Letter from the President of the AMGK
It’s now three years since we had our last open show staged by the Association of Midland Goldfish Keepers due to the COVID pandemic.
However, the date of the 25th of June is fast approaching when it is hoped that as many members and friends in the goldfish keeping world get together for what we hope will be a bumper show with as many fish as possible being exhibited by all breeders after such a long absence. This will be a chance for all of us to meet and swap stories of our hobby’s ups and downs from the last three seasons of breeding.
Following our last AGM, the committee that helps run the Society throughout the year has been reduced from 11 to just 4 active committee members. This was not by choice, but through a lack of volunteers to fill the vacant posts, following an unprecedented retirement of most of the existing committee positions prior to and on the day.
With the help of a few other Society members this small band has been working behind the scenes to keep the Society running and enabling the open show to be staged. It has not been an easy task as the last general meeting showed. It was a mammoth task to assemble 84 tanks onto the exhibition tables with two hours to fill with water due to only one tap and low water pressure, that left little time for anything else. With a very low turnout of our usual members, it was inevitable that the meeting would drift somewhat and apologies for being unable to fully engage all attendees for the full allotted time. It was good to see all our new members on the day and my special thanks to our members that travelled all the way from Bristol and their very welcome help with the water and canteen duties. Please remember that we are all fish hobbyists foremost, and that all committee work and helping on the day is unpaid. Unofficial and solely voluntary with time given by all of us for the good of the hobby and our society in particular. It’s no good those few that fancy a moan at every opportunity, if someone does not like something – volunteers to put it right. The committee can’t do everything, nor should it do.
Fortunately, with 14 promised helpers from 8.00am on the day of the show we should be able to put all the tanks up and marked up in the right order for exhibitors to place their fish entries from 11.00am onwards. We’ll have two hoses going to fill the tanks and if more volunteers show up than already expected, we’ll have a good chance of preparing the auction room for the expected bumper auction in time too. Unlike other goldfish societies we are unable to stage the show the night before, so we are in for a busy day!!
As mentioned elsewhere on our face book page and website, we are looking for volunteers to help do short shifts in the basic canteen throughout the day. This year, we will not be having any of our famous bacon rolls, but will have pre-made sandwiches, heated sausage rolls, snack biscuits etc., and of course, teas and coffees.
The auction, again due to not enough volunteers, will be a silent auction, as tried and tested at our last AGM and recent general meeting. Therefore, there will be plenty of time for old friends to sit and chat after three years absence, whilst waiting for the judging to finish and the show to open.
We’ll be having our usual raffle (please bring any donations for prizes, the more the merrier), which will be bringing in welcome funds to help pay for the hall rental. And lastly, don’t forget to enter your fish, for without them there won’t be a show!
Pat Davies, President AMGK