As the President of the Silver Marten Rabbit Club, I'd like to welcome you into the world of one of the most beautiful breeds. The first true the Silver Martens were named in 1924, standardized in 1927, and by 1933 our four varieties had been developed: Black, Chocolate, Blue and Sable. My family has been raising Silver Martens for 8 years and I hope for many more. Personally, I love the beauty and character of the Silver Martens. They are a great size to be easily handled. They are affectionate - most of them - and a bit of a tease. They fit very well into our family because they are ornery characters, like us.

As club members, you will also find a family. We are a fun loving group of people with the desire to promote our favorite breed of rabbit. We are not the ones standing at the judging table getting stressed and looking distraught; we are the ones smiling, laughing and teasing each other. We have members who have joined not only for the rabbits, but to be a part of this group of people.

I have only been President since October 2008, but our officers and directors all share the same goal: to make this a better club. My goal is to improve our communication between the board, membership and the sanctioning clubs. I also encourage all members to take an active role in the club. You will find that the officers and members are more than willing to offer you help with any problems you may encounter, and ultimately, you will find that the friendly nature of other Marten breeders can bring as much joy as our special animals themselves.

Like all clubs, one of our biggest and most important challenges is recruiting new members. I want to encourage our members to promote the breed at their local shows, befriend fellow Silver Marten breeders and mentor new ones, and offer the opportunity to be a member of our community. Carry membership forms, mail membership forms with the pedigrees, and promote the utilization of our website for shows, sweepstakes, and opportunities to get involved.

I also want to bring your attention to our message board. We have this resource to brag, ask questions, and post updates, results and pictures. It is a useful page to bookmark and can be found under the 'Links' section of this site and listed as 'Silver Martens Group.' Also, all board members have contact information posted, and I encourage you to use them if you have ideas and suggestions for this club as we push forth with our goal of improvement. I know how much fun we have when we get a chance to get together; we need to continue this all through the year by staying in touch. Letting each other know how things are going, any problems we are having in the rabbitry, or just a friendly 'How are you doing?' can light up a person's day.

Don't forget to bookmark this page for upcoming shows and sweepstakes information. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, no matter how small, please feel free to contact any one of our officers or directors, including myself.