Page 25 - Chow LIfe - 2019 Summer

While the new specialty site at Oatlands had been and Kim Langford (and forgive me if any names were
glorious during the first two years – showing dogs omitted) were instrumental in bringing SCCC back
under brilliant foliage in the crisp fall sunlight – by to relevance and starting the Club on a new path.
2008 the Oatlands shows had become better-known
for the bad side of fall. The mornings were at or
near freezing. Each of the past six years major rain Since 2014 the Club’s specialties have been held
events had left the Specialty grounds at Oatlands a during the Celtic Classic cluster of dog shows in
muddy mess, with many cars having to be pulled York, PA. Entries (which had dropped to fewer than
from the mud. Twice we had days of cold wind and 30 just a few years back) were up to 69 between
high temperatures around 45 degrees, and another Sweeps and Breed in 2019. Many older members
time the specialty took place in an all-day rain. The have rejoined SCCC, newer members have been
United States entered a recession at the end of 2007; discovered, and the Club has reached a point where
dog show entries suffered, and SCCC’s entries at Southern has members from South Carolina to
its specialties suffered as well. At that point, many upstate New York. Our members and friends have
folks were getting out of breeding and exhibiting and helped so wonderfully to boost the Club’s treasury.
other just moved out of the area. The Chow fanciers Everyone has helped, but special recognition goes
that ran the clubs in the 1980’s were getting older and to people like Joanne Lesko, Julie Woodcock, Diane
leaving the sport, and there seemed to be not enough Myers, Dee Trudell, and Mike and Lisa Leonzio.
younger people to take their places. As a result of the hard work, the Southern Chow
Chow Club will host the 2021 National Specialty
in Harrisburg, PA. And just in time for our 95th
Dog show entries have never come back completely. anniversary as a continuously active Regional Club!
The SCCC Specialty in 2011 in Leesburg, VA was
snowed out. The Club had a 2012 Specialty in May
in Hampton, VA, and also held So where is the Southern Chow
2012 and 2013 Specialties with Chow Club going next? Aside
Middleburg in Leesburg, VA. from the 2021 National, we will
SCCC tried to attract entries to still have our Regional Specialty in
Oatlands by reprising the upscale York PA in mid-March. We have
trappings of specialties many planned Supported Entries with
years prior. But the additional the National Capital Kennel Club
entries never materialized, and in October 2019. Also, we have
those shows were not financially a very special date coming up at
successful. the beginning of 2020. Southern
will support the entry with special
trophies at the Kennel Club of
Additionally, Southern had Anne Arundel show on Friday
engaged in a multi-year process January 3; that all-breed show
of updating the Constitution and will be held in the memory of
By-Laws with the intent of making long-time Southern member Judy
them more compliant with AKC Webb.
practices. In the process, the Club
adopted a revised set of rules
that, in practice, made it nearly Aside from showing, we want the
impossible to obtain a quorum. Southern Chow Chow Club to
For a period of around two years, continue to be the Regional Club
SCCC could not effectively whose members lead. We are
operate due to the difficulty of Carol Klein with “Tina” outside the judges; we are trainers; we exhibit
obtaining a quorum and the snow covered rings before leaving the (and not just in conformation –
impossibility of amending the 2011 cancelled Specialty. come see Chows run in FastCAT
By-Laws to change the quorum the first weekend of December
rules. During that period, membership dwindled in Union Bridge, MD); we learn from each other; we
and interest in the Club was low. By 2013, SCCC run the dog events; we admire and enjoy our Chows
was down to a handful of members. But those few in public and at home. Visit SCCC at its website at:
members were committed members that finally http://www.southernchowchowclub.info
managed to bring the Club’s By-Laws back into a
usable state. Folks like Craig and Carolyn Barrick, This article was written by Tom Masog who was
Judy Webb, Julie Woodcock, Joyce Dandridge, Mike greatly assisted by Paul Davis with historical
and Lisa Leonzio, Judy and Robert Loratto, Dee and scrapbook materials and Julia Woodcock
Trudell, Paul Davis, Kim Moshlak, Gerry Roberts who helped make it happen.
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