I grew up in an era when Camp Fire Girls, 4-H and Jobs Daughters were popular and very active in the community. Those days of nurturing a project and receiving praise for my achievement laid a foundation for good character and many of my successes as an adult. Today, when I try to find an enriching organization for my children, they are few and far between and the groups seem to be disappointingly small. So many extra school programs are obsolete leaving little for them to do beside video games and TV.

I will admit that the cat project began as my hobby and my love for raising animals and competition. However, since I was blessed with my own litter of triplet boys 12 years ago, there are few hobbies that I can do without boys in tow. The shows turned out to be a wonderful opportunity for all of my children to make a little extra money by stewarding and at the same time, with the patience of the clerks and the judges, they receive a lesson in responsibility. I think the applause when publicly thanked by the judge meant more to them than the paycheck! I have even heard them boast about the importance of being able to dine with the judges! They often had to ro-sham-bo to decide who got to carry the cat to the ring and at the same time learned proper showing etiquette. Now two of the triplets have their own cat to show, and their neighborhood friend joins us, too. They take care of the cat at home and they are thrilled when they get a final! Ah, yes, there it is, the value of achievement and acknowledgement! I have seen its affect on them as they mature and become more assertive and independent. They have had the opportunity to share this at school and enjoy praise from peers and teachers. They are receiving encouragement from family members, too. These are lessons that they will never forget, not to mention the joy and therapeutic value of loving a pet that will be with them for many years.

I am excited to be a part of developing the Mid Pacific Junior Exhibitor program. I have some great ideas to add even more fun at the shows and on the MP site. We are fortunate to have a regional director who is supportive of our youth. Already we have obtained special junior showmanship merit rosettes that are given out at every MP show. I plan to have extra games and prizes for the youth at each show also such as coloring contests, scavenger hunts and fun ideas interacting with the adults. My goal for the next season is to have an essay contest with a grand prize of $100.00!

I hope that many adults will join me in this endeavor by supporting our mission, with your ideas and at the shows and all of us will benefit from having a part in making a child's life a little richer.

Denise Ragozzino lives in Windsor, California and has five children. She has a lifetime of dedication to helping youth in such organizations as Easter Seals, Camp Fire Girls, Boy Scouts, and DeMolay, and directed a children's choir for her local Parks and Rec Department. Denise works in Santa Rosa as a counselor for high risk teens. If you would like to contact her with ideas or you have a youth who would like to participate in this program, please, contact the new Junior Exhibitor Program Chairperson Mary Riddell at furreal@inreach.com.

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The opinions expressed in this publication are those of its authors alone and do not reflect the views of The International Cat Association. The use of its logo in no way implies approval by The International Cat Association of its contents nor does it indicate that this is an official publication of that association.