Sportsfriends,

As you hopefully are now aware, the Regional Meeting will take place on the evening of Sept 24, starting at 5:00 pm at the Host Hotel (The Best Western Plus Coeur d’ Alene Inn 506 West Appleway in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho). You received prior notification of this event on or before August 16. While my prior message in July (see below) intimated that there were a few bylaws changes that would be good to implement, I don’t believe that this message was sufficiently detailed to count as official notification of a bylaws amendment proposal (“…a copy of the proposed amendment…”). Since such a proposal is due 30 days prior to the Regional meeting, I’m afraid our bylaws will have to stand for another year, barring a regional meeting before the 2012 Regional Championships. That 30-day deadline passed yesterday.

Below please find an agenda for the meeting for comment. The main headings below are specified by the bylaws, and I have added information in some sections about what I propose to be part of the discussion in those sections. As always, constructive feedback is welcome!

• Roll Call


• Reading of the Minutes


• Formal reading may be waived by vote, minutes do need approval. Draft minutes attached. These have been available on the website through a link on the home page for some time.


• Report of the Regional Director


• I will attempt to provide a written report prior to the meeting to shorten this step


• Report of the Treasurer
• Report of the Committees


• Election of Members of the Board


• Regional director
• Asst. Regional Director
• Regional Training Director
• Regional Breed Warden
• Secretary
• Treasurer


• Unfinished Business


• New Business


• Proposals to limit the rate of decimation of the Regional Fund.


• Selection of host clubs for the Regional championship, regional breed show and regional helper seminar, 2012


• For Good of the Region



• Adjournment

Yours in the Sport,

Warren L Jones
PNW Regional Director

Big Sky Trial

Hi all –

Big Sky Working Dogs (formerly Big Sky Schutzhund Club) is pleased to announce our fall trial Sept. 17 and 18, 2011, with USCA Al Govednik. The schedule for the trial is to do “stadium” work on Saturday afternoon and evening, and tracking Sunday morning, as we have a very short window of Al’s time. Tracking will be on plowed agricultural soil, with practice tracking on nearly identical conditions available on request. Field layout is permanent blinds with #1 to the left. Entry fees will be $75 for SchH/IPO and/or FH titles, $60 for BH and $35 each for TR/OB. We are forced to add an additional charge of $15 per entry to handlers who are not members of USCA, but all breeds and handlers from all member organizations within AWDF are welcome. Entry fees include dinner at the clubhouse at the training field – a traditional “potluck” by the members of BSWD. Camping is available on site by prior arrangement, no hookups, but shower available. Hotels available within 5 minutes of field.

We are aware of the proximity of our trial to the Regional Championships (the following weekend). We discussed this potential conflict with Tri-state Schutzhund Association prior to issuing the EA, and they graciously gave us the thumbs up for these dates. While we desire to be hospitable to visitors from all over the region, I want to personally encourage anyone aiming for a trial in this time window to please consider supporting the Regional Championship. This will be a challenge for me personally, as well, as I will be trying for a 2 at our own trial and a 3 at the regionals, if everything holds together. I sure would have liked a little more prep time between….

Entry forms are available on the club’s web site at Big Sky Schutzhund.com

Yours in the Sport,

Warren Jones
Pres, BSWD

Regional Helper Seminar & Regional Meeting

Hi sportsfriends,

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer training season – we’ve been pretty fortunate in Montana, with highs rarely out of the 80s this summer. I just wanted to put one more plug in for the Regional Helper Seminar this coming weekend. Dennis van der Linde is an excellent teaching helper, excellent communicator and generally a pretty good guy, so I know it will be a worthwhile event. I know we have a number of talented helpers in our region, particularly in the Oregon and Washington corridor, and there aren’t a ton of opportunities for those folks to get certified and to brush up on their technique. Twin County will take good care of everyone, and if you bring a dog to work the student helpers, you even get in free! For more information, please contact Karen at kadamiGSD@aol.com .

The regional meeting is just over a month away, and I am preparing an agenda for the meeting that includes a slate of officer candidates. I covered the rest of the issues with my last email (in which I also included the current bylaws and suggested revisions). If you didn’t get that message, or want it sent again, please don’t hesitate to contact me. And of course, if you’re interested in any officer position within the region (including mine) don’t hesitate to let me know.

Happy training!

WJ

Regional Elections

I am pleased to announce the candidacy of Kevin Nance for the position of Assistant Regional Director. For those of you who don’t know him, Kevin and Vandal represented us at the Universal Sieger competition in Europe and were the only viable candidates for Universal Sieger in the US until a gaffe in his protection routine at the USCA nationals took him out. The best part is that Kevin and I don’t even agree on everything but we both support the breed and the sport, and Kevin hasn’t pissed off as many people in the region as I have (as far as I know, he hasn’t annoyed anyone yet).


Cheers…

wj

FCI World Team Donation solicitation

USCA Members:

This year’s FCI team is headed to Rheine Germany to compete in the 2011 AWDF/FCI IPO Championship September 8-11, 2011.

www.fci2011.de/

Our team members this year are:

1. Sean O’Kane with Max
2. Dan Cox with Chuck
3. Katie Gillies with Maya
4. Sean Rivera with Iron
5. Kevin Lanouette with Wum
6. John Horan with Cholo


Team Captain – Dave Kroyer

Many of you may not be aware that funding for the trip comes primarily from the competitors themselves. Flight, airfare, hotel, rental car, etc. can easily run in excess of $5000 per competitor. THE TEAM NEEDS YOUR HELP!

I’m asking each of you, if possible, to contribute to this year’s FCI team. Donations can be sent directly to the AWDF or to USCA.

To make a donation:

1. Write the check made payable to either USCA or AWDF
2. Write “2011 FCI TEAM” on the check
3. Send to either USCA or AWDF

NOTES:

* All donations will be equally split among the competitors
* All of the collected donations will pass directly through to the competitors – no administrative costs


United Schutzhund Clubs of America
3810 Paule Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63125-1718

AWDF
308 E. Autumn Drive
Oakwood, IL 61858


THANKS SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND SUPPORT


Jim Alloway
LuckyDogDayCamp.com
614.793.1234