Hello interested Color Pigeon breeders. Breeders of all varieties - both Muffed and Clean Leg varieties. Over the past fifteen years I have been showing a lot of my Color Pigeons of which most were the Clean Leg Ice, Starlings, Thuringer and South German Color Pigeons that I imported from Germany. I have shared these birds with many breeders in many states. Their popularity rises and ebbs and we have needed to organize together to get our birds back in the lights of the show halls again. I spoke with Randy Wildschut back in the late 90's about starting a National Color Pigeon Club to promote our pigeons better. I was Secretary of the Rare Breeds Pigeon Club at that time and putting out quarterly bulletins up to 128 pages long took a lot of efforts. Add organizing two Rare Breeds Specials in the Pigeon Debut - the first time with 12 center Color pages of adds for this magazine too. The first special kind of blew away any specials ever, for any breed, in the past.

I was seeking someone to help and no one was to be found. My load was too heavy and the idea was shelved. I brought it up a few more times in the past five years and there was interest, but no one was interested in even being an officer.

Before Louisville this year, I called several Color Pigeon breeders - both Clean Leg and Muffed to say I was ready for this National Color Pigeon Club to start. I advertised on the All-Iowa page and got some response. A few fanciers started paying dues and I ordered 500 bands for the clean leg birds the day after Louisville. They came the first week of January and I have 7 members who have 50 bands each. As of this date, January 20, we have only 150 left.

Karl Rau contacted me and asked if we were planning a web site. I said yes but I did not know how to start one. Karl is a "life savor" and volunteered to set up a web page and be editor of the email bulletins for the first year. I believe this is the way to go in our electronic era. Dr. Gibson has been putting out his Genetics Newsletter electronically the past few years and it works out great. Beautiful color photos, no postage or printing costs and speedy delivery. Randy Wildschut from New York and Bill Sapp from New Jersey (both Starling breeding buddies for a long time) were the first two friends who said they would join.

I was targeting all my Clean Leg Color Pigeon friends east of the Mississippi first since the Southern California Color Pigeon Club and the United Swallow Club were taking care of the west coast and the Muffed breeders around the country. The Archangel Club was taking care of the Archangels.

My vision of this National Color Pigeon Club was to elevate the exposure and popularity of ALL COLOR PIGEONS shown in North America. Of course we welcome members from other countries too. I see this club as a club that could evolve to "The Premier Color Pigeon Club" from around the globe.

As a group, it will be our vision to work in synergy with the Rare Breeds Club, the SCCPC, the USC, the Archangel Club and all the other smaller clubs that might at some level fall under the umbrella of the NCPC.

I cannot thank Mr. Karl Rau enough for helping with this vision. The NPA has agreed to let us affiliate (even though we have not had elections for officers in our fledging club). There will be a display of 12 pairs of Color Pigeons at the Great Lakes NPA Grand National January 24-26 in Mount Clemens, Michigan. I put out the word that I invited other breeders to place pairs of birds in this display, but no one has come forward. Maybe next year in PA.

I welcome everyone to join the National Color Pigeon Club. Send me $15 for dues and you will be added to the membership roster. Members paying dues for 2008 will all be "Charter Members". We welcome material and articles for the newsletters and web site. Thank you for looking us up. We welcome your membership and participation.

John E Nelson - organizing the new NCPC.