PBGA Delegates Meeting Minutes

Saturday, January 14, 2006

Dunnstown, PA

 

Attendance:

Central                                                                        Dave Sharer

Carlisle                                                            Mark Malloy

Conemaugh Valley                                         John Hudak, Jr.

Eldred                                                                         Jodi Fish

Elizabethtown                                                 John Gibble

Indiana County                                               Kevin McEwen

Jacobus                                                            Todd Seitz

Lebanon                                                          Gary Keller

Lycoming                                                        Daniel Flexer

Lykens Valley                                                 Josh Herring

Mason Dixon                                                  Don Hott

Monroe                                                            Edgar Burdette

Northern Lancaster                                         Len Wert

Oil Creek                                                         Stan Hepler

Rainbow                                                          Gary DeFoor

Rayburn                                                          Dan Zerick

Sharpsville                                                       Doug Pears

Susquehanna                                                   Scott Dennis

Towanda                                                         Gary Siegfred

Tunkhannock                                                  Joe Kaschak

Webster                                                           Ron Hawk

West Branch                                                   Stan Breon

York & Adams                                               Rick Merkel

 

Absent: Breakneck, Pucketos.

 

I.          Call to Order                                                                        

       Meeting was called to order by outgoing President Scott Dennis.

 

II.        Approval of Minutes                                                            

            Motion to accept minutes: Dan Zerick and Stan Hepler

 

III.       Officers’ and Director’s Reports                            

a.       Outgoing President Scott Dennis

Scott thanked the delegates for their support while he held office.  Scott is confident Sam Lauchman will serve the PBGA well.  Sam discussed the PBGA’s 1st order of business: Vacancy of EVP, Mark Malloy, approved by delegates. 

 

b.      Eastern Vice President, Mark Malloy

Sam Lauchman appointed Eastern Vice President Mark Malloy.  Mark has been an officer of Carlisle for over 10 years and is open to field questions. 

 

 

c.       Western Vice President, Gary DeFoor

Gary will assume the role of Field Trial Chairman and will maintain the field trial schedule.

 

      d.   Secretary, Jared Shade

Jared was happy to see the amount of participation at today’s meeting.  Jared thanked Scott for his leadership and is looking forward to another successful year with the PBGA. 

 

      e.   Treasurer’s Report, Dave Sharer

Results and per capita is important, raffle participation at Run Off trials. 

                        Motion to pay bills: Scott Dennis and Len Wert

                        Treasurer’s Report: See attached

 

f.       Director of Communications, Tina Grim

Tina thanked Scott for his time with the PBGA.  A card for Eddie Thompson (Tri-Tronics Rep) will be distributed as his brother has recently passed away.  The new PBGA Directories are available for pick-up.  The Field trial cards for clubs are also available. 

 

g.      Board of Directors

Sam introduced the Board of Directors to the delegates.  Sam introduced Sara Sharer and thanked her for her support in tallying the PBGA consistency points.  Sam thanked Rick Merkel for his support in his help with raffle prizes for the PBGA.  Rick will take lead on the raffle prizes. 

                                                                             

IV.             Committee Reports

a.       Political Awareness:   

Tina discussed the need for a chairperson.  Tina received a call from a gentleman from the Fox and Coyote Hunters regarding Electronic Training Devices and House Bill 1911.  Kelly Durkin from Lykens Valley Beagle Club is a lobbyist from Harrisburg that will keep PBGA updated on progress.  John Gibble summarized the bill as requirements of shelter for dogs such as tethers; kennel requirement should be 10’ X 10’ etc.  John also summarized the PAWS legislation.  Committee will be Kelly Durkin, Tina Grim, and John Gibble.  There will be a meeting next Sunday at the Harrisburg Game Commission office for the general public to convey their concerns about any PGC issues, including setting standards on Electronic Training Devices.  Tina summarized standards and requested anyone interest in giving input to the Game Commission should attend the meeting.   

