Our featured cat this month is CFA's Best Kitten Regions 1-9 GC, BWR, NW HARDAN'S KENJI OF CHOCOLADO, a blue point Siamese bred by Terry Royer and Nathan Fredrick and owned by Terry Royer, Cynthia Yanez, Liz Armitage, Nathan Fredrick.

The Mentoring and New Bee Program will be led by Leesa Altschul.

Show Promotion will be led by Mike Altschul, as he is a social media wizard.

In light of Monte Phillips' recent passing, Show Rules will now be led by Mary Kolencik. Monte had already requested her to be his co-chair and I am sure Monte would be pleased to know that they are in her capable hands.

We have another new committee, Domestic Show Scheduling, led by Larry Adkison. This committee will assist in understanding how we balance shows to increase the likelihood of success for clubs producing shows.

I, personally, would like to thank all the past, new and existing board members, committee chairs, co/vice-chairs, and committee members for their valuable service and dedication to CFA.

There are indeed many changes for all of us in CFA’s future. Change is good and will be challenging at times. As we progress, I will communicate accomplishments as well as missed opportunities.

With that said, I am pleased to announce the future launch of the “CFA’S OFFICIAL FACEBOOK DISCUSSION GROUP.” This will be the place to post updates, ask questions and make real time announcements. This is a step toward more positive, accurate and open communication. The GO LIVE date will be announced shortly.

Another change will be how board meetings are conducted. We will follow the Democratic Rules of Order as opposed to Robert’s Rules of Order to manage all board meetings. This change will be consistent with managing a structured meeting that will provide increased opportunities for open discussion.

As I strive towards open communication, I would like to provide another update regarding concerns with point manipulation. While I am not at liberty to share any closed session deliberations, please know your CFA Board of Directors is taking this matter very seriously. The investigation and remedies are still in progress and I hope to have informational updates for you after the October board meeting. Thank you for your comments and information you have already provided on this topic. Should you have any additional information for consideration, please send it to Cathy Dunham at cathy.dunham0@gmail.com and Michael Shelton at cfa.mike.shelton@gmail.com.

While there are many changes, there are elements that will remain consistent. There will still be six regularly scheduled board meetings this fiscal year (August, October, December, February, April, and June). The meetings will continue to be available to everyone to view on the Zoom platform while the meeting takes place and subsequently posted to CFA’s Facebook Page.

I hope you will be available to view the next board meeting which is scheduled August 2, 2022 – 8:00 pm EDT via Zoom. The link to that meeting will be posted closer to the meeting date.

I end this first newsletter wishing everyone a successful and healthy year and a promise. No matter what, my objectives are and will continue to be in lock step with the objects listed in Article II of the CFA By-laws which are:

Thank you to all the breeders, exhibitors and participants who support CFA.

Rich

The Judging Program Committee would like to thank all the talented individuals who have committed their time and expertise to the JPC over the past two years. Special thanks to our outgoing members Allan Raymond, Pam Delabar, and Yaeko Takano. A warm welcome to Teresa Sweeney and a shout out to those who have graciously agreed to continue on the team as we reorganize. If you see any of these talented individuals while you are out there exhibiting, take a moment to let them know you appreciate their commitment to CFA. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have an idea or an issue. The judging program is an integral part of CFA and our success is your success. While it in no means covers the many many volunteers that work tirelessly on the JPC, here is the committee roster for the current JPC:

Applicants for Consideration at the October 2022 Board Meeting:

Pattama Weeranon - Longhair First Specialty   -  Pathumthani, Thailand

Chate Ruengruglikit - Longhair First Specialty   -  Pathumthani, Thailand

Information concerning the moral character, temperament and ethics, and the spectrum of experience concerning the breeding and showing (and agenting) of cats would be helpful to the CFA Executive Board in the evaluation of applicants to the Judging Program. The manner in which an applicant's cats are housed and cared for is also pertinent. See Judging Program Rules, Section V under 7. Recommendations: a,b,c,d,e,f, as well as the Judges' Code of Ethics for more information on what the Board of Directors will require in an excellent candidate.

Recommendations or concerns are encouraged so that the Judging Program Committee and ultimately the CFA Board of Directors may make an informed decision regarding the acceptance or rejection of any individual making an application to the CFA Judging Program. All letters require a signature. Anonymous letters will not be accepted. Negative letters must be documented and substantiated. All negative letters will be shared with the applicant to offer the opportunity for rebuttal. All letters and responses, if any, will accompany the application.

