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AKC DELEGATE
REPORT - CLAUDIA FRANK |
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DELEGATE'S CAUCUS
HERDING-EARTHDOG-COURSING COMMITTEE
OBEDIENCE-TRACKING-AGILITY COMMITTEE
DELEGATES FORUM
AKC DELEGATE'S MEETING
TRIP TO AIRPORT
UPCOMING AKC EVENTS
AKC JUDGES' EDUCATION
JUNE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
AKC ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
ACTIONS REQUESTED OF THE
BOARD
DELEGATE'S CAUCUS - MONDAY, JUNE 12, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Judging:
The question of how to monitor conformation judges was of seemly great
concern. 1) If there is a question regarding the competency of a judge it should
be brought to the attention of an AKC Rep at the show. 2) Provide AKC Field Reps
with breed specific information. 3) Provide ringside mentoring and National and
Regional Specialties. 4) Provide clubs with a list of competent mentors. 5) The
breed Parent Club should offer to help improve judges’ knowledge of their breed.
6) Certain breeds cannot be mentored from outside the ring – like the very hairy
breeds.
If someone doesn’t like how a judge judges now there is a process in
place. Write the AKC a letter which will go in the judge’s file.
Working regarding judge’s approval should be cleaned up as it appears as
“approved” in some places and “licensed” in others.
Conflict of Interest Policy:
Performance events should be left out of policy as to be accurate and correct
the judges need to maintain their routine of judging with frequent assignments
regardless of licensing venue.
Conformation judges did not want to give up their ability to judge other
venues. Judging other venues was seen as a valuable opportunity for learning.
Show Sites:
There was a discussion on clubs allowing or not allowing clubs outside their
area from utilizing show sites in their area. It was mentioned that because an
outside group might not keep the grounds clean and honor rental agreements the
local club may then be restricted from using the grounds again.
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HERDING-EARTHDOG-COURSING COMMITTEE - MONDAY, JUNE 12, 12:00pm to 1:30pm
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I will be given information soon to “self nominate” for a position on this committee. Openings will be filled at the September meeting.
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The National Herding Championship will be referred to the 2006 HAC.
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The “Championship Points” listing will be published as part of the event results both on the web site and in the AKC AWARDS book.
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The “Judge’s Affirmation” form which states that judges know the rules including any rule changes will be maintained. It will be available on the AKC web site as a “downloadable” form.
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The “Judges List” update will be undertaken by an AKC intern. The web address for any changes is lac@akc.org. AKC will be sending out questionnaires asking for judges updates regularly as they now do in other sports. The list will hold approved judges only. If a judge has not judged in five years they will be dropped.
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The policy of a club being able to use its own Herding Instinct Test was again mentioned. These tests can be open to all breed or one breed but must be mentioned in the Premium List.
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To become eligible to participate in the AKC Herding Program a breed must – 1) have a letter sent by the parent club requesting participation to the Performance Dept. 2) Include a history of the breed’s usage. 3) Board review information. HEC requested being in the loop of approval to share information on breed backgrounds. Breeds eligible to participate in a sport must have been bred for that sport. Foundation stock can earn only suffix titles. Full registration allows earning of prefix and suffix titles.
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2006 Herding Advisory Committee - There will be nine members representing parent clubs and two members from the HEC Committee. These members are Gerard Beaudet and Judy Hart. The members themselves will pick the committee chairman.
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OBEDIENCE-TRACKING-AGILITY COMMITTEE - MONDAY, JUNE 12, 3:00pm–5:00pm
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Information page – “Tips for Exhibitors in Obedience, Rally & Agility) will be available to main in Judge’s Schedule, Email, on web as downloadable form, in “F&F”, in List Files, on club web sites, in events packages and during AKC walk thrus. The page will be sent to the Coordinating Committee for actual production.
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There is an intern that will be working on Junior participation.
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Leonburger’s which are registered as FFS breeds request lowering of jump heights to ¾ shoulder height. This was approved by the Board.
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There is a Rally Advisory Committee in process. They are charged with fixing problems but not changing the program. Some signs have been changed to help dogs through problem areas and to identify principles of the exercise. A clear description of the volunteer job positions at a Rally Trial will be added. These descriptions will be sent to the fancy and appear on the web site for 30 days. The AKC Board will vote on changes in October and they will be implemented in July 2007. (Comparison information on changes available.)
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“Rally Transition” Class would be the top class with ½ point deductions.
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“Non Regular” Rally class would use new signs & exercises.
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Obedience is holding its own numerically. Rally is a financial boost to obedience clubs.
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The Events Calendar will be marked for specific breeds or groups which are open to enter.
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“Conflicts of Interest” Policy – anyone can ask for an exemption.
