The USCA has a path forward that is only oppossed by the long term goal of some in the USCA which has been to be the only GSD organization in the USA. Rewrite the bylaws to accept members regardless of other club membership or affiliation ( include GSDCA and WDA but others also ). Within a few years the need for $100 dues will disappear. GSDCA-WDA dues are $60 and GSDCA dues are $37 so I can be a member of both for less than the USCA charges for dues. Live by WUSV and SV rules on scorebooks and judges. Rewrite the bylaws to change voting to one man one vote. The "board" concept of controlling the membership is a disaster. Open and clear communication to the membership with voting rights for each member individually is a must. Don't allow one small group of officers or board members to be the only source of communication with the GSDCA, GSDCA-WDA, SV and WUSV. Perhaps a communications committee that rotates 50% new members each two years would help and members can only serve one term. The other clubs must do the same. The communication committee must be independent of the officers, board, and directors. Members talking to members is the key to getting along. Everyone must stop telling everyone else what kind of GSD is the only correct type. The SV has both show and working under one banner as do many countries. I have working line now but I had a show line female as my first German import and she was a great, great dog that I still miss every day. If GSDCA members want their type dog so be it .. better than them having a poodle. Some of the show line dogs are great tough determined dogs and some of the working line dogs are not. Each dog is an individual so treat them all with respect even if you don't like the human holding their leash.

Reading your posts really turns me off of GSDs. There are politics with any breed but everything you keep talking about makes me want to stay far far far away from the GSD for IPO. Congrats.

I will have to live with my shame

If you are a member of UScA these are matters you should bring up through your club delegate for the next membership meeting.

I'm not sure what you hope to accomplish by posting it on here?

It is a public forum and USCA does not control it. I think the term bring it up through club delegate exactly shows the problem. The GSDCA-WDA uses ballots and one man, one vote as do most progressive organizations. We do not vote through club delegates and we do not need a quorem to vote. No laying things on the table for three years running either. Just vote yes or no!! The use of deceit and lies along with using parliamentary procedure to delay or deny votes on important issues has been a tool of the USCA board and officers to deny the membership a chance to rescind the JA or "if you ain't entirely with us and no one else but us then you must be agin us rule". Most USCA members I discussed the rule with wanted it rescinded but somehow they never got to vote on it. The rule was such a success that the USCA presently has about 50% less members than in 2006-2008 so it was a lose, lose.

Sounds like you're happy with the GSDCA-WDA, so why are you worried about the USCA? That is addictive behavior; worrying about things outside of yourself, working yourself up over things that you cannot control.

It's not good for you.

Kinda like the USCA folks trying to control the WUSV when they are but a fly speck on their light bulb?? A turd floating in the WUSV punch bowl?? The USCA can dictate rules for itself but not for anyone else and especially for the WUSV. The USCA has had a goal of being the only GSD organization in the USA since it began and the harder it squeezes and harasses the other clubs the further it gets from that goal .. a goal it will never achieve.

This is bizarre.

Good grief, of course UScA does not control this forum.

I'm done! I don't think that there can be any real discussion here.

Betty and Duane are using the freshman psychology they learned instead of asking how would a change in the bylaws benefit the USCA membership and telling me why this change could not improve the situation in the USCA. Everyone in the USCA is so busy blaming the SV and WUSV they are too busy to look in the mirror and see who is really to blame for their declining membership and high membership costs. Please tell me what the USCA decided on March 11 but I think we know what will happen already .. the USCA will retreat and blame someone else.

FWIW, USCA currently has roughly 3,500 members. That has remained steady and has been slightly rising over the past few years.

There was in initial movement of some people and clubs to WDA and then it tapered off. More than a few have returned to USCA. Those who left and stayed left were generally people holding dual WDA/USCA memberships or those who wanted a less competive shot at the US team to the WUSV championships.

A 295 pt dog is still a 295 pt dog though and the country deserves to represented by the best -- the Unification trial will see to that. It guarantees neither WDA or USCA members get an assigned slot -- they have to win it on the field.

The number of clubs has increased. Some clubs did go WDA, some did and then came back. Still seeing a pretty consistent rate of club formation.

Trial counts remain steady. Roughly 250 USCA events held annually vs about 50 for WDA. The WDA only has 13 events listed for the remainder of 2013. About what USCA does on a weekend.

Entries in USCA National Level events are steady and increasing -- that, however, is more affected by location accessiblity than any WDA/USCA acrimony. A crappy economy and $4 gas **does** make a difference. However, for 2012 USCA Nationals in Nashville, they had 60 high quality entries, 41 of which were HOT and several were Breeder-HOT. The top three teams were HOT, one was BHOT. The WDA's Nationals had 18 entries. That does seem consistent with the comparative size of both organizations.

Membership fees did take a substantial jump as approved by the membership. This pays for improved office salaries and much needed improvements in infrastucture -- website, databases, and a pending substantial increase in office space costs (even if they remain in the same location). Since the membership fee hasn't been raised since about 2000, the increase has been met with acceptance albeit with some grumbling.

Really, times are tough for a lot of folks and Schutzhund is an expensive thing to do -- a $40 dues increase was a bit tough for some people to swallow and can be a last straw.

As far as the WDA being a WUSV member, that is open for question. GSDCA is the recognized body in the WUSV. WDA has to have their resource requests such as judge requests go through GSDCA.

The 2010 interview with Danny Spreitler (former WDA president) raises some interesting issues ...

http://germanshepherddog.com/documents/2010DannySpreitler.pdf

Pg 3 : WDA is not a member of the WUSV. It is allowed enjoy the resources and benefits of the WUSV/SV through the contractual relationship with the GSDCA. (that may have changed since 2010, but I've not seen any annoucements to that effect.)

Pg 4 : The GSDCA reported inflated membership numbers to the WUSV. (my understanding that it was a substantial inflation)

Pg 4 : Telling lies to the WUSV

Pg 5 : Possible merger between WDA and USCA

Danny's resignation letter,
http://leerburg.com/webboard/printthread.php?topic_id=26644
interesting point ...

 Quote:

The written agreement between the GSDCA and the GSDCA-WDA was demanded by the SV once they learned of the true depth of the deceit. The deceit continues as the membership numbers reported to the WUSV are inflated. GSDCA is not the largest German Shepherd organization in the United States. One only has to look at the last issue of the GSDCA Review to validate the membership numbers. One day soon the lies must stop.

The GSDCA will host the 2013 WUSV championship in October. I'm still looking for that website.