Please send letters by email or snail mail to the Applications Administrator (see below) by the deadline indicated:

Letters of recommendation, or copies thereof, must not be sent to the applicant nor may the applicant ask for any preview of recommendations. Multiple recommendations stemming from one source will be treated as a single recommendation. Please send letters to:

1753 Blakewood Drive

Chambersburg Pa 17201

Email: whoos3@comcast.net

Now Accepting T3 Applications for HK, Taiwan and South Korea and Europe. Applications should be sent to Rachel Anger at camberwel@aol.com. Deadline is August 31, 2022.

The Next CFA Breed Awareness and Orientation School (BAOS) will be held October 7, 8 and 9, 2022 on-line via the Zoom platform. The flyer and registration information will be available soon. This school is for individuals who are interested in applying to the CFA Judging Program or just anyone interested in learning more about CFA and our breeds. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at Barbara.jaeger911@gmail.com.

Congratulations to all our beautiful cats - and if you have a missing photo, it's NEVER too late to add it! Just submit a good quality photo to webmaster@cfa.org, and I will be happy to get it posted.

This is a reminder from the Breeds & Standards Committee of the August 1 deadline for Breed Council Membership Applications and Renewals. Info to join or renew can be found here.

Current members wishing to renew may go here.

We have a number of breeds without Breed Council Secretary and Breed Committee Chair declarations (also due August 1). A link to the declaration form is here.

The term for the top section is from May 1, 2023 and ending April 30, 2025. Declaration forms can be emailed to: atartaglia@cfa.org or snail mailed (must be received no later than August 1) to the attention of Allene Tartaglia at the address on the bottom of the form.

For information on what the duties of a Breed Council Secretary entail, read here.

To see the declared BCS/BCC candidates go here.

With a sad heart I write this month’s show rules’ article. On July 13, long-time show rules’ chair and CFA’s resident numbers nerd Monte Phillips lost a long battle with his illness. We were all fortunate to have a chance for a last goodbye at the recent Louisville Annual, which Monte attended with his wife Lydia. Monte bred Chartreux under the cattery name Jouvencebleu, and we are comforted to know he was met with joy from his beloved blue friends at the Rainbow Bridge.

At the Annual, the board made a significant change for clubs in Regions 1-7. During the pandemic, the board waived the late fee required by show rule 4.04 for licensing a show within 90 days. The board rescinded the waiver and reinstated the late fee for clubs in Regions 1-7. The board passed the following motion:

For Regions 1-7, rescind the current exception to show rule 4.04. This will provide notice to any club that show licenses must be filed and approved according to the rules and if filed late the imposed late fees will be enforced. Effective with shows processed beginning October 1, 2022.

This means if a Region 1-7 club submits a show license beginning October 1, 2022, the license must fully comply with show rule 4.04. Show license submissions within 90 days of the start of the show will be charged pre-pandemic late fees.

Introducing Felix Cat Insurance 

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Starting in 2000, the CFA Legislative Group began tackling legislative proposals to substitute the word “guardian” for owner of animals. Animal activists seeking to “shift the paradigm” of animals in society hoped that use of “guardian” would be helpful in “elevating the status” of animals and inspire higher standards of their treatment while not directly changing their legal classification as property. There were small numbers of successes, mainly with local ordinances, until organizations involved in animal ownership and care allied in efforts to maintain the legal status of animals unambiguously as property with a consistent body of law to protect animals and those involved with them including cat fanciers who need the rights and obligations of owning cats to protect and enjoy them. (https://cfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/guardian-vs-owner.pdf) Activists have regrouped with new strategies and legal theories. Recently in the news for their “Happy the Elephant” writ of habeas corpus case in New York is The Nonhuman Animal Project. The “writ of habeas corpus” is a historic and deceptively complex legal right – literally meaning “show the body” – of detained individuals to obtain court determination of whether their confinement (from arrest through post-sentencing imprisonment) is legal. The writ of habeas corpus originated in England before the Magna Cart and is now part of international human rights, so its extension to confined animals had seemed promising to NhRP. This organization builds on the lifetime work of its president, Steven Wise arguing that highly intelligent, captive animals should have access to courts as “persons” to address conditions of their captivity, including appropriate release, and care through litigation, legislation, and education. Their most recent New York habeas corpus case affirmed the lower courts’ dismissal of their legal theories in a June decision. To learn more about this and their previous habeas corpus cases , see the blog posts of John M. Simpson, partner in the Duane Morris law firm’s Animal Law Practice.

What's Hot………… Unaltered Cat Licenses, Breeder Permits, and More Changes Adopted by Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Please report legislation happenings in your area to the Legislative Group – legislation@cfa.org  Visit the CFALegislativeNews Facebook page and the CFA Legislative Group Blog to see the current legislative news.

