The International Fancy Guppy Association
Dedicated to Promoting The Fancy Guppy Hobby
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are protected under the copyright law. It is not for use without express written permission.”
Our Mission
Get Involved
Founded in 1965, the International Fancy Guppy Association's (commonly known as the IFGA) mission is to promote the enjoyment and the techniques of breeding fancy guppies to the IFGA's show standards.
This is accomplished by providing information on the breeding and raising of quality guppies to the IFGA show standards through our clubs, shows and the IFGA website while bringing together other hobbyist of like minds.
Education for new and experienced hobbyists of all ages as well as the promotion of good breeding techniques through the use of shows are our top priorities.
We promote the hobby by providing assistance, managerial and technical support to individuals or groups in developing new clubs supporting the IFGA standards.
We conduct an annual meeting to bring together affiliated clubs and members to manage and plan the future of the IFGA organization.
We also host judging seminars and training to members to qualify as a IFGA judge and maintain the qualified judges ability to use the IFGA show standards.
We strive to offer a host of activities for our members. Membership with the IFGA comes with many benefits to hobbyists of all ages and experience. Members can join local affiliated clubs in their geography or start new clubs.
Affiliated clubs sponsor competitive shows throughout the United States with over 70 different color classes and often have an accompanying auction. We encourage all potential members and members to seek out their local clubs and come to our shows where you can meet some fellow guppy enthusiasts and make some lifelong friends!
Participating in shows is easy and brings a lot of reward! Members have the ability to mail their fish to the shows if the show is too far away or they are unable to make it.
Members earn yearly points and individual awards at IFGA shows that count towards year end class and breeder championships. We have a Master Breeder award our members can earn as well as various other titles within our organization. Please check out our shows section for all the details.
Interested in becoming a member? See details about all of our membership benefits and how you can become a member today!
All guppy enthusiasts are welcome at our shows and we love to see potential members there. Please feel free to come to a show and enter your fish. Non-members may enter fish at our shows, but you must be a member to receive points and annual awards. Join Us as a New Member.
We encourage those that are interested in membership to also join us on our social media pages!
If you're already a member, please sign in below to gain full access to our website's Members Section!
News and Publications
Upcoming Events
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IMPORTANT
Hello IFGA Members,
It certainly is a trying time for all of us, and as most of you know, some of our shows have been canceled. In response to the many issues that have arisen as a result of these changes, I have conveyed to the Executive Committee to respond to these issues as many of them cannot wait until the annual meeting for resolution. The items listed below will now take effect as of today. Please pass them along to your club members. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. Thanks to Tom Allen, ET Mellor, Jim Alderson, Stephen Kwartler, Jim Gourlie, and Paul Muscatiello for their help and assistance with these issues. Stay safe and healthy.
Best Regards,
Bob Lewis
President, IFGA
The following rules are now in effect for IFGA Shows and Awards.
1. 2020 and 2021 show seasons are combined for any shows held.
2. Trophy sponsorships will carry over to 2021 and sponsorship fees will not be collected for 2021.
3. Club dues of $35 per club for this year will still be required as expenses are still incurred.
4. No fines for show cancellation or rescheduling.
5. No changes in show rotation status for any club that cancels. Show rotation order for 2021 & 2022 continues without change
6. Judging requirements are postponed until 2021.
IFGA 2021 ANNUAL MEETING AGENDA
Opening Remarks – Bob Lewis
Outline of Meeting Procedures
Member Club Roll Call – Bob Crouse
Roll Call – Must Give Your Name & Position in Your Club.
Review and Acceptance of 2019 Meeting Minutes.
Vice Presidents’ Report-Tom Allen
Treasurers Report – Stephen Kwartler
Secretaries Report – Paul Muscatiello
Publicity Report – Dan Proctor
Membership Report – Rusty Strader
IFGA Correspondence Report – Bob Lewis
Judging Board Report – Jim Alderson
IFGA Face Book Report- Jim Alderson
IFGA Website and Software Report – Bob Crouse
Parliamentarian and Rules Report – ET Mellor
Publications Report – Bob Crouse
Historian Report- Bob Crouse
Awards Report – Greg Billings
Show Rotation – ET Mellor
Nomination Committee Report– Bill Carwile
Old Business/Unfinished Business from 2019 Annual Meeting
Finalize 2022 Calendar Show Schedule
Elections/Nominations This Year Will Be From the Floor
Break
New Officers Assume Positions
Treasurers Report Audit
New Business
Submitted Motions to be voted upon:
Motions from the Floor as Time Allows
Admission of New Club, Clubs to be Reinstated.
