Some of my happiest and most meaningful dog day memories go back to Sealark One and Sealark Two. Those were the days of non-stop, 24/7 dog talks—and eating and drinking as well. What a cook she was! Camaraderie of which dreams were then made. We oft times spoke three and four times a day. I frequently planned my travels to shows based upon her judging schedule. She opened doors for me that would have taken years to even pry apart, much less open—and perhaps in some cases never have been opened. The heady company of Ted Eldridge, Potter and Doris Wear, Tom and Ann Stevenson and Derek Rayne, to name but a few. She stuck with me through thick and thin. True, when things were rough for her, I was there, too. Gene spent a week there when they moved to Sealark Two, arranging furniture and hanging pictures. I fell into that mignon of worshippers who hung on her every word. She went to Flushing High School in Queens, New York. “Flush Flushing” was the old chant when we other native Queensites played them in sports. Lainey Rigden, a Queens girl from Flushing High, me a Hilltopper from Forest Hills, and Frank Sabella, also from Flushing High, Bobby Fisher and Dennis Sprung, both from Bryant High, and Gene from Far Rockaway. Different time spans. Common interests and outcomes. A common bond—“Flush Flushing… competitive we were with each other to the bone. The years pass, things happen, no one else's business! Relationships change, mature for the better or deteriorate. The mentored become the mentors, not always to the comfort of the original mentor. When I last saw her at Montgomery this year, I knew I would never see her again. Thank heaven we had a passable conversation—for us. It hurt me to see her suffer so through the last several years. She was stoic and brave. She was Annie. Thank you, Betsy and Kaz, for being there in her time of need.
Well, the new judge's approval process went into effect the first of the year. Unlike John Mandeville, who seems so wary of it, I am looking forward to this process as a means of truly improving the disastrous processes of the last decade. Sure, I'm not thrilled that the field reps are the ones solely in charge of the important hands-on procedures. I always have believed, and do so more fervently than ever, that in addition to certain field rep input, others within the sport should be directly involved in this process as well. With all the money AKC spends in this area, why not establish an independent judge's approval committee. Redirect these monies to them.Take someone like, say, an Annie of 10 years ago and pay her to run the system with other judges, breeders, handlers and exhibitors who are, or should be, ready to hang it up anyway. One of the great problems in our judging system is that certain people with great expertise go on judging when they physically are unable to do so. Why not take advantage of their knowledge and years of experience? And don't hit me with the argument, Who is going to make these kind of choices? For once, recognize that there are degrees of competency and ability within the judging profession. Take a stand. AKC is primarily a regulatory agency—not a registry—when it comes to holding its own events. Put the matter of approving judges in the hands of those who should be doing it. Make a hard decision, stick by it, and if it doesn't work, it can't be any worse than what's been going on since Bob Maxwell and his chairman instituted a system built on a flawed foundation.
And come on, Dennis and Ron, why no press conferences after Board and Delegate meetings? I really think this would be a good way to help get the fancy behind some of your projects that delegates may tend to oppose. All too often delegates are given free reign by their clubs to vote strictly on their personal beliefs. Perhaps if club members were more demanding upon the delegates by asking them to call for recorded delegate votes, accountability to the club they represent would be strengthened and be made real. With the March elections coming up and with six candidates for the three seats in the hopper already (with at least three more in the wings), let's eliminate those secret votes and let everyone know just who is voting for whom. What is this, a “Skull and Bones Society,” à la “The Good Shepherd,” or a representative body, like in a true democratic organization? •