Members
Explore strategies to build and maintain a thriving dog club with engaged members, fresh ideas, and hidden assets.
Walter J. Sommerfelt
The Weekly Brief
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In our world of purebred dogs, we often hear of the struggles of many clubs to find and maintain a viable and active “working” membership. Do you ever wonder, “Why is that?”
If you look at the reports from the AKC, the overall participation rate in the various events appears to increase or maintain a relatively steady rate of entries and participation. We indeed have more events than in the past, so that alone is one of the reasons some events have seen a decline in entries while others have maintained and even increased from year to year.
All of us who participate in AKC events see which clubs have a great group of workers, while others find it difficult to have the five people needed for an event hearing.
Most of these clubs want to grow their clubs. So, what are the secrets to building their membership rosters?
Some things that come to mind are location. Does the area have a significant number of enthusiasts within its geographic area? Do they meet regularly at the same location at the same time and day of the month? Do they offer educational programs at their meetings? How about training classes? Depending upon the club, the interest of the membership, and the available facilities, some successful clubs offer training in Conformation, Obedience, and Agility.
When new people attend their meetings, how are they treated? Are they welcomed by the members? Does the club introduce them and inquire about their interests? Is the club multidimensional? Do they have a varied membership that embraces multiple events? What is the current makeup of the leadership? All of these can influence the attraction of new members.
As the President of both an old, established all-breed member club and a specialty breed club, I have seen firsthand how maintaining and growing membership can be achieved.
In my opinion, the first rule for any club should simply be: “This is everyone’s club.” No questions are dumb, and everyone in the club has a right to voice an opinion, offer suggestions, and vote in club decisions. Some clubs are not open to change and don’t make an effort to get new people involved. In some of these cases, the members become disillusioned and fade away.
New people often come in with fresh ideas and enthusiasm that improve the club. Fresh blood and ideas should be welcomed. Of course, some are not practical, but on the other hand, they are sometimes excellent suggestions. Even though the new or very young person does not have much experience, they still have a lot to offer.
These new, and especially young, people can become your club’s best “hidden assets.”
Over the past 20 years, as we have lost people in critical positions, we have successfully appointed new and sometimes inexperienced people into significant leadership roles. When given the proper guidance and support, they have not only met but, in most cases, exceeded the expectations. We provide them with a job, we do not micromanage them, we offer support and guidance, and we understand that occasionally somebody will make a mistake. Mistakes provide learning experiences, and these people grow in their position and interest in our sport and become long-time contributors to the club and the sport.
Our new Volunteer Vizsla Club of Tennessee had a junior member named Sela Cooper. After aging out of Junior Showmanship, graduating high school, and attending college, Sela became a regular member. When a Board position became available, she was offered and accepted, along with the request to build and maintain a new club website. Her enthusiasm and her skills on the computer have become an asset to our club. Likewise, many people of the younger generation have incredible, tech-savvy skills that they can use to help you get out your message and mission as well as upcoming events to more people by using social media.
There are a great many hidden assets in every club. Many are never found because the person with the talents has never been asked to serve. I have spoken with many people who say they are willing to do more, but no one ever asked them. We all know some people are shy or intimidated by others who have enjoyed some success, so they won’t speak up. Take the time to seek them out; you will be surprised at what they have to offer.
I have had three gratifying and uniquely different assignments lately.
Carol and I traveled to the beautiful Pacific Northwest in early September to judge the Timberland Valley Dog Fanciers. The show was held at the local fairgrounds in the quaint town of Chehalis, Washington. The rings were large, in a lovely covered building enclosed on three sides. It was well-lit and very comfortable in early September.
One of the things I find unique about shows in that part of the country is the overall friendliness of the exhibitors. Exhibitors in the area are limited geographically in terms of shows within practical driving distances, so for the most part, they have all learned to compete and support each other, win or lose.
Anna Quigley and her crew have done a fantastic job keeping this club afloat as it is struggling with an aging and small number of members. I suggest that any breeder, exhibitor, or professional handler in that area consider joining the club so that it can continue for many years to come.
The Talbot Kennel Club is based in Ridgely, Maryland, very close to the border with Delaware, and their Conformation shows are held at the fairgrounds across the border in Harrington, Delaware. These are very nice fairgrounds with significantly covered buildings, good concrete floors, and protection from the elements. The rings were huge, and although the entry was small, it was a great facility that could easily handle 2,000 or more dogs. It has plenty of room for grooming, RVs, and parking. There is also a very nice modern casino at the fairgrounds with several excellent restaurants to be enjoyed by anyone wanting to go over when they have finished showing. The September weather was fantastic, and you are only about an hour away from the beach and the ocean, so side trips could be added to your agenda when attending.
The Tennessee Valley Kennel Club and the Oak Ridge Kennel Club continue to work together to provide a great cluster of shows at the historic Jacob Building in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you are a nature lover and have ever thought about visiting Dollywood, any of the major attractions in Sevierville and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, or the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you need to add this cluster to your bucket list.
Chilhowee Park, where the shows are held, is also just a stone’s throw from the Knoxville Zoo. It is a wonderful zoo where exhibitors can spend downtime if they choose.
The cluster has a lot to offer. With Conformation, Obedience, Rally, and Fast CAT, plenty of opportunities are available to work on completing those titles. They also host numerous concurrent breed specialty club shows on the weekend.
The atmosphere is festive, with a mix of great music. There were three days of Chuck-A-Duck to benefit Take the Lead, a clothes closet for the Junior Handlers, a Best-of-the-Best competition for Junior Showmanship, Pee-Wee Classes, a 2-4 Month Beginner Puppy Competition, various health clinics, and other things to do.
Both clubs offer exceptional hand-crafted pottery trophies, and the NOHS receives the same prizes and rosettes as the regular Groups.
This year, the cluster found itself directly in the path of Hurricane Helene, so they had to struggle with rain outside and winds from the storm. Still, the building was dry and kept at a comfortable 70-degree temperature. Late Friday, the rain began to subside. The storm changed direction and turned toward the East. Most of the area, starting in the East from the Great Smoky Mountains, was in devastating circumstances. Many exhibitors stayed at the show, waiting to hear about travel conditions for going home. The park allowed all those in RVs to stay over until it was safe to travel home if they needed to stay.
Well, the year 2024 will be coming to a close very soon, and many people are planning their trips to Orlando for the AKC show to end the year. There are still many races taking place for those trying to achieve high rankings within their Breed and NOHS rankings. I wish all of you great success in finishing the year by accomplishing your individual goals.
American Kennel Club (AKC)
