to have three of our members who are known for their angelfish breeding knowledge come up for questions. Collectively, their knowledge spans three generations since the sixties, believe it or not. We have a great club with a tremendous amount of fish know-how at our fingertips. Get questions ready anywhere from raising baby brine, hatching angel eggs, feeding, raising, and even angelfish genetics.
There will be the usual door prize, raffle, and refreshments. I know it was cold and last minute for our January meeting, but this meeting is a definite go. Bring fish for the auction and fish show!!!
Remember our new start time is 7:30 and if you cannot make it, at that time, do not worry about it. There will be time to put fish in the auction and show.
Tom Keegan, President
Meeting Location:
AMVETS Post 48
660 Hawkins Avenue
Ronkonkoma, NY 11779