January 2021 Reopening Announcement
After careful consideration of the latest updates to the Executive Order of Governor Tim Walz and the current trends in Covid-19 reporting, the Board of Directors has determined that we will Reopen for training classes starting 11 January 2021. While this is good news, we do it with the understanding that the situation may well change again. The pandemic represents an unprecedented and uncontrollable challenge for small nonprofit organizations like SPDTC.
The return to classes will be organized by the Program Directors. Instructors and students can expect to hear from them regarding the specifics of the reopening.
The Board would like to share the seriousness of the Club’s financial situation with the staff and the membership. While a return to classes will offer some relief, student fees will not be enough to keep the Club going for long. We rely primarily on income from Agility Trials and Nosework Trials to keep the boat afloat, and here too the pandemic has hit us very hard.
The Board anticipates holding an online special meeting for the membership in January to review the situation for everyone. We want to share the very serious specifics of our current financial situation, as well as discuss discuss options to pull us through.
We are closer to the end of the pandemic than ever before. We need to hold tight and pull through this together.
Specifics about the special online meeting will follow. In the meantime stay safe.
If you have questions regarding the Governor’s order, here is a link to the Dial Back, Minnesota website - https://mn.gov/covid19/
If you have questions specific to your classes, please contact the Director of the program area in which you are enrolled.
As always, please follow the coronavirus guidelines from CDC by clicking here.
Saint Paul Dog Training Club 2021 Election Update
Due to pandemic concerns over large gatherings, there will be no SPDTC banquet this year. In years past, we have held the election for the Board of Directors at the banquet. This year AKC is allowing for electronic elections and meetings for affiliated clubs.
We are looking at options for an online Annual meeting and election of the Board of Directors, on 13 February 2021. You must be a member in good standing to participate in the election and Annual meeting. Specifics and online invitations for these events will be sent out once we have ironed out all the technical details.
We are very much interested in hearing from you if you are interested in running for the Board of Directors. This year, we have 3 positions to fill, each for a 3 year term. Dawn Lisson has resigned from the Board, and in keeping with the Club Bylaws, the Board voted to fill her position with Tom Lenzmeier, who brings with him a strong love of SPDTC and valuable financial skills and experience (much needed under our current circumstances!). Tom’s appointment will need to be confirmed by a vote of the membership, and this too will be part of the online election.
If you are interested in running for the Board, please contact Bev Olson - autumwynns@gmail.com
You need to be a member in good standing, and we ask that you provide a short bio to introduce yourself to Club members who may not know you already. A photo is also nice. These documents will be consolidated and circulated to the membership in advance of the election, so people will have time to consider their choices. If you are unsure of what to write, let us know - we are happy to help.
Important: Bev needs to hear from you and have all bio’s and photos by 15 January 2021.
| Donate to SPDTC
SPDTC, like many non-profits, has struggled to meet expenses during these times of COVID-19 shutdowns, and we could really use your help. To make a donation with PayPal/credit card use the Donate button below.
To make a donation with a personal check, write ‘Donation’ in the note field and mail to:
SPDTC
P.O.Box 2443
Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota 55076
*While SPDTC is a non-profit, donations are not considered tax deductible.
Facility Improvements
Click here to read about the improvements we have made and the policies we have put in place to make our training space safer!
Proposed Bylaw changes for SPDTC
In order to keep things going during the pandemic, the Board of Directors needed to change the Club bylaws. Specifically we have made changes to allow for online Board meetings and online voting for the annual election of Board members. AKC requires that we post the proposed changes for Member review in advance of a Member confirmation vote.
Click here to view the proposed changes to the SPDTC Bylaws >
We will vote on these changes in the annual election of Board Members in February 2021. More information about the elections will be coming closer to the actual voting. We are looking at a variety of online options for voting, since our annual meeting and banquet won’t happen next year due to the limitations imposed by Covid-19.
Coming Up:
2021 NACSW Nose Work & AKC Scent Work Trials
SPDTC is hosting NACSW K9 Nose Work and AKC Scent Work trials in September and October 2021, plus more to come! Read more >
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