Letter From the President

Kennel Club Web Ring
Powered by Ringsurf

September 2003 Barker

Once again WE have successfully presented our August show and made it out the other side essentially unscathed. This was not a miracle, but simply the result of a lot of people with a common interest, working together to achieve an important goal.

Phil and his hard working grounds crew, assisted by several Sammamish and Specialty club members, spent Wednesday and Thursday locating gear in the trailers, distributing it around the grounds and performing the magic that turned two empty fields into 24 show rings arranged in neat squares. Late Thursday afternoon Muriel, Ken and I finally managed to get the fire lane established around the perimeter of the show grounds just as we were inundated with all the RV's that had been driving up and down 520 waiting for the clock to strike four. The Friday and Saturday Specialties and Agility Trials came together very nicely, again with the assistance of several Sammamish Club members. Washington State Obedience Training Club members joined with Sammamish Club members to test dogs and handlers for the CGC on Saturday afternoon. In the field next to the CGC area, Jessica presented a lively Fly ball demonstration with all the dogs loudly voicing their approval.

Sunday morning preparation for the show was the usual organized chaos that suddenly smoothed out at 8 AM just as the first notes of the National Anthem were broadcast across the show grounds. Vandra covered all of the tablesin blue cloths, followed by Nancy with flowers,
just as ring stewards and judges were arriving with more stuff to go on the tables. Karin successfully filled all of the rings with stewards and all of the stewards did a fantastic job according to the judges (and they should know!). Muriel and Reggie put together a Continental breakfast for everyone and then started on their rounds of the rings, delivering refreshments to the judges and ring stewards. Ken grabbed his list and headed to Costco to pick up lunch items and all the other things that we always remember that we need at the last moment. Muriel and Reggie also prepared the tables for lunch and found chairs for everyone between their rounds to the rings. We have got to keep that team together! They do a great job.

Deb spent the whole day answering questions at the club table, and Nancy almost sold out of catalogs! Jan wandered the grounds during the day, answering questions and making sure that all was going as planned.

After completing my duties as Obedience Chair, I spent most of the day asking people to please not park in the fire lanes. I gave up counting how many trips Ken made to the Hilton, Seatac Airport and the Wyndham Hotel Sunday afternoon and evening. I do know that we eventually got all of the judges where they wanted to be and they were all happy when they got there.

I admired the speed with which Doug, Bo and the grounds crew got the equipment torn down and stowed Sunday evening. No sooner was the Borzoi announced as the Best in Show winner than I noticed blue tents folded and standing ready to be reloaded in the trailers. The plug was pulled on the PA system and the table it was sitting on folded and stowed in the Abbey Rents truck. And we finished Sunday evening just as we had started Thursday morning, with club members assisting in the grounds clean-up and the stowing of gear. Instead of asking, "Where is ..?", the question was now, "Where does it go?" The last person I saw before I left was Phil, still working on the grounds.

WE make a great team. WE put on a great show. Thank you to every one who assisted in any way to make this show a success.

Respectfully,

Dee Carlson, President