We know it’s not always easy to decipher the “official minutes” from ApHC Board of Directors meetings. Here’s a brief summary of decisions made at the June meeting in Jackson:
Policy/Rule changes effective immediately:
•The ApHC adopts the American Horse Council’s Welfare Code of Practice.
•Establish a Hall of Fame Committee to include non-director members and change the voting process to a yes-or-no ballot, with a two-thirds affirmative vote required for induction.
•ApHC resolves to establish a stronger relationship between the ApHC and the Appaloosa Horse Breeders Society of South Africa.
•Confirms that four judges will be used at the World Show in 2010 and beyond.
Policy/Rule changes effective January 1, 2011:
•Establishes that heritage class exhibitors are responsible for compliance with Federal laws regarding the use of feathers.
•Clarifies eligibility for Foundation Pedigree Designation.
•Endurance and limited distance competitions approved by ApHC will follow AERC guidelines; age requirement were adjusted — minimum of four years old to qualify for an ROM, five years old to qualify for a medallion.
•Novice youth points will be tabulated regardless of ownership status of the horse.
•Confirms that registration names must not conflict with previously reserved breeder, bloodline or ranch names; and the ApHC has discontinued the practice of reserving names for future use.
•ApHC will award a 1,000-mile Trail & Distance Medallion for recreational trail riding for horses enrolled in the Distance Program.
•Men’s and Ladies’ Heritage will be separate classes at ApHC-sponsored shows, but may be combined at regional shows at the discretion of show management. The new rule also substitutes “Appaloosa history” for the “old west period.”
•In single-judge, fee-waiver shows, non-Appaloosa horses may compete in the same class with ApHC registered horses at the discretion of show management. The rule further explains ApHC class placings and entries.
•Provides owners of Appaloosa race horses with the option of purchasing either a “Race Medallion Permit” ($100) or a Performance Permit prior to becoming eligible to earn medallion points.
•“Act of God” rule for regional clubs forced to reschedule a single-judge show. Allows the show to be combined with another previously-scheduled single-judge show approved under the fee-waiver provision.
•Establishes some flexibility for the CEO and Executive Committee to issue a Performance Permit to a non-characteristic Appaloosa born prior to 2007 that cannot be parentage verified.
•Reinforces guidelines for ApHC judges and outlines a procedure for notice, hearing and appeal of any Judges Committee action to consider revocation of a judge’s card.
•Establishes a “Limited Participation Membership” for use by an individual at one ApHC-approved or sponsored event except the National Show, World Show and Chief Joseph Trail Ride. The one-event membership fee is $15.
New and re-elected directors were sworn in Thursday night. Lori Richards, Parker, SD (Territory I) and Lonnie Ledbetter, Fort Worth, TX (Territory IV) were the new faces.
Officers elected to serve on the Executive Committee for the coming year incude: Chuck McWhirter – President; Steve Bennett – Vice President; Jack Zuidema – Finance Committee Chair; Diane Rushing – Rules Committee Chair; Laura Lyon – Planning & Review Committee Chair; and Lonnie Ledbetter – Marketing Committee Chair.
Two amendments to the Appaloosa Horse Club Bylaws have been approved by a vote of the members. The first involves adjusting the election schedule for directors so that voting each year will take place in September, October and/or November, with newly elected directors being seated at the spring meeting (usually March). Beginning in 2011, the nomination deadline will be shifted to July. Directors whose terms would normally expire in July of 2011 will continue to serve until the “regular” meeting in March, 2012.
The second amendment outlines a formal process for board member conduct, the review of such conduct and a board procedure for filing complaints, notice of hearing and potential removal from office of a director.
To review the full text of the amendments, visit the “association” link from appaloosa.com, then click on Board of Directors.
These are the winners in this year’s director election:
Territory I – Lori Ann Richards, Parker, SD
Territory II – Sandra Matthews, Colorado Springs, CO
Territory III – Diane Rushing, Decatur, IL (uncontested)
Territory IV – Jack Zuidema, Alachua, FL (uncontested)
Territory V – Tracy Meisenbach, Brookneal, VA (uncontested)
Territory VI – Chuck McWhirter, Newton, NJ
Results from voting on proposed bylaw amendments will be available next week (June 15th). The deadline was set later to allow for returns from Europe and beyond.
We know that some of you beyond the borders are just now receiving election/bylaw ballots in the mail. We did extend the deadline for international ballots to this Thursday June 10th. If you live outside the U.S. and have not received your ballot or if you anticipate that your ballot won’t arrive by the deadline, you have an option.
Request an electronic version of the ballot from Kendra at executiveassistant@appaloosa.com. We’ll include your membership number and you can then email your ballot to the election auditor directly (Kendra will give you the address and any other instructions.
Thanks!
We’ve heard reports of slow (bulk) mail delivery of ballots to ApHC members beyond the U.S. borders and we’ve had the trend confirmed by our election auditor based on slow returns. Because three territories/zones being contested this year involve voters from outside the country, ballots from those areas will be accepted up to and through next Thursday – June 10th. If you have not received a ballot, you should contact the ApHC office immediately. We can issue a replacement ballot by email.
We can tell you that in Territory IV, Zone A (Texas), where a special election was held to fill a vacant seat, Lonny Ledbetter has won.
The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) is holding a Special Election to fill a Board of Directors vacancy in Territory IV-Zone A. The unexpired term of the former director (Larry Baker has resigned due to relocation to another zone) extends through July 2011.
