Growing Old ...

There comes a time in your life when you must think of the future and what is in store for you. I think that time has come for me, and I am very hopeful that it will be a good future.

I will be 78 this December, and I think I may have a good future with some not-so-good things. As some of you may know, I have had pneumonia three times, and my lungs have been damaged. I will NOT give into the limitations that can affect my life. First of all, I love going to dog shows and seeing the doggies and the wonderful exhibitors. I promise to do the best I can when judging and enjoying every moment of it.

I have judged a few times since June, when the AKC delegates approved the bylaw change allowing delegates who are judges to charge a fee to judge. That was a great step in making all judges equal in our job of judging. No club has said they will not pay my fee. That is great, and I have had some wonderful clubs who stepped forward and paid me, and one club said, before I even asked, that they would gladly pay me a fee. Thank you to all the wonderful clubs.

Starting in December, and possibly before that, at the delegates meeting there will be lots of people running for delegate committees and for the AKC board. For those who do not know, there are 13 voting members of the AKC board. No person is eligible to serve more than two consecutive terms on the board. After that they must take one-year hiatus from directorship. Why this is required I have no idea … but it is what it is. As that is in the bylaws of the AKC, it would be somewhat hard to change. There will be future meetings of the delegate body in which there will be lots of candidates for the board who will speak before the delegate body, and speak and speak. This is so very boring, as most in the delegate body have already made up their minds … at least, I have. But it is procedure to introduce them to the delegate body, especially the new delegates. One does have the right to leave the meeting and go out into the hallway and get some goodies and coffee or tea. I have done that many, many times.

I find now that most dog shows are being run better than they were right after Covid. It seems that the superintendents and the show chairpeople are thinking of the exhibitors more and how they can help. I believe judging schedules are better, except when you have to go to two or more rings in a day. That is stupid! Keep us in the same ring, as that is better for the exhibitors and the dogs. Unless you are judging a specialty in another building, there is no reason why you need to change rings. Most of the time I have to look at judging in three rings. Why?  

Let me tell you how much I enjoy judging the Juniors and the Pee Wee event! It makes my day! These kids in both Juniors and Pee Wees have so much fun and have smiles on their faces. I encourage those who do these events to make sure you get the crowd to applaud for these kids. You can raise your arms, and that is the sign for the audience to applaud! You will see more smiles on the kids’ faces … which mean they are having so much fun. 

I would like to thank the wonderful people in every area of our sport, from the superintendents to the exhibitors and club members, for keeping this sport going, as it is a great sport which we must not let pass us by.

Love and peace!