LAUNCHING THE 2012 CCA TECHNOLOGY FUND

As a breeder, you would like to see CCA put in place “on line” registrations and pedigrees.

As an exhibitor, you would like to enter cat shows by immediately connecting to the CCA database, so all a member would need is a cat's number to automatically fill in the correct colour name and title etc.

You would like to see where you cat stands in the national scoring?

You would like to know how many grand points, your cat has earned?

You would like to receive your litter and individual registrations by email?

It may come to reality…

But to get there, our CCA Office desperately needs to upgrade its technology. At the last teleconference held by the Board of directors, it was unanimously decided to revive our Technology Fund, first created during the 50^th anniversary year of our Association.

The goal is to raise $ 15 000. Most of you will think that nowadays, computers certainly do not cost that much. This is right. What we need is new software and programs which cost considerably more that a computer, although we still will need a new computer to run the new software. At the moment, the Office is using two databases that are not connected or integrated.

CAN WE DO BETTER THAN 25 YEARS AGO?

***Left Photo Above: In the summer of 1988. a very special raffle made a profit of $278 thanks to a Saskatchewan artist, Mr. Neville Simpson, who generously donated a beautiful acrylic painting to the CCA to be used to raise funds.The painting, called “Naptime”, was featured on the cover of the Winter 1988 Quarterly. Bob Gleason, then past president and Chairman of the Computer Fund Raising Committee, officially thanked the artist as well as the CCA members who purchased tickets.

***Right Photo Above: Less than 3 years after launcing our Computer Fund, the Fall 1988 Quaterly showed that we had accumulated over $10 000, which allowed us to purchase our first computers for our head office.

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At the 1985 AGM, our CCA office was facing a real problem. All procedures were done manually, from issuing litter registrations to the membership list or compiling grand championship points. Computers were not as commonplace then as they are today, but like other organizations, computerizing our office seemed compulsory. Our staff at the time even threatened to resign… They were promised that a fund project would be put together.

In early 1986, the computer fundraising project was put together under the presidency of newly elected Robert Gleason. By fall 1987, $5 542.27 was raised and a year later (fall 1988), the fund had reached $10 262.41- from private and sometimes small donations, affiliated clubs donations, raffle money, special buttons sales, etc. All donations were acknowledged in the Quarterly publications of the Association.

FINALLY… 

At the Board of Directors meeting held November 19, 1988, Jerry Miller, the new Chairman of the Computer fund raising Committee proudly announced that the new computer had finally been purchased. The system cost was approximately $6 700. The software had an “on-line” tutorial program but the software provider would also be available to assist the Office staff. Susan (Plante) would be learning the programs first and then she was to train her assistants. In his report, Jerry suggested that “our computer fund should continue to be an on-going fund” and concluded his report by:  “All indications are that our Office staff is really happy about the computer”.

Jerry was given the mandate to buy a second printer as soon as possible. At the BOD meeting held on July 7^th, 1990 Jerry Miller, CCA treasurer, announced: “the second computer and printer have now been purchased for the amount of $2 700”.

Over the years, new equipment has been purchased and some minor software updates have been made.

But, as we all know, computer generations are short and our office desperately needs new equipment and more specifically a totally new program that will allow our office staff to work in a more efficiently manner.   

WILL YOU BE PART OF IT?

Your donations and ideas will be welcome and acknowledged in our Newsletters until we reach our goal. A bank account will be opened to make sure that all the money donated to the Technology Fund will be SOLELY used to purchase our new hardware and software.

The fund’s progress will be available at the CCA booth at each upcoming show.

Please help your  Association, the only cat registry based in Canada, to get the technology that our head office desperately needs and deserves to help serve you better.

 ***At the Kingston 2012 benefit show, in presence a some of its members, Quinte Cat Club inaugurated the Technology Fund by donating a cheque of $1 000. From left to right: Leslie Chapman, president, Jo-Anne Lynch, secretary-treasurer, Louise Laliberté, CCA treasurer and Chair of the Technology Fund, Eleanor Hodgson, director, Bob Gleason, CCA 2^nd vice-president and chair of the Benefit Committee, Mike Dalpe, vice-president. Photo by Blue Sky Photography.

***Leslie Chapman, president of Quinte Cat Club was invited to fill the progress thermometer up to the thousand dollars line. Right : Jo-Anne Lynch, CCA director and Quinte secretary-treasurer. Photo by Blue Sky Photography.