B/D Meeting,
B/D CONFERENCE CALL, 

B/D Conference Call,  June 23, 2004

Directors on call:  Jim Martin, Sandra Milberg, Lena Bailey, Beverly Lambert, Stormy Winters, Gary Westbrook, Dal Kratzer, Wayne Parker, Bob Stephens, Red Oliver, Gene Sheninger, Suzy McCallister, John Doyle, Leo Woodbury, Pete Carmichael, Dale Kuhrt, Barb Ross
Directors not on call:  Kate Broadbent, Steve Clendenin, Kent Kuykendall, Barry Moyer, Susan Carpenter, 
Officers on call:  Mike Canaday, Francis Raley
Guest on call:  Bud Boudreau, Dan Gill

 1.        Dan Gill was given an opportunity to address the board. He explained that he had resigned after the Cattle Finals.    Dan said that at this point in his life he had to step aside.  His teenage children are heavily involved in sports so the  family comes first and for that reason he is stepping aside. Dan explained that he was very proud of the things that he had helped the HA to accomplish, the one American Judge and the Cattle Dog Finals. He also explained that Tractor Supply has pulled out. That they decided they wanted more exposure for their money and that this year they are going with PBR.  Dan thanked Mike for the freedom he has given him to function.  Dan reiterated that he was stepping aside not running away and that at some time in the future he would like to step back up again. Finally, Dan thanked all of the Board for the opportunity of serving with them. 

2. Mike said Dan has worked above and beyond the call of duty.  He has gone to many Finals when he didn't even have a dog running just to help. Dan will be hard to replace and he has made an enormous contribution to the HA.

3.        Mike Canaday called the meeting to order at 8:05. Francis apologized for not sending the changes in the agenda, due to email problems.

4. Mike said that the Board needs to be looking around for a couple of officers, President and Vice-President. Mike announced that he will not be seeking the office of President of the HA next year.  He appreciated having the chance to be President and he has learned a lot being President but that it is time for him to move on. The HA needs to move on and this gives the Directors time to look around for a new president. Mike said we need to make sure that we continue to make sure that everyone has a fair shot at the Finals.  There are a lot of challenges coming up both during the balance of Mike's term and in the future.  Mike finished by saying that he has appreciated the opportunity to be president.  Mike stated he cherishes the time spent as President and thanked the Directors for the opportunity of serving.
5. Mike called meeting to order at 7 pm Central Time
6. Mike then asked for approval of the minutes.  Stormy Winters moved to accept minutes of last Board meeting, second Gary Westbrook. Unanimously passed.
7. Mike then gave the treasurer's report. Total amount in all accounts is $ 21,714.63. Mike said he has seen a couple of red flags that we need to address.  A little over a year ago we had $33,000 in our savings account now we have$ 8,300.  We need to rein in a bit. This year's sheep costs are about $4,000 less then they were last year. We are down a few hundred members and we need to think what that is about. Perhaps people are not joining because they aren't going to the Finals.  We need to urge people to continue to support our sport.  Mike proposed that we get a membership committee together and write some letters to associations and get out ads and make sure that there are membership forms at trials.  Mike also suggested a $25 increase to enter the Finals.  We have always been lacking in the area of sponsorship.  We just don't have the money to hire the people to help raise the money that we need.  The HA is a small club,  Last year only there were800 members and currently only about 600 members.  Colorado Natural appears to be on board again but we need to support these people.  We need a committee to help us find sponsors. Mike asked if anyone had any sponsorship ideas. Leo. Woodbury asked if Tractor Supply pulled out before they made their contribution to the Cattle Finals.  Mike said they did.  Sandra. Milberg asked if the cattle people couldn't put in $2.00 instead of $1.00.  Bob Stephens said that the real future of the stockdogs is in the cattle. We need to promote the dogs to the cattlemen , that we have a better chance of getting money for the organization in the area of cattle than sheep.  The dogs need to be recognized as stockdogs rather then as sheepdogs.  Beverly Lambert moved to form a committee to look into sponsorship.  Dal Kratzer said he would look into possible sponsors from the pharmaceutical side, Sandra seconded.. Unanimously passed.
8. Mike asked Bud Boudreau to bring us up to date on the Finals. Bud reported that the committee had a meeting with Sturgis and all the members were there and it was a very productive.  Sydell is supplying the panels.  Bud reported that the sheep will be moved up in two parts to the holding area and that they will be grazed more.  Leo added that it was going very smoothly and that Sturgis was way ahead of last year and it looks very good. Mike asked if the website was up yet.  Leo said its up but needs work.  Bob Stephens said that the length of grass was a bit of a problem.  Leo said that they have asked about mowing the grass a bit shorter for this year.  Mike asked if the BLM permit was in hand that last year this was a problem.  Leo said they didn’t anticipate any problem with BLM this year.  The Open sheep from last year will be this year's Nursery sheep. This year’s Open sheep are from South Dakota and will be ramboulet cheviot cross sheep.
9. World Finals: Sandra said the number of dogs on each country’s team will be a percentage of the number of dogs they send to their national finals. Sandra reported that Alasdair expects we will have about 18 or 19 slots.  Leo said one of the concerns voiced was that so many Canadians were included in the top 20 of the Finals that this was a problem and that we should only be looking at American Dogs.  Bob said that this is what is going to happen.  Bob reported that the World Finals committee thought that we might get 30 or more slots.  Beverly explained the World Finals Qualifying proposal. Lena said that the two dogs per handler scenario makes a stronger team.  Dal said that the two dog scenario perhaps gives people more incentive.  It was decided to go through the proposal item by item and vote on each one.  Beverly proposed that the top scoring dogs in the 2004 National Finals be used to select the world team.  If any dog in any handler/dog team so selected is unable to run the handler has the option of bringing a different dog, seconded by Sandra Milberg.  Unanimously passed with all Canadian directors abstaining.  Next voted on the third possible scenarios. 

