
The latest meeting of the CKC Board of Directors was held the weekend of September 9 and 10. By now, the Facebook summaries, the meeting synopsis and the detailed meeting minutes have all been posted online as a permanent record of the meeting. Hard work goes into ensuring an accurate account of the proceedings is documented, both for those in attendance for future reference and for those that weren’t in attendance for full disclosure.
This blog posting is a completely unofficial, editorial account of the proceedings as I witnessed it. The agenda for the meeting was typical in that it was almost four pages in length and the supporting materials were hundreds of additional pages.
The breadth of information received, decisions requested and direction given during a meeting is truly phenomenal. More than 35 proposals were reviewed for amendments to policies & procedure, breed standards, and various Rules & Regulations that govern our disciplines. Some motions were passed quickly and some received detailed discussion and debate before a final outcome is determined. At Each meeting I am reminded that it’s impossible to predict which motions will be the ones to spark heated debate. The September meeting brought particular drama with motions from the Obedience Council that were discussed and required a break to allow the information and discussion to sink in overnight. Tenacity prevailed the next day and a final outcome was produced for a scenario that was thought to be impossible to resolve.
Every Committee and Council has an opportunity to submit a report on their activities and each meeting includes presentations on a variety of subjects. At this meeting, the Board received a professional assessment and update on its progress with the governance of CKC, a demo of a new module expected from the IT4YOU project and from members that included an introduction to their dogs in person.
My favourite part of the meetings, of course, is when I provide the update from the Executive Director on the operations of CKC, our financial position and status of major initiatives. At the September meeting, I also unveil the framework for the next year’s business plan and preliminary budget assumptions. It’s always a pleasure and an easier task when I have positive results to report.
The Board meetings are open to the public and every meeting attracts a mix of new faces and the tried and true. The Canadian Dog Judges Association (CDJA) consistently sends a representative to experience the discussion related to conformation rules and other disciplines. Others may attend to represent and/or witness the agenda items of particular interest. It can almost be guaranteed that first timers will comment that they had no idea how much work is accomplished during these meetings.
The Board of Directors represent you and your Zone as well as the best interests of the CKC in general, so I’m pleased to paint a picture of the proceedings beyond the minutes. If you plan to be in town during a future Board meeting, I encourage you to review the agenda and ask about attending – either the full meeting or just the items that peak your interest. In the meantime, be sure to vote for your Zone representative before the end of this month for the next three-year term.
https://www.ckc.ca/en/vote
One aspect I look forward to with this blog is being able to answer questions and interact directly with membership. I will take some time during every blog post to answer a few questions that were posted on my previous blog entry. Here are some questions from my last blog.
Question 1: Lisa Ricciotti
Sounds like a very interesting conference. I'd be interested in hearing more about " examples of innovation and ideas being used to address the issues." We can learn so much from others.
Also, call me a CKC geek, but could you make Bob R's presentation available online?
Thanks for letting us see the other side of your desk. It's certainly not as messy as mine;)
Answer: Lance Novak
Thanks, Lisa. For those that have not seen the blog post Lisa is referring to, you can read that
here. Lisa, I’ve attached Bob’s presentation
here. There is a list from CKC within the slides called “Mitigating Strategies”. Ideas we heard from other clubs ranged from recreating junior programs that are like apprenticeships sponsored by the clubs and more thoughtful observations and communications that accentuate the positive and promote our heritage. Examples from Italy included:
- Since 1993, all laws related to dog breeding must be vetted by the Italian Kennel Club.
- Instead of banning hunting events, promoting them as a means to control the environment naturally.
- Their first metric for a dog’s performance is it’s "lifespan".
Question 2: Roy Aitchison
Hi Lance; Perhaps you can give us a little history on why we are adopting ROEs for all our breeds rather than the more extensive Breed Standards we have always used to identify a specific purebred dog. Thanks Roy
Answer: Lance Novak
Hi Roy! Rules of Eligibility are a requirement for CKC, under the Animal Pedigree Act, to establish up to ten broad and key traits for each breed for registration considerations. Input and consultation is sought from the accredited national breed clubs prior to going to a vote. ROE is not linked to breed standards. In simple terms, the Rules of Eligibility have no place in the show ring and have no relation to the Breed Standard