Southern Koi Association (new club)

[Rod L.]

A new club called the Southern Koi Association (SKA) has just been formed and accepted to the AKCA ranks. This club by it's very name takes in the Southern areas of the United States. You may be wondering why this club is taking in such a large area as most clubs only take in general locations. Well, it is the intention of this club to quickly become a ZNA chapter. Temporary officers are:

Rod Lawton - President ([email protected])
Henry Culpepper - Vice President ([email protected])
Joe White - Secretary ([email protected])
Don Hellard - Treasurer ([email protected])

These postions will change as soon as we get acceptance to ZNA. If you are in the South, or any other area actually, would like to join this group of youngsters aspiring to become a ZNA club, please contact any of the officers listed above and we'll send you more information.

Rod Lawton - Current President

[JasonS]

Please forgive my ignorance, but...

1) WHY? What are the benefits of being a ZNA club?

2) What does it take to be a ZNA club? There are probably 1000 koi club members in northern California alone, spread into at least 3 different AKCA club -- could such a club be made of those folks?

Thanks in advance.

[Bern]

Seeing as it is question time, I have one too.

Why would the position change once you've been accepted into the ZNA?

or have I read that wrong?

good luck in your endevour regardless
Bern

[Rod L.]

Wow, didn't think this announcement would cause such a stir. Well Jason, to get to your question first: Yes there are many Koi keepers in CA that are affiliated to AKCA, but at least two of those clubs and two more in Texas and the MAKC in the East that are also ZNA. This is an attempt to start a club in the Southern region of the U.S. Let me say that one of the differences here is that most of the clubs in AKCA are probably dual clubs that share an interest in Koi, watergardening or ponding in general. The emphasis in ZNA is on the Koi and helping beginners to understand Koi keeping and appreciation. ZNA in a closer link to Japan and the amatuers there than AKCA is and does therefore provide some more direct friendshop accross the waters so to speak and establishing some friendships there. There are more benifits, but to many this would not necessarily be of imprtance unless you visit Japan.

Bern, your question is a little more complicated and a long story so to make a long story short; I am told that if you are a Koi dealer or Koi related good dealer, then you can not hold any office or essentially a positon of major authority. I am a very small Koi related dry goods dealer. Actually I provide more of a service to my local Koi club and a few other clubs in the area than I am a dealer. I do it only part time and it is almost like a hobby and does not really provide me any real income when it is all said and done, but it is my love for the hobby and Koi people that makes me keep doing it. So, by the rules of ZNA, I can not hold office in the ZNA club and must quickly step aside. I have no problem with this and understood this from the very beginning. The first step in our becoming a ZNA club was to affiliate with an AKCA club to reap the benifits of their support also. Since the new club is going to made up of members from several locations thruout the South U.S., we felt it unfair to pick any one club to affiliate with and opted to start our own AKCA club instead. As such we needed officers. Some of these founding members were already officers in other clubs and others did not want the position or felt that the founding fathers of this effort should take the initial postions to get things started, hence I became president (I guess because I was pushing for ZNA the most). It is the love of the hobby and nothing more that caused me to push so hard for this club. Since that is the ZNA rules about dealers (no matter how small or in what capacity) and positions of authority, then so be it, I only want a ZNA club that can be meaningful for the Southern region of the U.S.

I hope this helps clear up/explain a few things.

Rod L.

[Bern]

Hi Rod.

Thanks for answering so eruditely. Everything is very clear and makes perfect sense.

Good luck with the application.

rgds BERN

[Rod L.]

SKA now ZNASKA

Well, we got the news early this morning. Southern Koi Association is now the newest Chapter club in ZNA, so we are now ZNASKA.

Rod L.

[Bern]

Does that mean we'll soon see a new pin? :lol:

Congratulations.
Bern

[Rod L.]

Well, we do have someone working on that angle, but haven't seen any prelims yet. Hopefully there will be a club pin and soon to follow a show pin. All in due time.

Rod

[Bern]

Glad to hear it..

I know a good pin designer, but he's a Yankee......

rgds Bern

[Allen2909]

cannot contact

I've tried emailing Rod re. info on this new club, but my emails are returned as undeliverable. Does anyone have any other contact info.

[Rod L.]

New Email Addy

Thanks for pointing out a small (large actually) item I have overlooked. I changed my email a short time back and this is perhaps the only place that I forgot to change my profile. I have fixed that now, but my new email address is [email protected]

Rod L.

[aquitori]

Rod, I was wondering how to get on the ZNA track? Me and a couple of my friends want to start up the Silicon Valley ZNA. Right now I can get 20 members to join and even more. Most of the guys are pretty die hard nishikigoi collectors. Any input would be great and I will consult with Grant Fujita and hear his thoughts on a new club.

[Rod L.]

It is something that takes and doesn't happen overnight, I can assure you of that. We spent almost a year in getting all of our ducks in a row, applying and being accepted. Acceptance occurs in a meeting in Japan that is only held quarterly and the last meeting was in May. Prior to that you need to apply thru the district chair in the U.S. who is Ron Goforth. Grant should be able to fill you in on a lot of background, history etc., but you should contact Ron Goforth. E-mail me and I will pass that address on to you. You can also contact JR (Jim Reilly), or perhaps the Finnegans. There are a couple of links to ZNA clubs in CA and they may be able to help you also. http://home.earthlink.net/~filmlabrat/

http://www.znaoc.com/

For a couple of reasons, it is also a good idea to start a new AKCA club as a begining and then affiliate that club as a ZNA club. E-mail me and we can talk more off the board. BTW, use the e-mail in my profile, not the one at the beginning of this thread, it is a dead address.

Rod L.