1. Each handler/dog team will become eligible for the world team according to our selection criteria on their own merits.

2. A dog/handler team will be selected for the world team by meeting our selection criteria and each handler so selected will have the option of bringing a second dog.

3. The 2004 National Sheepdog Finals will be used to select the world team. Each handler/dog team in the final go around of the Finals will be invited to be on the team until the team is filled. If there are not sufficient dogs to fill the team from the top 17 finalists (remember that Canadian handlers will not be on the team) the first place handler will be invited to bring a second dog and then the second place finisher and so on until the team is filled. If this doesn’t fill the team the handlers in the semi-finals will be invited also in the order of their placing. If any dog in any handler/dog team so selected is unable to run that handler has the option of bringing a different dog (this is a rule of the World Trial organizers)..

After the first go around in the voting #1 was eliminated. Then on a second vote on issue made #3 the winner.  All voted yes for number 3 proposal except Bruce Smart.

10. Beverly then moved for the acceptance of the remainder of the recommendations of the committee.  All handlers wishing to be on the World Team must send a $500 appearance fee to the HA by 11/1/04 which will be refunded to all handlers who run a the world trial and handlers not selected for the team.  (While special circumstances and exceptions will be taken into consideration by the HA any handler selected for the World Team who does not run should expect to forfeit his deposit). A copy of all dog’s passports must be received by the HA by 2/1/05.  If the passport is not received by that date the next person in line for the team will be invited to go.
11. Dogs are only qualified for the team with handler that handled them when they qualified, second by Gene Sheninger.  Passed unanimously. All Canadian directors abstained.
12. The number of dogs to be run back in the nursery was discussed.  Bruce Smart moved we run back 30, seconded by  Beverly. Passed unanimously.
13. Leo asked if the host committee could hire the setout crew. Mike said he thought it was done.  Red Oliver moved and Dale Kuhrt second the acceptance of responsibilities of trial/host committee as proposed by Jo Woodbury.  All voted yes with Barb Ross abstaining.
14. 2005 Cattle Finals. Cattle dog committee recommended the acceptance of Big Lake, Texas,  bid for the 2005 finals.  Sandra said she was concerned if 17 acres was large enough for the finals and were the cattle all from one herd.  Red said they were all from one herd.  Mike said that the Texas Sheep Dog Association has had their finals there for two years and it has been satisfactory.  Pete Carmichael said it doesn't matter, like with sheep, if the cattle are from one herd.  This years cattle were from different herds.  Sandra said she had had bad feedback about this year's Cattle Finals and she would like the contract looked at closely. She would like a contract similar to the Sturgis contract. She felt that the 2004 Cattle Finals people didn't follow through with their responsibilities. Pete said that he felt that everyone there seemed to be satisfied and he felt that you needed to be there to appreciate it.  Mike said that there were things that could have been done better.  Mike said it is difficult to compare 2004 to 2005 as the Big Lake people have put on the State Finals and know what to expect.  Mike asked Sandra to work with Francis to help make sure that these problems are ironed out.  Beverly moved to accept recommendations of the Cattle Dog Committee for Big Lake, Texas (March 30 thru April 3^rd, 2005) to Host the 2005 Cattle Finals, seconded by Bob Stephens.  Unanimously passed.
