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Meeting Summary - Branch Annual Meeting 5/9/26

Quick Recap

The California branch of Empress Chinchilla Breeders Cooperative held a branch meeting to discuss various operational matters and address challenges facing the organization.

Next Steps

• Discuss with Narcy about possibility of combined shows/branches and report back in July
• Add Danny's brand (C/V) to the database and website
• Verify and add Sandy's brand (SUN) to the database
• Send meeting minutes from today's meeting via email
• Write up resolution to drop breeder award requirement from 20 to 10 animals
• Write up resolution to reduce number of judges from three to two for national shows
• Write up resolution for discounted entry fees for additional animals beyond 10
• Talk to Narci about combining Northwestern and California branches for shows and events

• Look up and identify all existing California branch Facebook pages and determine current admins/moderators
• Reach out to Sumiko regarding admin access to Facebook pages
• Add California branch website link to her personal website and Facebook page (once new site is created)

• Bring sample of new website to July meeting

• Send information about new chinchilla owners to Empress for membership sign-up
• Work on planning fall field day event at Orangeville Community Center

• All members: Schedule next meeting for July 11th at 11:00

Summary

Region 1 National board nomination. Maxine was nominated as Region 1 Director. Five endorsements were secured for Narci's Director-at-Large position.

Breeder Award Requirements Change

The group discussed changing the breeder award requirements from 20 animals to 10 animals, with the remaining animals for evaluation only. They agreed this change would be fairer to smaller breeders. The group also decided to implement a 50% discounted entry fee for additional animals beyond the 10 competing for breeder awards, recognizing that these animals would still receive ribbons and evaluation.

Show Judge Reduction and Costs

The group discussed reducing the number of judges at shows from three to two, with an option to include a trainee if available. They agreed this change was necessary due to smaller show sizes and economic challenges affecting attendance and participation. The discussion also covered the impact of rising costs on show attendance, with participants noting that expenses like fuel, accommodation, and meals can exceed $1,000 per person. The conversation concluded with a proposal to make the national show location more predictable by focusing on specific regions within the Midwest rather than rotating between different regions each year.

Show Rescheduling and Event Planning

Maxine proposed a resolution of moving the National show from March to the first weekend in December due to weather concerns and potential overlap with other shows. The group discussed the idea positively. Trina suggested organizing a fall field day event at the Orangeville Community Center, which would be pet-oriented and potentially involve local FFA programs. The group discussed keeping the lighting at 8 feet for the event, similar to what the Sea Branch show did in its early years.

Fall Pet Field Day Planning

The board discussed planning a fall field day focused on pet owners, with Jackie suggesting adding educational components and vendor participation with low or suggested donation fees. Empress proposed incorporating pet-friendly judging elements and potentially adding chinchilla agility contests in the future. The group agreed on an 8-hour setup and takedown timeline for the event. At the end of the meeting, it was revealed that Sandy would serve as both Secretary and Treasurer, though she noted she didn't have notes from the previous meeting.

Board Composition

The board meeting confirmed the current board composition with Maxine as president, Danny as director, and Trina and Jackie as Directors as well. Sandy to continue serving as the Treasurer/Secretary. The VP position will remain open at this time.

The group discussed a membership referral program offering $10 memberships for breeders and plans to feature animal placements in their magazine. Trina shared updates about her rescue chinchillas, including challenges with socializing and adopting out animals, while also discussing a specific case involving a potentially inbred chinchilla that should be suitable for adoption despite some minor health issues.

Chinchilla Breeding and Registration Discussion

The group discussed breeding practices for chinchillas, with participants sharing experiences about focusing on animal quality rather than just pedigrees. Trina had to leave early due to a doctor's call and agreed to touch base after the photo contest to discuss the field day further. Danny inquired about his brand registration, which Empress confirmed was registered as "C/V" in 2001, and Sandy verified her "SUN" brand was also properly registered. The conversation concluded with a discussion about the animal registry, which remains available at national shows, and an inquiry about the California branch website, which Sandy and Danny indicated previously existed but may have been lost.

Facebook Page Consolidation Strategy

The team discussed managing multiple Facebook pages for the California branch of Empress Chinchilla Breeders Cooperative, discovering two main pages with different follower counts and outdated content. They determined that having multiple confusing pages was problematic and agreed to consolidate them, with Jackie taking responsibility to research all existing pages and determine which ones to keep or delete. The group decided to reach out to Sumiko, who they believed created one of the pages, to transfer admin rights and establish a dedicated social media team for better management going forward.

Bi-monthly Meeting Planning Updates

The group agreed to meet every other month instead of monthly, with the next meeting scheduled for July 11th at 11 AM. Jackie committed to researching Facebook pages and moderators, while Sandy provided a treasurer's report showing $6,097.69 in funds available for purchases or investments. Empress mentioned she would discuss a potential combined show with Narcy and report back in July. The group also briefly discussed AI tools and data center developments, with Sandy noting component shortages for AI-related projects at her workplace.

Chinchilla Organization Website Planning

The group discussed creating a new website for their chinchilla organization. Sandy and Danny offered to help build the site, with Sandy suggesting features like event displays, photo contests, and merchandise sales through platforms like Canva. The team agreed to focus on building traffic and membership before pursuing affiliate partnerships with vendors. They decided to develop key components for the website at their next meeting in July and discussed promoting the site through Facebook pages and links.