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New International Class for obedience in USA and allows other FCI Countries. It would be a non-regular class. A structure will need to be developed. This would allow dogs to be ranked for international competition. There are 67 registries that could send teams. A Committee has been formed with Jim Kramer as the head. The exercises would be international in style and lead to an international type of competition.
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A discussion of AKC allowing mixed breeds developed. Some clubs have a constitution which would not allow them to include mixed breeds in their trials. If AKC did allow mixed breeds there would need to be two separate programs.
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Clubs are responsible for defusing dog on dog problems.
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DELEGATE'S FORUM - TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 10:00am
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The Swedish Vallhund was introduced as an active service dog.
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A program regarding AKC “on line” services was presented by Lisa Peterson, Club Communications.1) Show site locator 2) Title reports 3) On line events plans 4) quick submit judges panel. 5) electronic agility results. 6) Club newsletter info 7) public service announcements 8) club publicity tools 9) AKC logo access 10) downloadable flyers 11) All sport rules and regulations. 12) DELEGATE SERVICES – “Delegate Guidelines” booklet. 13) Legislative Department – link to law or bill, legislators by state.14) Account for breeders with dogs of interest. 15) Past record of judges
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Pat Skully reported that the Cacus would be held at the end of the day next meeting – 4:30pm to 6:30pm.
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AKC DELEGATE'S MEETING - TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 11:00am (including lunch)
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Received: “2005 Annual Report”
President’s Report stated that there has been a loss of 40% in registrations from 1992 to today. There are 23 other registration bodies registering dogs. Many of the other registries do not charge and then after one generation they cannot go back to AKC. Encourage ALL pups from a litter to become registered. -
Votes:
The proposed amendment to the AKC Bylaws, which would have permitted AKC Delegate judges to charge a fee for judging, was not adopted. The vote was 136 = yes and 159 = no. The count was taken by voters standing and then individually being seated as counted.
The proposed amendment to the AKC Bylaws, which would have eliminated the nominating committee, shortened the timeframe for nominations, and increased the number of signatures for a nomination-petition, was sent back to the Bylaws Committee. The Delegate’s felt there were three items to be changed and that each should be looked at separately. -
The following AKC Management promotions were announced:
VICE-PRESIDENTS
Darrell Hayes, Dog Show Judges; William Speck, Performance Events; Robin Stansell, Event Operations
ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENTS
Curt Curtis, Companion Events; Steve Fielder, Coonhound Events; Gina Lash, Assistant Executive Secretary; Daphna Straus, Business Development
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The Toy Dog Breeders Association of Southern California was elected as a member club.
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The 2nd quarter AKC 2006 Community Achievement Awards were announced as follows: Holly Stump, Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs
The American Kennel Club announced today that Holly Stump of Ipswitch, Mass. has been named a recipient of the AKC Community Achievement Awards for her efforts to educate legislators about the dangers of breed-specific legislation. Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners, a group in which she serves as board member, nominated Stump. Stump received one of three awards this quarter - Edward Peterson, of Middlesex, Vt. and Donna and Bill Welty of Vienna, N.J., also received recognition
The AKC Community Achievement Awards support and recognize outstanding public education and legislation efforts of AKC-affiliated clubs, AKC-recognized federations and their members. The AKC selects award recipients who promote purebred dogs and responsible dog ownership within their communities or who have successfully introduced, monitored and responded to legislative issues affecting dog ownership.
Stump travels her home state on the federation's behalf, attending town committee meetings and working with legislators to combat breed-specific legislation wherever it is introduced. She also makes therapy visits to an area nursing home with her American Staffordshire Terrier, Lula.
"The dog fanciers of Massachusetts are fortunate to have such a vigilant lobbyist advocating for their rights," said Noreen Baxter, AKC's VP of Communications. "Holly and her American Staffordshire Terrier have helped to dispel myths about bully breeds and build trust between dog owners and their communities. We are pleased to present Holly with the AKC Community Achievement Award and thank her for all of her efforts." Nominations for the AKC Community Achievement Awards are accepted year-round. Up to three honorees are named each quarter. They receive a certificate of appreciation and a $1,000 check payable to the club orf ederation's public education and canine legislation efforts. To nominate a club, visit
http://www.akc.org/public_education/community_achievement.cfm. -
2006 AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day - AKC date at New York office is September 16, 2006
AKC has available web site and those planning events can create an Event Account.
Events will be listed for the public. Event details must be completed by August 1, 2006. A video depicting Responsible Dog Ownership Days was shown. It turns out that the videographer that did the presentation was Kelly Martin a friend from NC whose Shelties are related to mine. (Flyer available.)
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TRIP TO AIRPORT
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A large touring bus was made available free of charge directly after the meeting to take the Delegates to the airport.
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UPCOMING AKC EVENTS
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August 19 & 20, 2006
Breeder’s Symposium
AKC Canine Health Foundation - Lodge of the Ozarks – Branson, MO - (Flyer available.) -
September 14-17, 2006
The 4th Genes, Dogs & Cancer Conference
AKC Canine Health Foundation - Crowne Plaza Chicago, Metro – Chicago, IL - (Flyer available.)
