That was very well written. I will only disagree with one point. In societies all do not have equal status, but rather a minimal status that can only be elevated for the good of the society, leadership positions. We all have one vote, no matter who we are, but we give that one vote in many cases to a ruling party, our board of directors. This being a democratic system, if we don't like who WE put in, WE vote them out, as both individuals, with our vote, and as a whole, or at least majority. We also give certain decisions over to our governing bodies, to make it possible for the rest of us to do our daily routine, or we would all be spending at least one day a week voting for so many things. Now, we do not agree with a decision our board made. This group, with about, I am sort of guessing, 50 people who are in hot discussion over the matter, has a very strong opinion. This group should unite under a single banner, and use the rules to affect change. They need to propose what they want to change, in whole, every issue surrounding this one decision should be brought to the attention of every single memeber of the club, including any that this group may feel are in violation of the ideals they stand for. Let the society know fully what has transpired and what this group would like to see done about it, again, all aspects of the issue. Then let the system do its' job and this issue will be resolved to the satification of the majority of the club's members. And the minority will have to weigh each for themselves how this will affect them. sheila Kay Reamensnyder <bedkar@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: Clubs are miniature societies.......they are created by people with a common goal. In every way, our German Shepherd club equates to our larger society in general. The American Kennel Club came into existence because of the dedicated efforts of individuals who loved dogs.........who wanted to "hold safe" all those attributes that made each breed unique. It was required that each breed develop it's own "sub society" to become the guardian of that Breed. Any Social group that comes into existence can only do so by bringing together all aspects of their common goal and by agreeing on how that goal might be reached. In the case of Breed Clubs, one important aspect is developing a "Standard", or blueprint, of its Breed. Each and every breed standard has been developed by "consensus of opinion" and "compromise". Once that "Standard" is accepted by the societal membership (in general), those members must come upon an agreement on how to maintain their organization and to protect their goal. As a satellite society, clubs in general tend to follow the guidelines set up by the "parent" organization. This seems to be generally accepted by all Breed clubs, with enough subtle variation to fit each breed's individuality. There are certain requirements that maintain this system: ALL members must agree to follow the commonly accepted guidelines...there can be no exceptions. ALL members must have "a say" in how guidelines are developed and how they are administered/enforced. ALL members must be willing to compromise on occasion and work with the "majority". When some member decides to function outside the guidelines, they should be able to justify their "decision" to the membership and accept the possibility of "rejection". And, most important, to be a strong and resolute society, ALL members must contribute. All members must have equal status. All members should be involved in the decision making process. The continued existence of a Society depends on the willingness of it members to maintain the goal of that society......and it can not depend on just a few members. When people sit quietly by and "let some else do it", their societal goals veer from the original path. The GSDCA was created to maintain the characteristics of the German Shepherd Breed. If someone wants to be a member of this Group, they should be willing to work towards that end. The GSD is a versatile breed and every aspect of that versatility should be enjoyed and honored. However, the first and foremost commitment should be to the German Shepherd Dog and the organization which is its guardian. If we are not willing to do that, this breed, and all other breeds will suffer. ---Kay Reamensnyder and Betty Doerpinghaus ---bedkar@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ---VISIT OUR WEBSITE:http://home.earthlink.net/~bedkar ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2007. All material remains the property of the original author and of GSD Communication, Inc. 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