GLAA NOMINATION COMMITTEE – We are in need of a few volunteers to serve on our Nomination Committee. According to our by-laws, in order to have an election this committee is needed, so please consider stepping up. All that is required is for the committee to accept nomination letters, email them to the members, email the ballot and determine the winners. If interested, please contact Chris Rogers here. There are two spots up for re-election. Any member interested in running for a seat must submit their bio to the Nomination Committee.
MEMBERSHIPS – GLAA Membership Renewals are due January 1, 2018. 2017 memberships expire December 31. Renewal memberships are due by January 1, 2018. New members may Join GLAA HERE. Current members can Renew GLAA Membership HERE, and member login is required. Our website is secured with an SSL Certificate (https://) as well as secured by McAfee for online password and payment safety.Then sign up for the seminar at the GLAA member cost.
Register HERE for the January Seminar.
If you have not already, CREATE your user name, password and a directory listing on the new website. Please refer to the instructions at the foot of this newsletter. You may then proceed to renewing your membership and registering for the 2018 GLAA Winter Seminar.
NEW WEBSITE – Our new website is live and located at https://greatlakesalpaca.com. Check it out!
AOA NEWS – I was on the Affiliate Council conference call on December 6. New show system rules for 2018 are on line. The EPD results for 2017 were rolled out on December 12. AOA would like to get a more accurate USA herd count. If anyone has suggestions on how this could be done, contact the National office. If you have unregistered animals, send an email to them and tell them what you have–breed and gender. Members are being asked this when they log into the website. This is not an attempt to get them registered, they just want to get a count. Also, the alpaca segment that aired on RFTV will be shown again, and AOA plans on using parts of the segment for upcoming commercials. They are also working on guidelines for those pulling larger trailers out of state to shows to help members meet the new federal requirements. AOA plans to release the information by the end of the month.
UPCOMING EVENTS
SAVE THE DATE!
2018 GLAA Winter Seminar
January 27, 2018
OUR SPEAKER – Dr. Norm Evans received his DVM degree from Auburn University in 1968. He started a mixed practice which became a 5-person practice. He did embryo transfer in cattle for 8 years and has worked with camelids for 29 years. Since 1996, his practice has been 100% camelid. He is author of 3 editions of The Alpaca Field Manual. While retired from active practice, he still works full time with field research on how an alpaca’s fiber production is affected by environment, male and female genetic traits as well as nutritional influences as measured by the skin biopsy and histogram.
The seminar this year is being held at the University of Wisconsin – Madison in Lecture Hall 212 in the Animal Science Building Located at 1675 Observatory Drive, Madison. We are holding the seminar there because we are offering veterinary students this seminar free of charge.
Continental breakfast will be available at 8 a.m. Box lunches will be provided by PotBelly. A selection of sandwiches will be available on the registration form.
Topics selected for the seminar are:
- Alpaca Nutrition
- Parasites & Medications
- Herd Health
- Biopsies (if time permits)
Seminar Cost is $55 for PAID 2018 GLAA members, $60 for PAID 2018 affiliate members from neighboring affiliates and $125 for non-members. After January 20th, the fees are $65 for PAID GLAA members, $70 for PAID affiliate members and $135 for any non-member. Register Here for the Seminar.
Host Hotel – Best Western Plus Inntowner at 2424 University Ave. in Madison. Room rate is $116, and the group code to receive this price is Alpaca 18. Phone number for the hotel is 608-233-8778. Shuttle is available and will leave promptly at 7:45 am for the seminar. Otherwise, there is free parking at parking lot 36 at 1645 Observatory drive, near the lecture hall. The hotel is a 6-minute walk to the seminar.
WISCONSIN ALPACA & FIBER FEST
APRIL 28-29, 2018
Handcrafter’s Spin-off
Judged by certified AOA Spin-Off Judge Judy Glazer
Register for the Spin-Off online at http://wisconsinalpacafiberfest.com/ starting November 1!!
Spin-off entry deadline is January 20, 2018.
Mail Spin-off entries to Chris Rogers by January 30, 2018 so we can get them to the Judge by early February.
Chris Rogers
Whisper Meadows Alpacas
4451 Whisper Lane
De Pere, WI 54115
All Spin-off entries must include:
- 2 -oz. fiber sample, WEIGH CAREFULLY
- Copy of alpaca’s ARI certificate
- Color photo of alpaca (3 ½ X 5 or 4 X 6)
- Spin-off Entry Tag (print-off from online registration site)
- Check for $35 per entry to Wisconsin Alpaca & Fiber Fest (plus $8 for mailing back all entries)
Halter and Fleece Show opens February 1st 2018. Judge is Peter Kennedy. The 2018 show has different pens from Kritter Keepers. There is limited pen space (168), so register early. Show also has a new website that is still being built.
FIRST TIME LOGIN INSTRUCTIONS FOR NEW WEBSITE
Click HERE.
Next, Click FORGOT PASSWORD.
Enter the email address where you received this email and click RESET PASSWORD. You will receive an email containing your user name and temporary password to log in. (Check your Junk/Spam box if you did not receive it in regular email.) If the email goes to junk, you will need to add greatlakesalpaca.com to your authorized sender list.
Once logged in, click EDIT PROFILE and change your password, if desired, in the Password and Repeat Password fields. Update other fields as necessary.
Click UPDATE.
Log in with your user name and new password.
Click SUBMIT NEW OR UPDATE DIRECTORY LISTING to add your farm/business to display on the GLAA Member Directory page, searchable by site visitors.
If you encounter any issues, please email HERE.
You may proceed to the links to renew your membership and register for the 2018 GLAA Seminar.