Chairman’s Report AGM 2007

Before I started writing this report, I took a few moments to read over my report of last year, and over the interim reports I gave through the year within our newsletter.  I am sorry to say that there appears to be a pattern developing in things said concerning this hall!

One of the reasons we are still here at the Sea Scout’s Hut, is that despite Steve Devaney’s hard work liaising with the local council and the farmer, it appears to have gone nowhere. We can only assume that the farmer has kept the land for himself, or changed the terms of the original lease so the old lessee can still rent it. Never-the-less, that premises is now off our hit list. We do have another iron in the fire and that is the Woodlands Park Community Centre. I have nothing else to report to the membership at this stage, but rest assured, if we do proceed in this direction, I will communicate our proposals in the regular newsletter. I ask you all once again, as I did last year, if anyone knows of any suitable venues that we could use for the Club’s benefit, PLEASE can they let us know!!

What another good year for the Obedience section. Again the entries for our show were up on last year, and although the wind dampened spirits a little by graciously destroying our secretary’s tent and the one being used for our charity raffle, the weather couldn’t spoil the weekend.

The relaxed atmosphere was brilliant and we received many favourable comments both from the competitors and judges. It’s difficult to remember everyone who helped, but I must say a big thank you to all the club members, friends and family who did help. I will endeavour to mention a few.

Our show secretary, Becky Coleman, who always seemed to have everything so well organised. Sandra Curry who works tirelessly behind the scenes making sure that everybody was where they should be. Teresa Davies, who adds the little details and extras that normally get overlooked, and also for running the successful charity training ring for the first time at our obedience show.

Collectively, we will continue to earn our club a great reputation for an excellent day out, and for the judges and helpers an exceptional lunch. The back to back weekend with BAGSD is proving to a popular event and both shows were highlighted in the Christmas edition in the “Looking back over the 2006 Season” a new feature in the Dog Training Weekly 

Sometimes I think “thank you” seems such an inadequate word, but on behalf of the committee we do thank you for your contribution, be they great or small, because without you and others like you we couldn’t have held our very successful shows and have a successful club. 

The obedience classes are running at full capacity with every class full at the moment, again thanks to all the instructors who work here in this hall in difficult conditions each week to make our training classes as enjoyable as possible for everyone attending. 

The trainers have been busy this year, attending the Judges seminar and also the Good Citizen Awards Seminar at the Kennel Club in London. We would like to carry on with these extra courses this year as we feel it is beneficial to the members that the trainers are right up to date with rules and methods.

The Four Counties shield will be held this year in Shepperton on the 15^th April, this year being hosted and run by Hampton DTC. Anyone who would like to go to support the Thames team would be very much appreciated.

We had a club match on the 12^th February to choose the team and I would like to thank Lynn Abbot for judging our team selection.

We organized the first of the Four Counties Shield and the team that year had to muddle through while we ran the show. This year the trainers will be with the team for both technical and moral support. Once again the very best of luck to the team.  

As I mentioned in one of my reports earlier this year, I have had some discussions with the Members of the Kennel Club’s Working Trials and Obedience and Agility Committee (WTOA), and understand that there was a recommendation for 2 more Obedience Championship shows to be added to the existing 44 shows to make 46 from 2008. This recommendation now goes to the next WTOA meeting on March and if approved there, on to the General Committee for approval. Clubs currently running open shows will then be invited to apply for championship status to fill the additional 2 slots. I was also advised at the time of our original tender that our application was very good and would be well received when resubmitted.  No one is able to promise future championship status.  That said we will apply again if the general committee agree to 2 more shows. I will continue to report to the membership by way of the club newsletter.

Secondly, and more unfortunately, Litchfield & Dist. DTS have changed the date of their Champ show that the date of our current show. We have lodged a formal protest at that date change in light of the above, as the KC do not allow 2 Championship shows on the same date. I will keep you all posted as to the outcome. 

Our Agility section continues to thrive with all the classes at all levels once again being full, and major thanks must go to all of our trainers who give up their time to help. Without you, we would not have the success we have, and certainly not the strength of Club that we enjoy. My thanks go to every one of you. 

Bad news and Good news in the Agility section!! – Bad news first: I commented in last year’s report that the competition from the other clubs in the Agility Winter League gets stronger each year. Well unfortunately that appeared to be a prophecy and this year we failed to retain the Winter League trophy. I really hope that this was only a temporary blip, and next year we will be all the more determined to regain the Shield once more. 

