# Chris Newman to step down.............?



## TSKA Rory Matier (May 27, 2007)

Hi, 

Chris Newman, chairman of FBH is to step down.

*Well actually no he is not.*

However a lot of parties and keepers alike have called for this move from him.

First off, why?

Secondly, if he was - who would take his place?

What players do we have in our brave industry for this position?

Who would want this position?

Are there societies out there with senior committee members that could actually host the position for the FBH?

Seriously?

Let me see your opinions, please

Rory Matier
Pro Keepers Lobby


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## Onissarle (Mar 1, 2007)

Some groups and societies have made it clear that they keep quiet to avoid the wrath of the antis. Nobody with that attitude could fill Chris' shoes. The threats and incidents at his home are enough to put pretty much anybody off the idea. Chris is one of the few people that are willing to stand up and publically oppose the antis and as such is a point of focus for the backlash.

It's not just the risks, it's also about contacts and reputation. Chris has been working within the reptile and exotics communities for a very long time. He's also been working on the politics side of things for a long time too. That sort of experience is hard to replace.

I don't know Chris personally, I've never met him or had any direct contact so I have very little opinion on him as a person. I do have a lot of respect for him though. He puts up with a lot for very little reward and yet he keeps doing it. Someone has to.


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

I think Chris makes best of a very demanding job, he is high profile, which puts himself in direct range of critism and trouble from the antis he puts in alot of time and effort for the cause and his credentials would be hard to beat, I have seen the lists of positions he has held past and present and he is a man with a hell of alot of experience, regardless of what people say I believe he should stay.


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## Guest (Oct 5, 2007)

Sadly a lot of people have just thought Chris who ????

:whistling2:


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

I think it would be a rather large blow ot the hobby and the fight we currently face if Chris was to step down.

don't get me wrong, up until not long ago, i was one of the people SteveL says wondered who Chris was! Then I began reading more nad learning about the changes the hobby faces and realised thatt his man and his family go through so much for each and every one of us on a daily basis that he must, some of the itme at least, need his head testing!!

I don'tt hink anyone could replace Chris without shadowing him for a LONg time, building the rapport with the contacts he has worked so hard to establish and get the legislational feel of things tot he extent that Chris has done.

I don't know chris Newman - wouldn't know him if I fell over him but I know that for 1 man and his family ot be htat dedicated to saving the hobby of all of us here, he deserves a shed load more support than what we offer him at present.


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

il step up il take his position when do i start?


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## pam b (Mar 3, 2005)

Nobody can replace Chris, and i question the reasons behind people asking for him to step aside. It wouldnt be for the good of us and would mainly be for the good of them.


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## jav07 (Apr 20, 2006)

pam b said:


> Nobody can replace Chris, and i question the reasons behind people asking for him to step aside. It wouldnt be for the good of us and would mainly be for the good of them.


well said


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## TSKA Rory Matier (May 27, 2007)

*Perhaps..*

.........i should have asked;

"Who is Chris Newman?"

How many of you know of the work that he does?

Who he fights for?

What does he stand for?

Where is he heard?

More importantly, who is it that listens?

Of those already whom have answered this post, they know who he is and what he does, but how many of you other readers, simply do not know who is Chris Newman?

R
PKL


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

he's a human i hope.


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## Snakes r grreat (Aug 21, 2006)

My biggest worry is who will replace Chris, as one day he will no longer be able to carry one.

Dont mean to make you sound too old Chris!


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## purejurrasic (Mar 18, 2006)

My worry is not who will replace him, but who will help him in the fight!

I dont know Chris, yet, but am aware of the years of work he has put in. I had a beef regarding the levels of feedback from the FBH, not Chris, but the FBH.

Chris has been chatting to me, and wants to spend some of his own time coming to our society.

I, in return, and adding my voice to the fight, and hoping to spread the message around ALL societies.

One man on his own can be brushed aside, all of us, that includes You and Me, can stand firm.

So I say, read on, its a whole new chapter !


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## Guest (Oct 6, 2007)

Chris seems like a real decent chap to me after reading around every thing hes been involved in ...

But and a big But (no bum jokes please ) 

These threads are like them guys who trot around in town centres with bill boards on saying THE END IS NIGH etc
I think in all honesty that as hes a member here and he is in the position his voice should be heard here ,Especially as this is one of the most popular fourms on the net !! Surely he can make time to post once in a while ..instead of this bill board stuff !!!! whats going on Chris ? I am tempted to join one of these groups, But in all honesty to me they look very dull and boring.They do not seem to keep people properly informed either ,Then we get these dying fly threads from time to time ...

no disrespect to anyone here either


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## ratboy (Jan 10, 2007)

TSKA Rory Matier said:


> .........i should have asked;
> 
> "Who is Chris Newman?"


