Chairman’s Report – May 2015

Nationwide Standards
At long last we have agreed all the text for the revised Nationwide Standards at the last Nationwide Meeting of Fish Society delegates held on Sunday May 3rd 2015. The meeting was attended by delegates from all the fish societies dedicated to the improvement and continuation of the Standards for all the recognised Goldfish Varieties. We are also well on with the modifications of the line drawings and our thanks go out to those delegates and societies that put so much work into this effort over the last two years. Apologies to all that had to spend so much time listening to the constructive arguments and contributing their thoughts and opinions at various society meetings over the last 24 months but we now have a solid draft document free of errors and discrepancies. Thanks have to go to all the delegates, from all the societies for their time and determination to complete this mammoth task as mandated by all the societies on behalf of the membership. There may still be some dissent from some fish keepers, with the door always open for further modification as fish develop over the forthcoming years. A standard for the Wakin and Ryukin were also agreed at this meeting. Minutes of the Nationwide meeting will be published soon as a permanent record of events for all society records.

AMGK Web Site
We now have a new web site, that will be set up by June Pons on behalf of the Society and I wish to thank both June for undertaking the initial management of the site and for sorting out how to transfer it from the previous domain etc., and also want to thank Frances Van der Merve for running our web site to date on the Society’s behalf. Once the web site is up and running we will publish all particulars for our members to use and contribute to as appropriate.

New Members
We offer a very warm welcome to new members Tony and Heather Carrier, from Leicester and hope that they will be able to attend our next get together at our Open Show on Saturday 20th June 2015.

Photography
Laurence Tressler, who has been a member for the last couple of years, was kind enough to volunteer to photograph and film our adult fish show during our last meeting. Laurence is a keen photographer and has had a number of interesting past commissions. It is intended that an edited disc copy is produced for review as a permanent club record and, if possible, Laurence has ‘volunteered’ to film the Open Show activities if he can make the date. The film will include the setting up, judging process, auction, canteen activity, presentations of awards and de-benching etc., this should make for interesting viewing later in the year so please watch your dress, language and any make up you lads want to wear!.

President’s Open Day
Andy Barton, our President, kindly opened his house and fish establishment for members on 27th July 2014 which made for a great day out. Apart from some excellent fish on display (particularly broadtail/Veil Orandas, Andy keeps and breeds show quality Fancy Guppies. A number of members, myself included, started fish breeding with quality Guppies so it was good to see some excellent ones that have done Andy proud in the national guppy show league over the last few years. We have included a number of photographs from the day an also some from the year before on a similar event if you are wondering why some of us have had a change of clothing!

Open Show
Don’t forget our open show this year that starts at 8.00amon Saturday 20th June 2015 for all our members, in order to prepare the show hall for visiting exhibitors from the other societies that adhere to the Nationwide Standards.

National Open Goldfish Show to Nationwide Standards
We can confirm that the 2nd National Open Goldfish show judged to Nationwide Standards will again be held in Northampton on Saturday 26th September 2015. As previously this is organised and run jointly by all four goldfish societies with more details being made available nearer the time. But for now please make a note of the date in your diaries.

Chairman’s Open Day
For the third time in five years I have agreed to an open day at my house in Telford, Shropshire on Sunday 26th July 2015, but cannot promise exceptionally sunny like on the last two occasions, but you never know. Although It has been a late start for many of us this year with our fish breeding programme, mainly due to the cold weather, I started to bring the fish into breeding condition during April and now have spawnings of Bristol Shubunkins, Broadtail Moors, Common Goldfish and a few Calico Veiltails – all feeding on newly hatched Brine Shrimp. So there should be plenty of young fish available to see before they hit the Autumn Show scene. Of course, all members are welcome as well as other members from the other Nationwide Standards supporting societies.

Our thanks once again to June for putting this issue of the Goldfish Standard together, and understand that there will be another bumper issue following our open show.

Happy fish keeping
Pat Davies, Chairman