June 2004 Secretarys Report

This report details the day to day activities of the ASCA Board of Directors and includes issues brought before the ASCA Board and communications done by mail, fax, e-mail and/or phone.

June 30, 2004

Re: 97:14 DNA COMMITTEE - Sires & Dams

Motion by Gray.
I move to approve the following motion from the DNA and Genetics
Committee.

Motion by Joan, second by Devona

I move, to correct the wording of the Popular Sires and Dams rules to clearly identify that parentage verification tests will only be acceptable from an ASCA approved lab(s).

The new wording for the popular Dams rule will now read as follows:
**Applications for Litter Registration from bitches producing their third (or greater litter previously registered with ASCA), will not be processed until the dam has been DNA profiled by one of ASCA's designated testing labs and recorded as either DNA-CP or DNA-VP with the ASCA registrar.**

The Dams Rule now reads in part: Applications for Litter Registration from bitches producing their third (or greater) litter will not be processed until the dam has been DNA profiled and recorded as DNA-CP or DNA-VP with the ASCA Registrar.
The new wording for the Popular Sires rule will now read as follows:

**Applications for Litter Registration from dogs siring their fifth ASCA registered litter in one calendar year, and/or tenth lifetime litter will not be processed until the sire has been DNA profiled by one of ASCA's designated testing labs, and recorded as either DNA-CP or DNA-VP with the ASCA Registrar.**

The Sires Rule now reads in part:
Effective 01/01/03: Applications for Litter Registration from dogs siring their fifth litter in one calendar year and/or tenth lifetime litter will not be processed until the sire has been DNA profiled and recorded as DNA-CP or DNA-VP with the ASCA Registrar

Rationale: This does not change the intent or spirit of the rule, it simply more clearly identifies that ASCA recognizes only those labs with which it holds agreements for DNA parentage verification and consequent submissions to its database.

Yes: Joan, Devona, Linda M, George, Kim, Laura, Kelli, Chris, Marilyn, Sally,
C.A.  Non-voting: Susan and Jamie

Directors Voting:  Approve: Unanimous.  Motion is approved.

 

02:08-2003 AGILITY FINALS ACTUAL BUDGET

Motion by Warren second by Berryessa.

I move to pay Rock River Valley the sum of $3035.50 for expenses incurred
for hosting the 2003 Agility Finals.

Comments:  Attached is the actual budget on this. The Agility Finals made $224.50
and Rock River came in under budget.  

Directors voting:  Approve: Unanimous.  Motion is approved.

 

98:15 OBEDIENCE COMMITTEE-AKC Judges Motion

Motion by Hellmeister.

I move to accept the following recommendation of the Obedience Committee

Motion made by Burlingame, Second by Case.  

The Obedience Committee would like to make the following motion.  We request that this addition be placed as a footnote on the Obedience Judges Qualification Form as well as on the last page of the Obedience Rules and Regulations Book under a newly named heading of "Obedience Judge Qualification Requirements".   Under this new heading in the rule book, the other requirements would also be listed - The titling requirement (Unless the applicant is an AKC judge), the testing requirement, and any further requirements that may be added in the future.

Voting yes:  Bohren, Burlingame, Case, Cox, Link, Mann, Munson, Waller, White.  Voting No: Swatko, Williams.  

Judges requirements:  All regular AKC judges, regardless of the level of approval in AKC, will be allowed to judge all classes in ASCA. 

COMMENT:  Due to the stringent AKC judging requirements, a Novice AKC judge far exceeds the requirements and experience of an ASCA-only judge - even up to and including an ASCA Utility judge.   The process to become an AKC Novice judge requires they obtain at least one UD,  Steward 10 times, judge 5 sanctioned matches, take a written, oral, and ringside exam,  judge 5 times, one of which is evaluated by an AKC field rep, judge 5 more times, one more being evaluated by an AKC rep.   Those same AKC requirements must be completed for the Open and Utility levels as well.  The ASCA requirement that a person have 3 CD's, for Novice is a minimal requirement FOR AN ASCA-ONLY JUDGE.   As outlines above, the requirements to become an AKC judge far exceeds ASCA's requirements, with the exception of having 3 CD's.  It is the opinion of the committee that the practical experience that an AKC judge has gained far outweighs the ASCA titling requirement.  The committee acknowledges that the amount of stewarding and judging that an AKC Novice (or Open) judge must complete makes them very capable to judge ASCA obedience at any level (as stated above, even an AKC Novice judge must have at least one UD, which is the same as ASCA's requirement for Utility) and a welcome addition to our judging slate.   With the above facts outlined, we respectfully request that the AKC Novice and Open judges be excluded from the "3 CD","2 CDX" requirement imposed for ASCA-only judges. 