2021 Judging Board Announcement
Due to the Covid pandemic IFGA Judges and Assistant Judges have not been able to complete their judging requirements for continued accreditation. For this reason, we will take a going forward approach toward satisfying the judging requirements. All Judges and Assistant Judges will be required to attend one Judging seminar and judge two shows (a minimum of 5 classes per show) during the 2021 and 2022 calendar years. Judging Seminars will be held at the GAIC Chicago Annual in October 2021, the Gateway St. Louis show in April, and the 2022 Annual hosted by Deep South Guppy Associates in October of 2022. If you are a full Judge and fail to meet the requirements you will become an Assistant Judge and must pass the written test and judge two shows in a show year to be re-instated. If you are an Assistant Judge and fail to meet the requirements you will must pass the written test or the visual test, and judge two shows in a show year to be re-instated.
Note: A show year is different from a calendar year. The show year begins with the Annual held in the prior year. (e.g. the first show of the 2023 show Year will be the Annual held at the Deep South Guppy Associates held in October 2022)
Jim Alderson,
IFGA Judging Board Chair
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2021 Show Dates
*For consistency for every show, please click on the show classes buttons below to view show classes
*Please check each scheduled show’s rules for their Covid19 protocols and attendance requirements. Each state and show venue will have its own unique requirements.
The safety of all attending the IFGA shows is our primary concern.
March 27 & 28 Utah-Cancelled
April 17 & 18 Michigan-Cancelled
May 15 & 16 Gateway-Changed
June 12 & 13 New England-Changed
July 10 & 11 South Jersey-Cancelled
(IFGA Annual Meeting & Show)
IFGA Reminder: All IFGA sanctioned shows must adhere to the mandates put forth by the CDC and the state for the show being held.
For Chicago, this means a valid vaccination card or a negative covid test 24 hrs. prior to attending. For everyone's safety, if you can not supply either, we can not admit you.
GAIC Note:
If you are calling, please speak directly to our host hotel at 630.629.1500 rather than the call center to get your special pricing. Dial “0” or call back if you don’t get the Lombard staff directly.
Thank you for your patience!
*Also see GAIC's note below
Hi IFGA,
The Chicago club is proud and pleased to host this year’s Annual show and IFGA meeting in October. This is the first post-Covid Annual and our membership is working hard to make this show as good or better than any Annual you’ve attended in past years. This is an “official” IFGA Annual and will have all the trappings that our year-end shows are known for.
The featured speakers at this year’s Friday forum are Jim Alderson who will dazzle you with his knowledge of crosses and Tom Allen who promises to let you in on all the secrets he’s uncovered in breeding the Bronze all these years. The afternoon session is devoted to refreshing everyone’s knowledge of guppy judging as presented by the Senior Judges. Both the written and visual Judging tests will be given at some point during show weekend. Wrapping up the Friday activities will be that old Chicago Hospitality along with a fish room tour.
Saturday morning is blocked out for the first IFGA meeting since the pandemic took hold in March of 2020. We hope to have enough judging teams available for that part of the show so that nobody is pushed to his/her limits. Once the judging has been completed and the winners’ names are transcribed to the Show Results sheets, GAIC is ready to host its KCITA* dinner (casual dress recommended) which is sure to please. Even though the 2021 show season is being extended into 2022, this is the perfect time for any special awards and/or commendations to be announced. This may be followed by other surprises and possibly a second fish room tour depending on signups and time constraints.
The Sunday fish/equipment auction is expected to be as good or better than any previous GAIC auction. This is a great time to bid on compatible strains to work into your breeding program. Of course, this is also the time to bid farewell to friends until the 2022 show season resumes again in April.
GAIC will be following all the Covid safety protocols set by the CDC, the state of Illinois, the hotel and the show site. Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our members and guests.
Make your plans and reservations early to ensure your place in line in the event restrictions and mitigations force us to limit attendance for segments of the show. Above all, help us BUST600…
Guppy Associates International Chicago
*KCITA = Kick Covid in the Butt
