The Boxer Club of Canada Inc.
Minutes of the General Meeting held on Monday Nov 1, 2021

The meeting was called to order at approx. 8:01 p.m. - on-line Moderator/Chair. – President Melissa Mathers

Attendance – 25 members: Lee & Mary Jane Nowak, Francine Gillanders, Cindy Thomas, Shawn Mealey, Brian Murphy, Deanne Sinnott, Christine Burton, Michael Hockley, Melissa Mathers, Doris Avery, Leah Quiring, Patti and Dave Gilmour, Bonnie Ault, Marta Nettelfield, Akshatha Shetty, Mark Mathers, Krish Swaminathan, Karen Parton, Tammy Ranta, Jenny and Michael Catton, Mary Davidson Curl, Keith Lawson

Reminder: A quick reminder that there is a prize at the end of the year for everyone that has attended a meeting, served on the exec or a committee. You get one entry for every meeting attended, committee served on or exec position. They go into a hat at the end of the year and a name is drawn.

Minutes: 
Melissa: Hello Everyone! This is my 1st time leading this mtg so please bare with me. So lets call the mtg to order and state your name.

So same as always, any questions or comments just put a ? and I will get to you. Thanks!

Melissa: Mary has had a lot going on so the minutes weren't able to be posted.

Melissa: Doesn't look like Kim is here so Show Commitee next?

Treasurer’s Report – Kim Long

Mary: added after meeting

• Shawn: No report

Publicity Commitee:

• Melissa: This commitee is currently empty. I will be reviewing the commitees and we will reach out asking for interest.

Trophy Committee:

• Shawn: As far as I know nothing to report there either

Program Committee: Jane

• Melissa: Jane is absent ao no new info

Membership Committee: Doris

• Doris: Just a reminder that 2022 renewals are due by December 31, 2021
• Bonnie: Can we etransfer membership fees again this year?
  • Doris: Yes you can.
  • Melissa: Kim is in charge of that but we have for the last few yrs so I don't see why not

Discipline: Shirley

• Melissa: all members absent so no new info

Obedience Committee:  Marta Nettelfield

• Marta: No Report
• Brian: My young dog got his IGP1 back in September, That makes him the second boxer in Canada and the first male to title in IGP (his mom, my Penney was the first)
  • Many congratulations were given

Awards Committee: Mary, Shirley, Marta, Cindy

• No report

Special services Award:

• Melissa: Debi isn't here, no report

Fund Raising Committee:  

• Melissa: Patti Gilmour has been heading this for many years now but has resigned. Thank you Patti for all your hard work!!!
• Patti: Also resigned as regional director for Saskatchewan.
  • Many thank yous for her service were given

Judges Education Committee: Shirley & Mary

• No report

Reading of General Correspondence: Mellissa

• Mellissa: The CKC has reached for the ROE for us. I will look into this further and keep everyone posted.

Old Business:  

