I returned Monday from the JGHV Meeting in Fulda, and wanted to give all the members a report of the weekend’s activates and meetings.
Friday I arrived at my hotel around noon. Margitta Albertsen had arranged my room where she reserved a block for the Kurzhaar group. A charming hotel large enough to accommodate big groups, with typically friendly Bavarian staff. It was quite cold, even for Germany at this time of year, and snowed during the next two nights. Frankfurt airport was closed on Sunday due to heavy snow! Fortunately they cleared the runways, and I was able to get out Monday morning.
Friday evening I attended a meeting of the Interest Group of North American JGHV Membership Clubs. The invitation was extended to all Chairmen of North American Breed Clubs and JGHV Clubs. In attendance were: Frank Wagner, Margitta Albersten, Peggy Doerning, Jim Julson and Ken Bremer from KLM GNA, Brandt Hardy from VDD GNA, Vanita Skinner from CDKA, your truly from NAJGV.
The minutes from the 2017 meeting were approved. Then we discussed the proposal to be voted on at the General Assembly on Sunday.
Proposal 1 was to increase the membership dues 1 Euro per person to offset costs.
Representing NAJGV, I voted YES. This motion passed on Sunday.
Proposal 2 was to allow some breeds of dogs with FCI issued pedigrees to enter breed tests sanctioned by JGHV. Some of these breeds are too small to have structured clubs, and need to get dogs certified for breeding for the growth of the organizations. Representing NAJGV, I voted YES. This motion passed on Sunday.
Proposal 3 was to allow judges who lost their credentials for failure to comply with the requirements to either attend a Continuing Education Seminar, or run a dog through VGP within the allotted time frame, to be reinstated without having to start the apprenticeship process over from the beginning, which would include running a dog through VGP. Representing NAJGV, I voted NO. This motion passed on Sunday.
Proposal 4 was to allow a Senior Judge to sign a Judge Apprentice Card the day the test is completed and return it to the Apprentice, and not wait until the Apprentice Report is received. Representing NAJGV, I voted yes. This motion passed on Sunday.
Proposal 5 was to include an Animal Welfare Representative on the extended Board of JGHV, to help understand and interceded on behalf of the JGHV membership to address issues presented by Green Party activists.
Representing NAJGV, I voted yes. This motion passed on Sunday.
Saturday I briefly attended the GNA Breed Club meeting. The speakers did not have microphones, and the meeting was crowded. I sat in the back, where I could not hear, nor understand much of what was discussed.
Sunday’s General Membership Meeting was quite different. It was well attended, and very well organized. After the opening speeches, the proposals up for vote were briefly discussed, presented, and voted on with a show of hands, JA oder NEIN. When the count was close, they took a paper ballot vote. After the proposals were voted on, we moved immediately on to the Executive Board Election.
I am please to announce that, every since I first went to Germany 25 years ago and witnessed an Annual Meeting where there were elections, the procedure has NOT CHANGED! As Chairman of NAJGV, I was given a packed with voting cards (see photo), for Proposals and then a different set for Executive Board Member elections. As mentioned, for proposals they sometimes ask for a show of hands. If it is obvious, they pass the proposal on this alone. If it is close, they take a paper vote. However, only paper ballots are used when electing Executive Board Members. Each candidate was given 2 minutes for a short speech, then the members write the name of the candidate they support on the ballot. These ballots are collected in a container brought to each table, collected and taken to a room for the Election Committee to count. Within 15 minutes the announcement is made, the candidate is asked if they accept the office, and then the winning candidate makes a very short acceptance speech. Without further fuss, they move onto the next election. These are the election results:
Office for President: Karl Walch vs Peter Wingerath.
Karl Walch won and was seated as the new Chairman of JGHV.
Office for Vice-President: Friedhelm Rottigen vs Uli Augstein.
Friedhelm Rottingen won and was seated and the new Vice-President of JGHV.
Office for Director of Testing: Torsten Reck vs Josef Westermann.
Josef Westermann was seated as the new Director of Testing after Torsten Reck withdrew his nomination.
Besitzer: Both Josef Rieken and Wilfried Schlecht were elected and seated.
Disciplinary Board had two Directors and Assistants: Dr Axel Linneweber and Rolf Zimmermannn were the Directors seated, and Maathias Roscher and Ernst Zeimez the assistance.
After all the formalities were completed, it was such fun to gather in a Gasthaus bar to meet and talk about dogs. Many renditions of ‘Ho Rude Ho’ were offered, and the more we drank the more they sang. As one kind gentleman remarked, “Dogs bring good people together, and through them the world can be a very small place.” Minutes later another man came up to me and said he remembered me from 1993 in Madgeburg, Germany, where my first drahthaar, Duch vom Hinterwald, was most beautiful male with a 12 in coat, and scored 222 points! Even more amazing was the fact that he was the owner of Birko vd Hohen Warf, a famous Hegewald winner who sired many litters. His name can be found on many Ahnentafels here in America.
There you have it! A new Executive Board who, by all accounts and predictions in Germany by people in the know, are a very cohesive and fair-minded group. It is anticipated that this Board will remain focused on important issues regarding the testing of our dogs, and accomplish much during their term. We wish them well, and pledge the support of NAJGV.
Many renditions of ‘Ho Rude Ho’ were offered, and the more we drank the more they sang.
