“For those who are contemplating stepping up, good for you. Be strong. Be confident. Don’t hesi- tate to speak up when something is not right. Speak for all of the membership, and for the good of the club.”
formed to encourage and promote quality in the breeding of pure-bred dogs and to do all possible to bring their natural qualities to perfection. For those who chose not to step up, it’s okay. You have your reasons. There is something you can do though. Don’t be so quick to jump on the bandwagon of disdain towards those working. Be positive. Tell them whenever they do something that enhances your ex- perience at a dog show. Praise them for a job well done. Offer to help out on the show weekend. You would be surprised how just the smallest thing can be a huge help when just a small group of people are responsible for every detail of the weekend. The show doesn’t’ just happen. There is a year of planning and work that goes into each weekend. It takes a team of people to pull it off. If you have the chance to be just a small part of that team, take it. You will be glad that you did. If you can keep what is best for the club as your goal, you may not be the most popular, but you will be doing “it” the right way.
and they lay low—and the club suffers. Over the last thirteen years I have spoken with many, many club mem- bers who used to be involved but aren’t any more. They all tell me the same thing. They are weary of being beaten over the head and they just want to go back to enjoying their dogs. I didn’t understand then, but I do now. I amnot a person who has ever quit on something I started. I won’t do that now either. But I do hear you, and I do understand. For those who are contemplating stepping up, good for you. Be strong. Be confident. Don’t hesitate to speak up when something is not right. Speak for all of the membership, and for the good of the club. Don’t get pulled into acting on something just for the good of a small group of people. Each and every decision the board makes must be made while doing what is best for the club. No individual or group of individuals should benefit directly from changes made to the club. It is a tough line to hold. You will be pulled in many directions. Your club was
nonexistent. Helpful suggestions are not shared. Criticism flows freely and it can get quite ugly. Being President or on the Board of a National Parent club is a tough, tough job. It is not one for the faint of heart. You are every- one’s friend when you first come on board. Everyone thinks that you will be the one to fix the (perceived) prob- lems. Then after a little while, people start to figure out that they can’t ma- nipulate you to do things their way. They realize that you aren’t going to look the other way when they act out. They don’t like it when you are direct with them. They don’t like it when you stand up for the little guy. All of a sudden you are the bad guy. You are the problem. Factions start working against you and fingers get pointed. Cliques start forming and misin- formation is spread. The average member who is not involved in club leadership sees this, and they stay away. They don’t want to have the fin- gers pointing at them, and they don’t want to hear the angry rhetoric being thrown around, so they stay quiet,
42 • T op N otch T oys , J anuary 2020
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