The countdown is on!

[baycitybettas]

Hello folks!  Just a quick update on the status of our Incorporation.  I am pleased to annonce that we are almost there!  I had to submit a small revision last week, but was told that as far as Corporations Canada was concerned, we were now considered a not-for-profit club!  Which brings me to the topic of membership dues....  As per IBC rules, you must belong to our parent club before you can belong to BBC.  Individual adult memberships with IBC start at $20 per year. Please make sure your dues are current with them before purchasing a membership here.  Any membership applications will be checked against the IBC list before membership is granted with BBC
FEE SCHEDULE
Aged 16 (as of the year 2008) and over-    $20 per year
Under 16                                            -    $10 per year
Family (2 adults, 2 children max)          -    $40 per year

Please Pay Pal the appropriate fee to bettabreederscanada@gmail.com with a note specifically stating that you are paying for a membership.  If paying by cheque or money order, please send to

Catherine Salmon
1966 Main St. W
APT 501,
ON Hamilton
L8S 1J6

Please make payable to Betta Breeders Canada.  All memberships are good until the end of the month that you purchased your membership.

Deadline to have your memberships in order is Sept 30, 2008.  Anyone that has not paid their fees by then will be deleted from this site.  I hope to see you all on the "other side" of this.  
 

[zenafish]

Just submitted my payment via paypal. Am I to expect that I will receive a membership card and receipt by mail? I wasn't sure so I included shipping address in the payment email.

Also, I can't find a way to show proof that I am IBC member. They do not have a member number or ID that I can quote. What do you want me to do about this?

Zena.

[baycitybettas]

HI Zena http://209.85.62.26/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' />  Yes, Ian will send you a membership card in the mail.  He has started working on the design, so it may take a bit longer to get the actual card out to you.  Your receipt is your paypal receipt.  Unfortunately IBC does not put #s on their memberships, so I will be contacting the IBC for an updated Canadian membership list at the end of September.  The nice thing is that we will get $2 ( I think, could be $1) back from IBC for every member that signs up.  Not much, but it beats no $$$.  

[zenafish]

Woohoo!! two dollars!! LOL

[baycitybettas]

Yes, whatever will we do with this new found wealth?  

[jawfish]

Cooooooool

I was looking  for an update about the club's situtation, This is as good as it gets  http://209.85.62.26/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />  Way to Go !!!!

Sent my membership by paypal...

Hopefully will be on the other side in great numbers...

Fred

[laura83]

this group is wonderful its helping me big time with finding the right fish ect so i sent my 20.00 payment through paypal and i'll be sticking around for a loooooooooooooooong time lol (also i would like to buy some more adult mouth breeders anyone got any 4-sale??)  

[baycitybettas]

This is a kick a** group for sure.  I remember back MANY years ago, trying to source Bettas in Canada.  Impossible.  I actually put the hobby on the back burner for a few years because of it.  It is my hope that this group is the first stop for those looking for fish and information that is relevant to Canada.  The biggest challenge we have is the geography and for the most part we seem to be overcomming it with this board.  Not a perfect solution, but a good start.  There is no reason why Canadian Breeders could not be internationally recognised.

 

[Ian Turkstra]

Hi Everyone.  I told Kim I'd start on the cards a few days ago but didn't know she was planning on announcing the news so soon!  I haven't started yet  http://209.85.62.26/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='rolleyes.gif' /> but I'll get started either today or tomorrow.

Anyways, Kim and Zena, there's a member list (of all members) in the IBC files.  I don't know how recent it is because after they updated several months ago I still didn't find my name on it :S  Hope they've properly updated now.

-Ian  

[Amy86]

I would like to inquire where the fees go toward and if there is a site I can visit aside from Squidoo or another forum that can give me more info on how the group operates.  What is your "parent" club URL? Will I as a possible "official" member be given evidence of my membership; ie. membership package.  member card, shirt?  These things aren't important to me, however I would just like to know what you will do with my $20.  Also, will I be able to attend in person meetings or events if I'm paying you?  or is this all online? I need a little more info before I commit.

