Can BDGSDA be saved? - Page 5

At the EC meeting of BDGSDA it was agreed that the association should NOT sign the KC undertaking. This was agreed because it was felt that the KC should continue to discuss their concerns and the solutions to them with the Breed Council, BAGSD and the League as appointed representatives of the breed. The Association did not want to break away from the KC and had no plans to set up shows under non-KC rules. It was felt that forfeiting CCs for the sake of pressurising the KC into dealing with the real health issues in the breed rather than the smoke screen which had been put up by the KC in the form of the underatking to divide and conquer. It was also agreed that this decision should be put before the AGM for ratification. As the matter was unknown to non-breed owners in the main I was asked at the EC meeting to make a presentation to the meeting.

I prepared the presentation including all of the KC Press Releases and fully intended to cover their stance on obedience CCs - which is nothing short of blackmail.

At the AGM, this was put as the last item on the agenda. When it came to the item the Secretary read out the KC undertaking (which had most people switched off within minutes) and then read the e-mail she had from the KC re obedience CCs and then concluded - we can't sign this as the club will fold. I then asked if I could address the meeting as had been agreed and was told to be quick as we did not have much time left. We were very naive in believing that the EC intended to stand by their decision and did not see that they were going to act in the way that they did. However, we felt that we should abide by the decision of the meeting. We did not, however, feel that we could work with the EC as our trust had been very badly damaged and so we resigned.

Once we had time to take in the events at the AGM we realised that an association which has as it's number one priority the betterment of the breed had made a decision based on the money it gets from its obedience shows - based on a totally unfair threat made by the KC. If you drill down into the Association's accounts you will see that without the obedience show or the breed show it would need hardly any money at all to cover its costs and it could concentrate on it's key objective.

This would not mean to stop obedience - it is for the betterment of the breed to have facilities for owners to ensure their dogs are socially responsible. You can justify having other breeds allowed associate membership to help support the branch numbers and make sure that they can be self financing. (We have two branches that are self-financing and one which struggles - but that is a whole other thread).

The Association has hosted the Junior Rally Day for two years which again is for the betterment of the breed - introducing youngsters to all of the activities which they can partake in with their dogs and hopefully finding a few who will fly the flag for the breed when we all become too old. This activity does not require Association funds as it is funded by generous donations from breed enthusiasts.

Breed Shows - perhaps we would have to decide not to run them anymore as it is almost impossible to break even on them currently. Perhaps this is a just use of Association funds?

We just find it so hard to accept that the vote at the AGM was either fair or constitutional. We have worked with this Association for thirty years and have been on the EC for most of that time - as many committee members will know it is a thankless task at the best of times.

Any action we take cannot just say "we do not like that decision so we are going to use unfair tactics to reverse it" We are going to have to go back to the roots of the organisation and say - is our breed in the right hands in Birmingham?

Shirley