And now the Good news bit!! Many of our members have taken their dogs to the higher echelons qualifying out of the lower classes. Some memorable moments come to mind!!

In agility, the Team that was Kate Austin with Fly, Dave Jolly with Mirk, James Cook with Panda and Lucy Clifton with Kip came third in the Pedigree Chum Team Finals.  

Dave Jolly with Moss and James Cook with Panda qualified through to the finals of the Olympia Novice Agility competition and Natasha Wise in the senior Agility competition held in front of countless thousands at Olympia just before Christmas. With competition extremely high this year, unfortunately none of them managed to get through to the evening finals. We are all, none-the-less, very proud of them for getting there in the first place, and also flying the Thames flag proud and high.

We have two members competing at Crufts this year, Lucy Clifton in the YKC and Lu Candy-Carter in multiple small dog events in the main arena. The very best of luck to them both. Roger Griffin graces the green carpet in the main arena as one of the Main agility judges. A huge honour and we wish him all the best of luck as well.

Linda Cook and Sid, Virginia Harry and Zoë, Dave Jolly and Mirk and my own Tag won into seniors, and to cap off a fantastic season for James Cook, he and Panda finally got their well deserved Agility win taking them into seniors as well! All through the year there was a “race” between some of the Senior Handlers, to be the first this year into Advanced – We finally had a winner and that was Graham Tappin and Zoë. A couple of weeks later Jeff Holloway also won and now brings the total number of Advanced handlers in Thames to 5. Best of luck to all of you this next year in the Championship classes.

Luke Findlay-Maxwell won starters – twice, and Peter Edney came third in elementary jumping with Millie, so is finally out of elementary, or grade 1 as it is called now, forever!!!!

As the Chairman of Thames Dog Training Club I feel immensely proud of the work that was done to make our show “the best show ever” (as said to me by one competitor). A show of this size has to have an organising Committee that knows what it is doing. I honestly believe that each and every one of the teams within the Show Committee is simply the best there is.

The showground preparation started on the Wednesday before the show, and John Cook, Jeff Holloway, and Friends of Thames, Brian Hazell and Simon Fitchett, marking up nearly 500 camping spots. The job of doing the marking up is an essential one, and because John and his team were able to do this early all of the jobs that followed were made so much easier. I believe that the tone of the show was set at this point. 

James Cook led his team of equipment builders to build all the courses in record time and in doing so, this meant that everyone was “free” for the afternoon rush of caravans arriving.

Various teams of booking in officials maintained a steady flow of caravans to their respective pitches. Having the arriving competitors sucking lollipops as soon as they arrived, and puzzling over the, now traditional, Thames Quiz helped them relax after a long (some as much as 8 hours) journey and being stuck on a partly closed M25.

The Show started with a medical emergency of a competitor being unconscious in their camper van with Carbon Monoxide poisoning. They were rushed to hospital where they made full recoveries. In their absence, Helen Cook and Lucy Clifton took it upon themselves to take care and feed and water the couple’s dogs until their return. Their dedication did not go unnoticed by other competitors, and their un-selflessness makes them a credit to our club. 

Ava Holloway and Kate Barratt, organisers extraordinaire, remained cool and calm all weekend and fielded dozens of questions high in the Secretary’s cabin, sending all the “customers” away with a smile!

Sally Edney’s excellent choice of ring managers kept all the rings flowing smoothly even though, on Saturday, England was due to play their opening World Cup game just after lunch! Kate Barratt, Sally Edney and Dave Jolly’s brainwave of having a free raffle ticket per helping person per hour for the TV that was showing the game was inspirational. It ensured all the rings were manned adequately at all times.

Norma Summersby and her catering team ensured ring parties and judged were well looked after, Chris Annis’ team and their “meals on wheels” ringside refreshment buggy kept the rings well watered (when, that is, it didn’t run out of petrol! – At least I wasn’t driving it this time!!) and Veronica Brown, Jackie Griffin and Carol Dicker made sure the presentations went smoothly from their mini marquee!

From setting up, to clearing up, the members of Thames showed what CAN be done. We should all be immensely proud of the Club and its members. Yet again, Thames has set new standards for others to follow. My personal congratulations and thanks for all the hard work to everyone connected to the show.

