A Petition In Support of AKCA Judges - PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

[Bonnie]

Hey all, there has recently been some riff raff about AKCA judges posting on internet forums, etc.

This does not affect the koi hobby only but also goldfish.   

Please support them and sign either here or going to the link provided.

Thanks,
Bonnie

Below is the information:

A Petition In Support of

AKCA Judges Exercising Their 1st Amendment Internet Freedoms


TO: The ASSOCIATED KOI CLUBS OF AMERICA (AKCA)

Chairperson - Larry Levertt
Vice Chairperson - Harlan Glenn
Secretary - Carol Elliott
Chief Financial Officer - Doug Dahl
Judging Committee - Bob Finnegan

FROM: THE UNDERSIGNED MEMBERS OF THE INTERNET KOI COMMUNITY

Whereas the AKCA was founded circa 1979; and

Whereas from their inception the AKCA has always sought to represent the best interests of the hobby; and

Whereas the AKCA is a non-profit organization created to promote the hobby of keeping, breeding, appreciating and exhibiting Koi through various and sundry programs; and

Whereas there are approximately 104 AKCA affiliated clubs in North America, representing an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 members of the koi hobby, of which probably less than 600 are truly hard-core; and

Whereas these clubs put on over 30 AKCA Koi Shows each year; and

Whereas these shows constitute the heart of the AKCA outreach program by disguising education as competition, while at the same time celebrating the hobby, promoting friendships and attracting new members; and

Whereas these shows are judged by an AKCA corps of approximately 27 Certified Judges and 5 Candidate Judges; and

Whereas the AKCA Judging Committee is under the direct personal supervision of Bob Finnegan; and

Whereas these AKCA Judges give unstintingly of their time, effort, experience and expertise without compensation &/or remuneration to judge these shows; and

Whereas there is a smaller cadre of AKCA Judges who (over and above their judging duties) give unstintingly of their time, effort, experience and expertise by participating on internet koi forums; and

Whereas we, the members of said internet koi forums, do most thoroughly enjoy, appreciate and applaud these internet AKCA Judges as our teachers, mentors and friends; and

Whereas these internet AKCA Judges all use disclaimers specifying they are posting as individuals, and that their opinions do not reflect those of any organizations to which they might belong, or positions which they might hold; and

Whereas we, the members of said internet koi forums, feel diminished in our hobby when the 1st Amendment internet freedoms of our teachers, mentors and friends are threatened or abridged by the AKCA in its individual, organizational or institutional capacity; and

Whereas we, the members of said internet koi forums, feel such diminishment is not in the best interests of the AKCA, in particular, nor the hobby in general; and

Whereas the AKCA has flourished by utilizing a light (not heavy) hand with its associated clubs; and

Whereas we, the undersigned members of said internet koi forums, feel that that light handed approach would best serve as a model towards dealing with the non-judging internet activities of AKCA Judges; THEN

WE, the undersigned members of said internet koi forums, do hereby PETITION the AKCA to forthwith discontinue, disavow, eschew and forever foreswear the use, or threatened use, of organizational sanctions against Judges for exercising their 1st Amendment internet freedoms -- with the caveat that said AKCA Judges shall at all times continue to show the appropriate degree of respect towards the AKCA, its offices and its Officers.

Dated this 13th day of March, 2007

Signed:

Donald P. Chandler
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
‘KoiCop’
KoiShack
ZNA, Southern California
Koi Kichi & Water Garden Club, AKCA

**********

During the next two weeks anyone wishing to ‘sign’ the above Petition need only post to this thread with their:

Full Name
City, State, ZIP
AKCA Club (if any)


Didn't want full address, just City, State, ZIP -- but if that's a problem for someone, just leave it blank.
You can email me at donnbda@aol.com with info if you would rather not have it public.

Please feel free to post this Petition on any additional boards; please, just let me know if you do so I can go there to harvest signatures.

I’ll compile all the responses from the various boards -- then this Petition will be forwarded to the AKCA.

Thanks, Don


http://koishack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8839&st=0&gopid=148536&#entry148536

[slackjeep]

I signed the petition.