Footnote:  The committee intends to study the judging requirement for UKC (United Kennel Club) and CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) and if the investigation finds that those registries also have the same, or similar stringent qualification requirements as AKC, we will ask at that time that they also be excluded from the ASCA-only judging

requirements.

Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully submitted, Mary Burlingame

Directors voting:  Approve:  Gray, Hellmeister, Davenport, Aufox, Stevens, DeChant, Hollen & Berryessa.  Disapprove:  Warren.  Motion is approved.

02:08 -JR FINALS ACTUAL BUDGET

Motion by Warren seconded by Berryessa.

I move to reimburse Rock River Valley Australian Shepherd Club the sum of $400.80 for expenses incurred for Hosting the Jr. Finals Showmanship Event.

Comment:  Attached is the Actual Budget. This amount is well under the preliminary budget of $750.00.  ASCA policy is to pay $200 for Best Junior and Reserve Junior Handler and $10 for placement and participation ribbons.

Directors voting on the enclosed motion went as follows:  Approve:  Unanimous.

Motion is approved.

02:08 - 2003 OBEDIENCE FINALS - Actual Budget

Motion by Warren, seconded by Berryessa.

I move to reimburse Rock River Valley Australian Shepherd Club $2141.80 for expenses incurred for hosting the 2003 Obedience Finals.

Comments:  Attached is the Actual Budget.  Rock River came in well under budget.  The Obedience Finals cost ASCA the sum of $201.80.

Directors voting:  Approve:  Unanimous. Motion is approved.

99:10 TRACKING COMMITTEE- Website Material # 4 Hospitality

Motion by Gray.

Directors voting:  Approve: Hellmeister, Davenport, Berryessa, Stevens, Hollen and DeChant.  Disapprove: Gray & Aufox.  Abstain: Warren.  Motion is approved.

I move to approve the following recommendation from the Tracking Committee
for posting on the ASCA Website as soon as possible (after or during website
facelift).

Please add this RECOMMENDATION from the committee:

The ASCA Tracking Committee recommends unanimously that the information be included in these files be published in the TRACKING section of the ASCA
website, to provide time lines, prototypes, and directions for ASCA affiliate clubs wishing to put on tracking tests. Committee members Celeste Kelly and Nancy Garcia have compiled and organized these files from materials submitted by ASCA Tracking committee members over the past year. If approved, the files will be redesigned as 'pdf' files before publication.

99:10 Tracking Committee - Issue # 12; Motion: new judge application form

Motion by Gray.

I move to approve the following recommendation from the Tracking Committee. 

The voting deadline for Issue #12, adopting a temporary new ASCA Tracking Judges' application form, has passed.  The tally is 6 "yes," 5 "no," with one abstention, so the MOTION carries. So Linda, please forward this MOTION to the ASCA BOD as a recommendation of this committee.

The voting is as follows:

Approve:  Celeste Kelly, Deb St. Jacques, Nola Ventura, Joan Armstrong, Wally O'Brien, and Paula Diggins. Opposed: Anne Hershey, Ralph Swingle, Craig Bohren, Nancy Garcia, and Martha Ho Non voting: Jane Palmer

Celeste Kelly offered this MOTION in response to the  ASCA Business Office's that the ASCA Tracking Committee develop an application form for ASCA Tracking judging applicants.  The form is suggested for temporary use, since the ASCA Tracking Committee has not yet finalized its' list of judging prerequisites. Celeste

Motion by Celeste Kelly and seconded by Deb St, Jacques.
I, Celeste Kelly, move the following application form replace the present application  

used for new Tracking Judges.  All applicants must fill out this new form and meet the

criteria therein in order to apply to judge ASCA tracking tests.   The new form will look like this:

(Note:   The business office should NOT put this on the website, nor should it make multiple copies of this form, as it is not in it's finished format.  The tracking committee has a few more topics to complete before the office will have a permanent application.  This form is to be used temporarily.)

AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD CLUB OF AMERICA, INC.

