Ameraucana National Meet

[John]

The 2006 Bay City Poultry Club show will be held on October 14 & 15, in Frankenmuth, Michigan!  Frankenmuth is one of the top tourist destinations in Michigan.
Note this is a new location...please pass the word and make reservations ASAP.
The judges have been hired and everything is coming together - but we need you.
All the info is on our club\'s website, BayCityPoultryClub.org, along with many helpful links.

[John]

If you have any intention of showing Ameraucanas at our National Meet and are not a club member now is the time to join.  The first ABC Bulletin of the year will be out at the end of this month, so you should join now in order to receive all 4 quarterly Bulletins this year.  Membership is from January 1 thru December 31, so join now to get the most for your money. Please use the membership form from the ABC website.

It is not too early to donate awards for the National Meet.  Just send a check and a note whether to apply it as needed or toward a specific cash or plaque award.

[Guest]

Hey John...how come the show isn\'t going to be at Midland Fairgrounds?

Also what would be an avarage donation for the show?

[John]

The Midland County Fairgrounds has a larger than usual horse meet on the weekend of our show this year and they will be using the buildings that we used last year.  The Fairgrounds has offered to rent another building to our club, but we decided to take this opportunity to move the show to Frankenmuth.  For the last several years of more I have thought Frankenmuth would be the ideal town for a poultry show.  They are known for \"world famous chicken dinners\" and I think live chickens can be tied in somehow.  Bronner\'s CHRISTmas Wonderland is only about a mile from the show and it is the world\'s largest Christmas store.
Even if you don\'t show at the show you will have a great weekend going to the show and being a tourist.  Birch Run is just down the road from Frankenmuth and it has a huge Outlet mall that attracts people from all over Michigan and Ontario.
FYI, I am also Show Superintendent for the Bay City club.
Generally the members that donate toward awards give between $10 and $50.  Our District Director, Teresa Brittnacher, is considering buying the same painted plates and cups to give as awards as were given out at last year\'s National.  They would cost us $240.  We need lead time to get awards, so as I\'ve mentioned it is not too early to donate.  
   

[John]

This is the building we\'ll have the show in, in Heritage Park, Frankenmuth.  It is 150 feet square!

[Blue Egg Acres]

John, you have me really looking forward to this already! Of course, I may have to make a side trip to Midland for the horse show! I don\'t know how many places there are in Frankenmuth that are famous for the chicken dinners, but a friend of mine has family in that area and said the chicken dinners at Zeldan\'s (she wasn\'t sure of the name) are excellent.

[Mike Gilbert]

John, you count on me for the usual amount we give each year to the national meet.    Let me know how soon you need it in case a deposit needs to be made on those painted plates and cups.   They were really a keepsake and ours are located in the china hutch in our dining room.

Mike G.

[John]

chicken dinners

There are two big restaurants across the street from each other and they feature the same family style Frankenmuth chicken dinners along with other menu options.  I think the price on the dinners is up around $18 these days.  The restaurants were started by brothers and are now operated by the F1 generation (so to speak).  One is Zehnder\'s and the other is the Bavarian Inn, which even has a glockenspiel!
Frankenmuth was a Bavarian (German) Lutheran settlement started around 1850 and the locals have built a tourist industry around their heritage.  Some of the other sister congregations or settlements in the area were Frankenhilf, Frankenlust and Frankentrost.

[John]

Mike,
I forgot to mention that Jerry Segler, from IL, called last week.  He plans to retire around the first of October and is going to get some Ameraucana bantams.  Hopefully he\'ll make it to the National meet.  He still remembers buying sausage, at Willi\'s, in Frankenmuth, when he was up this way several years ago.

[Blue Egg Acres]

Okay, so what the heck is a glockenspiel?!

[John]

The Glockenspiel
Bavarian Inn\'s Glockenspiel Tower houses a magnificent 35-bell carillon, a beautiful figurine movement and an illuminated clock, all imported from Germany! Before striking the hour, and on each quarter hour, the clock sounds the 5-bell Westminster chime.

At 11 a.m., Noon, 3, 5, 6, 9 and 10 p.m. each day the Glockenspiel plays several selections which are immediately followed by figurine movement depicting the legend of the Pied Piper of Hameln.

I just copied and pasted that stuff from their website.

 

[Blue Egg Acres]

Cool! Will have to be sure to see that.

[John]

The Bay City Poultry Club website is up-to-date.  Some changes include making the JR show a one day show.  Jr\'s may still keep their birds cooped thru Sunday if they want to, but may coop out on Saturday afternoon.  This should make it easier for more youth to show that have parents that don\'t show and can\'t take the time for a two day show.
I had said the building is 150 feet sq., but I was wrong. It is 150 by 184!  
Our Judges are Phil Bartz, Matt Lhamon, and Jim Fegan.  Jim will judge the Ameraucanas.
There is a Schedule of Events on the site, http://baycitypoultryclub.org/ and I\'ve scheduled the Ameraucana egg judging contest for 10am and our club meeting for 2:30, on Saturday.  
Remember...it is not too early to make hotel or campground reservations.  All the info you need is on the website.  

[John]

Just wondering if you are planning to attend the National meet in Michigan this October.
So far rumor has it the following are coming from out of state:
Jerry Segler, IL
Barbara Campbell, TN
Paul Smith, TX
Michael Muenks, MO
Larry Clionsky, PA
Teresa Brittnacher, WI
Mike Gilbert, WI
Wayne Gritter, IN
Bob and Teresa Walchak, WI

[Blue Egg Acres]

I made our reservations today   We\'ll be staying at the Holiday Inn Express, 12150 Dixie Hwy in Birch Run. Is that far from where you live John?