NAVHDA
BIG SKY CHAPTER

Janurary Newsletter


It has been a while since I have sat down and composed a newsletter to all of our chapter members. Some of you know me, some do not, so I will introduce myself. I am Scott Henry and I have been involved with NAVHDA,and the Big Sky Chapter for a while in various ways. This chapter has a rich history and has been an integral part of NAVHDA testing and training for years. Our chapter has now reached a crossroads and the future is uncertain,
so we are asking for your help to determine the possible directions of the chapter.
I have talked to our President, Cherie Garcelon, and she is ready to pass the torch onto a new president. We will be having a meeting at Perkins in Missoula, on Jan 16, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. to discuss a wide range of issues and for an election of officers. We are also seeking to have a new set of board members elected. We will need to have these positions filled:

President Promotional Director
Vice President (3) Board Members
Secretary/Treasurer Cooking Director
Test Secretary
Director of Training

We will also be discussing a wide range of topics including, but not limited to:

Dues and Dues Increase Fund Raising Efforts
Training day Schedule Outdoor Show
Spring Test Chapter Fun Days and Hunts
Fall Test Breeder Involvement

I would urge anyone that is interested in any or all of these positions, to show up and volunteer your talents. If you are interested but are unable to attend, please contact Cherie Garcelon @ 406-726-3270 or toomanybaddogs@blackfoot.net, or Scotty @ 406-627-2383. This is an opportunity for all of us to voice our opinions, and be heard. This is also the opportunity to give back to the organization that has given so much to all of us.
I would like to take this time to talk about what I feel is the main emphasis of the Navhda philosophy. Basically Navhda is a grass roots organization that promotes the ethics of the hunt and conservation of wildlife through the use of a well trained dog. NAVHDA itself helps to promote this by experienced people teaching others to train their own dogs. Whether your goal is to have a family companion/hunting partner, or to reach for the very pinnacle of the testing program, the Invitational, it is an attainable goal. If you are having a problem in an area of training, someone else has had that very same problem and has found a solution. I have tested at a lot of different chapters, and talked to a lot of different people and have always felt welcome and a shared purpose in the dogs.(Although I sometimes have had a diffence in opinion about their choice of breed...). Above all else we need to keep in mind that this is an organization built on volunteers. I would encourage everyone to get involved in a test and see the amount of work that is involved, and step up and put your talents to work. NAVHDA is also a great opportunity for wives and children, at our last test in Ronan, there were as many ladies handling the dogs as men, and at the last Invitational, there were two handlers under the age of 17, as well as female and male handlers. And last but not least, this is an organization geared to produce true versatile hunting partners, able to work upland and waterfowl, through good breeding and training. This is also a tool to be used for responsible breeders to improve on their breeding programs. If you're looking for your next versatile hunting partner, what better place to start than by seeing what the different breeds do in testing and training? Enough of my soapbox for now... Scotty