Clap, clap, clap!!!!!!! Kathy, member GSDCA, DVGSDC Celebrating generations of Dual Titled TC'd Champions visit http://www.pinehillgsds.com/ In a message dated 8/14/2013 4:14:50 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, d_fritsche@xxxxxxxxxx writes: Thank you Kathy.... I am appreciative that someone actually read my drivel! I am also amazed that you can remember, as I seldom remember what I said at breakfast. My point is not that changing the standard is lowering the bar, but that the standard is, in and of itself, exclusive. If it is not, then there is no focus and nothing to aim at. So if we alter the standard to better describe the ideal, then we are not lowering the bar. But if our motivation is less than that, as in an attempt to be more inclusive, or to solve a financial crisis or to (fill in the blank____________) then we are in fact building a 1958 T-Bird and lowering the bar of that which exists to provide a picture of what is the highest and best in the breed. It is the exclusivity itself that makes our competition hard and our standards high. If we are to come through this worldwide economic disaster with anything of value in the breed, it will not be because we gave out more ribbons, but because we protected the standard and preserved the greatest dog breed in the world. That is our mission and the charge to our board - to protect the breed. So, let us proceed to look at the standard and to consider the white shepherds in our breed, with certain knowledge that they are not the only ones who will have to be considered, should we alter the color requirements. Let us do as we think best, but let us not even have a conversation about sacrificing the standard for economic advantage, for the purpose of being more inclusive or for anything other than what is best for the breed and for our sport. Just my take! Dave ==================================================== Have you read Dave's commentary in the Review? The car analogy? As far as lowering the bar...we did that last year when we were the first breed to have a fault class at our national. I don't know how many all-breed shows you get to...I get to a few. We were the laughing stock of the fancy. IMO deservedly so. Kathy, member GSDCA, DVGSDC Celebrating generations of Dual Titled TC'd Champions ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2012. All material remains the property of the original author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Each Author is responsible for the content of his/her post. This group and its administrators are not responsible for the comments or opinions expressed in any post. ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE PROSECUTED. For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxx VISIT OUR WEBSITE - http://showgsd.org SUBSCRIPTION:http://showgsd.org/mail.html NATIONAL BLOG - http://gsdnational.blogspot.com/ ============================================================================ ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2012. All material remains the property of the original author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Each Author is responsible for the content of his/her post. This group and its administrators are not responsible for the comments or opinions expressed in any post. ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE PROSECUTED. For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxx VISIT OUR WEBSITE - http://showgsd.org SUBSCRIPTION:http://showgsd.org/mail.html NATIONAL BLOG - http://gsdnational.blogspot.com/ ============================================================================