GEC Award
Want to win cash and other prizes for being the BEST club in your region and possibly the President's award (more cash and other prizes)for being the TOP USA club in the country.
Please review the details below and submit your nomination to your Regional Director copying the General Education Committee at gec@usa-blog.org.
Deadlines have been extended.
Please click on Read More for details.
July 15, 2008
To - All Regional Directors
Copy - Executive Board, GEC, Other Committee Chairs and USA Office
Regional Directors' and President's Awards
Sponsored by the General Education Committee
The General Education Committee of the USA is pleased to advise the creation of eleven awards to be granted annually to showcase member clubs of the USA. There will be ten Regional awards and one National Presidents award.
These awards are intended to spotlight and reward Clubs which are conforming to all rules of good behavior and conduct with respect to its membership, its canines and the general public.
In addition these awards are designed to encourage every club to a higher standard of excellence in promoting their canines and club activities to both the membership and more importantly, to the general public thereby helping to dilute any anti-dog sentiment or breed specific resentment.
Comments from the Regional Directors in particular or any other of the addressees is much welcome prior to the information being circulated to the clubs and the membership. This will be done by next week.
It is envisaged that all nominations will be submitted by end of August 2008 and that the selection by the Regional Selection Committee will be completed by end September 2008. The winning clubs will be determined by October 15, 2008 so that awards can be made in November 2008 based on compliance with the criteria in 2007.
Details of the process and procedure are laid out below. This is also given in the attachment. Our thanks to all members of the GEC and in particular Marnie Rose and Melinda Dalby who led this effort. We are also grateful to other USA members who vetted the drafts and provided positive and constructive input.
Regards
Rifky Mackeen
Chair - GEC
Tel 201-220-7000
.......................
Nomination Process
A club may nominate themselves for the award or Members of the Regional Selection Committee ("RSC" - see below) can also nominate to the pool, a Club or Clubs, which in their opinion are worthy of consideration. All such nominations should be sent to the RSC and copied to the Chair of the General Education Committee.
Selection Process
Regional Directors' Award
A Regional Selection Committee ("RSC") consisting of the Regional Director, the Regional Breed Warden and Regional Training Director will be tasked with ensuring that all such clubs so nominated are evaluated using the selection criteria laid out below. In their due diligence process they may need consult the Judges Committee and the Board of Inquiry as well.
A simple majority vote is taken in case there is a tie and the Club which in the opinion of the RSC has the highest score by conforming/meeting with most of the selection criteria will be submitted to the General Education Committee ("GEC") for final evaluation and confirmation. The decision of the GEC determined by a simple majority vote of all GEC members is final and binding.
In keeping with the spirit of these awards; the GEC does not expect nor will it entertain any appeals from Clubs which consider that they have not had been fairly judged by the Regional Selection Committee.
President's Award
A Selection Committee consisting of the President, Vice President, Secretary and two active members of the GEC will choose, by simple majority approval, one of the Regional Clubs as the winner of the Presidents Award. This nomination will also need simple majority approval of all members of the GEC. The Club so selected maybe the one having the highest score but given the regional bias or weighting; the Selection Committee will take other aspects into consideration.
Form of Awards
Regional Directors Award
-Plaque/Trophy for Club House
-Certificates for Club and members and/or Pins/Badges for each member
-Cash award of $150 to be used for the purchase of equipment.
Presidents Award
- "GEC" Challenge Trophy
- Plaque/Trophy for Club House
- Certificates for Club and members and/or Pins/Badges for each member
- Cash award of $250 to be used for the purchase of equipment or to subsidize the entry fee into any National event.
Selection Criteria for Regional Directors Award
1-Compliance with USA rules:
The club can have NO valid Board of Inquiry complaints against it.
A published list of club officers is required.
1 point
5 pts for having a Club Legislative Liaison to handle Breed Specific Legislation or Anti Dog legal issues.
Annual membership fees?
1 point for $500 or above, 2 pts for $400 and above, 3 pts for $300 and above, 4 pts for $200 and above and 5 pts for under $200
Availability of a helper training program?
o 5 pts
2- Community Activity:
Education and helper demos orchestrated by the club for the membership.
1 pt per demo for the calendar year with an additional 5 pts awarded if there are more than 5 such demo's held in the same calendar year. These points will be doubled if these programs are targeted at the general public.
Recognition of volunteer work done with recognized rescues/ and shelters/ individuals.
2 pts per entity.
3-Member Demographics
How many H.O.T. s and Youth Members (with Sch 1) are in the club?
Points awarded will be based on the following grid for number of HOT and Youths ( as a percentage of the total Club membership)
Take the total number of qualifying HOT's and Youths and express it as a percentage of the total membership.
E.g. 3 qualifying HOT's and 1 qualifying Youth in Club with membership population of 25.
Percentage is 4/25 times 100 = 16 %.
Points awarded from grid = 3
Percentage Points awarded
1 -10 1
11-20 3
21 -30 5
31 - 40 7
41 - 50 9
51 - 60 11
61 - 70 14
71 - 80 17
Over 81 20
Availability of a Youth program?
o 1 pt per youth participating.
Are all breeds allowed?
o 10 pts
Is there a program encouraging membership in the USA for non-Club visitors and observers?
o 5 pts
4-What is the number of and quality of trials and conformation shows?
o 1 pt per trial, 1 pt per conformation shows?
o 2 pts for shows or trials held and considered of above average standard as determined by the Judge.
5-Good Sportsmanship
Good conduct by club members not just at their own club trial, but at other trials as well. The RSC will use their own criteria to make such a determination.
Any valid complaints or negative comments against the Club by Judges, Members or Public brought to the attention of any of the members of the RSC.
o Minus 3 pt per negative comment from a Judge.
o Minus 2 pt per negative comment from a Member of the Public
o Minus 1 pt per negative comment from a Member of the USA.
Other Comments
Presidents Award - The main prize for this award will be called the GEC Challenge Trophy until a corporate sponsor is found to underwrite the annual cost of these awards. The 2008 Awards are being budgeted at around $2000/$2500 and will be underwritten by the GEC until such sponsor is found. The GEC's name will be replaced by the sponsor's name (e.g. Royal Canin Challenge Trophy). The Trophy is a "Challenge" Trophy and will be returned by the winning Club after one year. The winner's details will be suitably inscribed in the base of the Trophy on an ongoing basis.
It is envisaged that the awards will be offered annually based on compliance with the selection criteria in the preceding year. For instance the 2008 awards will be based on applying the criteria for activities in 2007.
The 2008 awards will be presented at the Annual Meeting scheduled for November 2008 and so on. There will be deadlines laid for submission of each phase of the award process.
It is also probable that the GEC may change the selection criteria for each Award year based on feedback as to how practical they are in application.
Regions could, if they so desire, elect to notparticipate in these awards. This decision will be made by the Regional Selection Committee and submitted to the GEC.
Any interpretation of the Rules and criteria will be made by the GEC.
Winning Clubs can publish their awards in any media meant to promote the interests of the Club and the USA. Likewise the GEC will also publish such details in the Magazine, Website and Blog and in other media to showcase such activity and such Clubs.
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