USCA Gen board meeting. News please. - Page 2

If it passed as written, you only need to be a member of an AWDF club to trial at the club level, and a USA member to trial at a regional or national. I also take it to mean that the former exclusion for foreign residents is now no longer in effect. So if you are a Canadian resident and only a member of the GSSCC, you can't trial at a USA club anymore.

Wow. Smells like a monopoly. Didn't Microsoft get knocked down a peg for doing this stuff? 

Kim,,, could you please post the response to all of this from WDA.

thanks
john

Here is what I was told from officers at NASS who were discussing the new amendment by USA. Of course, as all of us, everyone is talking about it and there is a lot of talk of people quiting USA, complaining.   Honestly, I don't think there will be as much fall out from this as I am hearing.  I expect things to cool down and people will for the most part stay where they are.  Personally, I do not understand the acrimony or the need for the membership exclusion. 

That being said, the officers of WDA and the members have their annual meeting tonight.  The following is what was told to me - will have to see if this all gets passed:

In response to the exlcusionary membership rule by USA, there are proposals before the membership tonight of the WDA in order to facilitate anyone new who may be interested in joining as a member, as a club or just participating and these are expected to pass:

No affiliation trial is required for a USA club that wants to join WDA, the trial will count as a trial. It will still need the oversight of a regional director or officer to attend and sign off, but it will be a real trial, not mock so any trial planned currently could certainly be a new club event.

No WDA membership requirement for Koerungs.

WDA memberships will be offered as at a discount/on a discount plan to anyone coming from USA, just need proof of USA membership to get discount.

A fund will be established to financially help USA clubs transition to WDA as clubs. It is suggested that anyone who is not rejoining USA to contribute the money that they would have spent on that membership, to donate it to this fund to help clubs transition and defer their costs.

There are not and will not be any requirements for membership to compete except for the GSDCA membership when qualifying for the WUSV team. This is only to insure that those that compete are there to commit fully to the team should they qualify.

There may be more things discussed and passed, have to wait until morning to hear.  Again, due to no WDA membership requirement, any member could still keep their USA membership and still participate in WDA events up to the National Qualifier  - you just could not be a WDA member and retain your USA membership.

thank you  Kim.

john

 From the WDA website:

http://www.gsdca-wda.org/formclub.htm

An applying club must meet the following requirements:
Develop formal club bylaws. If necessary, sample bylaws can be obtained from the GSDCA-WDA Office.

Have at least five members. All must be members of GSDCA-WDA or have applied for membership.

Have established training grounds and all necessary equipment – jumps, blinds, helper pants, sleeves, etc.

Elect a Training Director who can demonstrate some proficiency in dog training.

Obtain Club Liability Insurance in the minimum amounts of $250,000 property damage and $500,000 personal injury.

A newly forming club without prior full membership with an existing GSDCA Regional Club or schutzhund organization must also hold a practice trial. The practice trial may be judged by the regional director, or another individual approved by the GSDCA-WDA Board. Upon successful completion of the practice trial a recommendation for membership will be made.

Submit the Member Club Application and Club Officers & Member Roster forms and all supporting documentation to:


Then it continues with the name and address of where to send materials.

Hello happyday. If I understood correctly, WDA is voting on some these issues at the NASS meeting this weekend.

Probably the best thing is to contact WDA  next week after they have time to return from NASS in Calif.

The WDA prez is in Amory, Ms. (not far from B'ham).

Rik

Sorry - been out training all afternoon- what I got from the president that passed is:

No membership for Nass or breed surveys

USA clubs that want to join wda no affiliation event

As there are no requirements to have a trial every year, its voluntary, I assume that you do not have to have a trial - whenever you have a trial, there is no requirement to have a mock trial prior to it.

The discounted memberships and fund to help, though told to me that it was being proposed, was not emailed to me as passed. 

I have further asked if WDA will recognize helpers USA certifications, especially on the club level.  No response to that so far.

WDA already honors USA or AWDF scores and scorebooks. 

WDA is in the middle of their NASS.  It is over tomorrow and people will be heading home. I know WDA will be accomodating to help if people want to make the switch.  Just give them some time to get home and regroup. Too bad all this is happening.  Maybe it will make these organizations more consumer friendly and start treating members as assets.