Updates on Council

As your Director for Alberta, NWT and NU (Zone 10), I would like to welcome you to my blog. I will post CKC news, things of interest or concern as they arise.  Please check back frequently.

The 2012 Alberta Reps are as follows:

COUNCIL 2012 REP email

AGILITY Patricia Kopec – Calgary, AB kopingweims@shaw.ca

CONFORMATION Hilary Oakes sevenoaksmarketing@efirehose.net

DRAFT DOG Paul Bagnall lbagnall@planet.eon.net

EARTHDOG Mary Smithdorff smithart@platinum.ca

HERDING Gwen Haynes GHaynes@blg.com

JR KENNEL CLUB Loren Bressers abjuniors@gmail.com

LURE COURSING Pat Ingram ingrampm@rimouski.org

OBEDIENCE Jeff Lunder dogman@telusplanet.net

POINTING Sue Deyell suedeyell@xplornet.ca

RETRIEVER FIELD TRIAL Bruce MacDonald big-mac@shaw.ca

RETRIEVER HUNT TEST Kathy Miner kathyminer@me.com

SPANIEL Wayne Brennan brickburn@nucleus.com

TRACKING TEST Pat Solkshinitz triplebark@shaw.ca

WORKING CERTIFICATE Bill Marshall marshallbill1@gmail.com

I think we should be very happy with the talented and dedicated group of members who will be representing Alberta on the various national councils, your time and energy expended for the benefit of all our members is most  appreciated.  

Any opinions I may state on this blog are mine and mine only and do not reflect CKC Board policy unless I specifically say it is.

The CKC Policy and Procedures Manual has a section on the role of board members and what they can and can’t do.  For instance, when the board has voted a certain direction, I have to support that decision, whether or not I voted for it.  Up to that point though, I believe I certainly need to seek your views on matters that may be coming before the board, and can also communicate to you how I feel about an issue.  And I’m not supposed to try and solve various problems you may encounter (like registration issues) that office staff are supposed to handle but instead to direct you to the appropriate person at the CKC.  I thought I should make this clear at the outset.   

Many of you may be aware that in December, all of the remaining Dogs in Canada staff were laid off and the magazine ceased publication in any way, shape or form.  I don’t have many more details but do have a couple of personal observations.  First, the magazine had changed dramatically in the past 10 years of so to the point where I never even opened the plastic wrapping when it arrived.  This corresponded roughly with the time that the unofficial pages ceased to be published, CKC members stopped advertising in it by the truckload, Breedlines were severely curtailed and it took on a more “pet/non-purebred” focus.  So I don’t particularly regret the loss of the magazine as it had evolved.  But what I greatly regret is the absence of a regular communications vehicle for members.  I think there’s a need to find a way to bind like-minded purebred dog fanciers across the country.  And I recognize that a small minority of our members don’t have access to the internet which, for them, rules out on-line communications.  People who no longer breed or show dogs ask me why they should continue to be a CKC member.  Good question.  I THINK it’s the desire for connected-ness.  So, I will try and communicate to you via this blog in the absence of a better solution. 

 Last fall the CKC provided me with a list of Zone 10 (AB/NWT/NU) CKC members who were eligible to vote.  Note that doesn’t mean ALL Zone 10 CKC members.  Since a great many of the emails I sent to folks on the list bounced, please ensure the CKC has your current email address.  With the referendum changes passing regarding electronic voting, it will be IMPERATIVE that the CKC be able to contact you!!! 

Some of you may recall Amendment 32 in the recently voted bylaw changes which basically says members must confirm that parents of any puppies they breed conform to the breed standard’s size and coat colour characteristics with the explanation was that this would help ensure genetically healthier dogs.  Sounds innocuous enough, right?  Well a number of people have raised serious concerns about the practical application Amendment 32.  If a Sheltie is a half-inch oversize, does that mean it doesn’t conform to the breed standard and shouldn’t be bred?  Or let’s say the US standard for a breed allows/requires differences in colours and markings, does that mean you can’t breed to that American dog, no matter how outstanding he may be? That would be ridiculous, of course and I can’t believe that is the amendment’s intent - it is an evolving process that will be defined more appropriately as time progresses.  And others have pointed out that these features have almost nothing to do with the health of these purebred dogs.  Really….what research into health issues your breed club is funding???

Subsequent to the voting, members whose email addresses are correct and current would have received the following message from the CKC: “Amendment 32: These rules are meant to augment the Breed Standard, be more concise and describe the essential characteristics without which the dog could not be deemed to be a representative of the breed. Breed Clubs will be fully involved as we move forward in developing the language necessary for completing this requirement for each breed.  Since this will require By-law revision, all members will vote on the language used.”   I understand that a number of national breed clubs are planning on contacting the Minister of Agriculture  requesting that he not approve they bylaw changes (which is his/her responsibility and right).  Please bear with me on this one as we work through the matter so that we don’t end up creating more problems than we solve. 

The CKC is taking some steps to improve its on-line presence and has entered into a arrangement with Sue Coghlan who runs canuckdogs.com  I don’t know many more details but her website is easy to use and has lots of good information.  Hopefully she can do some good things for the CKC website/IT platform.   I believe that technology should be an enabler to an organization achieving its strategic goals and not an impediment.  I know money is tight but technology is one way of saving money down the road and we need to think about systems upgrades for these improvements and savings to occur.