We have gotten a few "where are our Reports?", though many of you have just been stoically patient. Thank you for your forbearance on the delivery schedule. There are three issues that have been laid out and proofed, so these should appear as they can be printed, assembled and mailed. Those who are electronic subscribers may get them very soon. Take a look here for info on upcoming issues of the Goldfish Report and the publication schedule (if you have not been checking the Editor's page, you are missing one of the more entertaining elements of this Web site). We hope everyone is enjoying what is now our second year of publishing top quality content in a full color format!
If you have let your membership lapse or have been thinking about joining the GFSA, now is a great time - here is a form you can print. To submit material for the Goldfish Report to editor Matt Lyon, please see the updated society contact info. Articles and photos in electronic form are particularly appreciated.
The current line-up of people filling the GFSA offices is on the society officers page.
Seasonal Advice
As we enter the fall show season, here is a brief thought piece for your consideration.
Judging goldfish involves an assessment against a standard. Around the world, various groups produce these standards and train judges to use them. The standards and the judging methods can vary significantly, from British point scores to Japanese group ranking. One interesting philosophical difference that can be considered is whether the fish are judged against an ideal standard or against each other. In the former method, the fish would be scored against the ideal, and then the class ranking would be a byproduct of that. One way to do this is to assign point scores to each fish. The alternate approach is that of judging the fish in a class against each other, ranking them comparatively on the quality and importance of their features.
Either approach requires the judge to have in depth knowledge of goldfish and the varietal standards. Interestingly, either approach typically results in the same outcome in the hands of a skilled practitioner. Several groups have independently reached the conclusion that it is the skill of the judge and not the judging method that is most important.
For some additional comments on goldfish judging, see this article on this Web site.