Jerry will tape his inaugural episode of Cat Talk, his new Blog Radio show, between 11 and 11:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18. To call in and talk to Jerry, call (917) 889-3011.

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure and to embrace the new, but there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.

Tonight I was getting airline tickets to shows both in the U. S. and internationally. It gave me pause and really made me stop and think about all of the work that needs to be done on behalf of CFA and the collective effort that it will take to accomplish our goals.

Change does not come without some adversity. And, the things each of us needs to do to bring about change in our fancy are many. We must have courage as we forge ahead into new territory. The courage we need to have to actually set “the wheels in motion” and the work we must do once those “wheels” to change are in motion, must not be taken lightly; for the work that lies ahead of us is not easy.

However, we must make it a priority to take action to bring about needed change.

I am going to be campaigning at shows in every region in CFA, beginning this month with shows in Maryland and Oregon. So, over the next several months, there is a good chance that we will be in the same show hall.

When we meet in the show halls over the next few months, it is important to me and to the future of the cat fancy that you ask any questions that are on your mind and express your concerns. It is my hope that you will tell me what concerns you the most about the current state of our hobby and make suggestions, so that together, we can build a future for a better and stronger CFA.

One of the great privileges in campaigning for CFA President is being able to meet so many nice people and getting all the input I can about how we can improve our hobby. I have always felt that good leadership listens and remembers and then takes immediate action in the best interest of its constituents.

My message will always remain constant: This is our fancy. It belongs to all of us and not just a select few, and the power lies with us as long as we remain steadfast in our commitment to remain together with one voice. From an ethical high ground standpoint, we can bring forth the changes that will take CFA to the next level to reach its fullest potential. If we stand together, we will bring forth meaningful change. We will affect change and have the kind of future that we can be proud of. I am your candidate and I will work hard for YOU.

As Robert Kennedy said, “Each time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope and, crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance..’

Warmest Regards,

Jerry

“I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act, but I do believe in a fate that falls on men unless they act.” -G.K. Chesterton

Our CFA Annual Meeting had some wonderful moments that point to the possibilities of our future. The passing of the first proposition resulted in an electric atmosphere. The overwhelming vote demanding disclosure and financial accountability proved that when we work together we can do anything. I cannot imagine a vote like that 10 years ago?

When there was an attempt at reversing the board’s prior decision to give consideration to a “special” group, the constituency said NO! We demanded fairness. The message was clear: the consideration you give to one club, you must give to all clubs. I was so proud of our constituency at that moment for they demanded sharing the responsibility for making decisions which may not serve a greater good for all.

This blog is really about our shared responsibility in ensuring a sound future for CFA.

Shared responsibility comes in many forms: from the gratitude each of us owes to the hard work of breeders who have come before us and the bloodlines our cats represent; to the relationship that the leadership of this organization has with its member clubs; to the relationship that the leadership has developed with its sponsors; and to the relationship we develop with sponsors who support us as breeders.

In these trying economic times, we can see the impact on clubs and show counts. It is important that we help out our clubs when we can. There are many way to help out, it can be large or small. We can send an entry or send items for the raffle table, or send a small donation if we do not have an entry to support the club.

The fiscal trouble we face is mounting. We have lost almost $500,000.00 with our current leadership. Royal Canin has removed its sponsorship for Meet the Breeds, thereby changing the forecast for the event’s profitability. At present, CFA’s ability to survive in its current state, without corporate sponsorship, is in jeopardy.

As I have said in previous posts, it is time for us to stand up and take responsibility for saving our hobby. I have always believed that the real power in CFA lies with US, the people who show and register cats. I am not comfortable that we are not self-sufficient as an organization. Are you? If I am elected President of this organization, CFA will become a self-sufficient and financially sound organization. I do believe that outside funding should be the icing on the cake and not a critical source of funding.

When we view our sponsors as true partners, we change the relationship that we develop with them, and change the way we work with them. When it comes to our sponsors, WE MUST BE SUPPORTIVE. If you cannot support our sponsors, please use discretion. We must understand that our sponsors expect a solid return on their investments, or ROI.

ROI is directly or indirectly tied to money a corporation spends in sponsorship dollars. When it comes to our CFA sponsors, the return on their investments are expected to come back to the sponsoring organization in the form of good, corporate citizenship, which results in increased sales and profits for the sponsoring organization.

Lisa and I have incorporated CFA sponsors into our own catteries. For example, we feed the Royal Canin Kitten brand and Iams Multicat brand. We also use Doc Elsey’s Cat Litter.

I understand that the products we use for our cats are a personal decision. We are all product sensitive. However, examine your own personal situation and see which CFA sponsors you are comfortable incorporating into your catteries. More importantly, be vocal and supportive about what products you like and work well for your business and be very discreet on what products you don’t.

To the new board members, I hope you heard and understood your mandate. Your responsibility is to everyone in the fancy, not to a select group. It is your charge to stand up to the leadership in the name of fairness and fiscal solvency. Your responsibility is to view our sponsors as true partners and help insure their ROI. And for each of us, our responsibility comes in making our voices heard and taking action when called upon.