                                                              i.      House Bill 1911: Doug Pears recommended movement on Bill.  John Gibble made a Motion that Political Awareness Committee will develop letter to be signed by the PBGA President.  The motion was seconded by Stan Hepler.  Motion Passed.

                                                            ii.      Electronic Training Devices:   Motion made by Stan Breon and seconded by Stan Hepler to approve proposed #141.18 Permitted Devices. (3) Electronic devices used for locating dogs while training or hunting, including such devices as e-collars, radio-telemetry dog tracking systems, and beeper collars.  But, we do NOT support the last sentence currently attached to this proposal:  “Use of these devices for the direct or indirect purpose of locating game is not permitted.”     

 

b.      Show Seminars                                                          

Sam Lauchman and Dave Sharer reported the Cathy and Ginny are interested in having a seminar this year.  Clubs interested should contact Cathy or Ginny.

 

c.       Hall of Fame Committee                                           

Sam reported lack of votes from clubs was a concern.  Sam suggested participating in Hall of Fame voting.   

 

      d.   Banquet (2006)                                                          

            Dave Sharer reported a total of 53 attendees slated for attendance at tonight’s Banquet.  

 

      e.   Directory (2006)                                                         

Tina reported Directories are available tonight.  Corrections should be reported to Tina immediately.  Changes to the Field Trial schedule should be forwarded to Gary DeFoor.  Tina will communicate necessary changes via email and the website. 

 

                  f.    Website                                                                      

Corrections and suggestions should be forwarded to Tina.  Updated Running Rules and By-Laws are available.   

 

                  g.   Field Trial Committee                                                

Gary will field questions and concerns on the Field Trial Schedule.  Field Trial schedule is published in the PBGA Directory and the website.                                           

                       

V.        Old Business

                  a.   All-Age Championship Trial Review 

Sam reported 220 Qualified Hounds for Championship Trial and 104 Entries at Trial included 34 Field Champions and hounds from 7 different States.  Sam requested feedback on prizes of Raffle.  Stan Breon had positive feedback on prizes.  Dave Sharer suggested a prize for Show places.  Scott Dennis reported his pleasure with entries and prizes.   Scott suggested the qualifying dates and Licensed Trial places for the “run off” need to be clarified.  Charlie Flexer suggested clarification on Field Champion “buy in”. 

 

                  b.   Tri-Tronics Donation & Raffle                                  

Sam reported this past year provided an income of $1480.00 which all was put toward the Prizes for the Consistency and Championship prizes.  Rick Merkel solicited feedback on suggestion for prizes.  Rick thanked clubs for supporting the ticket sales.  The report for this year will be reported at the June Delegate Meeting. 

 

                  c.   Purina and the PBGA                                                

Tina reported our pleasure with Purina with their donations.  Donations are as follows: $500 towards trophies, two fifty pound bags to raffle, two fifty pound bags to feed the hounds at both of our championship trials.  Grand Total of 9,200 lbs of dog food for a total of $3,128.00 in donations from Purina.  Our contract and agreement has been signed with Purina.  Stan Breon was concerned about the dog food certificates.  Tina suggested taking concerns to Mike Luchetta.  Tina recommended clubs run Purina High Points trials.  Gary DeFoor suggested Sams Club for purchase of Purina.    

 

d.      Consistency Award                                                   

Sam asked clubs to be sure to report Sire and Dam on reports.  Sam also asked for suggestions to improve entries at PBGA Qualifying trials.  Sam suggested expanding the prizes beyond Most Consistent and Runner-Up.  .John Gibble suggested an incentive for a number of points obtained by a hound.  Charlie Flexer suggested an “Outstanding Hound” Award.  Sam suggested Mark Malloy and Rick Merkel work on suggestions from the delegates.  Sam would like this topic to be worked on for this year’s consistency.  

