Change

We just got the January issue of Reader's Digest & the page of Quotes is all about
change".
Two of my favorites are: "If you don't like change, you're going to like irrelevance even less." by Gen. Eric Shinseki and "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." by John F. Kennedy.
DWAA is facing a decision time - to change and move forward or to stagnate where it is. This does NOT mean that the entire organization should be changed, all traditions dropped, etc. That would be a waste of much work that has been done before us. It does mean that we need to start thinking of new and creative ways to make DWAA even better, to serve members more effectively and to open up new areas for dog writers.
By now most of the voting is in. We can only wait to see if DWAA moves forward or remains where it is. I hope that any of you reading this who are DWAA members will work to better the organization, no matter what the outcome of the election.
Deb E who was cheered yesterday by a small "Christmas miracle". The ducks were quacking wildly away when I went down to the barn early yesterday morning. I went right to their stall to see if the cat was in there or what had them all agog. It was a Christmas egg!!! The ducks do lay much of the year but stopped about October as the days got colder and darker. They don't usually lay again until mid to late January. Their quacks were obviously excitement at their very own Christmas miracle :)). The dogs were thrilled as they were hoping it meant scrambled duck egg for breakfast!
PS For those not familiar with ducks, at least mine all quack and rejoice wildly when a new egg appears.

Eukanuba or Bust

Last year when I drove out to California we soaped "Eukanuba or Bust" on my mini van's back window. Once we hit southern Ohio I had cars beeping, holding up signs & waving to indicate that they too were headed for Long Beach. I hope the trip this year goes as smoothly. Moving the show date back two weeks was not a good idea with winter storms starting up in many areas.

This year Kate & I are driving out with a friend in her van & 6 dogs. We have 2 Labs (Connie & Pearl), Flash, Kate's Corgi as Kate's backup for jrs if Queezle comes into heat, Queezle, Kate's Terv for breed & hopefully jrs, Whiskey a Brittany who is agility bound & Nia a Sibe who is agility bound. We decided we could affectionately refer to the van as "The Bitch Bus"!

I am not sure when I will get a chance to stop by in the next 2 weeks, so please vote & then enjoy getting ready for the holidays!
Deb

Getting ready to roll

The next couple of days will be whirlwind of packing & planning. On Saturday we head for Long Beach, California for the Eukanuba competition. My daughter Kate & her Belgian Tervuren Queezle have qualified in both breed & jr showmanship. Kate is aging out so we decided to drive out with a friend & bring some other dogs as well. It is hard for Kate to miss that much school, but her teachers have been wonderful. Now if we can just get everything packed & everything organized at home for Tom & Chuck to handle the animals & things here!
I made the cross country drive last year & it is so inspiring & impressive to see our wonderful nation. So cross your fingers for good weather & smooth driving!
Deb E

Now's your chance

If you haven't received your DWAA ballot, you will shortly. And when you do, you'll have your chance to speak up and say what direction you want your organization to proceed in.

What's most important, of course, is that you vote -- but of course (hey, who am I kidding?) I hope you vote for Deb for president, Liz for secretary and me for VP. I am so very proud to be running for office with these two accomplished dog writers. Deb is a compassionate and honored veterinarian, a skilled communicator and a passionate advocate of mentoring new members. Liz is a trainer par excellence, a prolific and honored writer, a second-to-none contest chair and a nationally recognized dog expert (as in, she's hosting a Washington Post webchat tomorrow on pet food. Yes, the Washington Post!) Both have served in dog clubs and have competed with their dogs. We are so very fortunate to have them in our ranks, and that they are willing to serve us even more than they already have.

So, where do I fit in here? I've been a dog writer since 1996, and a DWAA member since 1998. I've written about all sorts of dog-related topics in that time, and I've had the very good fortune of being honored for my work on occasion (not as much as Deb and Liz, though. I'll get there!). I've been a working wordsmith for 35 years. And I'm expanding my toolbox: starting next month, I'll also be working as an apprentice to Pat Miller, one of the best dog trainers in the U.S. I'll still be writing, though, and I'm still committed to serving this organization. It's been good to me, and I want to give something back -- by working with Deb and Liz to help DWAA be the best organization it can be for all those who share a passion for both dogs and for the written word.

If you have questions regarding the vote, ask us. If you have comments, feel free to comment on this blog. But most important of all, no matter whom you support, let your voice be heard. Vote!

Susan
susan.mccullough1@verizon.net

Democracy & dogs

Bet I got your attention there! Alas, in our household, we do not have a democracy with the dogs. We are benign, firm but fair, dictators. The dogs seem quite happy with this though occasionally they hold out for an extra treat :).

Our nation has shown what a true democracy is this year by our national election. By & large things proceeded peacefully. We had oversight to ensure fair voting & a choice of candidates.

This year, perhaps for the first time ever, DWAA will hold a true democratic election. We have a choice of candidates, ballots have been mailed & presumably there are safe guards in place to guarantee a fair election. So this is your big chance if you are a Professional DWAA member to exercise the chance to vote in TWO national elections in one year!

Of course, I hope that you choose to vote for me for President, Susan McCullough for Vice President & Liz Palika for Secretary. We feel that DWAA has been well served by many of its officers in the past but that some change is needed to face the new century. It is important that our organization stands for a free press & represents all of our members.
We feel that we can do the best possible job of representing all of you. We have a wide range of journalistic experience from award winning books to shelter writings to widespread magazines - both in dogs & outside our fancy. We have extensive experience within the dog fancy, including work with rescues & shelters, competing in top level purebred dog competitions & doing therapy work.
Together we represent a team that can work together & work for YOU!
If you have thoughts on the future of DWAA as you would like to see it, please feel free to post here.
Deb E

Past and Future Elections

I was talking with a neighbor today who by his admission had voted for other than Barack Obama. This neighbor knows that our politics don't agree, and that his candidate didn't win, but he still has a much more positive outlook today than he did six months ago. When asked why, he said that he was happy he voted, happy that so many other people participated in the election process and voted, and that President elect Obama appears to be gathering together a seasoned, talented, and yet new group of cabinet members. My neighbor feels that the change that our country seems to need has indeed begun.

Now granted, the upcoming DWAA election is a much smaller thing than our national elections, but if this organization is important to you - or has the potential to be important to you - I hope you take the time to read about the candidates and vote. As we have all heard during this past national election, every vote counts. That applies to our much smaller election, too.

When that envelope from DWAA appears in your mailbox, please don't toss it away. Take your time, read about the candidates, make some phone calls or emails to clarify issues or points, and then vote!

Thanks!

Liz

Liz Palika lizpalika@gmail.com