Dalmatian Club of America Board of Governors Meeting Minutes SUMMARY July 19, 2008 ~ Houston, TX

The concept that it is necessary and important to let the membership know what is going on at the DCA Board is something I have advocated and implemented for decades. With this summary, I will try to give the highlights of some of the discussions and actions of the July DCA Board meeting.

It must be understood, though, that the officially approved minutes are the official documentation of our corporation, and so they are the final word. Furthermore, there are occasionally some sensitive subjects that cannot be properly shared in minutes that have widespread distribution.

Of course, we understand that the usual communication of the present day is much faster than what had been available in the past. For example, traditionally the board minutes would be approved at the next following board meeting, and then published in the Spotter – a process that would usually take 4 to 6 months. We all have higher demands for more news sooner these days.

Remember also that we depend on volunteer efforts for all of these services. Going though the recordings of 8 to 10 hours of meetings, making sure that all of the wording is accurate and understandable, is a Herculean task. It takes time to do it right, especially with the demands of the real world – like our jobs, our families, and our dogs.

Many of the topics have been discussed or announced elsewhere, but I will include them here as well.

Some 30 topics that the DCA Board discussed at the July 19, 2008 meeting are described below, in no particular order. Feel free to contact me or any of the board members for more information.

Charlie Garvin
DCA President

1. We discussed the potential AKC Variety Group re-alignment, and the preferred position for Dalmatians. Of the two choices presented to us, the DCA Board preferred to be in the working Group rather than the new Companion Group, with Non-Sporting disappearing. The function and structure of the Dalmatian more closely matches the dogs in the Working Group, and we would be almost the only breed that was not a table-examined breed with a long coat in the Companion Group. Sporting Group was considered, but not preferred.

   Subsequently, an unofficial poll of the members on the DCA E-List confirmed that the vast majority of those that did respond preferred the Working Group. This information has been forwarded to the AKC committee studying the issue. We recognize that any change in Group status could potentially change the competitive nature of our breed, and will create new challenges for our Dal breeders.

2. The planned discussion of AKC’s possible involvement in mixed breeds was truncated by the actions of AKC the previous week. AKC staff has been instructed to not pursue the concept at this time, and a motion to implement the plan as proposed did not pass.

3. The Nominating Committee was elected to find and recommend candidates for the DCA Board of Governors Class of 2012. Chair is Ed Flock, with Ginger Iwaoka and Scott Facey. If you know of a well-qualified potential candidate they should consider, please contact one or more of the committee members.

4. Feedback from the membership and attendees of the national specialty regarding the Low Uric Acid progeny of the Dalmatian-Pointer Backcross was considered, including the survey at the informational booth, the question session after the annual meeting, and discussions during the week. The board decided to take a vote of the membership on the question: “Is it time for DCA to discuss the possibility of AKC Registration of descendants of the Dalmatian-Pointer cross?” The DCA Board did not take a position on this question. Members will receive more complete information about this with the ballot in the mail shortly.

5. The Health and Research Committee has ceased further work on the proposed LUA/HUA Clinical Trial that had been rejected for funding by the AKC-Canine Health Foundation, pending further direction and discussions.

6. The entire 2008 Specialty was reviewed, and Show Chair Jen Cramer and Specialty Steering Chair Ed Flock were congratulated for the great success. Entries were substantially higher, events proceeded smoothly, and there was more than $15,000 profit earned. The strong work of the volunteers, especially those that solicited funds from trophy donors and for the Performance Fund, were essential to the event’s success. The lack of entries in Road Trial and Tracking are a concern, but things look better for next year.

7. The progress of the 2009 Specialty, for April 2 - 9 in Lawrence Kansas, was reviewed. Show Chair Sheila Wymore and her team have already successfully dealt with substituting the venues for Agility and Road Trials, and addressing other relevant issues.

8. The 2010 National will also be in Lawrence, Kansas April 1 - 7, and plans are well underway for that event.

9. The Specialty Steering Committee will be considering and evaluating sites for the 2011 Specialty and the board will likely make that decision at the next meeting in November.

10. The board discussed the roles and relationships of the National Show Committee and the Specialty Steering Committee. Further research and recommendations will be forthcoming.

11. It is time for the tri-yearly master ballot of the membership that is the first step in electing conformation judges for our national specialty. That master ballot, listing all eligible Dalmatian judges, will be sent to the membership shortly.

12. The board discussed the Spotter, and the transition form Paula Olcott to the Debbie Zink team. The new group will be working on a ghost issue of the Specialty issue of the Spotter, the final one of Paula’s long and successful career as Editor. We also discussed various aspects of the magazine, and continuing the improvements that have made our official magazine so successful.

13. The board held the “second chance” drawing for the Spotter cover. The winners have been notified.

14. The club finances are in good shape, with an account balance of $122,967, with Year to Date income of $159,677 and expense of $121,823. The 2008 Specialty had income of $89,085. and expenses of $73,362.

15. Following the experience of DCAF, DCA Board decided to transfer a portion of our assets to an equity account under the guidance of Christine Gogan, CFA.

16. The board reviewed the “snapshot” of the Dalmatian standard that was published by the Dog Judges Association for distribution to its members in a handbook of all breeds. We had concerns that in severely condensing the standard, and without input from the Parent Club, they inadvertently gave emphasis to some components that were different from what is expressed in the entire official standard. The board will communicate our concerns to that organization with hopes that any subsequent editions will be improved.

17. The board accepted all 12 applications for membership.

18. The board is investigating what options are available that should be considered for keeping the DCA web site contemporary, usable, and relevant. Julia Soukup, who has done a very good job for us for many years, will be considered, as well as any other interested and qualified entity or person.

19. The board addressed the continuing problem of keeping current with the frequent changes in the officers and contacts for all the Dal regional clubs. We will investigate coordinating with AKC and the club information they require with event applications.

20. The DVD of the second Betty Garvin Memorial Lecture at the 2008 National Specialty is available, and through the support of DCAF, there is no charge for the DVD.

21. Various aspects of the Top Twenty were discussed, including the best way to interface with the highly successful DCAF Gala.

22. The DCA Video Library has been transferred to the DCA Historical Archives. Items will be reviewed to facilitate use by DCA members. The board approved the mechanism for proper disposition of some of the components of the Walter Johnson collection.

23. The board reviewed the first draft of an updated educational video on “A Review of Color in Dalmatians” that will attempt to further clarify issues that give some judges trouble – especially patches, tri-color, and any other color.

24. The board discussed the advisability of increasing the nomination fees for Futurity. More information will be examined prior to a final decision. The confirmation process will be switched to e-mail. The importance of encouraging CHIC participation was emphasized.

25. The board decided to have a supported entry at the December 2009 AKC Eukanuba National Championship. We continue to offer medallions for Dalmatians in Conformation, Obedience, and Agility.

26. The board approved the eligibility for Road Trials of UKC registered Dalmatians.

27. The DCA Bylaws are being reviewed to see what changes, if any, should be considered.

28. DCA provided input to AKC for their Lifetime Achievement Awards.

29. Work continues on multiple committee projects, including updating the DCA Educational Notebook, responding to the increase in costs of purchasing specialty trophies, updating the wording of the public statement on deafness in Dalmatians, DCARE reimbursement policy, Health Clinics, and more.

30. The next board meeting will be November 1, 2008 in Chicago. The following meeting will very tentatively be held on February 28, 2009 in Atlanta.

    ---