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[gibble1]

First, I would like to thank all of you that supported the NEBGF last year. We are starting a new field trial year and I encourage you all to participate in NEBGF qualifying trials. We are looking to bring new sponsors on this year and improve relationships with our existing sponsors. This should result in increased consistency packages and prize packages at the championship trials.

There are a few clubs that have conflicting information on their Association and NEBGF schedules (eg. listed trials as NEBGF qualifiers on one site, not listed on another). I would encourage all of you field trial secretaries and chairs to review the information out there and have it updated. Running your sanctioned or licensed trial as an NEBGF qualifier can increase entries for your event by attracting folks who are chasing consistency points and folks who want their hounds qualified for the championship trial.

Our Championship Trial is scheduled for June 1 (FC Only), June 2 (All Age and Derby Males) and June 3 (All Age and Derby Females). In addition to the field trial events we will be sponsoring a picnic on Friday evening. We are working with AKC to schedule an advanced judging seminar on Friday evening and a regular judging seminar on Saturday. Our Annual meeting will be held on Saturday at the conclusion of the running. We want to try some new things this year to make the championship trial more of a celebration of beaging by attracting folks who may just have an interest in our Federation but not a "hot" dog this year to compete. Some of the things we are thinking of are talks about club management, raffles with tickets for anyone who enters a hound, and maybe a few more fun things. If anyone has ideas or can help, please contact me.

At the annual meeting we will have a few things to discuss. First we have some minor changes on the table for the Constitution and by-laws. I have also heard comments regarding going from an "Association" based set up to a "Member-Club" format where individual clubs can decide whether they want to belong to the NEBGF and pay dues directly to the Federation. The format of the AKC Grand Champion Title will likely still be a discussion topic. We have judges to select for the AKC National and I'm sure there will be a good deal of discussion on that event as new changes are made. I invite any of you that have ideas about improving the Federation to be present for the meeting. I would also invite anyone with a sincere interest to step up and take a nomination for any of the Federation offices. Running this organization is a lot of work and new blood and new energy are always in demand. I've heard a number of you comment on the location for the NEBGF championship trial. Any club that can reasonably hold this trial is more than welcome to bid on it at the meeting.

Todd Nigro (NEHBA)and Kevin McEwen (PBGA) have been selected to represent the NEBGF at the AKC SPO National in April. For anyone interested in marshalling at the AKC National, the Federation will offer $100 to help with expenses in travel. The AKC SPO National Committee will also pay $100. Marshalling is a great opportunity to see some of the top hounds in the nation compete, up close. If you hope to be nominated to judge this event some day, it speaks to your credit to have helped by marshalling in the past. If you are interested in marshalling, please let me know prior to March 31. Don't show up at the National and claim to be a marshall and expect payment. Blaine Grove, Ed Sankey, and I will be representing our Federation on the SPO National Committee this year.

For anyone that has not attended the national, I cannot stress enough how important this event is. First, to be considered as a viable partner in the National, our Federation needs to be represented by entries. If you would like to send a dog but can't attend yourself, please let us know and we will be happy to help arrange a handler for you. If we can field a quarter of the entries in this event, we can start looking at getting another judge allotted for this event. In the past few years, with much credit to the late Gary Hanks as president of the National, we have been accorded a great deal more respect than in bygone days. This respect is playing out in our roles on the Beagle Advisory Committee, our relationship with AKC and sponsors, and in how our hounds are viewed from a national perspective.

Over my past 25 years in beagling, I have seen a lot of changes in the organization of beagling. I've seen new registries started then fail, new formats started and failed, new Associations and Federations started and failed. In most instances the reasons for failure can be attributed to 1) lack of integrity, and 2) lack of initiative or innovation. As we enter into this new trial season, let's remember to play fair and apply the rules. Enough of us have taken the judges' seminar and read the rulebook to know that when an infraction occurs it is up to the Field Trial Committee to address it immediately. Further, if you have ideas for your club, Association, or this Federation, make them known. We can't rely on "this is the way we've always done it" as an answer to failing entries and faltering interest.

Finally, I'd like to relate a incident from a field trial down south. Once entries were closed, announcements were made. One man stood up in the back of the room and announced that he was voting for so-an-so for the Hounds and Hunting Hall of Fame and explained his reasons. Another man stood up and spoke favorably about the same man. In short order, a dozen men stood up praising this gentleman. What struck me is that we in the NEBGF spend far more time criticizing each other than we do praising one another. Perhaps it's cultural, but it hasn't been successful for us. We are at a point where the NEBGF may finally be accepted for the great organization that it can be and really is. We just need to promote the Federation and our beaglers from within so that those outside our sphere can see how well off we are. Think positive, speak positively, and positive results will happen.

John Gibble, President
(717) 449-0699