He's a grumpy old sod with a taste for very loud shirts 



> How many of you know of the work that he does?


Not enough.



> Who he fights for?


Ahhhh... that one is easy. He fights for lots of apathetic people so they can carry on keeping animals without ever having to know he even exists.



> More importantly, who is it that listens?


Nobody. If he wins a battle through what he does we get choruses of "See... we always said it would never happen" and if he loses a battle we get choruses of "What the hell is he doing ? he should be doing it like this !"

Unfortunately it is only through losing that anyone gets to hear about what is going on but because noone is actually interested. As an example, the EPS has been talked about for years, long before most people even knew this forum existed... but it's only since the PKL have picked it up that anyone has bothered to listen.

Steve is right, politics is boring, it is gloom and doom and people wandering around saying the end is nigh.

But it is not billboards that are the weights around our necks, it's apathy.


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## Moshpitviper (Oct 21, 2005)

The previous post deserves a standing ovation !!!!!!!


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

lol yes, it was a pretty good.
[unless i took it the wrong way and he's being a git lol]


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## Natrix (Dec 9, 2006)

SteveL said:


> Chris seems like a real decent chap to me after reading around every thing hes been involved in ...
> 
> But and a big But (no bum jokes please )
> 
> ...


Steve
For a start Chris is pretty heavily involved in the non cyber world mostly dealing with the actions of groups like DEFRA, Animal Aid and the RSPCA. He is only one person and doesn't have the luxury of being able to spend hours typing away on forums all over the web.

Secondly, some time ago the FBH did try very hard to get the information out to as many people as possible. Although the information that could be released was limited, News letters went out to all the member clubs and societies of the FBH but these were not passed onto their members. There were also 3 conferences set up so that people could come along and hear about what was happenning but attendance was poor (really poor).

The lack of information seen today is a direct result of the lack of interest shown in the information that was released. 
Is it possible that more interest would be shown now? Well I set up a small meeting for people at the Basildon show to test the water. Lots of people were interested initially, only a few said they would come and only one of those turned up, plus one extra who saw the meeting going on and joined in. 
To most people politics is boring, scarey, to be avoided and if you don't get involved, it won't cause you any problems. Any attempt to push information in front of people is met with accusations of scare mongering, exagerating or trying to make a name for ones self and normally ends up with some idiot saying that no one is going to take his animals off him. 

The scary thing is that most people will not do anything until the law begins to effect them. Sadly by the time we reach that stage it will be too late to do anything.

Gordon


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## Natrix (Dec 9, 2006)

ratboy said:


> He's a grumpy old sod with a taste for very loud shirts
> 
> Not enough.
> 
> ...


I totally agree, He's a grumpy old sod with a taste for very loud shirts.

Oh and the rest is pretty good as well.

Good reply Steve

Gordon


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## Trice (Oct 4, 2006)

Natrix said:


> Is it possible that more interest would be shown now? Well I set up a small meeting for people at the Basildon show to test the water. Lots of people were interested initially, only a few said they would come and only one of those turned up, plus one extra who saw the meeting going on and joined in.
> 
> The scary thing is that most people will not do anything until the law begins to effect them. Sadly by the time we reach that stage it will be too late to do anything.
> 
> Gordon


I joined in at that meeting, at first not realized it was the meeting which was talked about on here beforehand. A little way into it, my mind clicked that it was a meeting Lol. 

And to be honest, i can't really blame my youth as i'm 21 and should know a little bit. But i felt a bit overwhelmed by some of the information being said at the meeting. 

I did leave it happy i had walked in on the meeting to be honest. Because although i couldn't speak out in agreement or disagreement due to me not having a proper opinion on alot of it (the more meetings i go to the more i'll have a voice (aswell as the more i read the more i'll know)) 

As for the following:



Natrix said:


> To most people politics is boring, scarey, to be avoided and if you don't get involved, it won't cause you any problems. Any attempt to push information in front of people is met with accusations of scare mongering, exagerating or trying to make a name for ones self and normally ends up with some idiot saying that no one is going to take his animals off him.


I agree with Gordon. Not long ago, (a few weeks max?) someone said they didn't agree with the way PKL went about things because it was way to aggressive? Yet from what i've seen, unless they speak up and loudly so to speak, no one listens to people.


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