15. After some discussion Beverly moved to table Youth Program proposal until Julia Williams can be on call to give more information, seconded by Sandra Milberg. Unanimously passed.
16. Francis said that she had communicated with Walter Broughton. He has received the membership list.  We have received $2,500 and we will get the other $2,500 when the trial begins.  They will also sponsor the packet bags.  They will also be available to hand out the packets at the finals. Handlers should know to say thank you to them when they receive their packet.
17. Francis said she has also spoken to Colorado Natural and they are very satisfied with sponsoring us. They will again be at the Finals. They are contributing $5,000.
18. Border Springs is a company in Va.  They will be sponsoring the collars which will be a better type collar then in the past.
19. On-Line Sports Wear would like to sell products with our logo from which we would get a percentage of what he sells.  The Finals jackets are sold by the host committee as a fund raiser Mike asked if this might not negatively impact the host committee at the Finals.  Beverly moved to table until we can hear from the host committee, seconded by Bob Stephens. Unanimously passed.
20. Lena  Bailey said that the Border Springs main business is very similar to Sydell.  It was indicated that this does currently appear to be a problem.
21. Francis reported that she had forwarded Martin Penfold's letter to the Board and that there just isn't enough sales of the video for Martin to make a profit.  Mike said that this is another case of the membership not supporting our sponsor.  We need to talk to our members and tell them that we are going to lose this if we don't support him.  Martin needs to sell 200 and the HA bought 50 and he sold 30.  Bruce said to not have these tapes available is a great loss.  Leo said that with the big board at Sturgis there will be a video crew on hand and the tapes will be available to the handlers.  Mike said an important part of what Martin did was the editing and the interviewing.  All of this would be lost if we don’t support his work.  Bob Stephens offered to try and sell some at Calgary.  Mike urged all of the Directors to talk to their local clubs about trying to sell some of the tapes at trials by having them on hand.
22. Mike reported that we are also going to get copies of the video made by the Tennant Company of last year’s finals.  Mike said he hadn't heard if they were coming back.  They were supposed to do the cattle finals and they did not so.  He thought it was unlikely they would be at the finals in 2004.
23. Mike reminded us that it is important to call our finals the “National Sheepdog Finals and the National Cattledog Finals to protect our copyright in these names.
24. Francis reported that Kate Broadbent had forwarded a proposal from Ray Crabtree to announce at the finals. It was decided to ask Ray to announce the last three days of the Finals, $100 per day.
25. Francis said that we are going to be very close on money. Sandra moved $150 across the board (Open & Nursery) entry fee for the National Sheepdog Finals, seconded by Leo Woodbury.  Beverly asked to amend the motion for Open $200,  Nursery $150. Amendment was defeated. Motion passed.  Open and Nursery entry fees will be  $150.00.
26. Francis reported that the HA lost money on the banquet and to break even we need to go to $20.  Gary suggested that we try and find a sponsor for the banquet.  Last year the banquet cost us $500 but much of this was free meals to officials and judges. Sandra said it was important for PR to have a banquet.  It was decided with the increase in entry fees to leave the banquet cost as it was.
27. Beverly moved to adjourn, seconded by Sandra.  Adjourned at 10:17 pm.