Abstract
ln these hectic 1990s, family members find themselves separated by distances, by distractions and by disasters; family reunions are a great joy and that's just what the AFA members found in Knoxville at the Annual Convention! Activities ranged from a country banquet to scientific discourses on aviculture, yet the same family spirit prevailed. .
The Tennessee Valley Exotic Bird Club (TVEBC) was our host. They did a fabulous job lining up facilities and activities. The AFA Executive Board started their meeting early on Wednesday morning and were rewarded for their efforts with a grand tour of the University of Tennessee's College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Susan Orosz introduced the Board to several of her colleagues, divided the group into three smaller groups, then dazzled them all with the avant-garde procedures, size, physical layout and teaching capabilities of this fine school. The doctors topped the tour off by hosting a light lunch of fresh fruit, assorted cheeses and crackers. All in all, a wonderful tour of a splendid veterinary school.
With the fun and education process well underway, Wednesday evening's schedule offered a tour of the Knoxville Zoo. A special bird show was presented to the AFA members. This was followed by an outdoor barbecue dinner. The weather was great and so was the bird show and barbecue!
If you missed the Thursday and Friday evening hospitality room hosted by the TVEBC members, you missed some of the best food at the convention. These folks outdid themselves. They had a huge table that dominated the center of the room and they loaded it with a great assortment of homemade goodies.
Breaking Concrete Blocks for Conservation
Phil Jones breaking concrete blocks for conservation took place in Knoxville, Tennessee at the AFA Convention on August 5, Friday afternoon in between rain showers! The blocks had
been set up, mainly by Phil and Ray Agutter of Salt Lake City, with some help by AFA Board members. Setting up the blocks is a long, tedious exercise and took place over several days on the open air Rotunda of the Flags, which had a large concrete-based public area. Live television cameras were present and local dignitaries in their finery presented Phil with proclamations on camera prior to the block breaking. Phil was resplendent in his white Taekwondo uniform. Local Taekwando school members were present to assist in preparing the blocks for the break. A large crowd of convention goers stood on the steps facing the event, talking in hushed and expectant tones as they watched the preparations.
At the moment of truth, with television cameras rolling, Phil Jones, his hands tightly wrapped in white medical tape, began smashing blocks, one stack after the other. He moved rap-
. idly down the rows of blocks and when the bones in his hands broke, he started using the weight of his forearm to come down on the blocks with great force. When the 60 seconds were up, Phil's hands were bloody and he immediately plunged both arms up to the elbow into a large bucket of ice water to stop the pain and reduce the swelling. Two local dignitaries counted the broken blocks ... 236 in all! Setting a record break! And as Phil stood with his hands and arms in ice water and responded to questions, the most surprising thing, he said, was to discover the blocks were not the standard martial arts strength blocks, but blocks about three times as hard! What a surprise to him as he began hitting the blocks and realizing he had to use even greater force to make any impact at all! The crowd cheered Phil as he completed the break. Checks, cash and pledges were placed into a large fish tank by members of the crowd . . . checks for $500 and $1,000 were received! A total of $2,229.11 was raised on the spot! We will not know the total raised until
all pledges and donations have been received at the APA Office. Phil put his body on the line for conservation . . . let's match his effort by sending in our pledges and donations to the APA Conservation Fund now!
Laurella Desborough
The Red Siskin Program
Saturday was a very busy day, beginning with the Red Siskin Summit proceedings. This program began with an introductory talk by Project Director Kevin Gorman. He noted the Project's many achievements, including last year's summit (which hosted international speakers), the Project's ever-improving organization structure, and the energy with which members combine their love of birds with scientific breeding tactics. Dr. Rainer Erhardt spoke to the group on the wild siskin population in Puerto Rico, which may also become a focus for the Project's conservation activities. Ms. Mary Cahow, a biologist from the University of Wisconsin, presented a fascinating computer program for examining genetics and survival potential of captive breeding populations. Experienced breeders brought to the foreground several people. Mr. Raymond Smith of Illinois is a wildlife biologist with a long history in bird breeding and species preservation; he has enjoyed success with siskin breeding and will be taking on the duties of breeder coordinator. This will involve coordinating breeder techniques, shipping and related issues. Ms. Sandra Correll of Oregon is a new but successful breeder in the Project. She presented a slide show of her beautiful aviary in the mountains of Oregon.
Dr. Gail Gatewood-Colwell showed a video of siskins breeding and raising their young. She is a psychologist by profession who finds time after her practice hours to be the membership coordinator for the Project. The group held long discussions on the future of the Project, spotlighting such critical areas as ensuring genetic diversity and wild traits in the siskin population, promoting communication among members (the members of this Project face the daunting challenge of carrying out this Project despite being spread over the entire country), and finding funding for the Project.