Subject: FW: USDF GMO COUNCIL
Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2004 12:53:36 -0600
From: "Patrick, Sarah"
To:

 

 

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Subject: USDF GMO COUNCIL

 

I want to thank all of you for your work on the GMO Council this past year.   All of you have served as support for the GMOs of your region and many have done additional work in other areas.  

 

Several of you were able to attend the USDF Convention in KY, but for those who didn't make it, let me outline the subjects that were discussed at our GMO Meeting.   If I leave something out, I hope others who attended will fill in the spaces.

 

CHANGING GMO REPORTING YEAR
The reporting year for GMOs will be changed to December 1-November 30.  This will take place during 2006.  Further information will be provided in the USDF Connections.

 

FAMILY MEMBERSHIP
A family membership was approved to be implemented in 2006.  This would be $17 for the primary family member and approximately $8 for each additional family member.  Family members are described as individuals in an immediate family that have the same legal address.

 

GMO HANDBOOK
It was decided that it would be made available on line.   The expense of providing the entire Handbook in CD form will be determined and made available at cost to GMOs.

 

2004 EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS
Securing non-profit status was presented by USDF Treasurer Barbara Funk.  This information will be available shortly online in the GMO Handbook.   Likewise, the group panel information  (compiled and presented by Sybille Crafts, Cindy Dobson and Terry Luley) on event planning will  be included in the Handbook.

 

MEMBERSHIP SATISFACTION SURVEY
We had 78 of our 130 GMO presidents return this survey, which is a great response.  It was anonymous, so all comments were quite candid, and much of it was in essay form.  Peggy Gaboury is still compiling some of the information, but two major points quickly came to the fore.  1)  GMOs under 500 members spent the majority of their time organizing and running shows.  They do this because the members indicate that's what they want.   2)  Clubs that do not regularly send delegates to the Convention tend to feel less connected to USDF.  
The final results will be published in a spring edition of USDF Connections.

 

SIMULCAST  OF CONVENTION TOPIC
With the results of the survey in mind, it was determined that the GMO Councill will look into the possibility of providing a low-cost simulcast of one of the presentations most likely to be of interest to those members not able to attend the Convention.  We will also explore the possibility of providing video of the session either for individual purchase or to be played on RFD-TV.  The Council will develop a business plan for this activity during the coming year.  It is hoped that this will make non-attending members feel more included and involved.

 

MENTOR PROGRAM
It was suggested that we provide a mentoring program for new GMO officials or any  GMO.  This would provide support for new or stuggling GMOs during the year as well as individuals attending the Convention. 

 

HISTORICAL COMMITTEE
The Historical Committee has offered to provide archival services to the GMOs.  This will include keeping records of officers, activities, or artifacts of the clubs.  Additionally, GMOs are requested to provide any historical data they would like to be included in an exhibit at the 2005 Convention.

 

CONVENTION  EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS FOR 2005
The GMO Council will provide one session on volunteers and another that will be split into approximately six groups in one large room.   There will be various topics of interest to GMOs discussed in each group, with participants being able to move from group to group.  It is hoped that this will allow members to receive information in a variety of areas and make contacts with other presidents who may be supportive.

 

In addition, a report that there is a movement to make membership and horse registrations more member friendly by USET, USDF, USEA AND USHJA was circulated.   Representative of all four groups met and will begin implementing a method of providing a common membership number between the designated affiliate and USEF.  Horse registrations across all four organizations would be shared and may be centralized.  Horses will ultimately have one universal number regardless of where they are registered.

 

As you can see, it was a week pack with many wide-reaching decisions made and shared.  I hope you can all attend next year.

 

For those of you who have completed your affiliation with this Council, I appreciate your efforts and welcome any suggestions for improvement.  For those continuing,  thank you and wait 'til you see what we've got coming up!

 

Best regards to you all.

Sherry Guess

GMO Council Chair

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