02/18/2025
I can't express enough how relevant this is in so many clubs/breeds and how deeply I feel this to my core. In many aspects it truly sucks, and some days it's hard to just let the comments and pettiness roll off my back.
My passion for this beautiful breed will hopefully stay lit and burn brighter than the hurtful words and action of others. I just wish people like this saw how much damage they cause to the breed they supposedly stand for. The gate keeping is unnecessary and only dampens the passion for those trying to newly get into this hobby. Truly and forever will boggle me how childish grown individuals will act, never imagined a hobby would make me feel as though I stepped back in time and surviving high school again 🫠
Big thanks again for absolutely everyone that's encouraged me, been rooting for me from the sidelines and over all being there in times of the lows. I appreciate you all endlessly and I hope I never lose ya ❤️
Throwback image to 2020 🧡
I have struggled to find the words but can’t shake the feeling that I need to write about this. The Creme club was a big part of my life for 2 years, and affected me greatly. I’ve always tried my hardest to be transparent with those who follow my endeavors, or who find inspiration in my posts, so perhaps this is meant for someone out there. This is my experience, about both my presidency as well as just being a member within the club. And it’s gonna be a long post - it’s not meant to target any specific individuals, but rather, to address behavior that I have witnessed and experienced and hopefully call for change and accountability, even though I myself am no longer involved in club matters.
From the beginning of 2023 to the end of 2024, I was the president of the Creme d’Argent Rabbit Federation. Before running for office, my decision was driven by two different factors. One (and with all due respect), the current president at the time was older and struggling with memory issues. I remember wondering how I could help, as seemingly no one wanted to step up to help the club. It was later after many conversations with friends that I decided to boldly run for office, even though I was not previously involved on the BOD. The second factor of my running was driven by pure passion for our orange-based breed. I was absolutely smitten with the Creme d’Argent - the journey to create a better breed with higher standards, to push them out further into the public eye, to elevate their status within the Livestock Conservancy, and to be an advocate in any way I could.
I ran unopposed for presidency. No one else stepped up - this is a fact. And this continues to happen in the club for various office and board member positions. After my term, I no longer wonder why this is.
I didn’t realize how quickly being involved in the club in this way would begin to smother my passion. This is not a statement blaming any one particular person, though I can think of several along the way that made things unnecessarily difficult. I can think of 10x more that kept rooting for me, but after several meetings with the BOD I was definitely feeling out of my element. Or, more so, I was feeling like a zoo animal whose every move was being watched. My misunderstanding of using Robert’s Rules to run a meeting was a problem, but I was not prepared for how hard certain members to come down on me for this. While certain members loved the drive and change and organization I wanted to put into place, I repeatedly hit walls from others that didn’t want to embrace change at all.
“This is how we’ve always done it” was a phrase I heard a lot. I was railroaded repeatedly and it was starting to get to me, because I was hearing what the membership, my people, wanted. And yet I felt powerless and was unable to make change in so many areas. I was also lacking help or a proper support system. Admittedly this was partially my fault for piling the weight on my shoulders. I didn’t want the new members to feel the animosity like I did. I guarded new members’ passion for the breed while my own was slowly breaking down.
Over my term there were a number of private chats and phone calls and emails I received trying to sway me in certain directions about members or decisions. A lot of “he said, she said.” It took me straight back to high school. I started to get confused on who I was able to trust and who was supposedly a problem. There were individuals that love-bombed me when they wanted something, and others who were incredibly rude to me before I even introduced myself. I started to shrink into myself.
I remember ISRBA reaching out to me and asking if I would speak on Creme d’Argents at a judge’s conference in Danville. I was so excited. Before I presented my rabbits, I remember remarks being made that the presenters on the breed should really be long-time breeders or registrars. At the time it made me feel incredibly unworthy and I still wonder if that was the cause of my stuttering that night during my presentation. I wish I could go back and redo it now, with no one in my ear.
I remember talking about the Livestock Conservancy with the BOD and being all but shut down. There are several on the BOD that couldn’t care less about the heritage status of the Creme d’Argent, and this was disheartening as someone that wanted positive change for the breed in both quality and numbers on the show table.
The amount of times I have witnessed breeders paint other peoples’ rabbits in a negative light to make their own look better or more important is just sad. Even I was told, when I started with my pair 5 years ago, that my stock was trash and I should cull everything. Looking back it feels incredibly validating to have won 2024 nationals and 2024 convention with that remark in my past. I am here to tell you that just because someone is a long-time breeder and member of the club, even they can get stuck in the past and stop moving forward. “Barn blind” as we call it. I’ve seen long-time purist breeders have slate, white spots, and other DQ’s on their rabbits, while previously told by the same that this only happens when people outcross. The narrative changes when it happens to them.
There are an equal amount of long-time breeders I have met that are very kind individuals that never stop improving, admit their faults and help newbies see the road to their own improvement in their herd. One thing I always value about new breeders if that they always see things in a new perspective and new light, especially when they have a spark for being open-minded and educated. Mistakes are made, of course - but even if you are new, that absolutely does not give anyone the right to think they are better than you.
I was not cut out to be president of the Creme d’Argent Rabbit Federation. Despite all of this, I’m dang proud of all we accomplished during those 2 years. Whether the changes last is out of my hands. From what I have seen, there seems to be a lot of grasping at straws for the way things have always been.
I was, and still am, just a farm girl passionate about her rabbits. I applaud those who are able to persevere in social settings and deal with conflict. I, for one, am glad this era of my life is over. I am finally finding peace again to just enjoy my rabbits as my all-time favorite livestock while continuing to breed to high standards.
BE the CHANGE.
Let go of ego and entitlement.
Educate kindly.
Fight for what’s right, not what benefits you.
Never stop learning.
Don’t let people cause you to lose your fire.
Don’t grow stagnant.
