PRESS RELEASE:
ALSA President’s Bulletin
November/December 2006

by ALSA President, Kay Sharpnack

2006 has rushed to a close midst the Grand National, Thanksgiving, and then the Christmas holidays. We can look back on this year as one of many challenges and changes, some of which were extremely difficult. The excitement and beauty of our 2006 Grand National Show was dampened initially by the Conflict of Interest crisis. I am very grateful for and appreciate the efforts of Board, ALSA attorney Tom Hayden, Executive Office Manager, Cheryl Ryberg, and the many ALSA members who came, spoke, listened, and helped resolve this emergency. Decisive moments are turning points that can make us stronger or weaker. I felt an atmosphere of unity and strength that had not before been present and the Grand National proceeded with a positive momentum.

Now, I will do my best to update you on Board work from the past two meetings. Your ALSA Team (Board, Treasurer, and Executive Office Manager) has continued to address concerns and issues (both yours for us, and ours for you and ALSA.)

  1. Communications with the Membership
    1. Procedure for communicating Member Concerns
      1. Send issues and concerns directly to the BOD, not to the Office.
    1. Board response to Member Concerns
      1. Letters received 7 days prior to the next Board meeting will be put on Agenda for that meeting. * Please note that 2007 Board Meetings will be held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month.
    1. BOD utilization of Committees
      1. BOD sends issues to the proper committee for discussion asking for a response before the next Board meeting.
    1. Interaction with the ALSA Office & Cheryl Ryberg
      1. Cheryl is there to answer and help with questions and issues concerning shows, show records, animal records. She is also our bookkeeper and not to be treated as an intermediary between members and the BOD.

  2. The ALSA Handbook remains a priority. Each of us, as an ALSA member, is responsible for reading and knowing the Handbook and rules under which we show and ALSA is governed. The Board is in the process of, once more, carefully reviewing the entire Handbook. Due to the expense of printing and mailing the 15 th Edition, it will not go to press until all changes thought to be necessary have been made and approved. Every section is going under the “magnifying glass” Committee by Committee.

    PLEASE READ THE RULES. If you have a suggested change, please read the Handbook first and consider how your requested rule change will affect the Handbook before sending it to us for consideration.

  3. ALSA attorney, Tom Hayden was invited to attend the face to face meeting at the Grand National to meet the Board, advise us on a number of issues, and be available to meet with and answer any questions that ALSA Members might haveat the Annual Membership Meeting November 10th.

  4. On the advise of Tom Hayden, the Board adopted a Retention Policy, which outlines the length of time various ALSA records need to be retained. Cheryl Ryberg and Tom Hayden are working on options for record storage.

  5. Special Needs Classes will remain as exhibition classes at the 2007 Regional and Grand National Shows. There will be Class Ribbons, Premiums, and No Entry Fees. The BOD encourages ALSA Shows around the country to incorporate classes for Special Needs in their show schedules.

  6. The Board has approved a new Protest Procedure and Format. This has been posted on the Website. Protests are now to be sent to the Protest Committee Chair and no longer to the ALSA Office. The proper forms can be downloaded from the Web.

  7. The Board has revised the animal recording fee to benefit ALSA Members:
    1. The one time recording fee per animal is $20. During the year that the recording fee is paid, a person may request the ALSA Office to research all show results for the current calendar year and accumulate points for that animal.
    2. There will be a $25 per animal per year (not per show) fee for accumulating points on the animal in any year prior to the year the recording fee was paid going back through 2002. There will be a $25 per animal per show fee to research show results prior to the 2002 season.

  8. ALSA will be represented on the ILR Lamaribean Cruise in January by Lora Crawford (who is paying her own cruise fee) and Wally Baker will be our rep at the annual Camelid Community gathering in Kansas in August.

  9. Treasurer Wayne Rankin and the Finance & Budget Committee will have a Draft Budget for the Board to look at and approve before our January 10th Board Meeting.

  10. The ALSA Investment account papers have been received and signed by VP Dan Milton and Cheryl Ryberg and, with the exception of $15,000-$20,000, all other monies will finally be moved into 3 higher interest bearing accounts: ALSA Investment Account; ALSA Membership Youth Scholarship Fund (previously known as the Tony Rollins Scholarship Fund); The Linda Pierce Memorial Award Fund.

  11. Dan Milton continues to work with Jan Wassink , ILR Registrar, on creating a show module for use by all ALSA show supers that will be able draw off the ILR number and database to interface with the ALSA database. ALSA is not merging with the ILR.

  12. Please note that the Performance Variance for obstacle sizes that was approved by the Board was just that – a variance (rescinding the course construction and obstacle measurement requirements adopted early in 2006) to cover remaining season shows including the 2006 Regionals and Grand National. The time period for the variance ended 12-31-06 . The reason for the variance was that some of the Regional Obstacle Volunteers could not alter the obstacles in time for the show. Remember, we are a volunteer association.

  13. In December, the Board accepted the resignation of Terry Duesphol as chair of both the Grand National and Judges’ Committees. Terry, and his lovely wife Audean, have given their all in various capacities for a number of years to ALSA. Thank you Audean & Terry!

    The Board has accordingly approved:
          Norris Berg as Chair of the Grand National Committee
          Lavona Fercho as Chair of the Judges’ Committee

  14. December 21st the Board held a short emergency meeting to approve a $1000 donation, per member request, to the Llama Association of Southern California (LASC) to help cover the cost of roses that will adorn the “first ever” llama unit in the 118th Rose Bowl Parade. Did you all see the LASC Rose Parade Llama Unit on January 1st? They were Awesome! 24 of the 26 participants are ALSA members and many of the llamas being led, driven, or wearing packs are current or past ALSA Champions.

The New Year of 2007 holds great promise for ALSA and her Members as we continue on this Journey of Change, moving forward trying to bring us up to date and more efficient in every way. Committees are working hard to help us facilitate these positive changes. I am honored to be your President. My goal remains: the BIG PICTURE, COMMINICATION, FINANCES. I promise to continue to do the very best that I can for each of you to energize ALSA and keep us on focus. We owe it to our lamas.