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AKC JUDGES' EDUCATION DEPARTMENT - UPCOMING INSTITUTES FOR THE FALL AND WINTER 2006-07
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New York, NY - On January 1, 2006 responsibilities for Judges' Education was transferred to Judging Operations. Uniform criteria for seminars and workshops were established and discussions initiated with the National Judges Groups and representatives of major clusters to develop a cooperative approach to judge's education that will lead to enhanced quality, greater availability and more affordability.
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Since January 1, 2006, five Procedural Seminars for aspiring judges have been presented in various parts of the country and three more are planned for the remainder of the year. Four Junior Showmanship seminars have been presented and two more are planned for the remainder of the year.
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The basic AKC Institute concept has been revised and streamlined into a weekend format. The first will be presented in Fitchburg, MA on November 11 and 12, 2006, and the second is planned for Portland, OR on January 21 and 22, 2007.
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An Advanced Institute for Non-Sporting breeds has been scheduled for February 23, 24 and 25, 2007 in conjunction with the International Kennel Club of Chicago Shows.
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Registration information and materials will be available on the website or through Judging Operations on July 1, 2006. For additional information, contact Amanda Abel at 919-816-3883 or aga2@akc.org.
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JUNE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT - RON MENAKER, CHAIRMAN - TUESDAY, JUNE 13
New York, NY - None of us will ever forget the
devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita last year and the tireless
efforts of the fancy to give generously of their time, money (more than $1
million was donated to the AKC Companion Animal Recovery Canine Support and
Relief Fund) and resources to aid those animals in need. If we learned any
lessons during this difficult time in our nation's history, it is that the bond
between canines and their owners is unparalleled and that dogs are even more
resilient than we could have imagined.
June 1 is the official start of hurricane season. AKC® is taking a proactive
approach by working closely with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
to help educate pet owners on disaster preparedness and to encourage owners to
put animal emergency plans in place.
AKC has teamed up with DHS to create a tri-fold brochure titled, "Ready Pets" to educate owners on disaster preparedness. Unveiled last month by DHS Under Secretary for Preparedness George W. Foresman, the brochure highlights the key steps pet owners should take to prepare themselves and their animals. A printable version is available on our website as part of our new disaster preparedness page at www.akc.org.
AKC faced many challenges in getting aid and supplies to the Gulf Region in September of 2005. To address these concerns, AKC Board Member Dr. Patricia Haines, Houston Kennel Club Delegate Carol Williamson, Canine Health Foundation Board Member Susan Hamil, AKC/CAR Assistant Vice President Jason Miller and AKC's Manager of Special Projects Ariela Schulman recently attended the AVMA National Animal Disaster Summit in Arlington, VA. AKC representatives were among the 150 attendees representing animal welfare organizations and government agencies who came together to discuss problems that arose in 2005 and solutions for the future.
AKC and AKC CAR have created a new position to coordinate both organizations' efforts in future disaster relief initiatives. To fill this important role we have hired Marcy Zingler, a longtime fancier who has significant background working with clubs, including exposure as a breeder, delegate and judge. Marcy starts at AKC's offices on June 19.
Recently, AKC announced its support for the recently introduced Senate Bill 2548, the "Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006," known as "PETS." PETS requires provisions for rescue, care, shelter and essential needs of pets and service animals and their families in emergency and disaster relief, and requires that such provisions be included in federal, state and local emergency and disaster preparedness plans.
Perhaps some of you responded to a recent AKC
online survey to gauge how prepared dog owners are to safely evacuate their pets
in the event of an emergency. If forced to evacuate their homes to a location
where they could not bring their pets, 62% of those polled said they would defy
the authorities and stay with their animals, even in catastrophic emergency
conditions. While it's no surprise that those polled love and care greatly for
their pets, enough to risk their own lives for them, it's troubling that three
quarters do not have a portable pet disaster kit assembled in the case of an
immediate evacuation. I encourage all fanciers to always heed the advice of
authorities and, regardless of geographical location, to have an emergency
evacuation plan in place for your dogs and to assemble a portable pet disaster
kit. The best thing we can do for our dogs is to plan well ahead for all types
of emergencies and encourage others to do the same.
Though no one can truly predict the future, I am most confident that, should
disaster befall us again, AKC, AKC/CAR, and dog clubs around the country will be
there once again to donate their time, money and resources to assist our beloved
canines.
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AKC ANNOUNCES PROMOTION OF SEVEN STAFFERS
New York, NY - American Kennel Club® President
and CEO Dennis Sprung announced the promotions of seven key staff members at the
June 13, 2006 Delegates meeting held in Raleigh, NC. Three individuals were
promoted from Assistant Vice President (AVP) to Vice President, and four from
Director to AVP, all in their respective areas. The promotions are effective
immediately.
