Frankly, we re willing to try anything (well, almost anything) to get members excited about TMAC and more involved in our club.

Transcription

1 Talcott Mountain Agility CLUB TMAC Member Newsletter Premier Issue July 2009 TMAC: It s Your Club! Let s Get Busy! The purpose of a club is to bring a group of people together who share the same passion like dog agility, for example. And the purpose of a newsletter is to provide specialized information to a targeted audience like dog agility club members, for example. Welcome to your TMAC newsletter! Don t be tongue-tied. Tell us how we can make TMAC a better club! Frankly, we re willing to try anything (well, almost anything) to get members excited about TMAC and more involved in our club. Please let us know what you like (and what you don t) about the club. Share your ideas and suggestions on ways we can improve the club. Tell us what you want to get out of being a TMAC member! Contact a TMAC Board Member Your comments are welcome and needed to make a good club even better! Please contact any of the TMAC Board Members with your input: Alisonn Zorba Arlene Collins Barb Wierzbicki Carol Hwang Diane Patterson Donna Loos Jess Scavetta Lorna Godsill Mike Mancini Pam O Day Steve Basson In This Issue Seminar Member Survey Results TMAC Sunshiners Spread Cheer and Well Wishes/ TMAC Memorial Donations Committee Free Run-Thrus a Big Hit! SAVE THE DATES!!! TMAC Picnic & General Meeting: Sat. Aug. 4:30 at Tails-U-Win (rain date Aug. 9th) Laurie Baker Seminar: NAME THE TMAC NEWSLETTER CONTEST!!! Aug. 22nd & 23rd WINNER GETS A $25.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO CLEAN RUN! Got some idea(s) for a name for the TMAC newsletter? suggestions to Barb Wierzbicki at wierzbickib@yahoo.com and stay tuned for more details! The Last Lick...

2 The Survey Results Are In!!! Thanks to the TMAC members who took the time to take the survey regarding seminars! Survey results from the 36 people who participated in the survey are as follows: 52% said they want seminars to be held in the winter 36% said they would like them year round 45% said they would go to one seminar a year 42 % said they would go to two seminars a year 58% want seminars to be full or half days depending on the topic 23% want half day seminars 19% want full day seminars 85% would like the people attending a seminar to be at the same skill level 14% would be OK attending a seminar with people at various or mixed skill levels. Suggestions for seminar topics: Handling seminars were the run-away favorite choice! Preventative health care, nutrition, clicker training and grooming all followed. 88% would like a half hour to an hour seminar that would be combined with a general meeting that would include health issues, preventative health care, grooming or nutrition. Additional suggestions included: Massage therapy, stretching exercises, obedience, impulse control and zoomies handling, tricks, focus and control of high drive dogs, getting ready for trial season and dog photography. Respondents requested having the following people return to give more seminars: Jenn Crank (has presented twice) Karen Holik ( has presented 3xs) Joan Meyer (has presented 3xs) Lori Michael (has presented twice) Monique Plinck (has presented twice) Respondents suggested inviting the following people to give a seminar: Laurie Baker Webb Anderson Ann Andrle Greg Louganis (presented once) Stacey Peardot Linda Mecklenburg (does not travel to give seminars other than for Clean Run) Debbie Saunders (in discussion) Jenn Pinder (still pursuing) Susan Salo (not available) Rachel Saunders Tracey Sklener Silvia Trkman (travel cost is prohibitive from Slavinia!) It takes a significant amount of pre-planning and coordination to set up seminars. We truly appreciate your suggestions for seminar ideas and presenters. The notes in Italic provide you with an update on where we are respecting getting specific seminar presenters. We will keep you posted in future newsletters. In the meantime I m delighted to share the good news that (after a three-year effort) Laurie Baker is giving a seminar on August 22nd and 23 rd! and possibly again in March!!! See seminar details below. A flyer and a sign-up sheet will be available soon!

