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Welcome...
Welcome to the Indian Fantail Club of America.
Our site is under major construction with updates being published daily so
please visit often...
Mission:
To provide guidance, direction and promotion of the Indian Fantail fancy
throughout the United States, Canada and the world by establishing a standard of perfection for the
breed and sponsoring annual district and national shows wherein the entries are
evaluated according to this standard by judges who have been trained and
sanctioned by the club. Members’ superior achievement in these show competitions
and service to the club are recognized through the IFCA awards program.
Quarterly bulletins are issued to members containing updates on the activities
of the club as well as informative articles on topics relating to the breed and
pigeon husbandry.
IFCA History:
At a meeting of Indian Fantail breeders present at the 1959 Pageant of
Pigeons the idea of a club was first discussed. By 1963 a club was in place and
named Indian Fantail Club of America. Harvey Gatlin became president, Tony
Brancato, vice president and Bill Babb, secretary-treasurer. All these men lived
in southern CA.
These club officers served through the remainder of the 1960s and up until
early 1974. In the February 28, 1974, IFCA bulletin it was reported that Terry
Loft, Diamond Bar, CA, was the "newly elected" club president. In that same
bulletin he thanked the "outgoing IFCA officers and appointees for their service
and aid." The names noted were Harvey Gatlin, Tony Brancato, Terry’s wife,
Nickie Loft and Brownie Zabella. Other officers listed on the masthead of that
bulletin were John Dougherty, Sylmar, CA, vice president and Nickie Loft,
Diamond Bar, CA, secretary-treasurer.
Membership dues went from $2.00 per year, established when the club was first
organized, to $3.00 after June 1, 1974. The membership report for the year 1973
totaled 119. There had been 54 new members during the year; of the total, 53
lived within CA and the other 66 were spread throughout 24 of the other states
of the U.S.
Already in 1974 there existed a California Indian Fantail Club and a Southern
California Indian Fantail Club. It was the SCIFC that in early 1974 presented
Harvey Gatlin with a "special award of recognition as outgoing IFCA president".
Both the CIFC and the SCIFC are active organizations today. Through the years
there have been other local Indian Fantail clubs come and go. In 1982 the
Tri-State Indian Fantail Club celebrated its first anniversary with members in
GA, SC and NC. In the mid 1980s the Mid States Indian Fantail Club was quite
active with club officers from OH, TX and MO. From a national club standpoint
however, and continually since its beginning, there has been only one
organization, the Indian Fantail Club of America.
Over the years the IFCA has revise the Constitution and By-Laws to create
district directors as a means for broader representation. First there were two
directors, one in the west and one in the east. Then there were three and in
1982 the club adopted the present six districts. The position of publicity
director had already been established along with an editor. More recently an
historian and web (site) master have been added.
The breakout of states making up our six districts is as follows:
Click on the image and will break down areas individually.
Elections are held every two years in the IFCA, taking office at the
beginning of each uneven numbered year. After the beginning of the club, when
Harvey Gatlin and Tony Brancato served a decade or more as president and vice
president, the top two positions chanced nearly every two years. Ted Golka, IA,
president and Tim Kvidera, MN, vice president, first accepted those positions in
1997. The directors have changed a great deal during this period. The
willingness of Ted and Tim to serve multiple terms has provided continuity to
the organization and its programs.
Membership is currently at an all time high. Gone is the predominance of
California members. The 2004 published membership list count was 126 with the
following district representation: District One – 6, District Two – 35, District
Three – 28, District Four – 25, District Five – 7, District Six – 16. Included
were 9 members representing England, Canada and The Netherlands. |
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