Abstract
As friends from near and far converged on Houston for the 35th annual conference of the American Federation of Aviculture, we were enthusiastic about another great convention. Many first time attendees and veteran registrants mingled with speakers from as far away as the Canary Islands and Australia. Topics of discussion were as varied as the speakers themselves.
This year's event did not disappoint as there were several surprises throughout the week including a Grand Raffle Prize worth nearly $5,000 donated by Mr. David Hughes. The Honda Four Trax Rancher ATV was the center of attention as it stood in the Atrium tempting each of us, wishing that we could be the lucky winner.
Another one of the highlights was Chris Biro's demonstration during the Bird Endowment's Reception. All in attendance were in awe as the Blue-throated Macaws Bew freely through the 25,000 sq ft atrium, high above the ficus trees.
The fun didn't end at the dose of the daily program, as old friends gathered welcoming new faces and telling stories of days gone by well into the early hours of the morning.
But, most amazing was the camaraderie and generosity expressed by certain individuals at the final banquet. Nora Schmidt won the one-of-a-kind quilt on the silent auction; made from previous years' artwork done by Wanye E. Smyth, she then presented it as a gift to Mark Moore in a very emotional moment. Then Dr. Benny Gallaway won
the grand prize Honda Four Trax and much to his wife's pleasure, in an amazing gesture, he gave it to Fred Smith.
The evening ended with the live auction of the Blue-headed Pionus artwork by Wayne E. Smyth. Brent W Gattis won the reception artwork in
a bidding frenzy that was hard to keep up with, only to donate it to Laney Rickman and the Bird Endowment. Mr. Gattis also won the third and final piece of artwork as well, with the adult pair of Blue-headed Pionus, only to present it as a gift, too.
All in all, the time went too quickly. Old and new friends parted ways in anticipation of next year in St. Petersburg, FL. For some of us, the annual AFA convention is a short vacation. To many of us, it is a great deal more. The following is an account by one of our first timers.
My First AFA Convention
By Denise LaCazette
BEING A RELATIVELY NEW MEMBER of the American Federation of Aviculture, this was my first time at a convention. I've been involved with birds for over a decade and have sat on the fringe, listening, and learning over the years. I'd heard a great deal about AFA before I joined and became a member because I truly believe in AFA's mission.
While things might seem basic to those that have attended previous conventions, they're not so easily mastered by those who have never attended before. There are so many activities to do, for example: attending educational lectures, buying raffie tickets, filling out your passport with stickers, putting raffie tickets in baskets and visiting with vendors. The Presidential Gala in the vendor hall the first night allowed attendees to socialize and plan their next few days. Some of us are almost recluses with our birds and have rusty social skills. Rocky Mooney, a convention veteran, helped to make everyone feel welcome. Sometimes I felt overwhelmed when meeting others who are "BIG" names in the world of aviculture. (I never did go through the whole rock star groupie thing, but there are definitely some aviculturists I follow quite closely. Which leads me to a question I didn't ask-is it okay to fawn over them?) I felt incredibly lucky to have found a trio of wonderful ladies earlier in the day at the zoo that didn't mind me attaching myself. They helped me navigate as a newcomer and were extremely gracious.