The only social event that was organised by the social committee of  Becky and Sandra was the Christmas Party held at the Ring of Bells pub. This was a resounding success and we have already booked it again for next year. The event will take place on Friday 28^th December ‘07, so put that date in your diary now.

This has been another cracking year for the fundraisers - we have raised in excess of £1400 for our chosen charities. Teresa has been responsible for all the fundraising coordination throughout this year, and I am sure you will all agree with me that she has done a fantastic job.

My thanks, and of course Teresa’s, goes to everyone who helped to run the raffle at the winter leagues this season. To everyone who has donated prizes & bought raffle tickets which has made this year such a success for our nominated charities.

It would be very remiss of me to overlook one person in particular this year. She has raised an amazing £500 for the Club’s charity account during 2006; this was raised mainly through her sponsored walks and her stall at the Obedience show. I know that this is unusual, but please can I ask you to give a round of applause, and your show of appreciation to MARIAN BROCKLESBY.

Thank you for that, I know her efforts are very much appreciated by the Thames club, and so can I ask you to please support whatever activities she has planned for 2007.

On a sad note, I was sorry that I had to inform everyone that one of our members from a couple of years ago, Jean Chadwick, sadly passed away last week.

Jean will be remembered by many of the Agility trainers as "that deaf woman with the GSD!" Jean relinquished her membership to the club last year when cancer took hold of her body. I was privileged to have trained her and was often on the receiving end of her wicked sense of humour. "I may be deaf, but I can still lip-read!" was often heard being bellowed back at me during classes. Rest in peace Jean, you were one of a kind, and I for one will sorely miss you.

We pass on our deepest sympathy to Clare Chadwick and Tony Wheeler and all of her extended family.

It is because of Jean’s passing on, and also the loss of a friend of many Thames members, Rena Dragonetti, both to the horrible disease of Cancer, that the Committee have requested that we include a Cancer research Charity on the voting form for you to decide on for the Nominated Charities for next year.

In a club of our size, it goes without saying that the trainers in each section are one of the reasons we are as successful as we are. By way of thanks to them for this year, we felt that, instead of vouchers or wine, what would be of benefit to them most would be specialised training with top trainers in there respective disciplines. We were privileged to have Simon and Lorna Peachey train the agility trainers, and Neil Short, one of the top Obedience handlers and trainers help the Obedience trainers. From the feedback received, I believe that those who were able to attend benefited immensely. We are looking to do more of the same during the year and in doing so their training would filter down and benefit the other club members they are teaching.   

My personal thanks, as always, must go to your Committee. They are, Steve Devaney – Vice Chairman, Ava Holloway – Secretary, Carol Dicker, Sandra Curry, Jeff Holloway, Graham Tappin, Richard Flint, Sally Edney, Rebecca Coleman and Teresa Davies. Thank you for all the time and effort you have put into the smooth running of our Club.

Becky Coleman and Richard Flint have decided not to be re-elected this year. Becky simply because she doesn’t have a dog to work at the moment, and Richard due to family commitments, and so my personal thanks go to both of them for all their help in the Club. Can I ask you to come up and accept this small gift from us all for the work you have done.

I have deliberately left out one person from that list, and that is Elaine Skilton, our Treasurer. Being treasurer of a Club of our size is no easy task, and Elaine has performed this duty with scary precision for many years now. Whoever takes over this task, and I will not be so presumptive as to suggest any names, as this will be discussed later in tonight’s meeting, has some very big boots to fill. As Elaine’s family of dogs increases, she has decided the time was right for her to concentrate on them. And so with our very grateful thanks, can I ask Steve to come up and present Elaine with a bouquet of flowers and a small gift from us all at Thames.

Before I close this report, I want to leave you with a thought. All of us are here because we have one common desire. That desire is to do “stuff” with our dogs, be it agility, obedience, or just have a well behaved pooch.

God-willing, we will all live a long and healthy life, but relative to us, our dogs are only here for a short while.  I firmly believe that we should love them as they love us, and that is unconditionally, whatever they do, right or wrong. As I said, they are not with us for very long, and so make every second count, and above all enjoy them…  

…. So I wish each and every one of you, and all the Members of our Club, the very best of luck and all success for the forthcoming year.

Andrew Dicker

Chairman

Thames Dog Training Club