Page 22 - Chow LIfe - 2019 Summer

Regional Club Spotlight

Southern Chow Chow Club, Inc.

The Southern Chow Chow Club, or SCCC, is our Mrs. Ruth Adams Baer was the first president of
nation’s oldest continuously active regional breed SCCC and served as president through 1933. Many
club for Chow Chow breeders and fanciers. One has of us best remember her as a co-author (with Mr.
to go far back in the history of Chows in the US to Robert Leighton of England) of The Popular Chow
understand the beginnings of SCCC. Chow in 1930. Her husband, Mr. William Baer,
was an innovator in hip and spine surgery at Johns

The importation of Chows into England began about Hopkins University.
1880 and the breed started toward its popularity after
Queen Victoria took an interest in this “Wild Dog The Mid-Atlantic area proved to be popular for dog
of China,” as it was dubbed while on display at the shows in general, and the presence of SCCC added
London Zoo. That popularity spread into continental to the popularity of Chows in the area. Our Club’s
Europe between 1885 and 1895, and about the same membership dues in those early years were $2.00 per
time the first chows arrived and were exhibited in year. The Club’s membership quickly swelled to 50
America. members by 1928. In that year, John G. Anderson
and Agrippina Anderson became members of
The 1920’s were an age of dramatic social and SCCC. The Andersons were major Chow breeders
from the Glenmont area of Silver Spring, MD who
political change. The end of World War I changed actively bred and exhibited Chows for many years.
our nation forever, and there John showed his Chows to
followed an age of economic many Group placements
prosperity. For the first time, and even a few Best in
more Americans lived in cities What Makes SCCC Shows, and he served as
than on farms. The nation’s Interesting, Part 1 SCCC President for three
total wealth more than doubled years during the 1940’s.
between 1920 and 1929. By Most people say that the Southern Agrippina became a judge
the 1920’s, the Chow Chow Chow Chow Club isn’t really and was also President
had become the third most “southern” at all. But we were founded of the National Capital
popular breed in the US, and south of the Mason-Dixon Line – the Kennel Club. In 1929 Dr.
the initial regional breed club line between Maryland/Delaware Imogene Earle joined our
had been established in the and Pennsylvania which historically Club. Her Pandee line of
New York City area. Americans divided south from north. And Chows became among the
loved the exotic-looking Chow we called ourselves “Southern” to most prominent in the
and they loved dog shows; the distinguish ourselves from the fanciers Mid-Atlantic area.
exhibitions grew steadily in in the New York area.
number and size, and with the
establishment of the Group During the early years
format within dog shows in of SCCC, dog shows
1924 there were more and more winners each year. were enormous spectacles. While we all have read
accounts of the Morris and Essex shows, our own
Specialties were attractions in their own rights. Our
In February 1926 a group of Chow Chow enthusiasts first show was an independent Specialty in 1926
in the Washington and Baltimore area came together held on the grounds of the Maryland Country Club.
to organize a specialty club for the many “southern” Within five years, entries at the Specialty grew to
Chow breeders and fanciers – those “south” of over 150 Chows and the value of the trophies alone
Philadelphia. This group formed the Southern were over $3,000 in 1930 dollars. Just think about
Chow Chow Club “to promote the owning, breeding it! These shows on the country club grounds were
and exhibiting of the Chow Chow breed, to do all catered affairs under tents. The “beautiful people”
in its power to protect and advance the interest of that time were there and the shows were featured
of this breed, to hold such shows and to promote on the newsreels that ran before every movie in
and maintain such amicable relationship among its the Baltimore area. And the dogs were just as
members as will best contribute to those objects.”