3 MARK YOUR CALENDARS: LAURIE BAKER SEMINAR ON AUGUST 22 ND & AUGUST 23 RD TMAC will be hosting 2 days of seminars, Aug with Laurie Baker held at Tails-U-Win! in Manchester, CT. There will be four, 4-hour sessions. TMAC members will be able to register for the seminar prior to its being offered to the public. Weather permitting we will be outside; bad weather will force us inside at Tails. Members will be able to use up to 50% of the cost of the seminar with their service hours. More details to follow!!! A flyer is being created, and will be sent as soon as it is available! Saturday August 22 nd JUMPING Novice / Open 8:00AM -12:00PM Excellent 1:00PM 5:00PM JUMPING!!!!! Is your dog knocking bars? Is your dog putting in too many strides or not enough? Should your dog be in extension or collection? Find the tools you need to teach your dog to keep the bars up; take off correctly; and put in the correct number of strides between jumps. All work is done with jumps - no contact work. Time permitting; weave problems will also be covered. Sunday August 23 rd STAYING AHEAD - FROM BEHIND Excellent 8:00AM -12:00PM Novice / Open 1:00PM 5:00PM Help... I can't get there!! Is your dog fast - and you are not???? Learn how you can cue your dog where they are going from behind. Even if your dog is less motivated, this seminar can help you not get in your dog s way and slow them down even more!!!!! Please bring your dog s favorite toys and bait pouches. Time permitting; weave problems will also be covered.

4 Sharing Sunshine & Support TMAC Sunshiners Since 2001, TMAC Sunshiners have been sending warm thoughts and well wishes to members who may be ill or going through a difficult time. If you know of someone who is feeling poorly, recuperating from an illness, or who needs a little sunshine in their life, thetmac Sunshiners would like to send them a card. You have two ways to tell us who could use a lift: Find the link on TMACAGILITY.ORG Pam O Day with the intrepid05@aol.com or give her a (860) TMAC Memorial Donations We don t like to talk about it, but occasionally we lose a loved one. In the unfortunate event that you should suffer a loss or hear of a fellow TMAC member s loss, please make note that we have a Memorial Donations Committee. $100 donation death of a member $25 donation death of a member s immediate family member $15 donation death of a member s dog Please let us know if/when we can extend our support and make a memorial donation. Every attempt is made to ensure that the donation goes to an organization of your choice. You have two ways to let us know what your wishes are concerning memorial donations: Find the link on TMACAGILITY.ORG Pam O Day with the intrepid05@aol.com or give her a (860)

5 Free Run Thrus Are A Big Hit! To help get ready for the 2009 trial season, TMAC members were treated to a series of run thrus free of charge at the Tails-U-Win training location in Manchester, CT. We ve had five winter/spring run thrus (approximately 80 runs each) - and a good time was had by handlers and dogs alike! We got to practice course runs made all the more real thanks to a trial simulation that also gave members the opportunity to learn trial positions including gate steward, timer, score keeper, and ring crew. Thank you soo much for doing these run thru's over the past months. They are awesome and it s great to meet everyone. Much appreciated! Member participation and feedback were very positive so positive; that free run thrus continue to be available to members the third Tuesday of most months; weather permitting! Free run thrus for TMAC members the 3 rd Tuesday of most months outdoor training Tails-U-Win from 6:00PM 8:00PM (weather permitting) Volunteers are 5:30PM to help organize and coordinate the event; we also need willing hands to help set bars, etc. during the run thru. A signup & volunteer sheet is posted on Google the week before the run thru -- and a link is sent out as well to the membership via the yahoogroup . What a cool thing. Hope we do it again great way to meet other members and have a good time with them and our dogs.

6 TMAC PICNIC & General Meeting August Laurie Baker SEMINAR August 22nd & 23rd The Last Lick... When the Spirit Moves You A recipe for delicious homemade doggie treats from Arlene Collins and her dog Spirit! The Ingredients: 1. 2lbs ground meat beef, turkey, or chicken. (Purdue can be too fatty and Spirit s personal favorite is white turkey.) 2. 1 cup rolled oats 3. 1 egg 4. 1 tablespoon of honey or molasses (Spirit prefers molasses.) 5. 1 cup applesauce or diced fruit - fresh, canned or frozen. (Spirit s fond of canned peaches.) The Process: 1. Mix all together, spread on large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan lined with foil or parchment paper. 2. Bake 25 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven. 3. Remove from oven & flip over. (Spirit uses the foil to flip it not really; Arlene does that.) 4. Bake 10 more minutes at 375. Let cool for 15 minutes and cut into small squares. This makes a lot for a small dog so you can put squares in a snack size bag and then store all the bags in a gallon size freezer bag. Just remove a bag or two at a time - they defrost by the time you get to class or a trial! Happy Baking...Makes for Happy Barking!