Re: [pyrnet] GPCA

["Barb Bowes" <bamb@monmouth.com>]

Sandy, this is what the Regional Clubs do. In Allentown, PA every
January, they have a Canine Learning Experience. Our Regional
Club (as well as clubs from many other breeds) have an
educational booth there. We provide tons of literature on the
breed (GPCA Pamphlets, etc.) as well as on dogs in general. We
have members who come and bring their Pyrs to meet any and all
who are interested in the breed. Generally there is a "sea of
white" in front of our booth! <g> This is not the only
educational event we attend as a club. We have several throughout
the year. In 1994 we held and Educational Seminar in a pavilion
in a centrally located park in PA. We heavily advertised this
event in NJ and PA through flyers and ads. We had a great turn
out. We offered structured talks on orthopedic problems (we had
an orthopedic Vet that came and gave a presentation), Obedience,
Grooming and a talk by a General Practice Vet that I think did a
segment on First Aid as well as other things as well as a carting
demonstration put on by Dog Works. We also offered a tattoo
clinic. (As one of the organizers I was too busy to sit and
listen) I volunteered a friend to Chair the committee to do this
seminar, and consequently had no choice but to help with the set
up and running of it. A conservative guess as to how many hours
were put into this from the  planning stage to the information
gathering stage and through to the actual holding of the seminar
was easily 200 hours. It took a year to get it all together. It
was a rousing success and we had attendees from three states. We
need to have another one. The Regional Clubs are the backbone of
the GPCA. If you do not have a Regional Club in your area, how
about starting one up? (This is directed at all of you, not just
Sandy) Or, if you do have a Regional Club in your area but do not
have any events close by, why not volunteer to set one up? We
have 2 Walks in the Woods a year at a recreational lake in
Quakertown, have a Fun Day in the summer, and sometimes hold a
Fun Match. We've had grooming clinics etc. It's hard sometimes to
find volunteers to run these events, and many times it is the
same people who put all these events together. We in the Regional
Clubs would love to have more volunteers.

Barb Bowes
Bo & Chelsea (Pyrs) & Flopsy (Pyr Shep)
The more people I meet, the more I like my dog!
bamb@monmouth.com