President’s report 2007 (Sue Sowden) We have had a great year this year with five successful shows. We have had two judges from Melbourne a local judge and two from the Central Coast.. I would like to thank Susan Batho for making the novelty shows which were held in conjunction with the shows a great success and very enjoyable for youngsters. We have also have had five displays this year: Bungendore Show, The Royal Canberra Show, the Yass Show, the Yass Scout’s Fete and the Queanbeyan Show. I would like to thank all the people who helped with the displays and especially Nikki White who did both the Yass displays. We have also had a good increase in memberships this year. I would also like to thank the committee members for their help during the year.
General: We would like to thank Peter’s Pure Animal Foods who have sponsored us again this year. We would also like to thank Powell’s Stockfeeds who also sponsored us this year.
Shows Only one was held in conjunction with the NSW Cavy Club this year and that was in May. This was because of clashes in the NSWCC show schedule. All shows were held at the Canberra Pensioners Club but how long this will continue is not known given that all around it is being redeveloped.
Displays: This year we were not invited to Murrumbateman Field Days for some reason, making it the first we’ve missed since we started going there in 1999, The Canberra Pet Expo was dropped because they now charge even non-profit associations for exhibiting and it was felt the return was not worth the money given that we have not picked up new members at that venue nor has the public been after information on rabbit care but merely wanted a pat. However, we were invited to the Queanbeyan Show for the first time.
Newsletters: Again six newsletters (including this one) were produced this year, two weeks before each show. A copy is sent to the National Library on Legal Deposit (a requirement of the Copyright Act 1968), a copy to the ACT Heritage Library, a copy to our sponsor Peter's Pet Foods and a copy to the Pet Directory as they have a club sponsorship scheme. There are 64 copies in the print run currently, up 15 from last year. I would like to thank all those who sent in articles for without your input we wouldn’t have much of a newsletter. Next year I’d like to see more articles from members as a glance at the contents of this year’s Rabbit Droppings shows rather a lot of me and not so much of thee.
The exchange of newsletters with other clubs continues in a low-key way. The CRCI currently has exchange agreements with Rabbit Fanciers Society of NSW, the West Australian Rabbit Council Inc.(WARCI) and the South Australian Rabbit Fanciers Society (TSARFS). WARCI has just started to send their newsletter electronically after reducing the frequency earlier. TSARFS’s newsletter is also electronic.
The contents of this year's Rabbit Droppings are as follows
No. 48 (Mar. 2007) Canberra Rabbit Club library contents (Nikki White)—The view from the rabbit shed (Nikki White)
No. 49 (Apr. 2007) Ring Registrar’s report (Susan Batho)—Rabbiting on (Christine Carter)—View from the rabbit shed (Nikki White)—Grumpy old rabbit fanciers (Nikki White)
No. 50 (June 2007) Moult (Christine Toyer)—Rough guide to showing pedigree rabbits (Nikki White)—Judge’s report (Christine Toyer)
No. 51 (Aug. 2007) Feeding the brutes in drought and cold (Nikki White)—Judge’s report (Vija Hone)
No. 52 (Oct. 2007) Rabbitry on Parade: Blackstone Bunnies (Kay Faulkner)—Breeding season – or not (Nikki White)—Letter from Alaska (Susan Batho & Bill Hupe)
No. 53 (Dec. 2007) Baked bunnies (Nikki White)—Rabbiting on (Christine Carter)--View from the rabbit shed (Nikki White)—NSW Animals (Restriction of Sale Bill 2006 (Nikki White)—CRCI Annual report 2007
The club still has two websites. The main one is at www.home.netspeed.com.au/reguli/rabbitclub.htm and there is a “cut down” version at www.canberrarabbitclub.websyte.com.au which is part of the Greater Canberra Community Guide. The club has a listing in the Pet Directory both print and online. There is also a page on Communities Online which is run by the ACT Government and I still put our show dates in the diary on that site. The main website still seems to be the chief way we pick up members. Shows are also advertised on All Classifieds and Ozpet
Not much was added to the library this year. The British Rabbit Council again sent us a Yearbook this time for 2007. The library has grown too unwieldy to take to meetings and not much interest has been shown in it for a few years now. If you want something from it, either make an appointment to come round and look through it (email reguli@netspeed.com.au or phone 6161 2811 after 7.00pm, there is an answering machine) or look up the contents on the club website and contact me as above. You can either pick up what you want from my house or I can bring it to the next show. If you live outside Canberra, and want something, please send stamps to cover the cost of postage and packing
Meetings
We have been able to hold them fairly regularly at a committee member’s house this year, usually on a Saturday as trying to hold them after the show, which was trialled last year, didn’t work out. A certain amount of club business was also conducted by email.