2008 NAC Agenda Items                                    Link to the Delegates Meeting Agenda Why should the Parent Club have to pay membership dues?  (Pat Bramwell) ******************************************************************************************************************************************************* From Connie Kieckhefer:   1.  Discuss update on conflict of interest - pro-client & client-pro judging scenarios.  What is the status of the proposed ruling on client not judging their pro that was approved by the Parent Club at the May 08 meeting?  When will this new ruling go into affect?   2.  Qualifications -  there are two parts to qualifying for the NAC.      a.  # of points required      b.  time period for qualifying,  closing of previous year to closing to current year.       3.  Closing date -  this has been anywhere from 10-12 days prior to the start of the NAC to 18-21 days prior to the start of the NAC. ********************************************************************************************************************************************************* NAC Judges Selection Procedures from Tim Edwards updated December 2 In the last several years, it seems that the process by which we select National judges has become increasingly complicated and confusing. Last year’s attempt to simplify the process was implemented only in part and had the unintended result of leaving the selection process vulnerable to manipulation. We would like to suggest a “common sense approach,” for consideration by the delegates. Acceptance of the proposal at this year’s delegates meeting would impact the selection of judges for the 2010 National. Acceptance of the proposal would also bring the time period for “eligibility” to vote on National Judges in line with the time period for “qualifying” to enter the National. The official announcement of “next year’s” NAC judges has traditionally been made at the delegates meeting and we see no reason to change it. Accordingly, this proposal sets the final selection and announcement of National Judges for 2010 to be done at the 2009 Delegates Meeting, as follows: Qualification for entering the 2009 National and voting on judges for the 2010 National: 1.      The Qualification period for entering the 2009 NAC will be from the closing date of entries for the 2008 NAC to the closing date for entries of the 2009 NAC, which should be no more than 21 days prior to the first day of the NAC. 2.    The Qualification points for entering the 2009 NAC will be determined by the delegates at their meeting this year.  For the 2008 NAC, it was 2 points.  3.    The owner of a dog qualified to enter the 2009 NAC will be entitled to cast one vote for the 2010 NAC judges. No owner may cast more than one vote, no matter the number of qualified dogs that he/she might own. If a qualified dog is co-owned, only one co-owner is entitled to cast the vote. In no instance will an owner be entitled to cast more than one vote. 4.    A dog that earns a second, third or fourth placement in the 2008 NAC is automatically qualified to enter the 2009 NAC, and the owner of such a dog will be entitled to cast one vote for the 2010 NAC Judges, subject to the “no owner may cast more than one vote” restriction. A dog that wins the NAC is automatically qualified to enter any subsequent NAC but that does not mean the dog will actually be entered, so we suggest the voting privileges of the owner of that dog be tied to the “active competition” status of the dog. For selection of the 2010 National Judges, this would mean that the owner of any past NAFC entered in the 2009 National, would be entitled to cast one vote, subject to the “no owner may cast more than one vote” restriction. An owner of such a dog would be entitled to cast one vote each year, as long as the dog was entered in the previous year’s NAC. 5.    The Secretary/Treasurer of the NAC will send the judges ballot for 2010 to owners of dogs meeting the above criteria during the summer of 2009.  Additional ballots can be issued along with the qualification package given to placing dogs during the 2009 Fall Trial Season. 6.    The judges ballot will consist of a listing of judges that has been reviewed and verified for meeting the criteria for a National Amateur Judge.  Each owner will vote for 6 judges on the list. 7.    Ballots will be returned to the Secretary/Treasurer (or another individual appointed by the delegates) no later than the closing date for entries for the 2009 NAC, at which time the ballots will be counted and the names of the top 10 vote getters announced officially. 8.    At the 2009 delegates meeting three of the ten names will be drawn, by use of a random selection process such as a “Powerball system.”  The first two names drawn will be the judges and the third name drawn will be the alternate for the 2010 NAC. Note on National Judges Criteria: A prospective National judge shall have judged at least 6 All-Age Field Trials (or 12 All-Age Stakes,) for English Springer Spaniels. Also, the prospective National judge must have handled a dog in two all-age licensed field trials in the US or Canada during the three year period prior to December 31 of the current year’s National.   For example, a person’s eligibility to be included on the judges ballot for 2010 will have been determined as of 12/31/08.  Also, by May 2009, the prospective judge will have confirmed in writing to the Secretary/Treasurer his or her willingness to judge the 2010 NAC. Back to the NAC Main Page To essft.com