[ SHOWGSD-L ] Hostile Takeover of AKC CHF???
- From: "Ginger Cleary" <cleary1414@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Showgsd-L@Freelists. Org" <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2007 14:54:30 -0400
WOW...
Ginger Cleary,Rome, GA ww.rihadin.com <http://www.rihadin.com>
The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human
hands, will ever be liable to abuse. ? James Madison
Member GSDCA
Member Sawnee Mtn Kennel Club
GA Director Responsible Dog Owners of the Eastern States.
-----Original Message-----
From: akcchf@xxxxxxx
To: akcchf@xxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2007 14:30:35 -0400
Subject: Important Update from CHF President Wayne Ferguson
September 13, 2007
Dear AKC Delegate,
It is with deep regret that I feel compelled to write to each of you
today. As you may know, a proposal has been made and statements
levied against the Canine Health Foundation with regard to a "drifting
apart" ? nothing could be further from the truth. The American
Kennel
Club and the Canine Health Foundation remain committed to our combined
mission of helping our dogs live longer and stronger ? and it is with
this mission and your dedication in mind that we are enjoying the most
successful year in our Foundation's history.
A bit of background is in order. Several weeks ago, I was asked to
meet with the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the AKC Board of Directors
? the purpose of which was unclear to me at the time, however, it was
quickly clarified by Mr. Menaker and Mr. Merriam. I was advised that
the AKC was demanding eight Board seats on the CHF Board of Directors
effective immediately in order to regain "control" of the CHF. Given
we only have 23 existing Directors, and that we are an independent
501(c)(3) organization which is not owned by the AKC, the proposal was
tantamount to a hostile takeover.
Given the impudence of the proposal in light of our independent status
from AKC, I asked to survey members of our Strategic Planning
Committee (which has been diligently working all year on defining the
focus and vision of CHF) for guidance. After surveying the Committee,
I conveyed to Ron and David that real concerns existed with regard to
the proposal particularly since CHF has made great strides in the last
three years. Nevertheless, they requested a face-to-face meeting with
the Strategic Planning and Executive Committees, which occurred on
September 9, 2007.
At that meeting, Mr. Merriam issued an ultimatum ? agree that a third
of the Board be ceded to the AKC, or lose funding and our offices
entirely. We were collectively shocked by both the tone and message
that was delivered. We concluded this meeting with the request to
first discuss the matter with our full Board and then reconvene;
however, in spite of our request, Mr. Merriam denied us that
opportunity.
At the conclusion of the Delegates' Meeting the following afternoon,
David informed the Delegate Body that distance had been created and
that problems exist at CHF. Furthermore, two apparently dissatisfied
CHF Board Members rose to support these allegations. I should add
that these Directors have never raised such concerns at CHF Board of
Directors meetings, nor have they raised these issues to me in
private.
We are not distanced from the AKC. In fact, just four years ago, we
moved our offices to the AKC Operations Center in Raleigh to take full
advantage of our alliance with the AKC! As an "alliance partner," the
American Kennel Club ? our namesake ? should be proud of their
accomplishments with regard to the CHF. As a proud "parent" AKC
should be pleased at our independence and success, not mandating us to
conform. I would have expected that they would have been pleased that
we have been expanding our vision to include global ventures
benefiting all dogs.
As an example, in the last couple of years, CHF has continued to
expand its reach into the worldwide canine research community ?
effectively seeking out new technologies and capitalizing on the
renowned expertise and knowledge of canine researchers throughout the
world. We are the largest international non-profit to fund research
exclusively for our dogs, and that inspires us. Our Board and our
Staff have worked carefully to build CHF's reputation in the research
community ? for a listing of our accomplishments, please visit our
website at www.akcchf.org.
Folks, AKC is represented on our Board, yet none of these allegations
were supported through a cooperative spirit, but rather an
antagonistic one. Do we have problems? Of course we do! What
growing organization doesn't? But we diligently work to improve on
our successes and eliminate our weaknesses as we move forward working
for you and your dogs. I believe that you and your clubs want a free
and independent CHF, not a puppet or pawn of any of our strategic
alliances. Only independence and free-thinking ensure an effective
and efficient CHF. I firmly believe that to hobble us through
misguided representation on the Board of Directors will essentially
slow the process and nimbleness of the Foundation considerably. Think
of it, contention on the Board is not something we should strive to
but rather eliminate.
CHF continues to garner high praise from independent accrediting firms
such as Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org) and the
Independent Charities of America ? this is based on our fiduciary and
financially responsible practices and the hard work and dedication of
our professional staff. This praise is only heaped upon a small
percentage of the one and a half million charities nationwide ? we're
in an elite class, therefore you can imagine my dismay at the AKC's
erroneous allegations against our finances.
In the coming weeks, we will be exploring ways to preserve the
independent status of the CHF that its Founders ? members of the AKC
Delegates' Membership ? envisioned by setting the organization up as
a
separate 501(c)(3). We take our independent 501(c)(3) status very
seriously. We also take very seriously the current threats to expel
us from our offices and the potential "cutting off" of historical AKC
funding unless we allow the AKC to "stack" our Board. Please rest
assured that we are looking at creative ways to maintain both a good
relationship with the AKC and the independence required for our
501(c)(3) status. Bear with us ? I can assure and attest that our
dogs' needs and your expectations as supporters and donors of CHF will
be deeply considered and valued during this
trying time.
Sincerely,
Wayne E. Ferguson
President
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