ILR Show Division Governing Board Minutes - March 18, 2009
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ILR Show Division

GOVERNING BOARD Minutes
March 18, 2009

Meeting called to order:  7:09 pm EDT 

Present: Chair Mark Smith, Kathi McKinney, Mary Jo Miller, Jan Wassink, John McDougall, Fran Soukup, Beth Myers, Father Ryan, Pam Jensen, Tami Lash and Karen Baum.

Not present: Kristy Brown due to sickness; Justin Timm.

MOTION: It was moved by John and seconded by Kathi to approve the minutes from February 18, 2009 Governing Board meeting. Unanimous approval.

A.     Additional Agenda Item(s)

1.   How to Become a Committee Member Discussion

 a.   Can nominate themselves or someone else.

 b.   Must be a member of the ILR-SD.

 c.   Can put names in whichever committees a person is interested in.

 d.   Will be an election by the ILR-SD membership.

 e.   The ILR BOD will discuss further and will notify the membership of the specifics through an e-Bulletin and posting the information on the ILR web site.

 2.   Sub-committees

 

a.   Those who volunteered for committees but are presently not on a committee can be considered for sub-committees.

 

b.   Mary Jo will send a list to John of those who volunteered for committees who are presently not seated on a committee.

 

B.  Points for Open and ALSA Shows

     

1.   Points are awarded for shows judged by ILR approved judges.

     

2.   ILR BOD will officially make the decision regarding points for non-ILR Sanctioned shows on their call March 19, 2009.

 

C.  Committee Reports as prepared by each Committee

 

 1.  Performance Committee (PC)  – Tami Lash

 

a.   Course designs and photos of dos and don’ts will be placed on the ILR web site as provided by the Performance Committee.
 

b.   Mission Statement  

 

1)   To explore the spectrum of relationship that can be achieved between human and llama by providing a fun, exciting and challenging forum of trials and activities that highlight and promote the versatility and intelligence of llamas and alpacas, and which encourages and rewards participation, camaraderie and achievement for humans and lamas of all ages.
 

c.   Responsibilities

 

1)   To establish rules, guidelines and classes for the performance division of ILR; develop an awards system; provide educational materials to the exhibitors and judges and coordinate with the youth, rules, and judges committee for consistency.
 

d.   Budget 

 

1)   For the development of instruction materials as they are needed for judges and members, a beginning range of $200 is being requested by the performance committee to add in.

 

e.   Performance Rules

 

1)   In the event that Show Management does allow youth to show the same animal in the open classes, the PC requests at those shows that the Open, Advanced and Novice classes be run first, before any of the Youth Classes.
 

f..   Trail/Pack Tasks

 

1)   We would like the additional verbiage to be added: "Exhibitor discretion to add weight to packs for animals 36 months and older. In that event the weight should not exceed 40 lbs for full grown llamas, and 10 pounds for mini llamas and alpacas."
 

g.   Awarding of the Performance Champions
 

1)   Performance Champions can be offered at ILR shows for:           
 

a)   Open/Advanced
 

b)   Novice

 

2)   The top three Performance scores will be tabulated for the Performance Champions. 

 

a)   For instance, if a show offers pleasure driving, obstacle driving, along with freestyle OB, Companion PR, and Trail/Pack, all animals are equally eligible for the Performance Champion, and the top 3 placements (or scores) given per animal will be the classes used in tabulation of Performance Champion.
 

h.   Showmanship Concerns

 

1)   Various perspectives were discussed.

 

MOTION: It was moved by Father Ryan and seconded by Tami to accept the Performance Committee information a – g above as presented by Tami. Unanimous approval. 

MOTION: It was moved by Father Ryan and seconded by Pam to table the showmanship discussion (h) above to another meeting when the halter and performance committees were represented. Unanimous approval.
 

2.   Halter Committee (HC) – Justin Timm

a.   No items submitted
 

3.   Judges Committee (JC) – John McDougall

a.   Judge Approval Recommendations  

 

1)   Debbie Ullrich was interviewed by Fran Soukup, Chair Fleece Committee, and also completed a fleece judging apprenticeship at the Virginia Classic under ILR approved Fleece Judge Mary Jo Miller. Recommending approval.

2)   Ray Howard – halter and performance judge. Recommending approval.