* Darrell Hayes - Vice President, Dog Show Judges - Hayes grew up in the sport
of purebred dogs as part of a family of Pekingese and Pomeranian breeders. He
had a long career as a professional handler, exhibiting dogs in all seven
groups. Hayes joined the AKC in May of 1993 as an Executive Field
Representative. Since then he has held the positions of Director of Judging
Operations and AVP of Dog Show Judges. He oversees Judging Operations, Judges
Education, Executive Field Representatives for Conformation Events and the
Registered Handlers Program.
* Bill Speck - Vice President, Performance Events - Speck first joined the AKC
as a Performance Events Field Representative in 1993. In 1997, he became
Assistant Director of Performance Events, and was soon promoted to AVP of
Performance Events. A leading expert on Retrievers, Speck has been honored by
the National Retriever Club (NRC) for his decades of service within the
Retriever community.
* Robin Stansell - Vice President, Event Operations - Stansell joined the AKC
five years ago as a member of the Executive Field Staff and moved to Raleigh in
2003 to work in Event Operations. He started exhibiting Bulldogs in 1976 and his
former military career allowed him to participate in shows and clubs throughout
the U.S. and Europe. Stansell held a variety of club officer positions in both
specialty and all-breed clubs including President and Show Chair for all-breed
and specialty shows. He became an AKC-approved judge in 1990 and gained approval
to judge the Non-Sporting Group, Toy Poodles, and Junior Showmanship prior to
working at AKC.
* Curt Curtis - AVP, Companion Events -- Curtis joined the AKC in March 2005
with over 40 years' experience in AKC Companion Events as an exhibitor,
Show/Trial Chairman and judge. Curtis has also held various officer positions in
numerous dog clubs. Prior to his career at the AKC, Curtis was a Sergeant with
the Oregon State Police, where he managed the development of dispatch, clerical
and administrative staff along with direct supervision of officers in the
patrol, criminal and game divisions.
* Steve Fielder - AVP, Coonhound Events -- A third generation purebred dog
breeder and fancier, Fielder has been involved with Plotts for over 50 years. He
joined the AKC in 2004 and has since significantly enhanced the organization's
Coonhound event offerings and leadership among Coonhound enthusiasts. Fielder
has held numerous positions with United Kennel Club and the Professional Kennel
Club and has edited two of the coonhound fancy's top publications, Coonhound
Bloodlines and Prohound. At the UKC he also held the positions of Vice President
of Field Operations and Vice President of Public Relations.
* Gina DiNardo Lash - AVP, Assistant Executive Secretary -- Lash has had
life-long involvement with purebred dogs, growing up with Dobermans and Great
Danes. During her nine years with the AKC she has filled numerous roles
including as Director of Club Communications. She now assists the Executive
Secretary with all communications and with the maintenance of all AKC policies
and historical records. She is also responsible for "AKC Meet the Breeds" at the
AKC/Eukanuba National Championship and serves on the event's Show Committee.
* Daphna Straus - AVP, Business Development - Straus has been with the AKC for
nearly four years. She initially worked as a project manager on DOGNY, the AKC's
public art initiative and fundraising tribute to search and rescue dogs. Straus
comes from a career in market research and is now involved in all aspects of
marketing, sponsorship and licensing for the AKC. She is active in Obedience
with her Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Zabar.
"These dedicated individuals have nearly 250 years of combined experience in
various aspects of our sport," said Sprung. "All are valued members of our
organization and I am pleased to recognize their many contributions with these
well-deserved promotions."
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OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
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Tours of the AKC Raleigh offices were made available throughout the day on Monday, June 12th, but due to the scheduling of Committee meetings I wasn’t fee to attend.
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Sightseeing tours were made available on Sunday, June 11th of Raleigh/Durham historical sites.
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ACTIONS REQUESTED OF THE BOARD
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Send the AKC Field Reps breed specific materials same as a judge.
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Write a letter to Jim Crowley at the AKC regarding the new “Conflict of Interest” policy and ask that herding, rally, obedience and tracking judges be eliminated from the policy.
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Sharon Anderson talked with me about the fact that nearly all the World Team members have been BCs or Shelties. She wanted to include their parent clubs in some way. At this time the teams are financially supported but that may not last. I mentioned to her that I thought the BCSA would be open to support the teams in some way. I’d appreciate the Board discussing possible support of the team in some way…lots of articles sent to magazines or financially by nice tote bags with BCSA emblem.
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A National Herding Championship would need some type of a sponsor. Would the BCSA like to help locate this sponsor, be a sponsor and/or have an instrumental part in the organization and production of such an event?? We were bouncing about having it at Purina the first year as much of the event would all ready be in place.
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Page Updated 10.22.2007