Dear Aquarist,

Happy New Year, everyone!  Wow — we have entered into our 100th year – pretty amazing! We are the oldest and largest general aquarium society in the United States. Next month at our February 11 meeting, we will have a birthday cake to celebrate this one of a kind event. For our members, we will be having a birthday present to you in the form of a new or renewal membership for the same price as it cost in 1911. With one year membership at the regular price of $20 (or $25 for family membership), for $3.00 dollars more you get another year. This is also good for multi year membership. Pay for 1 year – add 3 bucks = 2 years.  Is this great or what?

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Also we have started emailing the BAS Bulletin, and the Aquatica will now be found on our web site. If anyone still wants the Bulletin in paper format, please attend our meeting because there will be plenty of them at the meeting. Anyone who does not have a computer, please let me know so I can mail you a copy. Our new web site should be up as you are reading this.  Bernard, our Webmaster, will be running both sites for a few months until people are familiar with the new site. We have finally joined the 21st century and will be saving lots of money in printing and postage costs. Please bear with us in this new creative process. I know you will love it when you participate. The interactive forums and sponsor sections are truly enjoyable. Also you will be getting notifications of club events via email. Come on and join us in the “new” Brooklyn Aquarium Society; you’re gonna love it!

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Our January event starred Rit Forcier and his topic was “3 Weeks In Mexico.” Rit is the former Chairman of the American Livebearers Association and helped create the Northeast Livebearers Association. Rit is a great speaker and has been a guest lecturer for almost every club in the Northeast and many others throughout the United States and abroad. Rit brought in many exotic livebearer species from his own aquariums. Many of these species are extremely endangered in the wild. It is up to hobbyists such as us to keep these species going. It was a great talk and Rit stayed late to answer everyone’s questions and to tell bidders how to keep some of the exotic species he had donated for our auction. Needless to say, the auction went hot and heavy as everyone was trying to get some of those great fish and the livestock donated by members and our sponsor stores. It is important that you visit and patronize our sponsors. It goes full circle: by helping them, they are also helping you as hobbyists and everyone is helping Brooklyn Aquarium Society, so help us, help you!

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Our guest speaker for February will be Christine Williams and her topic will be “When Aquariums Attack.”  Be ready for some fast movements and volatile action. Christine will be lecturing on aquarium bites, stings, infections and other unfortunate events and what you can do about them.  We have all had cuts, bruises and injuries while maintaining our tanks and fish. I remember speaking to a skin doctor and she mentioned that many of her patients are aquarists who get cut or stung while their hands are in their aquariums. It can be very dangerous!  So come on down, brave the cold, for a truly rewarding lecture. Mark the date on the calendar, February 11 at 7:30 PM.  As always, there is free parking and free refreshments.

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I am asking for your help and support. If you want to see different speakers or try different things, please let me know. The elected officials of the Brooklyn Aquarium Society are here to serve YOU! Please let us know what you want and why. It would be helpful to everyone.

For more info, please call our BAS Hotline at (718) 837-4455

On a more personal note – This is your club and we are looking for interested and helpful members to participate!  Any member who desires to attend a Board meeting, which are held at the Education Center of the New York Aquarium on the 1st Friday of the month, please notify me at (718) 238-1792 by the Tuesday previous to the meeting.

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Joe Graffagnino
President