[ SHOWGSD-L ] Membership costs and the Review - Long
- From: WLFHRTGSD@xxxxxxx
- To: Showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2005 12:32:42 EST
I'm afraid I don't recall who wrote the post about getting a discounted
membership if you DON'T want the Review, but it came up yesterday.
PLEASE NOTE THAT MY POST IS NOT AN ATTACK ON THE PERSON WHO RAISED THE
QUESTION ABOVE - AND I AM NOT YELLING, BUT EMPHASIZING. I WOULD BE LEERY OF
TRYING
TO PUT ANYTHING IN ITALICS (IT MIGHT COME UP REALLY STRANGE) SO MY BEST OPTION
IS CAPS.
The cost for a single renewal is a little under 19 cents a day, and a family
renewal is a little under 17 cents a day - FOR A YEAR. Membership costs have
changed very little over the years, yet we continue to get more benefits - we
receive our communications from the club via e-mail, and our PC Website is a
treasure trove of information! Those who are listers, but not members, have
nearly as much access to club information via the National Blog, and the PC
website.
If you look at any personal costs you may have for belonging to motor clubs,
clubs such as Costco, Sam's (or whatever may be the "warehouse" type club in
your region) they are about the same as belonging to our breed club.
I do have a suggestion for those who feel they do not wish to receive the
Review - there ARE juniors who don't have access to it because their parents
are
not club members. Juniors who NEED the Review, and have to borrow it. Not
all our juniors come from show families.
A few years ago we voted that the club would accept members UNDER 18 - they
do not vote or pay dues, but they also don't get the Review. If you truly
don't want yours, perhaps you could donate YOUR subscription to a Junior? Our
Juniors are busy with school, and they spend their weekends showing. As they
cannot accept pay for handling and still retain Junior status, if they have any
part time jobs, they are not able to work weekends and that really cuts into
any pay they might get working.
Plus, not being able to work weekends on a regular basis makes it harder for
them to even GET jobs. Factor in that Fridays are probably out if they are
traveling to a show, well, you get the picture.
The price we pay for our membership (per day) is less than a single local
phone call. We have futurities. We have the National. The Review. Those are
PERSONAL benefits. And what about the breed? We have a fabulous Charitable
foundation, national Rescue network, product line, and we are a big leader in
donating monies to assist SAR work, and our Military dogs. Most police dogs
are
German Shepherds.
If you have never seen the PC website then go take a look - look at the photo
from 9/11 - the firefighter resting, and grieving the horror. Look at his
partner, exhausted from the searching. That photo isn't just on our website -
it was a NATIONAL photo.
The German Shepherd Dog is, at once, the single most easily recognized breed
in the entire world. To a lost child, and to the family who has learned that
their child has been found, the dog who has tracked for hours, is worth a
whole heck of a lot more than pittance we pay for our dues!
To the criminal who is backed into a corner, the sight of a German Shepherd
is most unwelcome. They know that if they run, that dog will be on them. To
the police officer who's partner has four legs, the dog is a partner that can
do what a human partner cannot.
To the soldier who curls his or her arms around their dog when they get to
sleep a few hours, the dog is a soft, sympathetic soldier who won't question
their bravery or courage when they slip off the mask of being a soldier and cry
the tears of a human who has seen members of their platoon die in battle.
To the family in the airport who's flight is delayed, the dog is a hero for
finding the bomb that would have blown their flight to see their grandparents
right out of the sky.
To any one of the people in these situations, the thought of spending 19
cents a day for that dog wouldn't even begin to cover their gratitude.
And our club, through the breeding of good dogs, education, and monetary
donations, helps to support all this.
We may spend much of our time on the list debating topics that are specific
to showing dogs. That's what the list is for. But please, take a look at the
BIGGER picture! The club needs you. The breed needs you. The world needs
US.
The topic of "Why SHOULD I join the club when I can show dogs without being a
member?" comes up here as well. You can show dogs, you can do whatever you
want. But if you really love this breed, you will do everything you can to make
sure that the German Shepherd Dog retains it's reputation as a courageous,
loyal, intelligent, versatile breed. WE have come a long way from the days
when
conformation and obedience participants in one room was like throwing gas on
a fire.
We still have a long way to go, and we are getting there. WE face an uphill
battle with PAWS and BSL. If you really love this breed, you will not think
about what is in it for me, but what will happen if I don't start or continue
to participate in the battles that face us now, and in the future.
If you are not sure you want to be part of this club, look into the eyes of
your dog. Perhaps you will find the answers there.
Consider too that we do NOT pay to be part of this list. How many of us have
received comfort in the middle of the night when a dog is sick, or your bitch
is in trouble whelping and you want to check in for immediate feedback, or
you have lost a dog and know that the best and only place to spill your grief
is
to the people who REALLY understand? Some people grieve privately, and do
not post their losses. I have posted when I have lost a dog, and the private
responses have kept me going when I thought that I could just will my heart to
stop beating because it was torn so badly.
Our board members are volunteers. Our list admins are volunteers. We get so
very much from the club and the list. I hope that as the old year winds down
and the New Year begins, we will be bringing in a year of combining our
talents, knowledge, and love for this great breed so that we can ensure the
future
for all of us.
It doesn't matter if you are brand new to the breed or have been in the breed
more years than some members have been alive. If you have a desire to serve
the breed, that is enough. There will be some thing, some way, some effort
you can make to better the club, and the breed. We, collectively, should not
rely on the board, the 20 year and 30 year members, or anyone else to make
things happen. We have chosen them to lead, but without our help, their
efforts
may fail if we do not support the things we ask of them. The board is there to
lead the effort, but WE are the GSDCA and anyone who doesn't believe that is
fooling themselves.
Our board cannot take action on something they are not aware of, or do not
have adequate help to address. We made our choices clear when we voted. Now,
we need to get behind our board and give them the help they need to do the
things we would like to see done.
Every one of us has life experience, whether it be dog related or not, that
we can use to help our board and therefore our breed. If you can speak, you
can introduce yourself to someone at a show. You can welcome someone to the
sport. If you are new, and find someone even newer, you can make a friend.
We were all given the opportunity to let Lew know what area(s) we wished to
be involved in.
Let's make 2006 the year that the GSDCA has so many people working together
for the good of all that the board's e-mail is overflowing with so many offers
of help that it takes them all by pleasant surprise.
Kelly Busse
Proud to be GSDCA!
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