American Standard Chinchilla RBA

  It's hard to believe that it's December already.  Our weather up until two weeks ago was in the high 90's, and now we've had rain for the past two days, and temperatures in the 40's.  We went to a show in Georgia a few weeks ago and an animal I had on the table in the first show went on again in the secend show about 3/4 hour later, and she had blown a hole in her coat that you could put your hand over and cover.  Now a week later she didn't look like she'd had a coat problem! SOME WEATHER! I had a BOB & BOS in the first show with the Juniors and a BOS in the secend show with a Junior and the third show I lost out to some nice looking animals from Marge and Silas Drake and Charlotte Ford.  Look in the newsletter for information on the Standard Chinchilla National Show in Columbus, Ohio on May 1st.  Chuck and Ruth have done a great job securing hotels and we will be getting a banquet hall for us after the first of the year.

If anyone has something for the web-site, contact:
George Mathis @ SkinsFan1960@Bellsouth.net
Jessica Mathis @ LayDbug1994@Bellsouth.net

Until next time........
              Chuck

  The trip to San Diego was a long drive of 1450 miles or so and took 26 hours on the road.  So when you get there you're not in a good mood to put up the rabbits.  But the few times it has been in the early morning hours when the are not too many people around to bother you.  They did not have any show committee members there to get your paperwork from, but by the time we had the rabbits all put up by 6a.m. they were there. 
  We had a good time but every convention has little quirks and this one was no exception to the rule.  The Headquarters Hotel is where all meetings and banquets were held, great; but it didn't take long for the rumor mill to get the word out that there was a $3 parking charge when we paid to go to the ARBA Banquet (Shirley's thing).  There was little activity over there for meetings, as most found other places to have them as we all were around the booth.  I mean all six or seven of us congregated at the booth.  We were at the far end of the building, but it was next to some outside doors, so, we had a lot of room. Also the booth had a lot more depth to it. We had two folding chairs, plus two big chairs of ours and we still got around.  The Mini Lop Booth was on th either side of the doors from us and they had their stereo going with oldies music and a surf board mounted on top, which took 1st place.  The Satin booth was just two doors from us which we were not off to ourselves.
  There wasn't enough officers present to make any decisions, but it was brought up that some members did not receive a ballot for the last election and I would like to know if some of you did not receive a ballot.  I don't think this was a bad problem, but this was mentioned by some of the members.  Our Spring National Show was discussed at some point.  Tonna Thomas asked about the bid for 2011 and I told her it was a done deal because you only had four Specialty Clubs that put these on and we more or less take turns.  2010 is Great Lakes turn to have it and 2011 is Midwest Clubs turn and if the Illinois Club gets reorganized, which I think is getting some new members, they can jump in whenever they get ready.  Of course, we have the Western Colorado Club, which put on the last National show.  We need info put on the website for the Spring Nationals, The Midwest club is going back to Sedalla, Mo. where the club members of the club I believe are long gone.  A lot of the Illinois breeders came down to the show and also the Missouri State conv.  Coming up, which I'm boycotting, this year after the show secretary and I went round and round.  We send the show reports down to Pat to put in the newsletter that BOB was won by Nancy Chausse, BOS  and Best Fur went to Tex Thomas.  The youth winner came all the way from kansas, Mason and Marlaina Colson.  We had a nice thank you note from them saying that they were saving the money won last year for their college fund.

          Ken 

  I received the Convention paperwork from Ken and Shirley.  Thank you Shirley for doing the show work for me.  Chuck and I wish we could have been there but there was no way we could afford to take the time from our business and the expenses involved this time of year.  Congradulations for all the winners and members present.  Ken wrote to me that they made a note on the convention paperwork for next year that John Soper may be asked to judge our chins. I let the convention people know a few weeks ago that our club had decided on Bob Shaftoe if he was available. They told me that we has judging the Flemish Giants and we had asked him to judge the Chins.  I told him no, but if he was available we might like him to judge for us.  I don't know who we will finally get.  Nancy had written to me before the convention about the Std. Chins not being in the catalog but I looked through a friends's (club didn't receive one) and it showed the payback and other information usually in the catalogs under the Americans, boy! Someone was asleep.  Ken was sending a check from our club account to secure a booth for the 2010 convention and I received the confirmation along with the paperwork from the show.  I don't know what the theme is or the colors chosen so we'll have to decide on a theme ahead of time.  Ken still has the banner we had made a few years ago to put in the booth.  Anyone else has anything of interest, please, please send it to George or Jessica Mathis for the website.  Fees are due for it in February and I'll send him a check shortly to cover the expense.
  Will close for now, get this into print and mailed the 1st of the week.  Take care and again Merry Christms and Happy New Year from our NestBoxes to yours... 

Until next time...
        Patricia 

Greetings from Washington
(From Nancy Chausse)

   Sorry that more of you weren't able to make the trip to San Diego for the ARBA convention this year.  A big thanks to Randy, Kevin & crew for putting on such a well planned extravaganza!  The weather was beautiful, the showroom was well organized and the people (even the clean-up crew) were warm & friendly.  We had a fantastic time. 
   We had 51 animals shown in the open class & 4 animals shown in the youth class.  Congratulations to youth breeder Mason Colson of Kansas for BOB & BOS with his awesom stock!  Congratulations to all of the class winners in the open class.  I took BOB with a little Sr. buck bred by Carry Elkins.  He was out of SS Stormy who was from my first litter of Chins born in Dec 2001.  We lost Stormy a couple months ago, but he left an awesome little dude to follow his legacy.  Congratulations to Tex Thomas of Misouri for his BOS Sr. doe "Rosebud" & his 1st place Jr. buck.  And to Margaret & Drew Cummings of Washington for their 1st place Jr. doe.  A big thanks to Randy Cler of Alaska for sorting through all of our Chins at the end of the day (they always save the best for last)
   We haven't been getting out much lately, Carry & her sister Laurie on the CA scene, & me on the WA scene.  It was nice to see some of our fellow exhibitors once again; Tex from Missouri, Arnold from Illinois, Kenneth from Kansas & Joan from Colorado.  It was a pleasure to meet James Conyers from New Mexico.  A big thanks to Ashley Felton & margaret Cummings of WA for sending their stock even though they couldn't attend.  Jacquie Voorhees entered a few also, but we didn't get a chance to meet her.  Our next big show will be the Colorado Rabbit Roundup in April when the Western Standard Chinchilla RBC will be holding a specialty show.
   Happy Holidays, 
          Nancy Chausse
              Director