MINUTES OF THE ALSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING OCTOBER 14, 2003

 

 

 

Present

 

            Dick Sheehan, President

            Dwayne Flinn, Vice President

            Jeff Jones, Treasurer

            Carolyn Myers, Secretary

            Carolann Evans, Director

            Sandy Wickham, Director

            Niki Kuklenski, Director

            Cheryl Ryberg, Executive Secretary

 

 

CALL TO ORDER

 

            Motion made by Jeff Jones to approve the September minutes as written.

Seconded by Sandy Wickham.  Following a vote, the motion passed.

 

Treasurer's Report

 

            Investment Account          $  54,020.18

            Checking Account             $  36,680.81

                    Scholarship Account         $   9,638.49*

 

*Scholarship paid out this month for Jessica Rothering

 

            Regionals have received their premium monies and three regions have

            returned their entry monies. 

 

The entry money from the fleece show has not yet been returned to

 the office.

 

            The Rocky Mountain Regional spent $13,033.98 and collected $11,320,

            resulting in a loss of $1710.  These figures are subject to verification

            when the superintendent's income/expense report is received. 

 

            Grand National has received a total of $18,000 to date.

 

Executive Secretary's Report

 

            No report.

 

Old Business

 

            A.            Communications

 

                        1.  Susan Ravan's letter regarding obstacle cart driving at

                             regionals and nationals was referred to the performance,

                             regional and national committees.

 

                        2.  Marilyn Nenni's letter regarding suggested changes to age

                             breakout for youth divisions was referred to the youth committee.

 

                        3.  Correspondence from Phyllis Wycoff, Debbie Shellabarger,

                             Hank Kauffman and Tami Lash regarding the ALSA fee increase

                             were referred to the web site for an explanation.  In addition,

                             an explanation will be included in the mailing for membership

                              renewals for 2004.

 

                        4.  Tami Lash's inquiry regarding Adult Showmanship not being

                              included in the Regionals or Nationals.   This will happen in

                              2004, the first full year the new class will be in the handbook.

 

                        5.  Donley Gardner's letter regarding qualification for regionals

                             and nationals was referred to the regional and national

                             committees.

 

                        6.  Susan Tellez's e-mail to an individual board member was not

                             considered an official correspondence to the board.

 

                        7.  Correspondence from Virginia Christenson, Linda Rogers,

                             Wendy Cummins, Deb Garvin, Debby Ullrich and Nelson

                             Leonard regarding the suri class were considered by the

                             board before making a decision.  President Sheehan will

                             send letters to each of the above.

 

                        8.  Petition from Joanne Pottebaum was turned down and she

                             was contacted by Cheryl Ryberg

 

                        9.  Karen Fenker's petition was approved by the board.

 

 

 

 

            B.  ALSA Budget

 

                        President Sheehan will post an explanation of the new fee

                        structure on the web site and will include information

                        gathered by Cheryl Ryberg from the records.  Fee increases

                        for youth and judges dues were not included in the September

                        motions.  Motion made by Jeff Jones, seconded by Carolann

                        Evans, to raise youth membership to $25 and judges dues to

                        $50.  Following a vote, the motion passed.

 

            C.  ILR Certificates

 

                        ILR has agreed to put ALSA information on the ILR

                        certificates.  Cheryl Ryberg will contact Jan Wassink,

                        ILR Registrar, regarding transfer and verification of

                        points.

 

New Business

 

            A.  Face to Face Meeting at Nationals

 

                        Meeting will be held at Nationals, beginning at 8a.m.

on Thursday,  November 6th, and is scheduled for the entire

day.

 

B.  Showring

 

                        Dwayne Flinn will present Gayle Woodsum's contract

                        proposal to serve as editor of Showring at the face-to-

                        face meeting in Lincoln, November 6th.

                       

            C.  Financials for all regionals

 

                        Dwayne Flinn will gather all financial information from

                        each region and present to the board at the meeting  in

                        Lincoln, November 6th.

 

            D.  Suri Class

 

                        Motion made by Carolann Evans, seconded by Carolyn Myers,

                        to begin a suri class in 2004.  Based upon recommendations

                        received from the Suri Committee, Judges Committee and

                        members, it will be a separate halter class and judging will

                        be based on conformation as outlined in the handbook for

                        other wool division halter classes.  The guidelines will be

                        presented at the open meeting at Nationals.  Following a

                        vote, the motion passed unanimously.

 

Committee Reports

 

            Alpaca Committee

 

                        ALSA national Alpaca show will be held the weekend of

                        October 18th.

 

            Education Committee

 

                        Will send information regarding youth judging

 

            Ethics Committee

 

                        No report

 

            Fiber Committee

 

                        37 fleeces were entered at the regional show

                        $1000 was raised for sponsorship

 

            Grand National Committee

 

                        Nationals are on schedule

 

            Handbook Committee

 

                        Gayle Woodsum reports that the handbook changes are at

                        the printer and have been sent to the ALSA office.

 

            Judges Committee

 

                        A.            Carol Hicks has requested recertification as a

                                    Level III judge via continuing education credits.