I am excited about the possibilities. I have always believed that together, we can aspire to great things. I know that if we work with each other, CFA’s best days lie ahead of us and not behind us. We will be a fancy of inclusion, not exclusion. We will be a fancy of fairness, without haves and have nots. Our destiny is limitless, if we so choose.

We must work together with a sense of shared responsibility, with due diligence and with selflessness for a greater good and better tomorrow.

Warmest regards,
Jerry

This blog is more information than ideology. 

It is through this blog that I kick off my campaign in earnest. 

I wanted to wait to make the announcement so as not to steal any thunder from those individuals running for Director-at-Large.

At the annual, I will be having a meet and greet reception in my suite.  (Look for me at the annual to get the room number). The reception will run from 7 to 10 p.m., and there will be wine and hors douvres.  Please stop by and say hello!

On another note, I plan to travel extensively to campaign for President of CFA.  I would like to visit as many clubs and shows as possible.  My first priority will be to visit shows that will make time for a Town Hall type of meeting, where people can ask questions and get answers.  If you are a show manager, please contact me for details.

I look forward to talking with each of you.
Jerry

Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by water.

This quote comes from Norman Maclean’s book, A River Runs Through It. It was a great movie, but it is an even better book. The book is about a man, his life and how his fly fishing hobby marks the measure of his existence. I fly fish; so A River Runs Through It strikes a personal chord. A River Runs Through It provides us with an excellent example of how a great hobby can weave itself into our lives and serve as a watermark on the events of our lives.

What does all this have to do with CFA?

Our fancy is that kind of great hobby. Events in our lives run concurrent with our hobby. I remember my first ring when I was showing my little tortie kitten. It was a Best Kitten in Judge Mariam Faulkner’s ring. My children were small and we all cheered in delight. I remember getting choked up the first time I granded a cat of my own breeding. I remember whose ring we were in when Lisa got the call of her father’s passing. I remember getting ready to go to last years annual when my client, George Carlin, passed away.

I know I am not alone. I am sure this great hobby of ours intertwines with events in each one of our lives; marking our joys and our sorrows. Our hobby gives us the highs of showing that one special cat and then the lows of losing that cat. The friendships we form with one another and the love we share for one another and with our cats are unforgettable. The footprints and paw prints that we leave on others and their marks upon us are visible and apparent. . As Johann Wolfgang von Goethe says,“We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.”

The amazing thing about our CFA is its ability to cover the breath of our days from its ability to let us share special moments with our animals to sharing our passion for our hobby with others. It is all of these intertwined events that cause me to love what I do. And it is this love and passion for our hobby that inspires me to commit to doing my best to make sure that it endures.

Do you remember showing your first pedigreed cat? Your first Grand? Your first DM? Socializing during the show and at dinner later on with friends?

It’s hard to imagine that something that has been with us as long as CFA could end.

We are shaped and fashioned by what we love. It is time to shape and fashion our hobby so that special moments are enjoyed for generations to come.

If we look back at America’s history we can recall Benjamin Franklin’s flag of 1754 that shows a snake cut into thirteen parts and below the snake, the motto “Join, or Die.”

Clearly, the message to colonial America was unite or fail.

We are in a similar situation here in CFA. We are facing an internal financial crisis that is aggravated by a global recession and facing the real possibility of the failure of our organization. When you get a minute, go to our poll and let me know what you think about our financial situation.

Our situation is very similar to the situation that the colonies faced back in 1754. The colonist’s solution must be our solution. If history teaches us anything it’s that in unity there is strength and in strength there is the ability to form a united front.

To succeed, we must form a united front.

What does forming a united front mean? It means that all of us must work together with one voice and in concert to find our way to more solid ground. The first step to forming a united front is for all of us to revitalize our clubs.

Revitalization means that if you are not in a club now, Join One. If you belong to a club now, do a little more to help. If you are members of a club, open your doors and welcome new members. Use your shows as a way to entice new exhibitors and club members into your organization. You must use your clubs as the marketing force for CFA in your area. If we can keep our clubs’ energized, then we can poise ourselves for the changes we must embrace to secure our future. In securing our future, each of us must all look deep inside and see what inherent talents we have to give CFA.

It has always been my belief that we are stocked full of talent in this fancy. We have information technology experts, we have artists, we have veterinarians, doctors and brain surgeons, we have lawyers, we have legislation experts, and we have marketing specialists.

WE HAVE IT ALL! I have always asserted that if we organize, unify and harness all of this wonderful talent, we will succeed!

It is my intention to create a congenial environment for success. This is our fancy and I intend to open the doors wide and use all this talent to ensure our future. Good leadership is not controlling. Good leadership matches the right talent to the right task. Good leadership coordinates efforts so that the chances of success are great. Good leadership keeps morale high by fostering a selfless team atmosphere.

After Benjamin Franklin was successful at uniting the colonists he adopted this flag. “Don’t Tread On Me.” The coiled snake and the phrase itself called self-directing, responsible individuals to decide for themselves what they should do, without needing anyone else to give them an assignment or supervise their efforts.

