Question of the Week

Walter Sommerfelt

Lenoir City, Tennessee

President, Tennessee Valley Kennel Club

The Tennessee Valley Kennel Club is in a powerful position. We have developed a very diverse membership of both conformation and performance people. We have many monthly programs and offer training classes and mentoring to all our members. We encourage all our members to become involved in the various committees and events we hold every year. Since we all know that memberships grow and decrease as people leave the sport or move away, we encourage adding new members to replace them. Our average monthly attendance is in the neighborhood of 35 members each month. We also have several social outings each year to allow people to get to know each other better. We value our members and honor those who go the extra mile to encourage our continued success. We encourage our members to share their voices so each one knows they are a valuable asset to the club, and by donating their time and talents, we will continue to grow and be a great, stable addition to the East Tennessee community. 

Adair (Bunny) Toddes

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

Chambersburg Area Kennel Club

I am incredibly fortunate to belong to a thriving kennel club. About 10 years ago, we were down to six members after several couples retired, moved and embarked on a new chapter of life. Fortunately, a few new, energetic dog enthusiasts found us. We soon started offering handling classes and making plans for a stand-alone all-breed show. The handling classes became a huge outreach opportunity. Now we are a club of more than 30 members. We meet monthly both on Zoom and in person, sometimes with a guest speaker or a member sharing their breed or sport. We have a three-day show in late September (one day of obedience, two days of rally and conformation). Along with another AKC club, we offer both a fall and spring four-day Fast CAT trial. We also put on an annual spring sanctioned B match. Our community outreach includes quarterly visits to a local nursing home and an RDO booth each year at an area event. Plans for participation in a local Halloween parade are in the works. Most of all, we have FUN! Members participate, often bringing new ideas. (One of our newer members started a fantastic newsletter last year!) Members are so supportive, helpful and welcoming. We just enjoy being together. Can't wait for our annual barbeque and pool party this summer!

AnnMarie Saunier

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

President and show chair, Myrtle Beach Kennel Club

We are blessed to have a healthy kennel club with active members in both performance and conformation events. Our members consist of knowledgeable judges, professional handlers, breeder-owner-handlers and owner-handlers. A lot of new people to the sport who are just getting involved. All our members, old and young, are eager and willing to learn. We have approximately 15 to 20 working members who are learning the ropes on putting together a well-run show. We just finished our second year providing rally to our show. We are continuing to learn as we go.

Pattie Proctor

Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts

I am privileged to belong to the Ladies Dog Club, located in Massachusetts. I became a fan of this club when, as a field rep, the club would invite me to speak at their meetings maybe once a year on various topics. In preparation for this, I knew I had to do extra homework on whatever topic it was, as the membership were all incredibly experienced in the sport, came from a deep history in the sport and each member carried some pretty hefty credentials. Total respect.

Fast-forward to date: I've been a member for nine years now, was co-show chair for their two shows last year, and am currently on the board and served as chair of the nominating committee. 

The members of this club are very active, pitch in wherever and whenever needed, and stay engaged with the sport and how it would possibly affect the club. As with any club, there is always a need for new members, not only because of a possible aging factor but because fresh ideas are always welcomed, and Ladies DC does keep up with the ever-changing tide in the sport. Fresh ideas are healthy, and when the board/membership differs in opinion, it is thoughtfully worked out to the best resolution to advance the needs of the club and its membership.

The club was recently faced with a very disappointing issue, brought on by another kennel club whose show chair is a member of the current board of the AKC. It involved the ruling on the mileage conflict between show sites on holding a show on the same date. The mileage between sites in this case was 197 miles. Now it may seem a tad petty to worry about the effect on the Ladies DC entry, but the board member's club wanted to piggyback on an ongoing cluster of shows, held on beautiful grounds, convenient to exhibitors, with unlimited parking, held over Memorial Day weekend, and basically creating a second cluster of shows with maybe only one day in between the two clusters. This sure is inviting to exhibitors, I would think.

The Ladies DC has held their back-to-back shows on the same weekend for a lengthy amount of time and draws a very good entry, not only from the locals but from outside the area. Ladies does offer space for independent specialties and group shows on the Friday prior to their weekend, and this year we are hosting the NOHS series event.  

Exhibitors will choose what suits them best. The disappointing issue in this case is the appearance of favoritism and impropriety and quite frankly the breaking of a rule by the board to assist one of their own with his club's date change and site change. One would think that the AKC board would support ongoing, well-established clubs holding shows on the same weekend every year instead of creating a conflict reeking of favoritism. VERY disappointing. The members of Ladies DC are a very strong, determined group who did not sit down and take this revelation lightly. But for now, it is what it is, and the 200-mile ruling I guess just looks good on paper.