                                    The committee reviewed the request and found

                                    that she had accumulated sufficient points for

                                    recertification.  There are no adverse comments

                                    in her file, and she has adequately addressed an

                                    issue of show cancellations with the committee.

                                    Therefore, Mrs. Hicks meets the criteria for

                                    recertification. 

 

 

 

 

                        B.            With respect to the complaint of a standing rule

                                    violation by Susan Tellez, the committee makes

                                    the following recommendation:  After discussion

                                    with Ms. Tellez, who adamantly defends her

                                    position with regard to an ILR ruling and has

                                    instituted an appeal of such ruling, the committee

                                    feels it would be premature and imprudent to

                                    take any punitive action until such time as the

                                    appeal has been concluded.  Although the board

                                    discussed that the ILR does not have an appeal

                                    process, the board agreed with the judges committee

                                    recommendation.

 

                        C.            With respect to the complaint of standing rules

                                    violations by Penny Davidson, Tami Lash and

                                    Toni Knie, the committee find that this complaint

                                    is totally without merit.  The show was delayed

                                    due to severe weather.  Torrential downpours

                                    forced the show superintendent (Penny Davidson)

                                    to find a protected venue for what was to have

                                    been an outdoor show.   As to a mother caring for

                                    her baby, this is a situation that does not bear

                                    comment.  Both the judge (Toni Knie) and the

                                    exhibitor (Tami Lash) deny any inappropriate

                                    contact between judge and exhibitor before the show. 

                                    The complaint relative to the performance course

                                    was simply a situation of a judge giving an exhibitor

                                    the opportunity to allow an animal to leave the

                                    course with a positive experience rather than a

                                    negative one.  The obstacle had already been scored

                                    and the additional "attempt" had no effect on the

                                    score or final placement. 

 

                        D.            The Suri Division.  The committee continues to

                                    recommend that ALSA institute a Suri Llama

                                    Division effective with the 2004 show season.

                                    The division would be judged before light,

                                    medium and heavy wool divisions.  Animals

                                    would be placed in the division based upon

                                    "type," with heavy emphasis on fleece

                                    characteristics.  For at least the first year this

                                    division would be judged on "a comparative

                                    basis, using the lists of positive and negative

                                    traits and list of serious faults."  The judging

                                    would be based on "soundness and conformation."

                                    The committee further proposes that, as early as

                                    is practical in 2004, a facilitated judges' conference

                                    be held to address, among other issues, additions

                                    to the Suri Llama judging criteria, including fleece.

                                    This conference would also include appropriate

                                    industry representatives, e.g., representatives of

                                    the ALSA Board of Directors, the Suri Committee,

                                    the Suri Llama Association, the International Lama

                                    Registry, etc. 

 

For 2004 the committee proposes the following as a

                                     working definition of a Suri Llama for the purposes

                                     of determining class eligibility:

 

                                    Suri llamas have a naturally balanced athletic body type,

                                    which may appear more narrow than llamas of other fiber

                                    types when viewed from the front or rear aspect.  The

                                    fleece of a suri llama hangs and drapes over the llama's

                                    body, usually forming a natural part along the spine.

                                    The fibers are grouped into a very distinctive and

                                    well-defined lock structure, which is indicated by the many

                                    individual separate locks of fiber formed near the skin and

                                    carrying out to the ends of each lock.  The fleece should be

                                    lustrous, the locks consistent in size, and the degree of wave

                                    or spiral consistent throughout.

 

Motion made by Carolann Evans, seconded by Dwayne Flinn, to adopt the Judges Committee's recommendations.  Following a vote, the motion passed.

 

Membership Committee

 

                        The committee made a proposal to send a letter to

                        members that have not renewed.  In addition, the

                        committee made a proposal to send a letter to welcome

                        new members.

 

            Nominating Committee

 

                        No report

 

            Performance Committee

 

                        Jeff Jones made a motion, seconded by Dwayne Flinn,

                        that Wally Baker be accepted as the new chairperson

                        of the Performance Committee.  Following a vote, the

                        motion passed.

 

            Planning & Policy Committee

 

                        The committee is working on removing ambiguities

                        in the wording of the standing rules.

 

            Protest Committee

 

                        Two protests are currently being investigated.

 

            Publications Committee

 

                        A contract will be discussed at Nationals at the

                        face to face meeting.

 

            Regionals Committee

 

                        The regionals are currently underway across the country.

 

            Youth Committee

 

                        Scholarship participants have been chosen by the board

                        and will be announced at Nationals.  Niki Kuklenski has

                        contacted all applicants via phone and e-mail to let them

                        know the outcome of the awards.

 

            Suri Group

 

                        President Sheehan will discuss with the group what the

                        board has decided with regard to a suri class.

 

Motion made by Jeff Jones, seconded by Sandy Wickham, to adjourn.  Following a vote, the motion passed.

 

THE NEXT BOARD MEEETING IS SCHEDULED

 FOR NOVEMBER 6th AT 8:00 O'CLOCK A.M.,

 IN LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

Carolyn Myers, Secretary