MOTION: It was moved by Tami and seconded by Father Ryan to accept the Judges Committee’s recommendation for Debbie Ullrich to be accepted as a Fleece Judge and Ray Howard as a Halter and Performance Judge. Unanimous approval.

b.   Mission Statement – Approved on March 9, 2009
The mission of the Judges Committee shall be to be representative and advocate for the ILR-SD judging community with the ILR-SD Governing Board, and the ILR-SD membership.

Responsibilities shall include:

1)   Continuous monitoring of the ethical conduct of ILR judges.

2)   Monitoring (and taking corrective action when necessary) the professional performance of ILR-SD Judges.

3)   Establishing and communicating judging criteria for all ILR-SD approved classes.

4)   Recommend approval of ILR-SD judges to the ILR-SD Governing Board and to the ILR Board of Directors.

5)   Provide training and training materials as necessary to facilitate the approval and/or re-approval of ILR-SD judges.

6)   Promoting honesty and integrity for all ILR judges.

7)   Cooperate with all other ILR-SD committees to ensure consistency within the Show Division and to be certain that the organization operates smoothly.

c.   Standing Rules and Ethical Guidelines for ILR-SD Judges – Approved on March 9, 2009

1)   Judges must realize that they represent the ILR Show Division and that their actions, honesty and demeanor should be reflective of that, at all times.

2)   All ILR-SD judges and apprentices must pay their annual ILR-SD dues by January 1 of each year, and prior to judging any sanctioned shows or attending training clinics. No judge or apprentice will have their name included on the judges list until dues are paid.

3)   Judges are required to be knowledgeable of all ILR-SD rules and judge by the guidelines and parameters set by the ILR-SD Governing Board.

4)   A brief greeting between a judge and acquaintances is acceptable during a show. However, a judge should exhibit the highest ethical standards and integrity while performing their judging duties. Judges should always be aware that the perceptions of their actions will be scrutinized while at a show. 

MOTION: It was moved by Tami and seconded by Fran to accept the Mission Statement, Responsibilities, and Standing Rules and Ethical Guidelines as presented by John. Unanimous approval.

 

4.   Fleece Committee (FC) – Fran Soukup

 

a.   Group Fleece Class Rules

 

1) TABLED for further discussion by the Fleece Committee.

b.   Items Passed by the Fiber Committee – documents previously sent to the GB for review

1)   Mission Statement and Responsibilities

2)   Fleece Products Rules

3)   Fleece Products Entry Tag

4)   Fleece Products Scorecards
– It was noted the scorecards worked well at the Virginia Classic.

a)   Handspun Yarn

b)   Knit/Crochet Item

c)   Woven Item

d)   Felted Item

e)   Locker Hooked Item

MOTION: It was moved by John and seconded by Pam to accept the Fleece Committee Recommendations b. above as presented by Fran. Unanimous approval.

c.   Alpaca Fleece Judging

1)   We only have one certified alpaca fleece judge so the Fleece Committee suggests the alpaca fleece rules will be put on the back burner for now. We will put our energy into education for the public, exhibitors and judges.

d.   Fleece Judging Clinics

1)   A number of locations have been offered for clinics.

2)   More planning is needed before proceeding: need to identify who is available for instructors and assistants, obtain approval for the clinic, determine numbers to break even, etc. It was noted the ILR-SD has members experienced in instructing.

3)   Should be offered to halter judges as well.

4)   The Judges Committee has a sub-committee also starting to work on clinics.

5.   Youth Committee (YC) – Beth Myers

 

a.   Youth may share an animal in youth classes at the discretion of show management, however, the number of youth sharing one animal in youth classes will be limited to two (2), in order to prevent undue stress to the animal. Youth may show same animal in both youth and open performance at show management discretion. This will apply only if that animal is not shared with another youth. In showmanship, llamas/alpacas will not be shared by youth in the same age group since the youth would be in the ring at the same time.

b.   It is suggested that if youth are permitted by show management to show in open performance, that the open class is run prior to the corresponding youth class.

c.   Age requirement for Jr. Youth will be 7 through 11 years. The age division in which the youth will show will be determined by their age on January 1st of that year, however, if a youth reaches the age of 7 any time during the year, they will be eligible to show as of their birth date. 

d.   The Jr age group should not be combined with intermediate Novice and senior Advance at any time. If show management feels there are not significant numbers to warrant three age divisions, then the youth may be split into two groups instead of three by combining intermediate novice and senior advanced leaving Juniors as a separate class.

e.   Youth dress/attire for Youth Showmanship: There are no strict dress code requirements with one exception. Full Shoes/boots required, no open toes or open heels. Appropriate attire is requested. Such attire should be modest, professional and safe. Examples of appropriate attire could be slacks, trousers, neat jeans or skirts and tops with sleeves.

