A Call for Help
Did you know the Twin Cities Vizsla Club will be turning 45 in 2025? If the club were a sentient being, I wonder how they would feel about the milestone birthday? Would it be just another day?
Our club has changed a lot since its inception and it’s necessary to adapt to the change in dog sports and our membership. In the past few years our membership has declined. This is not unique to our club or even isolated to the Midwest. I’ve even been told it’s not the first time this has happened. But, this does mean there are less members available to help with the events and activities TCVC has historically held. In January, the current officers and directors discussed the current state of our membership, recent event participation levels, and reviewed recommended changes to the number of committees. Current committee chairs were also brought into the conversation, if present, to provide their feedback. The club also reviewed what was required by an AKC Licensed Specialty Club. Below is the outcome of that discussion.
Previously, there were 14 committees that had varying levels of activity. Several have had vacant chair positions for several years. Many of the committees were tied to annual events that were no longer occurring without a chair to coordinate them nor were many of them required to be performed. The 14 committees were reduced to eight committees and one liaison position. The are listed below.
- Annual Awards & Banquet
- Breeder Referral
- Breed Rescue
- Communication Committee
- Education Committee
- Event Coordinator
- Hunt Test
- Specialty Show
- Federation Liaison
With the current restructuring, there are still four vacant chair positions. We are looking to our members to find volunteers to fill these positions. NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE is required. Just a desire to help out in an area of interest.
Open Positions
- Specialty Show – This is a critical position. The board is able to help mentor this individual to success.
- Breeder Referral – This position is not a time consuming role. There are occassionaly questions that are forwarded to them about breeders. The board can be contacted for guidance and coaching while learning this position.
- Event Coordinator – This is a new position! This person is NOT required to think of events to host, but rather act as a coach and help club members bring the event to life.
- Blog/Social Media Chair – This is a new position! We are looking for someone (or someones) to manage the Facebook page (not group) and the website blog. They will also work with the website committee, as needed, to post information to the website. The two committees together form the Communication Committee. This is great for members who are not central to the Twin Cities.
While all four positions are important, we are urgently seeking a show chairperson. As a licensed AKC Specialty Club, we are required to have an annual specialty show. There are several previous show chairpersons available to mentor the person who takes on this role. Also, it takes two to make a committee. Bring a buddy (or five) along! It’s always nice to have someone to talk to and bounce ideas off of while planning.
Please read more about the positions and let a member of the board know if you are interested or have questions. We are here to help! Also, if there is a committee that sounds like an area of interest, but already has a chairperson, please contact them and ask how you can get involved! They are always looking for new ideas and fresh perspectives.
I’ll be honest – there is currently a small group of individuals who are coordinating the club events and we are greatly appreciative of their time and effort. However, we also don’t want to burn out these individuals. Please consider looking to see how you can contribute to our club.