• Melissa: CWDF - Cindy?
  • Brian: I hope everyone had a chance to read my post in the private group re the CWDF
  • Cindy: I am resigning as the board director and Brian Murphy is taking over. I believe he posted in our Club group regarding the concern Shirley brought up.
  • Melissa: Yes I saw that. As Shirley isn't here, I will add Brians post to be entered into this mtgs minutes. If any issues, we can discuss next mtg
• Brians post from FB
  • I did read the minutes which left me most annoyed and disappointed, but not shocked as I now the history and motives of the people involved. I am of course referring to the comments sent to Shirley about the CWDF. As a trainer/competitor with a breed that is not a GSD I was delighted to hear of the incorporation of the CWDF which would organize IGP in Canada for all breeds with a voice for all breeds and an avenue for me (and all future boxer participants) and other "alternative breeds" to compete at a high level and represent our respective breed clubs. Up until now the GSSCC has been the main body for IGP in Canada. As the sole boxer participant I highly recommend that we the BCCI continue our support of the CWDF.
    To address the points raised:
    1 - CWDF is a rogue club and has not been recognized by the CKC.
    For the CWDF to become a member of the CKC it is a process that will take some time. This process started when Mr. Frans Jansen, president of the FCI Utility Dogs Commission, came to Canada in October 2018 and met with former CKC Executive Director Mr. Lance Novak, CKC Manager of Events Ms. Sherry Weiss, and Mr. Anthony Hartelaub, CWDF founder, to discuss the ideal scenario for the future where the CKC would integrate IGP in its list of events and have a Working/Utility/IGP Commission with representatives from all breed clubs to regulate it.
    In a perfect world, the CKC would be the national all-breed body regulating the sport of IGP in Canada, and there would be no need for the CWDF to exist independently.
    This ideal scenario will not be realistically implementable by the CKC before some time, which explains the current situation of the IGP sport scene in Canada. The FCI Utility Dogs Commission and General Committee are aware of it and this model does fit the all-breed spirit of the FCI.
    2- no permissions should be given to them by the CKC
    It is not up to the German Shepherd Dog Club of Canada to dictate if and how the CKC shall grant permissions.
    3- The CWDF 2019 ruling from FCI....their status is pending approval into CKC. CKC denied membership to them. That made them a 3rd party unrecognized organization
    The CWDF has not applied to become a member of the CKC, for the reason explained in 1. To become CKC-affiliated as an IGP club is a long-term process, dependent on the CKC integrating IGP in its list of events. In the meantime, the CWDF is recognized by the FCI Utility Dogs Commission and General Committee, as stated in the 2019 FCI memo.
    4 - There is no governing body for the CWDF....they are doing what they want
    Every decision made by the CWDF goes through committees’ recommendations when applicable and validation through voting of the General Board which includes representatives of all its member clubs, which includes the Boxer Club of Canada Inc.
    5- original agreement with breed clubs to CKC was the CWDF was to hold one event, a qualifier for the Canadian World team. That team was with agreement to the breed clubs only for breed clubs and was to be renewed yearly. Has not occurred since the original agreement in 2018.
    There is no such agreement on a single event as stated above. The CKC requires a yearly approval of the majority of its breed clubs for the CWDF to hold the FCI IGP Team Canada selection trial. This majority vote of CKC breed clubs has happened every year since 2018.
    6- For the CWDF to remain intact every breed club had to agree for that to continue which as stated has not occurred.
    Please define intact. In terms of breed clubs’ supporting the CWDF, See 5.
    7- not all breed clubs have agreed and the CWDF has chosen to replace breed clubs with 3rd party sport clubs (GSSCC). All of this should have ended but has not
    The GSDCC declined the CWDF invitation in 2017 and agreed for the GSSCC to take on that role, which makes a lot of sense since the GSSCC represents over 1000 persons involved in the sport of IGP, over 90% having German Shepherd dogs. Earlier this year, the CWDF invited the GSDCC on several occasions to become a partner of the federation, which was declined. The correspondence on this matter was provided to the Boxer Club of Canada Inc board and his available upon request to the CWDF secretary.
    8 - we have verification from FCI that article 11 was and is to be followed which is currently being
    broken. Article 11 is the statute of FCI in 2 paragraphs dictates what CKC has to follow and all activities
    are for CKC or national breed clubs only. This has negatively impacted all breed clubs and the authority of
    which they hold for their prospective breeds. Changes financial growth and membership growth of clubs
    and most important is having authority of their own organization.
    Article 11 of the FCI statutes is as follows. There is no element in that article such as what Mr. Wandtke
    stated above.
    Article 11 – Cooperating Partner
    11.1. Cooperating Partnership is open to every organisation or legal entity sharing or willing to support
    the aim of the Association and that has entered into a special Cooperation Agreement which specifies the
    relation of the Cooperating Partner with the Association. This Cooperation Agreement – minus the
    provisions with commercial orientation- shall be published by the Association. The Association may only
    recognise international breed club organisations (i) promoting pedigree dogs, respecting the official FCI
    standards of the breed(s) they represent, and (ii) recognising as their members only the national breed
    clubs which are affiliated to the national canine organisation of their country, Member of the Association.
    The Member from the country of origin of the breed(s) must give its final approval on this recognition.
    Breeds whose country of origin is not part of the Association’s Membership are exempted from this final
    approval.
    11.2. Amongst others, the Cooperating Partners have the right:
    a) to nominate one (1) contact person and to notify the Association of that contact person's name in
    writing;
    b) to exercise all specific rights which are granted to them as laid down in the special Cooperation
    Agreement which they entered into with the Association.
    11.3. Cooperating Partners have the following duties:
    a) to comply with the special Cooperation Agreement which they entered into with the Association;
    b) to not offend the Association or any of its Members and Contract Partners maliciously, publicly and
    officially.
    9- Breed parent clubs need to seize control of their respective breeds and these activities should by
    language be up to the breed clubs to work together and not pass to a rogue club
    The CWDF was created exactly for that matter: to provide a communication/mitigation channel between
    the breed clubs, provide a platform for breed clubs to host IGP trials, obtain IGP scorebooks if not having
    their own, and develop an IGP judges program for the breed clubs to get access to judges residing in
    Canada, whose IGP titles are recognized by the FCI.
    10 - Breed clubs themselves are unaware that the representative of their clubs within the CWDF are
    making decisions that effect all breed clubs without their boards knowing what is happening.
    The CWDF includes breed clubs delegates in all of its General Board correspondence. For the BCCI,
    correspondence is sent to Cindy Thomas and Melissa Mathers.
    10 Comments
    Seen by 48
• Brian: Going back to the cwdf. If I am to be the delegate, can you please write to Anthony Hartelaub CWDF appointing me same.
  • Melissa: I will do that Brian
  • Cindy: I'm sending Anthony a letter as well as I haven't done that yet Brian.
  • Melissa: Cindy, did you want to just do 1 letter then and say Brian is taking over? Might be less confusing
  • Cindy: You bet Melissa