f.    Youth dress/attire for Performance: Full shoes/boots required, no open toes or open heels. Appropriate to class attire is suggested.

g.   RE-AFFIRMATION: The Youth Champion award will be determined by the best combined score from 3 classes. Freestyle Obstacle and Companion PR will be required classes. The third class may be either Showmanship or Trail Pack. If the youth participates in all four classes, the scores from the Freestyle Obstacle and Companion PR will always be used, and the third class score will be the higher score from either Showmanship or Trail Pack class. In the case of a tie, the Freestyle Obstacle class score will be the tiebreaker. The second tiebreaking score, if needed, will be the Companion PR class.

h.   There will be no mandatory obstacles in youth classes. Jr classes will have 8 tasks, Intermediate novice and Senior Advanced, 10 tasks.

i.    Due to safety concerns, the Youth committee proposes the following for youth classes: Intact males 18 months and older are restricted from being shown in the Jr. Youth division classes.

j.    Due to safety concerns, the use of live animals and animal skins are restricted from use in any Youth classes.

k.   Youth Division Mission Statement

1)   To provide beneficial services and opportunities for youth that enhance and encourage llama ownership and participation.

2)   To develop diverse educational programs, material and curriculum that will position the ILR Youth Division as a leading resource organization in the camelid industry.

3)   To provide guidance and a safe and enjoyable environment for a positive camelid experience now and in the future.

4)   To generate growth of ILR Youth membership via the marketing, promotion, advertising and publicity of the llama industry. 

5)   A suggestion was made to request a youth section or page on the ILR website. Prior to formal request, ideas for subject matter, space needed, maintaining updates, etc. will be proposed and tweaked.

DISCUSSION followed pertaining to youth showing intact males and animal skins in Youth Performance classes.

MOTION: It was moved by John and seconded by Father Ryan to accept the Youth report as presented by Beth. Approved – 8; Opposed – 2.

l.    Tabulation Sheet Approval which was e-mailed to GB before the meeting

1)   Several minor revisions were discussed. The revisions will be made and the form will be sent to the GB again for review. Comments will be forwarded to Beth.

2)   After the revisions are made, the committee has GB authorization to use the form, if needed, before final approval.

3)   UAP Scoring – Jan will send Beth the UAP scoring table.

6.   Finance Committee (FC) – Father Ryan

a.   Members
      – 235 Annual; 13 Life; 25 Youth

b.   ILR-SD Budget Recommendations for approval as presented by e-mail to the GB

MOTION: It was moved by Pam and seconded by Fran to accept the Finance Committee’s ILR-SD Budget as presented by Father Ryan. Unanimous approval. Father Ryan abstained.

c.   Donations 

1)   It was suggested we put a link for the ILR-SD Fundraiser page in a prominent place on the ILR web site. Jan will take care of it.

2)   Discussion determined using Pay Pal was not a viable alternative in relation to the logistics of getting such an account set up. It was decided to have check and credit card options available for donations through the ILR web site shopping cart.

d.   Contingency / Emergency Fund Proposal

      1)   A maximum of $1,000 in the fund.

2)   Requests are to be brought to the Finance Committee Chair.

3)   FC Chair discusses the requests with the ILR BOD Treasurer.

4)   If the ILR BOD Treasurer is not available, the ILR BOD President is contacted.

5)   ILR Registrar is given authorization to distribute designated Emergency funds as approved and authorized by the ILR-SD Chairman and the ILR BOD Treasurer (in the absence of the ILR BOD Treasurer, the ILR-BOD President. Emergency Fund requires two authorizations for disbursement.

6)   The appropriate committee is charged for the expenditure.

MOTION: It was moved by Pam and seconded by Fran to accept the Contingency / Emergency Fund as discussed 1) – 6) above. Unanimous approval. Father Ryan abstained.

e.   Online Auction Status

1)   A sort of ILR e-Bay

2)   Barb Baker is heading up the auction.

3)   On hold for a short time to get things set up.

4)   Shooting for an April 1st date to go live.

5)   Will keep going online for an indefinite period of time.

6)   Each item will have a time limit. The site will possibly be set up so when one item goes off another will go up.

7)   Any kind of donation in good taste is acceptable – does not have to be llama related items.

8)   The more money we can raise here means it’s less we need to raise elsewhere.

f.    Virginia Classic comments regarding the ILR-SD at the Virginia Classic as presented by Father Ryan

1)   Members are starting to feel comfortable to approach the committee members.

