Greetings fellow fanciers! Winter has been cold and snowy but we are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel here in the Mid-Atlantic. Turning the lights on and planning to start spring hatching soon- my favorite time of year! Many areas including my own continue to be impacted by the Avian Influenza with show closures from East Coast to West being required by many agencies. In these times, SCNA looks to support our membership in every way possible to continue this wonderful breed.

There are many hopeful plans being made by a fantastic set of committee workers to continue advancing the breed and advocating for our young people through recognition programs, education, and more. The judge committee has a recently licensed candidate that completed his program, Zander Feveyear, who is joining our Pacific Northwest judging team. Congratulations are in order for Zander! Our 2025 judge chairman, Jaime Sanchez, is also finalizing with our most recent apprentice to complete the program, Tyler Anderson, who will also be available to judge in the very near future! If you have been a member for at least two years and are well experienced in the breed and exhibiting, we welcome new applicants to the program and would love to talk with you about getting started. Tabletop exhibition remains the core of our organization and it has been encouraging to see all the regions that are able to have shows thriving and growing! Jenifer Lawyer, our show secretary, is working on many new ideas and innovations with the show committee to continue improving our shows, points & recognition programs, and breed promotion to new venues. The council recently approved grants for two brand new venues looking to get started and I look forward to judging the new show in Doswell, VA in a few weeks.

This year a major focus is on education and opportunities for our young people. There are many great ideas being discussed and I look forward to many of them coming to fruition. Angela Heili is spearheading our publicity and youth programs, with Dexter Fields stepping up this year as a special Youth Liaison to help put together these education and recognition programs. This is one of the most exciting pieces of 2025 to me. I started 21 years ago in this organization as a 12 year old and I am thankful for the opportunities I was given in my youth. We hope to continue supporting our young people through every avenue available.

I would like to thank the 2024 council for bringing attention to our constitution and bylaws, which it has become apparent have grown to an extreme level of redundancy and are in need of continued work to make them more understandable and relevant in a growing organization. I thank Lisa Beverlin and the 2024 committee for their efforts and we willcontinue to look at these updates and bring them in a piece by piece fashion this year as the committee and council recommend updates. I asked our former chairman, Kenneth Howe, to lead these efforts for the current year. Time goes by and with it, some of our foundational members are passing the baton to the next generation. Jerry Schexnayder, our founder, is thanked for many years of sacrificial service as treasurer. Jerry is assisting in a transitionary period this year as Blake Fauchex steps up as the new SCNA Treasurer and Frank Lupton leads our finance committee. The council has approved a working budget for 2025, which does include finances for not only our everyday expenses, but allows for a block of 6 show grants for the year. Last but not least, our technology team continues to make vast improvements to our website, documents, education materials, & recordation. Led by Krissy McLaughlin, we are blessed with an extraordinary set of individuals who work tirelessly to bring the latest technology.

SCNA is expanding our reach to additional social platforms so that you can catch major announcements. I look forward to the compilation of committees working together for better member communication and engagement, this newsletter being a start. I’m told we can also look forward to a special newsletter this year showcasing our exhibitors, wins, and upcoming shows. Lots of exciting things in store and I look forward to this being a great year for TEAM SERAMA.

-Josiah Woodfield