P O BOX 3790                                                                                     (979) 778-1082
BRYAN TX 77805-3790        FAX (979) 778-1898           E-MAIL:  Activities@tca.net
                                                                                                                                 

SHOW OFFICE USE:

TRACKING JUDGE QUALIFICATION FORM

NO.                                  P.C. SENT                 

Name of applicant:                                                             Phone:                                 

Address:                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                       

E-mail address___________________________________________________


USE REVERSE SIDE IF MORE SPACE IS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THIS APPLICATION

TRACKING JUDGE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT : 1 TD TITLE
Number of TDS and/or TDXS you have titled:                                   

List by registered name and breed:     
___________________________________________________________________
                                                                                                                                   __
                                                                                                                                                                       ___________________________________________________
                                                                                                                                       

Number of times that you have served as a tracklayer (minimum requirement is 5)
                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                       

Number of years you have been involved in the sport of Tracking (minimum 5 years) _________________________

Have you apprenticed at an ASCA Tracking Test                     

If so, where and when? (minimum apprenticeship-1 time)
                                                                                                                                       
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Please include with this application:

1.      Your resume;

2.      Three copies of your  own completed maps of tracks that you have  laid at                                                                                     tracking event(s).  These must each be signed by the two judges that you        apprenticed under, and dated.

3.      Two recommendations from  experienced tracking people, or  tracking judges

Are you a current ASCA member?                                Number of years:                 

Member number?___________________________

Judging at an ASCA sanctioned event is an honor and a privilege, not a right.  Judge applicants must satisfy ASCA's stated minimum eligibility requirements for judges, but satisfying the minimum requirements does not entitle an applicant to become or remain an ASCA judge.  In addition to satisfying other stated qualifications to serve, an applicant must consistently display the highest level of ethical conduct, impartial

demeanor, professional comportment and dedication to upholding ASCA's codes, rules, decisions and the statement of Purpose in ASCA's Bylaws.  Any documented failure to perform on this level may result in denial or revocation of judging privileges by the ASCA Board of Directors without regard to any other qualification or prior service.

Applicants signature:                                                                                                    Date:                            
      
___________________________________________________________________


Explanation:  Last March (2003) the business office requested that we send them a form with the new tracking regulations.

 

During the course of discussion, various committee members made suggestions for amendment to the MOTION. Here is the committee's discussion of this MOTION:

For almost a year now, there has been no new application for tracking judges at the business office although they have asked us for one.   We updated our judges list, and the business office still is using the old application which will bring utility judges onto the tracking judge list.   The same motion was proposed and seconded last June, but it was never brought up for discussion. Celeste

I did second this motion but do have a question about the requirement to apprentice at an ASCA tracking test. There are so few ASCA tracking tests at this time do we really feel this is a realistic requirement. What else could we require if this is not possible? Just a thought.  Deb St. Jacques

 

Since we have voted to accept judges from other registries, I believe there needs to be a space on the Judge's application which provides information on the approving registry, approval/judge's number, and a statement requesting a copy of the approval document from the issuing registry.

It is my opinion that ALL incoming judges should complete the ASCA application prior

to completing their first assignment for documentation purposes.Respectfully,
Nancy
 
Yes, I agree this needs to be added.  Martha

 

If you read Motion 12, you  will see that it is temporary. The reason I made it temporary is that the office requested a form last March with the criteria that was passed by the board in winter 03.   The office is still using the old utility form.  This is over a year later.  We need to have a more current form in the office until we can get the rest of the work finished.  If you do not believe that a temporary form will work out, vote down the motion when the vote is called.  

I agree with both Martha and Nancy's good ideas  that there should be a section, or perhaps a separate form for other registry judges to fill out.  There may also be some other criteria that we want to set for outside judges which we could ask about in the other section or a separate form.  For example,
1.   Have  they   judged a tracking test in the last 5 years:
2.  What is their judge's number from the other registry;
3.  Are they in good standing with the other registry.
4.   Have them read and sign an application with a code of ethics attached.
Celeste

I vote no as the application presently stands.  Once amended, I will have no problem with it. Respectfully, Nancy

I vote NO on the 'temporary' forms and NO to any program for an Apprentice' judges.. We don't really have a program completed for the 'Provisional judges yet.  

If there are those of you that are really set on this (?) apprentice program - I would

suggest that you look at the Stockdog R & Rs and see how they handle "IT".  The

apprentice judge would be a waste of time as far as I can see.  One problem that

I could see - would be the extra person on the track, asking questions, and disturbing

the judges' concentration, and at this present time--there is NO set program for Apprentice judge.

