Minutes for the NEAOBA meeting, 23 January 2000

The meeting was hosted by Acron Acres. 50+ people attended. The crowding generated comments on the need for a larger place for future meetings. As the next meeting is at NEAF (Topsfield); May 2000, the space issue does not need to be addressed yet.

Blank name tags will be the responsibility of the host after the May meeting. Wearing names tags will hopefully facilitate members associate names with faces.

The third meeting, July 9, will be at Folsom Farm, Raymond, New Hampshire, hosted by Peter Buckingham and Lorrie O'Connor. This meeting will also be the fiber collection meeting for people interested in participating in the 2000 NEAOBA fiber pool.

Report from Joe Hillard, Treasurer

Current balance:

$4,800 in bank account

$13,000 in CDs ($3000 in a 3 month CD and $10,000 in a 6 month CD)

NEAOBA has 78 members. A new membership list will be out shortly and an update of new members will come with the newsletter (due out 01 March 2000).

Result of the voting rights issue were 19 for and 14 against.

Due to a change in the wording of the statement voted on, the vote must be redone and the results of the last voting are null.

NEW BUSINESS

Fiber pool

The yarn from Harrisville has been distributed, the first blanket project is completed; all have been sold except 2-3 samples at prospective buyers. The socks have been knitted and extras are available for sale.

The second blanket project, 100% alpaca, is underway. No completion date available. Blankets will be returned to the farms that contributed fiber.

Fiber pool projects for 2000 will be:

Socks--a merino/alpaca blend utilizing the neck and leg/belly fiber alpaca fiber.

Blanket--merino/alpaca blend utilizing the alpaca blanket

Suri/Huyca 100% alpaca; utilizing blanket only

2-ply sport weight yarn and bulky yarn.

MAPACA has been invited to contribute to the fiber pool. There has been no response so far.

WEB SITE

Some ads still need to be renewed.

NEWSLETTER

The cost of the last newsletter was covered by advertising,

The newsletter cost $234.00 to produce at $3.12/copy

There will be a special issue available at NEAF as it was last year. (Vote on the special issue for NEAF passed). To cover the cost of additional copies, the ad rates will be higher in the special issue.

The editor will be given free advertising space (half page) in the newsletter.

NEAF

Volunteers are needed. Please contact Greg Girard if you can help out.

A sales flyer (booklet) will be mailed to people expressing interest in purchasing alpacas. The booklet will indicate which animals will be for sale at NEAF. The cost of catalog is estimated to be $3500/$3800 and will be paid by the farms that use the catalog. It is estimated at the cost per picture will be $50.

The postcard campaign will be repeated again this year. The cost of $2500 was covered by pen space rental in 1999 and is assumed that the cost will be covered again by pen rentals .

Applications for pens will be out Feb 1 or 2. The full amount will be due when the application is mailed in. (They should be out be the time you receive this),

The seminars will be same as those offered in 1999.

Greg is looking for someone to do a felting demonstration. If you are interested in doing this or know someone interested in doing a felting demonstration, please contact Greg Girard.

If you know someone (and or company) that is interested in being a vendor at NEAF in 2000; please have them contact Greg Girard so he can send them the information and application.

There is no guest speaker yet. It was suggested that there be a panel disscussion by the vets from Tufts University. Nothing was finalized.

The hostess volunteered to take over the Children's Activity corner for the 2000 NEAF. The suggestion was made that NEAF attendees with children volunteer to help at the Kid's corner.

There will be ballon rides for people at the event.

There was a brief discussion about the next alpaca fest. The general feeling was that the event has to change to make it grow. Ideas and suggestions on how to accomplish this should be sent to Jan Hensle, president or another board member.

It was suggested that the event date be changed.

Moving the event to the Big E, Springfield MA is being investigated (when is the Mallory building available, etc.)

year (this is still under discussion??). Maybe NEAOBA should consider doing this.

There was a desire expressed for members to communicate better about the small/state/regional fairs they might be attending. The state representative should be the contact person if you are going to an event or would like to go to an event and share the time/animals/etc.

National Marketing update from Jim King

The main effort is a continuation of placing ads in national magazines (such as Country Living) with an 800 number to call. The ads are financed by the breeders guide. After 30 days, the leads are available to all who advertised in the breeders guide.

There will also be an infomercial on the outdoor channel Jan 24 and 28. The show time was not known.

The affiliate task force committee is examining the interface between the affiliates and AOBA. Some redesign/restructuring of the affiliates will happened. Ideas will be put in the Hummer for the membership to review. AOBA would like for all affliate members to be AOBA members.

Jim King is a nominee for the AOBA board. He is running as he feels the east coast needs to be represented. He would like the NEAOBA membership to consider geographical representation when voting for the board this year. Voting will be before the national conference.

Other news

The alpaca show at the Big E has been split off from the lama show this year. The alpaca show will be Sept. 25-28 this year (this is Monday thru Thurs). This was very recent news and there are many questions that do not have answers yet. There is the suggestion that NEAOBA hire a superintendent (cost will be about $1500). Volunteers are needed to run the show. Please contact Kevin O'Leary if you are interested.

National event news from Ana

The AOBA has picked the judges for the show.

Animals offered at the auction will have a full reproductive garuntee and full lineage. There can be no pending registration. 40 females will be offered, 5 of these are donated.

A 1" square fiber sample will be required for each animal entered in the halter show. 24 April is the entry deadline.

A fiber sample is also required for the fleece show. May 18 is the deadline the fleeces. They must be mailed in.

The halter show will be in the afternoon only.

There will be a champion this year.

See the Hummer for details.

End of meeting notes. I am sorry that these have been so long in coming.