President's Message - July 2010

The summer is upon us in full force now. I hope that you have experienced a successful breeding season this spring. Like us, our cockatiels are enjoying a lazy summer as it’s too hot for much of anything else!

Be sure and check out the show calendar in this issue of the ACS Magazine and on the ACS web site. There are summer shows in Delaware and Florida and numerous shows coming up later in the fall. I hope that you can make one or two of these shows as they are a great way to meet fellow ACS members and learn about cockatiels.

And speaking of opportunities to learn about birds…the American Federation of Aviculture will be hosting its annual convention in early August and it will be in St. Petersburg , Florida . These conventions are great fun and I encourage you to attend. If you are really adventuresome, the International Parrot Congress is held in September, every fourth year at Loro Parque in Tenerife, Canary Islands . This event brings together the “who’s who” of experts in aviculture and is an educational experience beyond imagination. I attended the last Congress and will be at this one as well. If you would like information on either of these events, contact me at president@acstiels.com.

As I mentioned in the last issue, 2010 is an election year for ACS and the floor is open for nominations. If you are interested in serving on the Board, please visit the ACS web site and review the job descriptions in the by-laws. Nominations for the Board may be made via email to nominations@acstiels.com.

Our bulletin editor, Erna McCormick, has informed me that she plans to step down as editor at the end of this year. We all really appreciate the hard work that Erna has done and extend a heartfelt thank you for handling this job! With Erna’s resignation, we are actively looking for another editor. If you are interested or know of someone who might be, please contact me at president@acstiels.com. This position promises to be full of exciting challenges as we expand the electronic edition and re-format the printed version!

Finally, and on a sad note, ACS has lost Max Kennedy and Kenneth O’Steen, two of its most respected members. Both of these fine gentlemen served as president; were panel judges and were very involved in promoting cockatiels and exhibition. Max was one of the founders of ACS and was member #1. Ken was the “father” and guiding force of cockatiel exhibition in Florida for many years. There are articles about both Max and Ken in this issue of the magazine. I look forward to seeing you at one of the many bird events coming up over the next few months!

Sincerely,
Bert McAulay
President