EveryCat Health Foundation announces the addition of 2 new members to the Board of Directors. Kathy Calhoun, an CFA allbreed cat judge and 20-year member of the CFA Board, and Kara Burns, MS, MEd, LVT, VTS (Nutrition) were invited to join the Board of Directors at the July meeting. Each will serve a 3-year term, and Ms. Calhoun will take over the treasurer duties. To see more complete bios of the new Board members, visit https://everycat.org/about/our-staff-and-board/

EveryCat Health Foundation’s Ricky Fund has been funding hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) studies since 2002! Thanks to EveryCat Board member Steve Dale’s tireless fundraising, more than 20 HMC studies have been funded since 2003. Named in honor of Steve’s beloved piano-playing cat, Ricky, who succumbed to the disease in 2002, the fund has paid for studies ranging from investigations into genetic links to ways to assess cardiac rhythms in cats diagnosed with HCM. Through the Ricky Fund, we have a better understanding of HCM, but the ultimate goal is a complete sure. Until that time, Steve will continue to promote HCM research in Ricky’s name.

Want to learn more about Ricky’s story? Check out Steve’s HCM webinar on our YouTube channel.

If you died tomorrow would your heirs know who to contact and where to find your important documents, records, assets, sources of income, or debts? Online banking and asset management may be easy and convenient but it may make it harder for your heirs to locate important parts of your estate plan when you are gone. It may be helpful to create a list to assist your heirs, which can be updated as needed. This would include the location of your original Will, Trust(s), life insurance policies, powers of attorney, or other estate planning papers. You should list the places you keep important personal records like birth, marriage, death certificates, deeds, financial statements, and records. You should provide the names and contact information of your current attorney, accountant, stockbroker, or other financial advisors. Of course, you should include information about your bank, brokerage or retirement accounts, and your other assets or sources of income. You should include your debts as well as regular household bills such as insurance (home, motor vehicle, etc.) You should review your list at least once a year, or sooner if your life circumstances change. Your attorney or financial advisor may be able to assist you in preparing your list.

Our friends at Motel 6 would like CFA to continue to receive the 10% discount at participating locations by using the new updated reservation code of CPOAPHHT. There is a dedicated reservation site for CFA at www.motel6.com/en/cp/cfa.html or you may call 800-466-8356.

No report this month

Written by Staci Taylor

The Great Lakes Region has had a very busy and spectacular month! The fun started June 11-12, 2022 in Erie, Pa with both a 2 day show and our "Celebration of Friendship" Regional Awards banquet. The show and banquet took place at the beautiful Bayfront Convention Center. The show had an amazing raffle table, tons of vendors, and of course wonderful cats and judges.

Saturday night we celebrated all the regional wins with amazing decor, a delicious dinner and true feeling of family. Our awesome Regional Director, John Colillia took the time to mention some amazing people who have helped to make our region a very special one. A huge congratulations and thank you to Robert Hallead for being awarded clerk of the year, Sabrina Grisier for the spirit of the GLR award, as well as Beth Holly for picking up the massive task of awards management, Tyler and Jennifer Deel for always going above and beyond and never saying "no", Diane Dodd for all her help making the banquet look so stunning and of course to Bethany Colilla for all her hard work getting ads and making the awards booklet so beautiful! A huge thank you as well to everyone else behind the scenes who helped run an amazing show, you are all invaluable and without you guys our region would be lost.

The fun did not stop there. The Great Lakes Region had the very special honor of hosting this years Annual Awards in Louisville, KY at the gorgeous Galt House the weekend of June 25, 2022. As we were unable to get together prior due to covid, we were so happy we could combine the 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 National wins. The good times started Thursday for those who were able to attend the Blue Grass bus tour visiting the Sun Valley Kentucky Horse Park and Buffalo Trace Bourbon Distillery.

All day Friday morning we had our annual delegate meeting, where we got to recognize the hard work of many in CFA. We want to first say a huge thank you to Darrell Newkirk for all his hard work these past 2 years as CFA president, and a huge congrats to our new President Rich Mastin! Also congrats to our new CFA VP Russell Webb, Secretary Rachel Anger and Treasurer Kathy Calhoun, as well as all elected Regional Directors. A huge shout out to Teresa Sweeney for the CFA Star Award for her amazing job as Ombudsman, and although we are sad to see her leave the position, we are so excited to have Ed Raymond step in and take on such an important role.