2)   Members feel their voices are being heard.

3)   Did not hear one negative comment about the ILR-SD.

4)   News reporter at the event was interested in what is being done with youth.

7.   Rules Committee (RC) – Pam Jensen

a.   GENERAL RULES For The ILR-SD

1)   ANIMAL – REGISTRATION RULES FOR SHOWING

"LL" ILR registered llamas only can be shown in Halter and Fleece Classes.

ILR registered Crossbred lamas can only be show in crossbred classes.

Non-ILR registered or llamas without an ILR listing number may show in the Performance, Showmanship, Youth divisions or other optional classes only after obtaining an ILR Tracking Number. There will be an annual fee of $10.00 for this Tracking Number.

2)   EXHIBITORS – RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SHOWING

DRESS/ATTIRE: There are no strict dress code requirements. Appropriate attire is requested.  Such attire should be modest, professional and safe.  Examples of appropriate attire could be slacks, trousers, jeans or skirts and shirts or tops with sleeves.  Full shoes/boots required, no open toes or open heels. 

CONDUCT: There are no strict conduct requirements, however it is recommended that an exhibitors’ conduct be professional, ethical, moral and safe (PEM-S).

Exhibitors should exercise proper judgment when it comes to dress and conduct at ILR-SD shows. Exhibitors are encouraged to follow the basic rules of being Professional, Ethical, Moral and Safe (PEM-S).

3)   SHOW MANAGEMENT – RULES FOR HOLDING AN ILR-SD SHOW

SANCTIONING REQUIREMENTS

Show Management must use an ILR-SD approved judge.

Show Management must pay a $50.00 per event fee.

Show Management must pay $1.00 per lama/per show fee if the show uses ShowManager or $2.00 per lama/per show if the show does not use ShowManager.

Show management is not required to offer specific classes, and is free to combine and/or split classes as would best fit their specific show.  They cannot combine sexes of animals in halter, but may combine age divisions and fiber types.  Management is encouraged to exercise proper judgment and follow the same guidelines of being Professional, Ethical, Moral and Safe (PEM-S) when setting up and running the show.

b.   Dual Sanctioned Shows – Dual Sanctioning is permitted, for 2009 only, if the following requirements are met.

1)   Judge is an ILR approved judge.

2)   Sanctioning fee of $50 is paid to ILR-SD.

3)   Payment per head for ILR-SD participating entries is made of $1.00 per head/per show if using the ILR ShowManager or $2.00 per head/per show if you don’t use ShowManager.

4)   At this time, classes can be run in conjunction with ALSA classes, as long as the judge is both ILR & ALSA approved.

5)   It is the responsibility of show management to report placings directly to the ILR-SD on a timely basis.

6)   Show has to be run according to ILR-SD rules and guidelines.

MOTION: It was moved by Fran and seconded by Beth to accept the general rules for the ILR-SD and the Dual Sanction Show recommendations as presented by Pam. Unanimous approval.

c.   Alpaca Considerations

1)   The Rules Committee did not address alpaca rules in any place other than Youth showing.

a)   The only classes for alpacas are: Performance and Showmanship for Youth if there is an animal Tracking Number ($10 fee) from the ILR or the animals are registered with the ILR.

D.  NEW BUSINESS

1.   Youth web site

a.   ILR Treasurer said it would be very beneficial to have volunteers to help with the ILR-SD web sites as the office has a lot on their plates right now.

1)   Father Ryan said he knows of someone he will contact who has said she would be willing to help with the ILR-SD if needed.

2.   ILR Web Site pertaining to the ILR-SD

a.   Jan asked that the committee members check the ILR web site from time to time to make sure what they have submitted has been posted on the site as, with the volume of what’s coming in, something could easily be missed.

3.   Celebration Show/Sale in OKC Booth Help

a.   Jan asked if anyone would be willing to help with the ILR-SD information at the ILR booth at the Celebration Show/Sale. A number of people said they would be glad to help. We will have a sign-up sheet with time slots for volunteers at the booth. Jan said help selling raffle tickets for the 50-50 split the pot would also be appreciated.

NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 8:00 pm EDT (7p Central, 6p Mountain, 5p Pacific)

MOTION: It was moved by Pam and seconded by Karen to adjourn at 9:00 pm EDT.

Respectfully submitted,

Dar Wassink, (with backup notes from Mary Jo) filling in for ILR Secretary Kristy Brown