These 'temporary' forms would be just that---we would need to do this whole thing again later. It is bad enough that the committee has felt that we needed judges from outside registries to fill our very low requirements for the ASCA Tracking test. Again - the aims of the committee earlier-was to encourage and help the ASCA Affiliate clubs to put on Tracking Test - not only at the Nat'l Spec. So far--we have not even approached this problem --as both Wally and I have commented on.  Ralph

I vote yes on the temporary judges application form. Deb St. Jacques

I vote no. I realize that this is only a temporary form, and so can be changed.

But there are two requirements stated on this form that would be difficult to meet. For me to be a Tracklayer  (presumably at a test, although this is not stated explicitly) 5 times would require me either to not enter my dogs for 5 years in my club's annual tracking test, which I would not be willing to do, or to make 5 long trips, at considerable expense (gas, two nights in motels, food) to tests held by other clubs.

Then there is the problem of apprenticing under an ASCA judge. Given how few ASCA tracking tests held every year in a huge country, it would be difficult for many people to meet this requirement.  Not everyone has the time and money to drive hundreds if not thousands of miles to tracking tests.

But now suppose that someone is willing to spend the time and money to meet these requirements.  What then? Again, because of the small number of ASCA tracking tests, you can be approved to judge and yet never get an assignment or get one only once every few years.

So if you are going to jump through the same hoops that you would if you were to apply to be an AKC tracking judge, why bother with ASCA? At least as an AKC judge you might get to judge at a test.

We have the same problem in obedience. If we were to make the requirements to judge ASCA obedience as stringent as the AKC requirements, we would get very few judges. To judge AKC Novice you have to take a written exam, oral exam, and ringside exam. You have to judge 10 times and be observed twice by the AKC Rep. Then you have to do the same thing for Open and Utility.  If we were to require this of ASCA judges (by which I mean those folks approved to judge only ASCA), we would have very few judges.

Although I would very much like to see the standards for ASCA obedience judging raised, I recognize that this is extremely difficult to do. And I think the same arguments hold for ASCA tracking judges.  Craig

Respectfully submitted,  Anne Hershey, Chair, ASCA Tracking Committee 

Directors voting:  Approve:  DeChant, Gray, Warren, Stevens & Davenport.  Disapprove:  Hollen, Hellmeister, Berryessa & Aufox.  Motion is approved.

04:05 AGILITY COMMITTEE -Post-Trial Paperwork Motion

Motion by Hellmeister.

I move to accept the following recommendation of the Agility Committee

I made the motion. Kristi Cetrulo seconded.

Voting as follows: Approve: Allison Bryant, Sue Graham, Frank Butera, Cynthia Clark, Pete Dolan, Ron Schuman, Andrea Hoffmann, Kristi Cetrulo, Shelley Malan,
Non-voting: Pam Smith

Create a new Section 2.6.7 in Chapter 2 to read:

"Section 2.6.7 Submitting records
After each ASCA sanctioned event, a completed marked catalog (Non-Regular and Regular classes), ASCA Official Entry Forms for all entries, Scorekeeper's Signature Form, Gross Receipts report (including event membership dues), Late Filing Fees (if applicable), Sanction Grant and Conduct Evaluation of Judges must be sent to the ASCA Business Office, postmarked no later than fifteen (15) days after the close of
the show.

Penalty for non-compliance is one dollar ($1.00) for each day's delay and such other penalties as may be imposed by the Board of Directors of ASCA.    The club shall retain all other ASCA official entry forms, except the entry forms listed above, for a period of one year from date of show."

Directors voting:  Approve:  Unanimous.  Motion is approved.

99:10 TRACKING COMMITTEE - Website Material # 1 - Test Needs List

Motion by Gray.

I move to approve the following recommendation from the Tracking Committee for posting on the ASCA Website as soon as possible (after or during website facelift).
 

Please add this RECOMMENDATION from the committee:

The ASCA Tracking Committee recommends unanimously that the information included in these files be published in the TRACKING  section of the ASCA website, to provide time lines, prototypes, and directions for ASCA  affiliate clubs wishing to put on tracking tests.    Committee members Celeste Kelly and Nancy Garcia have compiled and organized these files from materials submitted by ASCA Tracking committee members over the past year. If approved, the files will be redesigned as 'pdf' files before publication.  

Directors voting:  Approve:  Aufox, Hellmeister, Stevens, Davenport, Hollen, DeChant and Berryessa.  Disapprove:  Gray.  Abstain:  Warren.   Motion is approved.

Approved: 

DUTCH WORKING A.S. as a new Affiliate Club