The message symbolized the essence of transformational leadership and solidified their resolve as a unified entity that was committed to change and in their hearts, never accepting failure.

With that same resolve and solidarity we can take on our current challenges and transform the organization into something greater.

Ready to unite? Let me know! Email jerry@cfapresident.com

Yours in solidarity,

Jerry

I see one of the main challenges of a grass roots campaign is the ability to convey and create a sense of urgency in energizing and empowering all stakeholders to positively affect the change that we desperately need in our organization.

We must not become complacent in our attitudes and get bogged down by past practices that have not served us well.  Keep in mind that a mindset of complacency only serves to maintain — and not - change - the status quo.  I also believe that the goal to maintain the status quo is held firmly in place by those who would ultimately lose personal power and privileges if things were to change.

At this time in CFA, we are at a critical crossroads.  Most of us realize that we cannot continue as an organization with a business-as-usual-mindset.  To add to CFA’s uncertain future is our world’s present economic climate.  We do not fully understand what it means to compete in a global recession and a global post-recession economy.  But I do know this when it comes to change: We must be proactive in our attitude towards change and not wait idly for things to change.

You may not be sure exactly what you should be doing to eliminate a status quo mindset and bring about change that CFA desperately needs?  You may, at times, have even felt powerless?

I assure you that the feelings of hopelessness or powerlessness are not based on fact.  Next time you are at a show; look across the show hall.  The power lies in that show hall.  We, you and I, are the foundation of this organization.  You and I and our catteries will bear the burden and face the consequences of poor financial decisions.

The first step of a grass roots movement is to realize that we have the power and the ability to bring about change.  We must put our differences behind us and unify to achieve our objectives.  The second step is to responsibly use our collective power and work together to bring about the change we desire.  What does a grass roots movement have to do with my campaign?  It’s simple.

I am running a grass roots campaign, because:
• I want to bring about change.
• I want to make CFA fiscally viable.
• I want to bring fairness and ethics to the heart of this organization.
• I want to make CFA a world class organization rivaling the success of AKC.
• I want to make CFA responsive to the needs of ALL its members.

I believe that the key elements of a grass roots campaign that I have outlined above are what we ALL want.  For several years in the show halls, I have been listening to your concerns and to your goals for CFA’s future.

I understand what you are saying and where you are coming from.  However, I know I cannot bring about change by myself.  I need your help.

If you truly want to change the status quo, get involved with my campaign!  That’s the fun of a grass roots campaign: people banding together to implement their plan for change, working hard and then watching as their ideals gain momentum.

We start now–A spark that grows into a fire that is fanned by the winds of change.  We have a bright future if we dare to reach out and grab the brass ring.  Change does not just happen.  It will not just fall into our laps.  We must stand up and in our own interests affect change for the better.

This is our time!  Get involved!! I want and need – everyone’s help. Together we can achieve our goals and make CFA something special in a competitive new marketplace.

We are now just a spark!

Can we grow into a fire that is fanned by the winds of change?

I think we can!

Warmest Regards,

Jerry

Dear Fellow Exhibitors:

We are looking at one of the most critical Director-at-Large elections in CFA history. With a very precarious financial future, we need to pay extra sharp attention to each Director-at-Large candidate’s qualifications and experience in leading the fancy into the future.

At first, I was going to give an editorial and endorsements on the candidates. However, after some thought I decided against doing so.

Instead, I believe it is more important to talk about what CFA needs at this time and to let your conscience guide you to make informed ethical choices in choosing Directors-at-Large who will best represent your club’s interests.

The first consideration for qualifications should be in regards to ethics. You must ask yourself, “Is the candidate able to put CFA’s welfare before his/her own and his/her own personal prejudices?” There is one board member that is running for re-election who has time and again put her own personal agenda before CFA’s best interests.  This self-serving behavior is something we do not need at this time.

The second consideration should be about who has had a successful track record in business and management. You can see for yourselves that we are at a financial crossroads.  Business and management experience should not be the ONLY qualification; however, when you are putting pluses and minuses into columns, business and management experience is definitely a plus!

The third consideration is possessing strength of character.  Having strength of character is something that cannot be taught. Either strength of character is inherent or it is not, and it is a must in challenging times. We must elect individuals who can remain strong in their convictions to changing CFA.

Change will not come easy.

With our current board, it seems as though intimidation and a dictatorial style is the prevailing leadership method.  It is important we elect Directors-at-Large who will not be pushed.

Director-At-Large candidates also need to address their commitment to disclosure and transparency.  If they cannot commit to those two practices, then they should not and must not get our votes.

Friends, please look at each candidate with a keen eye.  Look at their past records and actions. Ask questions and listen to the answers.

Examine how each of their qualifications fits CFA’s needs in these critical times.  This election must not be a popularity contest as it is an important election. Don’t vote for your friends or the candidate who will have the power to award your cat.

Do vote your conscience.

Warmest regards,

Jerry

View the list of Director-At-Large candidates