September 13, 2006 Dear Llama Owners,

From the Registrar - Jan L. Wassink for the ILR Board of Directors

Welcome to Fall! With kids back in school and summer vacations behind us once again, the registry office will see an upturn in activity as llama owners catch up on paperwork that has been set aside for the more enticing activities of summer.

re: Lamaribbean Cruise Still Has Room for YOU and rates have been REDUCED!!
We want to remind you once again of the Llamaribean Cruise that will be launching on January 29. Join us for a few days of relaxing with other llama folks, some focused discussion on the future of the llama industry and two rewarding days of exploring Cozumel and Costa Maya. As of this writing, the cruise line has actually reduced their rates by $20 to $30 per person so it's a great time to sign up! Thanks to our 'on top of it' cruise specialist, Diane McGillis, those who have already signed up will receive new invoices showing the reduced rate. If you have already paid in full, the difference will be refunded to your credit card. Also, contact the office and register for the conference activities. Numbers have an impact on our planning so the sooner we have an accurate number of attendees, the better job of planning we can do.

As part of the Llamaribean conference, we will be sending out a survey about your llama related activities and perspectives. The survey will be used to profile the current state of the llama industry as well as quantify your ideas of the direction the ILR and the industry should go in the future. Our exact sampling method has not yet been determined but we will let you know when it is available. If you receive a survey, please fill it out and return it because every bit of input will be considered.

Come cruise with us – www.lamaribbean.com – have a great time plus input into the direction of the llama industry!

re: National Animal Identification System (NAIS)
There seems to be more and more hype and misinformation being dispersed about the National Animal Identification System being circulated over the internet about this program. Only animals that “intermingle” with animals from other farms and ranches will need to be identified. If you take your animals to the fair, shows, the veterinarian, and sales, they will need to be identified. If your animals never leave your farm and/or do not “intermingle” with other animals when they leave your farm, you will not need to identify them individually. The program will not be available for another year or two and will start out being a voluntary program. The general consensus is that it will eventually become mandatory but that may be years down the road. Admittedly, it will cost more than no system and will cause some additional work, particularly at first. However, if we ever have a serious disease outbreak in this country, we may be very glad we have a trace back system in place. If that happens, being able to prove that your animals were never in contact with any of the diseased animals may save them from being needlessly destroyed.

re: Payments online now being accepted on the ILR web site www.lamaregistry.com
Finally, if you have conducted business on the ILR website recently, we want you to know that it is now possible for you to make payments online using a credit card. You can make a payment on your account or pay for current transactions. Check it out!

Sincerely,

Jan L. Wassink
and the ILR Board of Directors
Kathi McKinney , Karen Baum , Mark Smith, Sally Taylor, Sally Rucker