 

e.       Shamokin Beagle Club                                              

Shamokin applied to the PBGA at the October meeting.  They have held their observation trial in November.  Gary Siegfred was the observer in behalf of the PBGA.  Sam also received the results from the PBGA Qualifier.  All reports were positive.  Sam communicated the concern and challenge of the date conflict.  John Kopp is the representative.  John Kopp reported that 20 Shamokin member hounds have been entered in the PBGA Championship trial while running their trial on the same weekend as the Championship Trial. 

The following suggestions were proposed:

·         Stan Breon suggested a By-Law change to move the PBGA Championship date. 

·         Len Wert suggested the possibility of alternating running-order and keep both dates as is.  He also offered N. Lancaster’s December date for consideration (no one seemed interested in a December trial date).

·         John Gibble mentioned that the PBGA has moved the Championship date to accommodate both Carlisle Beagle Club [Note: previous minutes cannot verify this is accurate] and Central Beagle Club. 

·         Dave Sharer mentioned his concern of the 20 entries and what kind of support we would receive from Shamokin from when the Championship trial is held in the Western part of the state. 

·         Stan Breon made a motion for the following running rules to be temporarily suspended to eliminate the date conflict.

PBGA Running Rules Section H: PENNSYLVANIA BEAGLE GUNDOG CHAMPIONSHIP:  The All-Age Championship Trial will be held on the second full weekend in October, unless due to an AKC schedule that conflicts with the PBGA All-Age Championship Trial date.  The Derby Championship Trial will be held the third weekend of June. These trials shall rotate from East to West in alternating years.  No PBGA member club will schedule an AKC Licensed trial, and AKC sanctioned trial, PBGA qualifier or other events on the dates of the PBGA Championship Trials.

·         Donald Hott suggested the possibility of Shamokin moving their October licensed trial date (since Shamokin has two licensed trials) to share with a nearby club and run opposite classes. 

·         Tina clarified the current Running Rules relevant to the issue. [Running rules H., 1st paragraph, last sentence:  “No PBGA member club will schedule an AKC Licensed Trial, an AKC sanctioned trial, PBGA qualifier or other events on the dates of the PBGA Championship Trials.”

·         Scott Dennis suggested approving their membership is a benefit to the PBGA and proposed allowing both to retain the same dates. 

·         John Gibble mentioned the NEBGF championship date may be an alternative suggesting it may move. 

·         Shamokin made the suggestion to possibly change their licensed trial date to October 29th, 2006.  This will conflict with Pucketos Beagle Club’s All –Age Qualifier date, but since Shamokin is in the east and Pucketos in the west, this is not a date conflict.

·         Representatives from the Shamokin Beagle Club will have to take these suggestions to their membership meeting for consideration.

·         Stan Breon withdrew motion. 

·         Shamokin will remain on probation for one year and they should not schedule a Derby date at this time.        

·         No resolution was achieved at this meeting, but the end result was that Shamokin will take back to their club the proposal of moving their licensed trial date to the end of October (or some other possible date)           

 

f.       PBGA Audit                                                              

Dave Sharer reported the PBGA audit will be complete at the completion of today’s meeting. 

 

VI.       New Business

            a.         Apprentice Judging Seminar                                      

                        Rick Merkel presented a premise and outline for the Apprentice Program.  See Attached

Scott Dennis thought the outline is well presented.  Tina suggested in addition to the outline a mentoring system.  Many delegates agreed the program has value.  John Gibble suggested the possibility to teaming with the AKC.  Rick responded that the Apprentice Seminar should succeed the AKC seminar [Note that Merkel has conferred with Mel Stewart from AKC and they are insistent such a seminar would be beneficial but it definitely needs to be done AFTER an AKC judging seminar so there is no confusion about the two seminars].  Scott Dennis offered a free ad in Houndwork Beagle Magazine to show his support of the seminar.   A club interested in holding the seminar should contact Rick Merkel.  Len Wert made a motion to accept the program which was seconded by Stan Breon.        

