Hello Conch-L ,

Longtime officer and board member of COA, Bobbie Houchin, retired
several years ago from her COA duties. She left the job showing the same
friendly but quiet demeanor with which she had so long served COA. New
people filled her shoes, and she went on to other pursuits, but her
contributions were not forgotten. This year, the COA Board of Directors
selected her for the most coveted of all COA awards, the Neptunea, for
her selfless contributions to COA.

Bobbie's  affiliation with COA goes back to 1987 when she attended her
first convention in St. Louis.  At that time Donald Young was elected
COA president, and his goal during his presidency was to increase
membership to over 800. Much of the responsibility of this challenge and
subsequent credit for its success fell upon Bobbie who assumed the mantle of
membership chairman in late 1987, a position ably held for so many years
by Phyl and Bernie Pipher of Takomah Nebraska. Bobbie, then knowing very
few people in the shell world at large,  combed club membership lists
and the AMU (now AMS) roster for potential members, mailing out sample
copies of American Conchologist to pique their interest. The result was
an increase of 190 new members by the end of 1987, boosting us over Don
Young's cherished "crossing of the "800 Membership Hurdle."

Bobbie continued to push membership numbers upward and to promote the
American Conchologist, as well as to welcome new members to COA, to
answer their questions and the queries of others about COA, and to
maintain the data base of COA members, in conjunction with Walter Sage
who was COA Treasurer. Under her devoted and unflagging care, COA's
membership grew into the 1300's by mid 1996, when she was elected COA
Treasurer. Not many know that Bobbie had completed a recent degree from
the University of Louisville, a degree in Finance that served her well
in her administering of the Treasurer's duties, a position she expertly
held as we watched COA's once tiny treasury grow with a resultant
expansion of the COA Grants program and American Conchologist. Bobbie
was a motive force behind the creation of the Walter Sage Fund, parent
to a now growing list of funds for grants to malacology. She was also
the main mover in the eventual and long awaited achievement of COA's tax
exempt status. Let's hear it for Bobbie. She left the onerous and
demanding office of COA Treasurer in the summer of 2000, much better
organized, better defined, and richer than it had ever been. Bobbie, we
owe such a lot to you. The Neptunea is the least we can do!

Bobbie was not present at the Tampa Bay convention in June, because the
imminent birth of a grandchild demanded her presence...the only
convention she missed in her 17 years. But Lori Schroeder gracefully
accepted the award for Bobbie, swore an entire convention to secrecy and
took the plaque back to Louisville in her luggage. This week, Lori and
Lynn Scheu, under guise of celebrating Bobbie's birthday, surprised her
with a very unusual "birthday present," the Neptunea Award bearing her
name, on behalf of the COA membership. We wish you could all have been
there to see her face light up! Look for a picture in the September
American Conchologist!

--
Best regards,
 Lori Schroeder & Lynn Scheu             mailto:[log in to unmask]

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