by fin fin, investigative fry reporter et water is the code name for the investigation that threatens the very existence of the Greater City Aquarium Society. It will expose the truth behind THE BOARD and THE ORGANIZED HOBBY. This reporter has obtained scintillating details of this yet to be released report from a very reliable source, who will remain anonymous for their own safety. I will refer to them only by their code name DEEP GILLS. Who is THE BOARD? Where did they come from? What is their purpose? And, most importantly, what is their agenda for YOU, the members of the Greater City Aquarium Society? These questions, and more, will be answered in this report. To understand the true implications of this report, we must identify the actual officers and members of THE BOARD, uncover their backgrounds, and see what makes them tick. We will start at the top, with the President, Mr. Jeff George. He's the boy wonder who mysteriously appeared out of the deteriorating bowels of La Guardia Airport to participate in our 75th Anniversary Fish Show. We were all amazed at his willingness to participate and stunned by his terrific ideas and quick solutions to just about any problems faced during the Show. Who was this stranger that was happy and willing to help in any way that he could? What was his motivation? Did he have his eyes on the Presidency even then? How did this outsider rise to the Presidency in only three short years? Don't be fooled by his boyish good looks, Mr. George is no newcomer to THE ORGANIZED HOBBY. This reporter has heard first hand accounts of Mr. George's activities within many organizations including THE AMERICAN CICHLID ASSOCIATION, THE AMERICAN LIVEBEARER ASSOCIATION and the infamous EAST COAST GUPPY CLUB. Mr. George's fish activities within THE ORGANIZED HOBBY have been rumored from coast to coast, and all over this great land of ours. This wealth of experience and knowledge impressed the powers that be and he was invited to join THE BOARD shortly after his one year probationary period. Mr. George spared no time coming to the aid of THE BOARD which was filled with veterans eager to lighten their burden. Once on THE BOARD, Mr. George displayed many of the behaviors we had first witnessed at
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)
the 75th Anniversary Show. His enthusiasm, know how, and willingness to take on new projects inspired many of the board members and brought new life to an ailing organization. It wasn't long before Mr. George was involved in all aspects of THE BOARD, but none of us were prepared for what happened next: FISH WITS. Yes, FISH WITS, is an addictive game which could be used to replace any speaker at a moments notice. We were all wrapped up in it, eager to have our aquarium knowledge tested. But only a chosen few could officially participate, while the rest of us had to bite our tongues when we wanted to shout out the correct answer. It seemed to take on a life of its own, appearing at fish auctions and holiday parties. The envy of aquarium societies everywhere, it was soon being played all over the tristate area! I'm sure that Mr. George's intentions were honorable, but what's next, FISH WITS on the public access stations?! Only time will tell. Then tragedies befell the families of the President, Vice President, and Treasurer all within a single year. THE BOARD struggled on; but it was clear that new leadership was needed if they were to continue with the level of competency which the Greater City Aquarium Society had come to expect. Battle weary and spent, the veterans were in no shape to take up the call. And even Mr. George did not appear eager to take on the heady responsibilities of leadership, having his hands full with FISH WITS and a rumored fledgling business, which was actually supposed to pay the rent. It appeared that the Greater City Aquarium Society was about to lose much of its greatness. But having witnessed the demise of other great institutions due to similar circumstances, Mr. George could not allow this to happen to a Society he had come to know and love. So he took up that challenge, ensuring the stability of the Greater City Aquarium Society. We all owe Mr. George a debt of gratitude for putting aside his personal desires and jeopardizing his financial future for the good of our society. Who is this man who goes by two first names and what are his future aspirations? Some questions remain yet to be answered. Watch for this column in the next issue of modern AQUARIUM when we will uncover what's really going on between the Vice-President and Treasurer!
January 2000
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