 

b.         PBGA Sponsors                                                         

Sam asked if the belt buckles were well received.  The delegates agreed they enjoyed the belt buckle prize.  Dan Zerick donated his previous 4-10 shotguns winnings back to the PBGA.  Current prizes consist of the two 4-10 shotguns and a Two Dog Tri-Tronics Training Collar.    

            Eldred Beagle Club will be holding an AKC judging seminar on April 2, 2006. 

 

c.         2006 Derby Championship/Prizes/ Judges                                                                                                      The trial will be held at York & Adams Beagle Club on June 17 & 18, 2006. 

            Judges as voted on by delegates:

            East                             West                            Apprentice                  Show

            Todd Seitz                  Matt Minnick              Ryan Becker (East)     Jim Dowd

            John Gibble                 Ed Sankey                   Bud Fisher (West)       Bob Stola

            Eric Shive                    Dan Zerrick                 Stephanie Flick (West)

                                                                        Mike Johnson (East)

 

East 4 way tie: Rick Merkel (withdrew), Gary Keller, Edgar Burdette (withdrew), Chris Sinskey.  Gary Keller won the tiebreaker for the East as pulled from a hat. 

 

West 4 way tie: Larry Masters, Dan Lanning, Doug Pears, Gary Marichaior.  Larry Masters won the tiebreaker for the West as pulled from a hat. 

 

d.                  NEBGF/BAC Info                                                    

NEBGF: The NEBGF website is under construction.  www.nebgf.org   The NEBGF Championship trial will be held June 5th and 6th at Susquehanna Valley Beagle Club.   The NEBGF FC only trial may be eliminated.  The NEBGF may not have AKC Licensed trials qualify unless results aren’t submitted.     

BAC: The North East delegates will be Rick Merkel, Gary DeFoor, and John Gibble for the upcoming meeting.  AKC was not interested in entertaining a 200 Mile Distance addendum.  AKC National Trial: Todd Seitz and Larry Masters will be representing the North East. 

 

e.                   Other New Business                                                  

John Gibble asked if anyone has any issues with the Snare Traps to make the PBGA aware.  The Stroudsburg School District was looking to foreclose on Monroe Beagle Club’s property.  Monroe Beagle Club entered into a conservation easement and were successful in their efforts. 

 

VII.          Adjournment

Motion: Stan Hepler seconded by Stan Breon.

 

 

           

 

 

Attachment II

PBGA Apprentice Judging Seminar

 

The PBGA has directed that a program be put together to amplify more clearly the running qualities and faults described in the AKC rulebook regarding the beagle and any hands on situations which arise during the course of a field trial.

 

One of the greatest challenges among judges in our sport is a unified concept of what actually constitutes good hound work.  The creators and early developers of the beagle were very sincere in their motives to instill only desirable qualities in the proper proportions to found a breed capable of performing the duties for which it was intended.

 

Probably the first step toward developing a program concerning this end would be first agreeing on just what we want our hounds to accomplish, and in this respect, there can be no greater goal than “accounting for his game.”  Anytime we settle for anything less than this accounting, we are lowering that standard necessary to maintain the usefulness of the breed.  Nothing succeeds like success, and one can conceive of no way that a hound can lose a rabbit and still be preferable from a useful standpoint, to one that doesn’t lose.

 

The cornerstone for the program therefore, is perfectly described by the governing body, the AKC, in the book “Beagle Field Trial Rules and Standard Procedures”, which states “The beagle is primarily a hunting hound and it’s object is to drive game in an energetic and decisive manner and show an animated desire to overtake it.”  The wording used in the above description of the beagle’s real purpose has been carefully selected and should be taken literally.  There are no hidden meanings and no reason for anyone to try to read between the lines.  It is all there and nothing has been left out. 

 

Once we have made up our minds to insist on, and never be satisfied with anything less than a satisfactory accounting of the quarry, we should rid ourselves of the fallacy that method, without accomplishment, is preferable to accomplishment without perfection.

