Speaking of shows, hope to see many more entries this April than last at the EMRBA Spring Show in Newport on Sat. April 28th. You can get a show catalog at Eastern Maine's website. www.emrba.org
Eastern Maine RBA is based out of the Bangor, Maine area. Rich Ruggeri creates a nice quarterly newsletter and is their webmaster. The club holds 2 shows a year in Newport (south of Bangor) which is about 2 1/4 hrs travel once you've crossed the NH/Maine bridge.
Eastern Maine RBA also does several fair displays. A popular part of their fair display is the Hay Bale Circle. About seven hay bales form a circle into which a bunny is placed. The kids and adults sit with their feet on the inside of the circle to watch the bunnies scamper around. Placemats are atop the bales for sitting comfort and used on laps while children and adults take turns holding a bunny. A perfect photo opportunity for parents of their child holding a bunny, interacting with fair animals perhaps for the first time. The trend of camera phones replacing regular cameras has become evident this past year. The activity is always supervised by club members and is something the youth members enjoy doing.
As with any other rabbit club, EMRBA is looking for folks who would become active members helping put on the shows and displays. Everyone has their own area of expertise that they can help out with. Whether it is doing paperwork, setting up/breaking down a show or display, running the raffle table, talking to the public about rabbits at the displays, putting on a spinning wheel demo, providing local transportation for our judges. There's always areas that can use a helping hand and members are happy to mentor anyone wanting to learn.
After each show all members and exhibitors are welcome to go out to dinner with the judges. This is great as you often learn how other areas of the country are doing and what their shows are like. It gives you an opportunity to speak to the judges outside of the hubbub of the showroom and ask questions. Usually a humorous story or two is shared as well. The EMRBA club has pot luck lunches at some meetings. In December a nice Christmas potluck dinner with a, shall we say, "spirited" Yankee gift swap.
EMRBA isn't unique in all its activities, your local rabbit club may be doing the same things. Think about joining a rabbit club in your own area. There is work, yes, but there is also a camaraderie you don't get with simply attending a show. There are folks to talk ideas with and share your "ups and downs" of rabbits. Even if you have to travel a bit to get active in one, it is worth joining.