President's Message
m by JOSEPH FERDENZi "Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays instead of serving you if he sacrifices it to your opinion." Edmund Burke, in a speech to the electors of Bristol, November 2, 1774. hat philosophy of leadership can be applied to organizations, as well as individuals. At a recent GCAS Board of Directors meeting, someone asked, "Why should we do a fish show?" It was an intriguing question. In response, I would say that there are several reasons. Let me begin my exposition of those reasons with another question: Why do we celebrate Passover or Easter? While fish shows are certainly trivial in comparison to those holidays, there are some pertinent parallel points. Attending services, decorating our homes, and preparing the festive meals all require effort. Why not just do nothing? After all, we could just read about the events they commemorate and remember them in a moment of silence. Similarly, we could just read about the great fish shows of the past and remember them with fondness. But, what would that say about us (today's hobbyists) as a community? What would it signal about our hopes for future generations of hobbyists? Would it say: we "old timers" benefitted from the efforts of our forbearers — efforts which inspired us and made us proud of our hobby — but we just can't be bothered to do the same for our new hobbyists? We commemorate our traditions for a reason: to preserve what is cherished in our past for future generations.
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)
Greater City, because it is based in Queens County, is one of only two aquarium societies that is both part of New York City and Long Island. Each of these geographic designations is home to millions of people. Yet, there is only one aquarium show (held every two years), and, yes, we are the only ones who hold it. The Norwalk Aquarium Society has an annual show in nearby Connecticut. Likewise, the North Jersey Aquarium Society has one in that neighboring state. There are four aquarium societies on Long Island, and yet we manage to have only one biannual show among us. Something is wrong with this picture. If you look at aquarium magazines from the past and present, you will quickly realize that tropical fish shows were regarded as very special events in New York City, and are regarded as very special in other parts of America. Does anyone question why the Westminster Kennel Club holds its annual dog show at Madison Square Garden? New York City is one of the leading cities of the world. Is it conceivable to you that it should not be host to a tropical fish show, a point of pride for one of the most popular hobbies in the world? It is inconceivable to me. For Greater City, a fish show is, in part, an act of selfless devotion to our hobby. Of course, we don't pull in as much money as we would make if we just held an auction. Of course, it requires more work and effort on the part of our members. Of course, you place the prestige of your club on the line every time you sponsor one. But, if not for us, where else around here would you see the smile on the face of a hobbyist who has just won a gold medal for her prized fish, the wonderment in a child's eye seeing that colorful giant cichlid that only a hobbyist could raise, or the beaming pride of a band of friends that comes from creating an event that celebrates our presence in the world? Why do we do fish shows? I can't think of a single reason.
Errata: Last month's issue incorrectly identified Joe Ferdenzi as the photographer of the cover photo. The photo on the cover of our May, 2001 issue was, in fact, taken by Joe Lozito.
June 2001