New APA website up and running

Check out the new American Poultry Assoc. website it has been totally revamped. Still a work in progress but coming along well [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Heather

Beautiful! Can't wait. Until the map is working!

Think it's time I join...

Congrates Heather on wining the February photo contest.
The new APA site looks promising. It was time for a change.

Heather, while we are talking about APA. Is i really worth joining APA? I have been thinking about it. Going back & forth with it. I don't consider myself a breeder yet and I only do local APA shows here in Alberta. Is there really a benefit for someone like me to join?

Help me make up my mind? *hee hee*

yea what toybarons says, is there a benifit from us joining here in alberta? i only do the one/ two shows a year as well... i have also considered joining but not sure what you get when joining

The benefit- First off let me say that I have been a member of the APA since the first year I purchased some birds that were actually exhibiton quality sorry can't remember the year and I believe Rico who a "tiny" bit older than me has been a member forever too.

When you join you are supporting a club that is completely volunteer run except for the secretary who is paid as she has a huge work load (really under paid)

All of the money raised though memberships goes into the running of the club and publishing of an up to date standard every number of years.

The APA sanctions shows much like the Canadian kennel club and provides free of charge certifcates, ribbons and pins if the club requests it.(It used to be that they were atuomatically sent out but there was a lot of waste by clubs who didn't distribute them and seeing it's the members who fund this organization it was deceided that money was not to be wasted)

In sanctioning a show the giving clubs records the winnere and the APA keeps record of all the points exhibitors have earned though their exhibiting years.
I know that a lot of people say they are not competitive but I say it gives a person something to strive for. for example if you look at both Rico and myself and we only showed and Alberta and one show in Llyod. and both of us managed to achieve our Master exhibitors(100 points over a number of years) Also Rico I believe is a Master Breeder of Cochins and I am a Master breeder of Plymouth Rocks, Light Brown Leghorns and a couple others) Almost all were achieved by showing locally. Working towards these awards helps improve the quality of the over all breed.

As a member when you join you get a great quarterly newsletter and a every year the club publishes a yearbook that can be a great resource when searching for stock. This years will be really good as our committee has been working hard and color ads are now included and the APA ids committed to have it in the mailbox by July 1st. As for instance I know we have 7 pages of just Rhode Island Red ads. I have also had members here who have taken out color ads etc. exciting!

Also included in the newsletter is a distict directors report by myself in which I try to cover what is happening within the district(always asking people to submit news and a photo or 2 to me for my article.) Asking members again for my next newsletter article which is due in a couple of weeks!

As a your district director I attend at my own cost semi- national and national meets as this is where the APA holds their meeting, we also hold telephone conferences thoughout the year to discuss club business. At these meetings I vote for the members in my disrtict.I am heading down to the semi-national in Ventura at a save my chicken egg sales money cost of $500.00 just for the flight, why because as your director you deserve to be represented and have a voice on things that will effect us within the organization.

It should be noted that the APA is a North American organization who when our dollar was deeeply depressed took our memberships at par with the U.S dollar. They are not making tons of money on Canadian memberships with the postal rates but are at break even. Also when it was obvious that few Canadians could attend, the big Nationals in the U.S. it was voted that we should have a Canadian National, which has proved really successful.

I guess I could go on and on but I belong to a lot of poultry and gardening organizations but this is the one that I get the most out of and it has helped in my journey to improve the quality of and sources of birds to help me do that even when I attended only local Alberta shows. So in the end I guess the choice lays with the person asking what does a membership get me?


P.S Check out some of the articles on the website. Toybarons a website redesign has been a while coming but it is looking really good, I think. Also if you look they are having a monthly photo contest that I think anyone can contribute pictures of their purebred poultry to be used on the website. All I did was submit some of my pictures.

Anyway not sure if I answered you guys question in a disjointed way but I started anwsering it at 5:00am this morning so not my brightist moment and likely some spelling errors. But I hope you will consider joining if just for a test run. Thanks

Heather

Heather, well expressed about joining the APA. Some more factors that help been an APA member is people know who you are. It becomes like , can I say family, people will support each more if you are a APA member then a non-member. When you win the class awards at APA shows your name will be published in the APA yearbook . The benefits of this is many folds. If you are looking for new stock, first of all you can look in the yearbook, which you get free after joining, to see who's been winning. The other thing is when you contact breeders they can check your records and see that you are an APA member and do show are serious about raising them. If you show and win and become known in the APA, you will get better stock from breeders. I guess the final thought on this is if someone comes to me and says they are joining the APA and would really like to raise , promote and show a certain recognized breed, I will give this person more of my time help then someone who just buys birds to keep.

One of the most important factors of the APA is the preserving and maintaining of the pure bred breeds of poultry. If it was not for the APA many heritage pure bred breeds would have become extinct by now. The APA will always keep the pure bred poultry going. I realize that people who want to raise birds for meat and laying will not likely choose the pure bred bird. If you wish to raise birds for your own use for dual purpose bird the APA recognized breeds are simply the best because they have a proven record. Being a member of this organization is what been a member of the APA is.

As an individual, as heather mentioned, you will receive the yearbook, which is full of valuable information you cannot any find any other place. You will receive the quarterly newsletters and updates. You can get started on the exhibitors point system and be recognized by the APA and the members.

Sebas49 wrote:One of the most important factors of the APA is the preserving and maintaining of the pure bred breeds of poultry. If it was not for the APA many heritage pure bred breeds would have become extinct by now.

This is so important with breeds of all animals. It is the organization that is dedicated to the pure breeds of any animal that maintains them. Even if you peronally receive no direct benefits, indirectly you are benefitting from the club.

Well I am considering it.

I am a bit confused about the membership cost listed on the APA site.
I see the PayPal memership fees are a bit different than what the APA has listed on the printed form.

It could also be that I have a problem reading simple English too I always have problems as I want to be sure I submit the right fees.

I have emailed the APA to ask which fees are correct for Canada and will see from there.