Interview with the re-elected president, Pam DelaBar

Pam DelaBar

Ms DelaBar, representing the Cat Fancier’s Association and the host of World Cat Congress 2008

How would you assess your first term as president of the WCC?
 
Pam DelaBar: It's been a bit of a training and learning period for me. Though we all share a common passion—the cat—our philosophies are somewhat different.

What do you hope to accomplish in your second term?

Pam DelaBar: I hope we (the WCC) can influence the government of Australia in revising policies on the shipping of pets to markets in SE Asia, influence governments in revising quarantine requirements to actually reflect animal health needs, share information on updated vaccine protocols and microchipping.  I personally am looking forward to CFA hosting its first WCC conference next year.

This is a multi-part question with a long pre-amble:

In talking with the man-on-the-street we have ascertained four groups with distinct attitudes toward and/or opinions about the WCC.

The first group seems to be endemic to the cat fancy. Every-time any sort of committee, work group, etc. is formed a spontaneous group of critics with high—though rarely defined—expectations seems to also sprout up and express their great disappointment with the committee, work group, etc. for not doing anything, when most of the time they really mean, not doing anything earth shattering that meets their high, though undefined, expectations.

The second group reads through the minutes and reports of the WCC and seems to feel that a lot of time is spent (wasted) by the delegates marking time by reinventing or redefining the WCC, but see very little of what they would call forward progress.

The third group also reads through the minutes and reports of the WCC, except unlike the second group, they seem to see the glass half-full. They do, however, feel that perhaps the WCC has been too low-key over the years.

The fourth group seems to see a bigger picture. They feel that the primary purpose of the WCC is as a form of preventative medicine for the cat fancy. As long as heads of major organizations meet with each other on a regular basis in a work and social situation, the lines of communication not only remain open, but also are rendered very effective, as you all know each other as opposed to knowing OF each other.
 
Could you address each of these groups?
 
Pam DelaBar: As for the first two groups—I try not to get wrapped up in negativity.  There will always be those who can do nothing but express negativity.  I personally glean what I can that can be construed as actual constructive criticism and build from that.  Otherwise, I work with my vision of what can be, with the consent of the council, of course.  The World Cat Congress can ultimately be more than a means for problem resolution—which in itself is of great benefit for the worldwide cat fancy.

What do you as president of the WCC (and if differently, as president of CFA) see as the primary role of the WCC in the cat fancy? Secondary role(s)?
 
Pam DelaBar: I see WCC first and foremost as a council that can resolve differences and problems that may arise, and as a body that brings the nine largest and influential cat associations in the world together to influence policies, etc., concerning the pedigreed cats throughout our areas (countries) of operation.

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