November 24, 1980

Dear Mr Plant,

I have just returned from the joint show of the ABA and the APA at Columbus, Ohio. There was a total of sixty three hundred bantams and three hundred Bantam ducks shown. Large fowls, ducks, geese, turkeys and a few guineas totalled about three thousand, making a grand total of over ninety six hundred entries. This was by far the largest show ever held in the USA. The largest show previous to this was a little over seven thousand. Boston, Chicago, Baltimore and New York used to have large shows but never one to equal this. The quality of the birds exhibited was also outstanding. The best breeders from all over the country of Canada were there in large numbers.

At the Directors meeting of the ABA I reported at some length regarding my work with you in developing standards which were acceptable to your breeders and the fine cooperation which I have been receiving from you in particular.

We decided to establish two honorary Directorship worldwise and I, of course, nominated both you and Mrs A.C.Banning for these offices. You will hear from Mr Jeffrey officially on this.

At the membership meeting I also discussed the work that I was doing with you on this standard material which was also approved unanimously.

Prior to attending the Columbus meeting Mr Jeffrey had informed me that he would have to go to press with the 5th edition of the Bantam Standard because he was rapidly running out of his supply of the 4th edition. We follow the practice to exposing new breeds and varieties of bantams in either the quarterly of the Yearbook  before action can be taken by the Board of Directors in approving them to be placed in the Bantam Standard. I received approval for the conclusion of twelve new breeds in the 5th edition but the only one peculiar to Australia that had been exposed for review was the Chinese Langshan Bantam. We will have to wait for the 6th edition to include the Pekin, Australian Game and the Australian Pit Game Bantam, but these three breeds should be published in the nineteen eighty one Yearbook .

I just noticed that there were 650 exhibitors listed in the show brochure at Columbus. This seems to have also broken an all time record for this country.

Sincerely,