# ABGA/JABGA issues..



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

ABGA now requires JABGA members to have a parent/agent who is an active member in order to join/renew. 

Here's my issue. I have 3 kids, we'd always register them in either of the oldest 2 kids names, and the last few years I've been getting them a JABGA membership, even though they don't really do anything with them, it beats being a non member and paying non member fees.
This year I was going to let my youngest join, she is now 4-H age and wants to show her goats in her name. 
We only register 3-7 goats a year.
This year only '5'.
So ABGA is telling me that I'd have to spend $60 for a membership that I would never use, just so I can spend another $90 to get my kids a membership = $150 before a goat is even registered?
And afterwards it would be well over $200? 
Ridiculous  Maybe for big breeders or show families that is okay, but for small families/4-H families who have a tight budget for this stuff, it's not okay.

Our state 4-H breeding project requirement is that the animal be registered in the youth's name.

So now I am wondering if there are other ways to get the kids goats registered. 
I was wondering... if you can register your herd as a farm, and have it listed in all 3 kids names? Would their names show up on the registration papers? I know the rule for 4-H is they can't be in a farm name, the youth's name has to appear on the paper.

I'd gladly just whisk over to USBGA, but the only problem with that is, USBGA just isn't popular in our area, and we've already invested a lot of $$ into registering with ABGA...

I'm just at my wits end with this. I don't want to have to ask one of my friends who are members to sponsor my kids when 'I' am the one responsible for them and doing their papers, etc. I'd gladly sign anything the ABGA wanted me to sign to show I am fully responsible, I have no problem with that.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Fees can be frustrating.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

You don't have to be a member to register goats, so register the goats in the human kid's names that own the goats. That way you would pay a little more to register each goat, but none of you would have to pay to be a member.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Tenacross said:


> You don't have to be a member to register goats, so register the goats in the human kid's names that own the goats. That way you would pay a little more to register each goat, but none of you would have to pay to be a member.


That's how I would do it as well. If you only have 3-7 animals to do a year is it really worth the membership and paying less or in the long run would it be better off paying the higher fees? I'm thinking the higher fees myself.
If your totally wanting to be a member for other reason then just registered kids then I would ask them how to go about doing it so all the kids names on on the goats. I know it can be done hang on and I'll show you one of my papers with a few names on it and need be you can e mail them this picture and show them exactly what you want. If they say just put the members name down and also the other name do NOT do it that way. I'm not sure who I spoke to but that's what they told me for my sons doe to put mine and his name down. I am a member and he is not but I wanted in both our names. It only came back in my name I'm assuming since I put my member number down. Any ways let me get you the picture


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Here ya are and if that doesn't work for you I wouldn't do the membership any more to be honest :/


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Jessica - that is what I was hoping to do! But... how do you do it? lol.

I've debated registering without a membership, but that is even more $$ thrown away IMO, because your paying double the fee. 

What it would cost if myself & 3 kids got membership, and registered 2 %, and 3 FB's: $219. 

Non member to register 2 %, and 3 FB: $174

The way it used to be would amount to...
3 kids membership, register 2 %, and 3 FB: $159

Now, imagine all the youth who show and parents are not involved or don't show/don't want to do membership. How is this helping kids get involved? I just don't get it. Surely they could come up with a form to hold parents responsible and have a fine if they break rules - it would be the same as breaking a 'contract.' 
Most of my friends who have kids that show are not members because they are like us and do it for their kids.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Yes you are paying more for the papers in the long run BUT you are saving $60 (???) per child a year. I'm sorry I'm not sure how much it is for jrs lol but I would look at the grand total of what ABGA got from you last year then figure out what you would have spent if you didn't have a membership. And actually if you need to be a member you need to add that in as well.
I don't know how they have it with everyone's name on it lol I know it is a mom and dad and their kids I'm just not sure if the kids are Jrs or what the deal is. But I do know for a fact that one lady I know didn't have the funds to do a membership last year and went ahead and put her buck in hers and her boyfriends name......which wouldn't be any different then your kids.
I would call again tomorrow, need be use the Hobbys as a example of what your looking for. ABGA kinda annoys me on the different info you get from different people when you call and also when you send the paperwork in. 
I was so annoyed when I sent in my sons does papers I haven't even tried to figure out how to do what your wanting to do. And I was even willing to pay for his jr membership if I needed to lol


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks I will contact them and find out how we could get goats in all of the kids names. 

It's only a $45 difference if we don't get memberships ($219 if I purchase a membership for me, my kids and register their goats). In the past I would get my 2 oldest kids JABGA memberships = $30ea. Then register their goats on line, and it was less/almost the same as registering them as a non member, so it was always cheaper/better to get memberships.

Without membership, it would cost us $174 just to register 5 goats. 
Non member to register a FB is $39 per goat. But if your a member it would be $15 if you register on line. 

If I could just get the 3 kids a membership, and register their 5 goats, it would only be $159, and that would still be $15 cheaper than non membership. I am fine with doing that. But not fine adding $159 + $60 = a membership I'd never use.

I was told by a board member last summer that JABGA participation was a big issue, that they needed to get more kids and get them more involved. This IMO is not the way to do it. A lot of people I've read on line are in the same boat, and are very unhappy.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

No it's very much not the way to do so! When I went to a coalition sale last year they were doing JR memberships with a % off if we signed up right there and I thought that was pretty good! But not this. There are so many kids who are into small animals with parents that have nothing to do with livestock. Why make them be a member too when they want nothing to do with them other then support their kids :/


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Exactly  Although I want to be involved with my kids and their goats, I have no desire to become a member, I mean... what would I do with a $60 membership? That is $60 I could put into feed for their goats, or wormer, or halters/show collars, or tires that we need for the trailer, hay, or health papers, ya know? 
We also have a program in our state called the KY Proud program, that I need to buy tags for the commercial does/market wethers. 

My 3 kids are planning to show around 13 goats this summer! I may go crazy! 
They have 14-15 they want to show, but I told them they need to sell a couple, that is just tooooo many.
They'll sell most of them when they are done showing this summer. 
The plan right now is to show 2 commercial does, 5 registered does, 3 wethers, and 3 yearling breeding does. 

So yeah, the $60 membership thing with ABGA is a headache. I'm a stay at home mom, and only do some work off and on through the year that pays okay (horse photo stuff), I keep planning to get a job just to pay for the goats lol, but have to keep putting it off. I'd sure love to have my own regular income again though.


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## PippasCubby (May 13, 2015)

I don't know if you have already seen this, but I was looking through the ABGA's Facebook page and found this...(I highlighted in red what I thought might help you out???)

"Effective 2/1/2016, all JABGA members are required to have an adult agent who is also an ABGA member. Also effective 2/1/2016, one JABGA membership and one associated adult ABGA member agent will cost a total of $60. JABGA membership for additional children in the same household will be priced at $30 each. Additionally, there will be a moratorium on changes to this discount structure until October 1, 2018.
**To ensure charges are handled properly, please submit any combined JABGA / ABGA renewals to the office instead of using the online system."


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