Abstract
Gentle readers, the only way you can really enjoy the excitement of the emotional and intellectual tumult of a convention is to attend the thing. Those of you who did have your own memories and experiences and they may be somewhat different than mine, some of which you'll read here.
The following few paragraphs are intended as an overview of the AF A's 17th Annual Convention primarily from my own point of view. Please don't hold President Eitniear responsible for what I write - he already has enough to worry about.
First off, I can honestly say I really enjoyed the three days I spent at the convention. I think that location is one of the keys to a good convention and I was very pleased with the San Diego area (Sea World; San Diego Zoo; Tijuana, Mexico; Wild Animal Park, etc.) and also with the Red Lion
Hotel. There were plenty of things to see and do if one wanted a break from the birds. This way one can have the best of both worlds.
The first world, so to speak, is always the actual business meetings of the AF A which, of course, I did not attend. They began on Tuesday and I arrived on Friday. I did hear, though, that Jack Eitnear presented a professionaly made video tape (a 30 second segment and a 15 second segment) which promotes the AFA on national television during certain community service time slots. Good show. Evidently Jack presented other items thus far held in confidence but I know for a fact that he had to leave town and didn't return until several days later. Hmmm.
With the business and committee meetings taking up most of Tuesday and Wednesday, things didn't really liven up for the visitors until Thursday at which time the conference speakers began their sessions and the commercial displays were set up.
I think that for most convention visitors, the scheduled speakers are the higlight of the whole thing. This convention had an excellent line-up of speakers gathered from various parts of the world and from the cream of the local crop. Do yourselves a favor and send 20 bucks to the Home Office for a proceedings booklet that contains the talks in written form. There's no use in my talking here about what you missed in person.
If the formal talks are an important part of any convention, I think the informal meetings are even more important. By this I mean all the social intercourse that takes place in the cocktail lounge, the restaurants, the exhibit building, even in the hallway. Conventions are about people. You have great opportunities to rub shoulders with exciting (and excited) bird people from all over. You will make friends with people from many diverse parts of the world. On your trips abroad, you'll visit them. When you go across the States, you'll stop in to see the buddy you met at the convention. People, people, people, that's what it's all about.
I really enjoyed meeting quite a few people I hadn't seen for a number of years. There was Don Tucker, president of World Pheasant Association U.S.A. whom I hadn't seen for five or six years. I refreshed his memory of the time about 20 years ago when he helped me catch my prize ringneck pheasant to put in a show. In the process, Tucker kneeled on my bird's tail and the bird managed to run off, leaving every single tail feather behind. It goes without saying that Tucker's pheasant won the show. But we had a great time talking about mutual friends and the bird world.
Another highlight for me was when Dr. Rainer Erhart sat down at the breakfast table and shared a meal. We talked about old friends and enemies, commented on their prosperity or poverty and generally had a good time.
I only had a few moments in passing with lee Phillips but really enjoyed seeing her. lee and Rainer have both defied the ravages of time and look younger and brighter than ever. I was impressed.
At breakfast another day, I had the great pleasure of visiting with Bob and June Smith from Jackson, Michigan. We had met about one week earlier at Jerry Jenning's place and had a good conversation about birds and about how long it takes Jennings to get a barbecue going.