Good & Welfare: Jane - not in attendance

• No report

New Business:

• Melissa: Doris why don't you advise everyone on the Executive openings for Treasure and Corresponding Secretary
  • Doris: As already posted, Melissa Mathers is our new President.  Congratulations Melissa!  I'd like to thank Dave Gilmour for his many years serving as our President.  We now have the Corresponding Secretary position open as well as the Treasurer Position, Fundraiser and Saskatchewan Regional Director.  If anyone is interested in these or any other vacant positions, let me know.
  • Bonnie: Do you need to be nominated for these positions? Or just put your name forward?
  • Doris: I'm not positive but I think both would work?
  • Mary: Nominated or volunteer, both work and if more than one per position an election will be held.

• Shawn: the Lanctots have expressed an interest in hosting a boxer specialty at the Cornwall shoe next summer.
  • Melissa: Oh that is excellent! Do they need any info from us? Are they thinking a regional?
  • Shawn: Is this something we want to hold? I also suggested to Chantal V that she could ask permission to hold a specialty there as sne is close
  • Melissa: I need to review the process. I have had some issues getting into the members only area. Let me look into it with the executive and get back to you for them
  • Shawn: I'm too far away to plan..also not my region
  • Melissa: Then we can reach out to them directly
  • Shawn: They would love to bring in boxers
  • Cindy: There is an application form that needs to be filled out and submitted to BCC through the Correspondence Secretary if I remember correctly.
  • Krish: Are we at this point inviting Affiliate clubs intent to hold Regionals ? IF yes, BCWO would be interested
  • Melissa: Krish the BCWO has in the past so they should be familiar with the application process.
  • Krish: Sounds good. Thanks Melissa

Melissa: If that is everything, motion to adjourn the mtg -
Jenny & Micheal: 2nd

Meeting ended at 8:37 pm

Next meeting
Dec 6, 2021 – 8pm Ontario time