-Amy

[Allie]

International Betta Congress

[baycitybettas]

I would like to inquire where the fees go toward and if there is a site I can visit aside from Squidoo or another forum that can give me more info on how the group operates.? What is your "parent" club URL? Will I as a possible "official" member be given evidence of my membership; ie. membership package.? member card, shirt?? These things aren't important to me, however I would just like to know what you will do with my $20.? Also, will I be able to attend in person meetings or events if I'm paying you?? or is this all online? I need a little more info before I commit.

I see that you just recently joined so you missed much of the banter about the club.  Basically we are the Canadian Chapter of the International Betta Congress.  We are the only recognised chapter in Canada although other hobby type betta clubs may exist.  

Because we are a nationwide chapter meeting is not easy, so we meet online at a designated time and place for a chat.  This usually happens twice a month and will commence again soon. A couple of times a year we meet in Hamilton for their fish club auction and usually shoot the breeze and have lunch.  

Your $20 will go towards the general operation of the club as well as the expenses incurred because of the Incorporation process  or stock that is purchased for resale.  Your $20 will also help with the set up costs of a show- the first official IBC sanctioned show in Canada in many years.  When you join BBC you will receive a membership card in the mail.  Because you will also have to join IBC, you will receive a card from them and a welcome package via the mail.  Your paid membership also entitles you to view our classified ads, meet other breeders and discuss all issues regarding the raising and keeping of these fish.  

A bargoon for $20.  I hope you join! This club has some awesome members and has some big plans for the future.

-Kim  

[Rayman86]

So in other words its a grand total of about 40 bucks?

....

Ill have to sleep on it. That is a good deal since a model railroad club I was once apart of wanted about 100 and something a year. But times have changed and I had to sell those trains to put some work into the cars transmission. Lifes a lot different once you leave the nest. The only thing really stopping me is I have a few dozen uses for that 40-gas, the college app, bills and lets not forget X-mas is around the bend.

The pros are abundant-Kim gave me a PK, Crazy drove it from NS to NB, and all ive done is try and offer a few wisps of moss to the members. But I dont even know if come show time ill have the funds or time I mean I have family in Ontario so getting there wont be as hard as it would be for someone say without family.

I dont know gang I think I might be culled off.  http://209.85.62.26/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' />

[crazy4bettas]

Ray,

I hope that won't happen.  

I know that we have had huge debates over this issue in past months, and I am sure we will continue to have debates over it.  Although I like the idea of having an "exclusive" place to chat about breeding, transhipping, selling, genetics, showing and such, I worry that we may end up ostracising people who either cannot afford the $40 or who just feel that they aren't likely to gain much from the membership fee (particularly people who aren't interested in breeding or showing).  

I so wish that we could set this up so that people can be paid members and have access to certain parts of the board, while other people can be unpaid participants and have access to anything else.  To be quite honest, if I had been required to become a paid member to be a part of this group from the start, I probably wouldn't be here.  That's not to say I don't think there are great incentives for paying... I am here after all and plan to stay http://209.85.62.26/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /> ...

Is there a way to allow people a "trial period" membership where they can join the group for a period of time (say a month) without paying membership dues, but if they choose not to pay they will be removed from the membership?  That would allow people to make an informed choice as to whether this group is for them.  I'm sure that if people are able to see how the group can be good for them many will choose to join.  I'm just afraid that many people would be like me and think "Oh, I have to pay to join?  Well, to heck with that!"  I can tell you that this is exactly what happened with me when I joined the local Aquarium Society... I joined the board as a non-paying participant and after seeing what the group could offer me, I became a paying member (and it has more than paid for itself just in the discounts I have received from the LFS and LPS as a paid member).

Just my final 2 cents worth... I promise I won't raise the issue again.  And my membership dues will be along as soon as I have the extra cash (before the end of the month  http://209.85.62.26/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /> )  I sincerely hope we don't lose any good active members (like Ray) as a result of this membership fee necessity  http://209.85.62.26/html/emoticons/ninja.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='ninja.gif' />  

[Ian Turkstra]

Very Great points Heather.  I will make sure Kim reads this.  

The same thing happened to me with my local aquarium club http://209.85.62.26/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' />