Show Them!!!

This is January and we are having the first monthly meeting in 1996 for the TBAS. My wife Stormie and I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and a safe New Year. We members must now focus on what we're going to strive for in the coming year. I'm sure you're thinking about the number of entries you'll be putting in the TBAS Fish Show and/or Aquarium Beautiful Show in February like I am, but first things first.

What I wish to bring to your attention is Bowl Show entries. If you read your newsletter every month, you will notice maybe four or five names at the top with most of the points. People, this is not right. We must give competition to these few and yes, I'm one of the few I am speaking of. I'm proud of my fish, just as you should be proud of yours. This is why you need to enter your fish in the monthly shows. Out of approximately 125 members only 14 have entered the Bowl Show in 1995. Where are the rest of you? If you have only one ten gallon tank you could enter at least three to four times in one year.

Say you have an Angelfish (egglayer), a pair of Swordtails (livebearers), a Bala Shark (Cyprinid) and a Pleco (suckermouth catfish), you could enter at least four times. You may not always win, but you won't know if you don't try. This was my first full year entering the Bowl Show and I enjoyed the heck out of it. I didn't come in first place overall, but the top winners knew I was there and that they had to watch out for me in the future.

It's not always easy catching a fish to bring into the club and enter, but if you place 1st - 2nd - 3rd - 4th or Best of Show, it makes all of the effort worthwhile, believe me. I realize everyone doesn't have all the fish, plants and art work to enter every month, but neither do I. By just entering what you do have you will spread the points around to more people and make for a better Bowl Show. Besides, all of us would like to see the different fish and plants that you may be raising. Let us not forget these club functions are for our enjoyment and pleasure, so use them. Really, it's only friendly competition within our club and we do need more people to get involved in the Bowl Show. So, even if you only have a few fish, show them during the right month and may the best fish win!