The Annual Banquet was to die for! The decorations were classy, the food was wonderful and oh man did we all look absolutely gorgeous all dressed up! Although we were all happy to celebrate our wins, we also wanted to take time to honor the memory of some of our CFA family that we have lost. We also honored those who have gone above and beyond in their passion and perseverance in helping to raise donations for all the Ukrainian breeders who are struggling to feed and vet their animals during this tragic time. Our hearts go out to everyone who are enduring such atrocities. The weekend was full of those who are all so passionate about their love of cats and their support of CFA, it was full of laughs, happy tears, support and a feeling of family. It was a weekend that we will all remember. The Great Lakes Region had a lot to do during the month of June, but I think it is safe to say we could not be happier with the success of all these wonderful events. For all who helped make the weekend of the Annual run so smoothly, we want to say once again thank you. We know without everyone's support and hard work for the Regional, the Annual and throughout the entire season we would not be able to be the region we are. It truly takes a village and I think we are all so proud to say we are a part of the CFA family!

The Southwest Region held its awards banquet in Upland on June 18th. It was great to have our first banquet in three years and to celebrate our achievements. Special congratulations to Carolyn Osier, recipient of the regional Spotlight Award. Thanks to Carolyn, Art Graafmans, Cyndy Byrd, Andrea Bohren, Rhonda Avery, Sue Swaim, and John and Shelby Friemoth for their work in pulling everything together for the banquet. And of course, thanks to Howard Webster for his service to the region over the last four years.

Our next show in the region will be put on by Opposites Attract Cat Club on August 27 in Glendale, CA.

Congratulations to the Southwest Region's top winners.

MWR exhibitor and vendor, Kayla Motto, took on a special role as guest judge for a 4-H Club cat show. Four juvenile exhibitors groomed and readied seven cats for the judge to review. The youth were well-organized and showed their cats to “purrfection” based on the 4-H curriculum.

Beginning in Clark County, Ohio, in 1902, the 4-H Club follows the motto, “head, heart, hands and health.” The cat show was under the guidance of Kayla Motto, and the Will County, Illinois 4-H Extension Board.

Many thanks to Janice Pitelka, the Carey Animal Clinic of New Lenox, Illinois, and CFA for creating terrific goodie bags for the exhibitors and their cats.

“4-H Club is a wonderful organization, and I am so proud that I was a part of this group when I was young. It was an honor to help educate today’s youth!” enthused Kayla.

Region 6 just lost one of its own, CFA's self-proclaimed "Numbers Nerd," Monte Phillips.

Jane Creighton remembers him this way:

"I was a relatively new Master clerk when Monte started his Master Clerk training. It was at a show in Racine, WI and we were given a relatively small table for the 2 of us. I remember that he talked to himself much of the time as he was doing his paperwork; and it nearly drove me crazy as I preferred quiet when doing the MC job. The next time he sat with me I requested 2 tables, one for each of us and that worked out much better! In my opinion Monte turned into one of the best and fastest MC's (if not the best) that CFA had.

And that microphone voice! OMG! It was hard to believe that it belonged to him!

I believe that he was a retired nuclear physicist and so very smart! 

After I lost Bob in 2010, I showed a few times and visited a few shows but basically have missed much of the news concerning my CFA friends although I yhink I saw that Monte was involved with updating CFA show rules as they were changed.

CFA is really going to miss Monte and his talents!"

While things have been quiet in the region this past month, that doesn't mean that we haven't been busy. The regional committee will shortly begin to ask for our regional exhibitors' opinions via polling about regional banquets and fundraisers. Let’s inspire those out there to participate. In the meantime, let's reflect on what our hobby is about: our cats! 

We would like to proudly announce that we have three National Winners in our region’s 2021-2022 show season. They are a silver tabby-white male American Shorthair, a ebony spotted tabby male Oriental Shorthair, and a brown classic tabby-white male Maine Coon Cat . This is a first brilliant achievement.

These cats are also Best, 2nd Best, and 3rd Best Cat in our region.

Owners and cats did their best for one year long.

We will have Regional Award Banquet and Annual Club Meeting on July 23th. I hope many owners/breeders will attend and enjoy it since this is our first award banquet after a two year long interval.

During early summer, from June to July we can see lotus flower in the ponds. People can see this flower little early morning in the clear air. There is a close connection between Buddha and lotus in the Buddhist. Please enjoy beautiful flower.

Applications are already being submitted for the Region 9 Associate Judges’ training. This is a wonderful opportunity to help grow CFA in Europe. We are thrilled that Teo Vargas-Huesa was advanced to approval pending allbreed judge. Other great news is that Irina Kharchenko has recovered from her extensive surgery and will be back behind the judging table soon.

A unique opportunity will be offered at the Regional Show on 17-18 September. For those of you wondering how you would feel as a judge, you need only wait until the show. A special judging ring will be set up, complete with cats, for you to experience the feel of the ring and, hopefully, be encouraged to work towards qualifying as a CFA judge.

Feel free to contact me at  tkeiger@cfa.org