 

In exploring the qualities and faults of houndwork more closely, the AKC purposely uses terms that are flexible and necessarily so because the situations they apply to and the conditions they occur under are never the same.  Rabbit chases are like fingerprints.  There are no two exactly alike.  There are similarities but no duplicates. 

 

Speed, slowness, closeness and reaching are all good hound qualities when used under conditions that permit or require their use.  Under any other conditions or carried to extremes, any or all of them become faults.  The hound that does not move as fast as conditions permit is just as faulty as the one that moves faster than practical.  The hound that remains close and refuses, or doesn’t have sense enough to reach out when all exploration near the point of loss has proven fruitless, is almost as faulty as the one that makes his reach without first exploring the possibilities near the check.  Therefore, speed, slowness, closeness and reaching are types of actions that should be applied in the portion conducive to producing the best results under the circumstances.

 

Any hound quality remains a quality only in proportion to which it gets results.  Likewise, any method is good only in proportion to the accomplishments it ensures.  Invariably, in any long chase, you will find times when rapid progress is possible, slowness is practical, closeness is desirable and reaching is necessary.  The intelligent hound, to make the best progress along the trail, will realize these situations and handle them accordingly.  We don’t want to help produce judges that are so steadfast in theories of hound work that they will not be willing to accept an intelligent piece of hound work because it does not coincide with their conceived ideals. 

 

It is therefore the goal of the PBGA judging program to help judges develop a balanced scorecard of hound merits and demerits in establishing steadiness of progress throughout the running of game.  This steadiness of progress will indicate a lack of faultiness or a minimum of mistakes being made by the hounds during the run.  On the other hand, failure to maintain steady progress will indicate to what extent hounds have erred or were faulty and this will be the basis for criticizing them.

 

To accomplish this end the PBGA judging program outline is as follows:

  1. Discussion of merits and demerits.  It will be emphasized that the merit of any action should be determined by the results obtained by that action and the demerit for any action determined by how much it interfered with or failed to contribute to satisfactory results.
  2. Discussion on developing a score card.  There are several different ones that work well and discussion of different types would be useful.  Examples will be provided.
  3. Live field demonstrations of score card with veteran judges explaining where and when they score.  Direct feedback situation with a final written analysis provided by pupil to see what was learned and where clarification needs to be stressed.
  4. Discussion of method or style that are (not) in the rulebook and are detrimental to the preference to accounting for game.   Such negative judging as:  running too much rabbit, dying beautifully at the check, he beat me from behind, and duck walking.  It will be stressed here that control of the line does not necessarily mean having the line tucked between the legs or accounting for every footprint, but rather that a hound has control of the line when he knows where it is, how fast it can be followed and then uses this knowledge to make the best accurate progress along it.  Satisfactory results are the primary goal, method is secondary.  Improper methods do not get results regularly, and methods that produce no results, no matter how fascinating to watch, cannot sensibly be considered than those that do produce results, unless it is definitely apparent that the results were obtained through faultiness, luck or cheating. 
  5. Discussion on tips to help in determining good hound work such as:  getting marked lines, concentrating on individual dogs for a period of time, and selecting different terrain for a better view. 
  6. Discussion of dealing with handlers and gallery during the trial.  This will also deal with disciplinary action on the subject. 
  7. Discussion on measuring of hounds.  What a judges position is to the handler, holding hound properly, finding shoulders, dropping bar, and different scenarios you might encounter with measuring.

 

In conclusion, since hound perfection is nothing more than an ideal and it is impossible for all of us to have complete similar ideals, the surest way we can approach the problem of unifying our concepts of hound work is to accept the positive accomplishments arrived at in the surest and most sensible manner and refrain from being over critical of successful methods or tolerant of those that fail.  In other words, always give the hound complete benefit of any doubt, but make him produce.  All that has been mentioned is designed to be the introduction and outline of the PBGA proposed judging program.  Any suggestions or ideas of direction should be discussed among the PBGA delegates to approve either its stated form or revision.  A vote then needs to be taken to approve this program.