Abstract
I would like to express my appreciation at having been chosen by our Board of Directors as the third President of the American Federation of Aviculture, make a few brief comments on how I feel about assuming the presidency, and list my goals for the coming year.
Since the formation of A.F.A. we have had two presidents in the persons of Jerry Jennings and Lee Horton. Both were outstanding. I hope that l shall receive like approbation at the end of my term of office.
lt is my desire to work with all groups and interests, including industry and government, provided they are not in conflict with the policies and interests of our Federation or of its membership.
1 solicit the help of all members. Dedicated aviculturists are needed to serve on the various A.F .A. committees and we are still without coordinators in several stares. One need not be a delegate or coordinator to serve on any committee.
My first goal as president is to at least double membership during my term of office. Here again I am in need of your help.
If all members would give out a sub· scription brochure each time they sell a bird, we might even quadruple membership during the next year.
Brochures are available, at no cost, from our home office chairman.
To promote A.F.A., a display should be set up at every bird show.
We are strong now, but each additional member makes us stronger.
Goal number two is to do all I can to maintain and expand the excellence of Watchbird magazine. All of the expertise that is within our membership - all of this knowledge not to be found in books - should be shared by its publication in our magazine. l ask for your commitment to share through publication your information and experiences.
My next goal is to try to influence more conservation of wildlife through promotion of more captive breeding programs. My thin king here is along the lines of an A.F.A. initiated registry program, together with the dissemination of more information on the keeping and breeding of all birds, especially the rare and endangered species.
As a goal, l favor A.F.A. sponsored research into avian nutrition and diseases. As a first step in this direction, A.F.A. will be offering this year two special awards with cash grants for the two best original papers relating to cage and aviary bird research.
I am happy to announce that this year two of our genera] board meetings will be held on a regional basis - one in the Mid-west, in Chicago; the other in the East, in Washington, D.C. These regional meetings will emphasize our national character and will provide input from members in other parts of the country. These will be open meetings for all members who wish to attend and I look forward to them and to meeting many members whom I do not as yet have the pleasure of knowing.
Richard E. Baer President, American Federation of Aviculture