In order for a candidate’s name to appear on the special election ballot, candidates must file a petition with the Appaloosa Horse Club on or before April 10, 2010. The affidavit must be signed and notarized to be considered for nomination, as well as include a pertinent resume and photo. Declaration of Candidacy for the 2010 Special Election can be found at the ApHC official Web site, www.appaloosa.com. Click on the “Association” link, then the Board of Directors page, or call the ApHC Executive Assistant at 208-882-5578 ext. 274.
ApHC members in all territories must have renewed their membership by March 31, 2010 in order to be eligible to vote in the upcoming election and for bylaw changes on the ballot!
The ApHC Board of Directors Spring meeting will take place in Fort Worth, TX at the State National Insurance Company. The meeting will occur March 19-21.
Information regarding the meeting, including schedule, agendas, suggested accommodations and directions, will be made available online on the “Association” page as this information is developed.
In response to some inquiries we’ve had in the office, here are a few excerpts from the Board of Directors meeting last week in Jackson:
Offspring of erroneously registered parents
Amended and approved a motion to protect “innocent third-party owner(s)” of offspring that are the product of a breeding of previously eligible parents that took place prior to date of cancellation of the Certificate of Registration of such parent or parents, such offspring are eligible for registration; however, any previously issued Certificates of Registration for such offspring shall be recalled to designate the pedigree behind the ineligible or cancelled parent(s) as “Unknown.”
World Show qualifying
Effective September 1, 2009, An exception may be made to the one (1) National Point requirement if it is documented on forms requested from and provided by the ApHC and submitted by the owner of the horse by the World qualifying point cutoff deadline that the horse was entered and attempted in good faith to earn points under at least five (5) different judges in that class during that qualifying year but could not earn the required one (1) point due to lack of other entrants in that specific class.
Regional Club application
Charter application from Central Prairie Appaloosa Club in Illinois was not approved.
International Charters
Panama Appaloosa Association was approved as an International Affiliate of the ApHC.
The Dubai-Gulf Cooperative Council Club was approved as an International Affiliate of the ApHC, subject to receipt of required documentation by October 15, 2009.
APEX
The Board revised the APEX program to offer $10,000 payouts in the currently established APEX categories, but replaced Just for Pleasure with the NSBA World Championship in the Two-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure category for 2009. All other payouts are terminated. The program will be evaluated to determine any implementation beyond 2009.
CEO
The Board authorized the ApHC President to enter into an Employment Agreement to continue Steve Taylor’s employment as ApHC CEO effective August 1, 2009.
Registration
Increased registration fee for pedigreed gelding to $50, effective January 1, 2010.
Extended the Canadian re-registration window indefinitely.
We received our first National Show entries in the mail today. The entry deadline is May 11 and the stall reservation deadline is May 18.
Membership Annual Meeting – Tuesday, June 23, 1:00 p.m.
Regional Club Workshop – Wednesday, June 24, 9:00 a.m. (repeat at 2:00 p.m.)
Board of Directors Meeting – July 3 – July 5
Award Banquets
There are currently about 100 banquet attendees for each of the youth and open/non-pro award banquets. We will continue to accept reservations (without late fee penalty) through the end of April. Starting May 1 we’ll charge a late fee but will accept reservations up until 72 hours prior to the banquet when a final head count is due to the caterer.
One of the few ways ApHC directors get “paid” for their service on the Board is to receive a lifetime membership and jacket. Dave Schjeldahl, Idaho Falls, Idaho (Terriroty I), and Stacey Sordahl, Fairview, North Carolina (Territory 5), will be ending their term of service this summer. At the Board of Directors meeting in Moscow last week, each was presented with a jacket. They were also given our sincere thanks for making the commitment to the Appaloosa Horse Club.
It’s my guess that members don’t fully realize the investment of time, money and energy required to serve as a board member. Whether you live in their respective territories or not, I’ll suggest that it’s okay to communicate with directors to say “thanks” for their work, not just when things aren’t perfect.
Thank you Dave and Stacey!
It’s always important to have a variety of talent within the overall mix of people serving on an association’s board of directors. In this case, Dave Schjeldahl, Idaho Falls, Idaho, is a cowboy poet, musician and singer. He will be a retired ApHC director as of the summer meeting, so it was especially fun to get a dose of Dave’s specialty during a break in the action at last week’s board meeting.
Thanks, Dave, for your contributions to the Appaloosa Horse Club and for being such a good example of charm, cheer and dedication.
The schedule of activities for the ApHC Board of Directors meeting this week in Moscow included an informal discussion of the business climate and priorities to address in the new fiscal year, which begins April 1. Agenda items such as membership, breeding, registrations, youth programs, marketing and finances were all considered critical topics. The Regional Club and Trail Committees conducted brief workshops in preparation for tomorrows slate of regular committee sessions.
Day One of the ApHC Board of Directors meeting this week in Moscow included a presentation by representatives of the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. The facility is interested in hosting the Appaloosa National Show if or when the ApHC contract concludes in Jackson, Mississippi. The Board was given a preliminary look at expansion and improvement plans at the fairgrounds and an overview of the city itself. Specifics of an official proposal will be provided in July.
In the photo are Tony Biancalana, Director of Internal Operations for the Iowa State Fairgrounds and Appaloosa Horse Club director Dave Schjeldahl, from Idaho Falls, Idaho.
The ApHC Board will be meeting in Moscow next week. A tentative schedule, along with agenda and discussion items for various committees and the full board, can be found on the Web site at http://www.appaloosa.com/association/bod.htm.
It is important to note that several items of discussion and some specific recommendations that came out of last year’s town hall meetings are on the table. Our advisory committees have also been helpful in identifying issues of interest and/or concern. The challenge for directors — and with all of us these days — is to develop a clear set of priorities and address the topics that have the best potential for members, for fiscal management, for something beyond a temporary band-aid and for the benefit of our horses.
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