The Ladies DC members will work hard to have a successful couple of shows, but we would be foolish to think that we are not going to lose entries this year or for years to come, as I have no doubt of the AKC board's intentions. 

Nancy Matthews

Cordova, Maryland

I believe our all-breed club, Talbot Kennel Club, is doing very well. There are many classes offered with qualified teachers. 

The communication is very good. We contribute to the community, and offer opportunities to learn to work with our dogs. Also, hosting trials for AKC titling. Conformation two-day show!

Sue Bauman 

Allentown, Pennsylvania

I have been a member of all-breed clubs and breed clubs. The biggest issue are the cliques in the club. It makes new members feel uncomfortable. I also see the officers and board members making decisions that should involve the members’ thoughts and approval. There are clubs that have the same people in office or on the board or as show chairs for years, even decades — term limits need to be implemented. I’ve also seen some club members sit and chat while others do the work getting ready for a show or cluster but take all the credit for it.

Charlie Olvis and Liz Muthard

Lake Wales, Florida

We feel the Penn Ridge Kennel Club is moving in the right direction as the world spins forward.

Never a large club, the current PRKC members are all working members, behind the scenes as well as on our show weekend, and work together to provide a great show experience for all, including our newer, younger members, who were a tremendous help from the start. We are so fortunate that our members have worked together so well and that we have a real team mentality. While a larger membership is a goal as our small number ages, we are careful that prospective members realize that membership is not just a small check each year; it includes helping the club, working together, and prospective members are asked to help at our event prior to being considered.

Penn Ridge Kennel Club has always donated most of its proceeds to various dog-related charities, and about 12 years ago we realized that with venue costs increasing each year, we had to plan for the future to enable continuing to help others in the sport, and the Penn Ridge Kennel Club Charitable Foundation was formed.

Through our annual fundraiser event at our shows, with a different theme each year, as well as the raffle that is open to all, the PRKC Charitable Foundation has generated more than $325,000 in donations, something the club alone could not have realized.

We share pride in our commitment to providing a great weekend for the fancy at our shows and at the annual charity fundraiser and continue to aim for better each year.

With the current membership, and the new views and ideas that will come from the “next generation” of members, the Penn Ridge Kennel Club is in a great place as we move forward each year.

Nancy Russell

Walsenburg, Colorado

The Southern Colorado Kennel Club in Pueblo is growing, with applicants at almost every meeting. The club rents a large building, so classes are held Monday through Saturday. Classes are open to the public for a reasonable fee as a community service. They include puppy kindergarten, beginner obedience, intermediate obedience, advanced competition obedience, rally, conformation, agility fundamentals, competition agility, scent work, Canine Good Citizen, FIT DOG, and also AKC virtual rally and agility course testing. All classes are taught by kennel-club members who volunteer their time and expertise.

We have a three-day show in November and a very well-attended awards banquet in January because so many members are recognized for all the AKC titles they earned in the past year.

Mary Anne Brocious

Milford, Michigan

The Ann Arbor Kennel Club has had the privilege of receiving two nominations from Purina for Show of the Year! That is because a group of “like-minded” dog people come together to put on events where each member and committee person takes their assignment and runs with it! No separate agenda, no micromanaging — just “let’s put on the best shows and trials possible.” Like many clubs, we could use more new members and younger people, as some of us are up in age. We are deep in talent and commitment to the sport of purebred dogs. We have had to stop having an all-breed match and moved to having a very successful agility trial. We offer a weekly conformation class and could always use more instructors, especially since class size is growing. We are a member club of the AKC and keep apprised of events happening within our governing body. We recommend clubs become member clubs to support the variety of AKC activities. We want to keep the sport alive and keep the negative organizations away from our dogs and the negative dog laws out of our cities and states. Nearly 70 years of supporting purebred dogs in Washtenaw County, Michigan, with the hope of many more!

Patricia A. More

North Fort Myers, Florida

My local kennel club — Greater Fort Myers Dog Club — is thriving. While we are a small club, we have joined together with another small club and are putting on a new six-show circuit in mid-May. We would love to expand our membership and are always hoping folks moving to the area will join us. We have no infighting and have plenty of funds in our bank account. Each one of our current members helps out, and we have enjoyable dinner-meeting discussions.