Annual Meeting April 27, 2007

USNMC ANNUAL CLUB MEETING

FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2007

MEETING CALLED TO ORDER 7:09PM EST

Peggy asked the people present to introduce themselves and to tell if they were members or guests.

Mimi Winkler said that she was a guest that that she was an AKC judge that she felt it was not appropriate that our National Specialty Judge (Janet Hospodar) be present during the Annual meeting. Peggy told her that Janet is our Treasurer and was there to give the report and since we were talking about club business and not about dogs she could stay. A long discussion followed this statement. Janet said that this may be a grey area with the AKC but that it was not improper for her to be there but to keep the meeting on a "friendly" side she would leave.

READING OF THE MINUTES: Sue read the Minutes from the May 5th, 2006 Annual Club Meeting.

PRESIDENT'S REPORT: Peggy reported on all the seminars that are being held now and the ones scheduled for later this year.

SECRETARY'S REPORT: none

TREASURER'S REPORT: Since our treasurer, Janet, was not present Peggy passed out the Financial Report. She read through it, explained all line items and answered several questions from different people. It was noted that the deposits needed to be broken out more clearly. And it was noted that while all checks and check amounts written all year long were listed for every account, the checks written from the rescue account lacked detail of to whom each check was written and why although we do know that all rescue checks were written to reimburse rescue volunteers for expenses incurred during the rescue of dogs upon receipt of proper documentation.

Peggy also passed out and explained the 2006 National Specialty Show Report. There were financial reports and show reports from other years available for comparison and reference.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Peggy gave a report on the club's new website. Said she had already had an email from the Schipperke Club stating that they loved the website (layout and content) and would like to use the same software program.

The question was asked about Karl Groves being taken off the Website Committee and how was this done without a proper Board of Directors vote. Peggy replied that the board had discussed it in emails and agreed to do this and that they are allowed to do this. She then agreed that it would indeed have to be formally voted on at a board meeting to be done correctly according to the bylaws.

Jennifer Groves then asked that it be noted in the minutes that she felt that it is not fair for the board of directors to be allowed to break the bylaws when they would not let Courtney Smith renew her membership two days late.

There was a discussion about the Neogram and how it should be bringing in money through ads. The club needs volunteers who feel strongly about needs such as this to step up and volunteer to take charge of succinct tasks like this and make things happen.

LEGISLATION COMMITTEE. Donna Welty gave a report on the laws that are in the process of being passed that would hurt not just our breed but all breeds. She gave each person a bookmark that she had printed for the GSNMC. This was called a "Get Involved with Canine Legislation" which explained what you should do to get involved and how to go about it. She also gave each person a copy of the AKC Point Schedule effective May 1, 2007. She also commented that she had available a list of all AKC judges approved for judging the Neapolitan Mastiff.

NEW BUSINESS:

2008 NATIONAL SPEICALTY JUDGE

Sharon Costello made the motion to amend the agenda to add the topic of creating a back-up list of judges for the 2008 National. Donna seconded the motion. The motion to amend the agenda was passed by the necessary two-thirds majority vote of the Full Members present.

Sharon made the motion to create a list of back-up judges for the 2008 National by having the members present at the 2007 national submit a set of 3 names of judges (AKC only) to Sue Luedemann by 10:00am Sunday, April 29, 2007. This list would then be sent to the entire membership for prioritizing. Donna seconded the motion. The motion was passed by the required majority vote of the Full Members present.

NOTATION: The membership is already submitting names for a separate list to be used for the 2009 and 2010 National Specialties. The time limit to submit names for this separate list is May 15, 2007.

AMENDING REQUIREMENTS FOR NATIONAL SPECIALTY JUDGE SELECTION

Larry Casey made the motion to amend the agenda to add the topic of adding a further restriction to selecting judges for the National Specialty in the future. This motion was seconded by Sharon Costello. The motion to amend the agenda was passed by the necessary two-thirds majority vote of the Full members present.

Larry Casey made the motion that no sitting member of the USNMC Board of Directors be allowed to judge the National Specialty while they are still on the Board of Directors. (Larry wanted it noted that this motion was in no way any censure of Janet Hospodar in that he very much respected her abilities and judging.) This motion was seconded by Jennifer Groves. The motion was passed by a majority vote of the Full members present.

ADJOURNED: 9:36pm EST

ATTENDANCE

Full members: Mindy Aaron-McElyea, Ena Barise; Marlene Church; Sharon Costello; Larry Casey; Ted DeLuca; Jennifer Groves; Anita Goetz; Sue Luedemann; Irene O'Connor; Nicole Smith-Stamper; Kim Stagg; John Stagg; Joe Steinfeld; Jim Thorne; Nydia Thornton; Donna Welty; Cathy White; Peggy Wolfe

Associate Members: Heather Welty; Suzanne Storms; Susan Vann-Spruill

Guests: Ernesto Castellanos, Jim Deppen; Bill Goetz; Arlene Hall; Shantell Hawkins; Roger Medley; Robert Mullenhair, Thierry Paratore; Carol Roy; Jamie Smith, Russell Steimle; Mimi Winkler;