1. This procedure will replace the current method for selection of conformation and obedience judges for the National Specialties, effective immediately, for selection of judges for 1996 and continuing thereafter for subsequent National Specialties and unless further revised by a majority of the membership voting.
2. Each member of the Board of Directors shall submit a list of up to three conformation candidates (each of whom shall have indicated by returning the written contract to the Corresponding Secretary and the National Specialty Show Chairman his or her willingness to accept before placing his or her name in nomination) to the Recording Secretary at the April Board Meeting of the year prior to the year of the National Specialty for which these judges will be voted on.
3. An alphabetical list of all such names submitted will be compiled and the Directors assembled at that meeting will each vote on their first, second, and third preference.
4. The top three vote getters on the first ballot shall then be on the slate, with this method then being repeated for the next three top vote getters to be placed on the ballot, for a total of six which will comprise the slate for the conformation judges.
5. The six (6) conformation judges with the highest point totals will comprise the "slate." No Board member's name may appear on this slate. Should any Board member who is qualified wish to appear on the ballot, it must be submitted by petition. The President's name may not appear on the ballot, nor may he/she judge the National Specialty during his/her tenure as President.
A. The above slate must have completed their provisional judging and must have written approval from the AKC to judge German Shepherd Dogs. Counting time will start at the same date as the letter from the AKC of regular approval towards a minimum of five full years prior to the official opening show date of the National Specialty Show that this judge is elected to judge. Example: A person receives final AKC approval 12/1/91 may be on the ballot in 1996 to judge the October 1997 National.
B. A person shall not preside as judge of the National Specialty until there shall have occurred three such events from the last time such a person so prevailed. Example: A judge who presided in 1992 cannot be on the ballot until 1995 to judge in 1996.
6. The six obedience judges will be selected in the same manner as described above for the conformation slate with the following exceptions:
A. All candidates, both Board and membership nominated, must be AKC licensed to judge Novice, Open, and Utility classes at the time the Board votes for the ''official'' slate.
B. The restriction in item 5A (regarding the length of time as an approved judge) will not apply. A person shall not have his or her name on the ballot until the third year after the event the person judges.
7. Additional nominations, who meet the requirements in 5A, 5B, 6A, and 6B above, may be nominated by petition signed by a minimum of 50 members in good standing and accompanied by a signed written contract signifying willingness to judge to the Corresponding Secretary. In addition, the signed judge's contract must be sent to the National Specialty Show Chairman. The judge's signed contract and petition must be received by the Corresponding Secretary 60 days prior to the Annual Meeting. The signed judge's contract must also be received by the National Specialty Chairman within the same time frame. It is the responsibility of the petitioner, both for conformation and obedience judges, to obtain this contract from the Chairman of the National Specialty Show.
8. The slates, listed alphabetically, will then be sent to all members in good standing by the Board-designated ballot organization for vote 30 days prior to the annual meeting, and members will vote for no more than three judges for Breed and two judges for Obedience.
9. In order to count, a ballot must be received by the accounting firm selected to tabulate the results no later than midnight of the day one week preceding the annual meeting of the GSDCA, Inc.
10. The three candidates for conformation with the greatest number of votes will be designated as the judges for Intersex, Dogs, and Bitches, in that order, using the ladder system. The candidate with the most votes will judge intersex, the second highest will judge dogs, and the third highest will judge bitches. The candidate for obedience judge with the highest number of votes shall be designated as the judge for Utility, Open A and Novice A. The candidate with the second highest number of votes shall be designated the judge for Open B and Novice B. When entries close, the non-regular classes will be assigned. Should there be an overload in the non-regular classes, which will necessitate the services of another judge, the Show Chair and the Obedience Chair will be given the authority to select a local judge, when possible, for the assignment rather than using the ladder system. (This will eliminate the high costs for transportation, etc.) However, if an overload should occur in the regular classes, then the ladder system shall apply.
11. Tracking judges will be selected by the Tracking Chair as needed from those individuals in the area who are qualified, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.
12. The results of such balloting shall be sent to the Corresponding Secretary by the accounting agency and thereafter to be publicly announced only after the competition of the National Specialty Show preceding the year in question. These slates of judges would judge the National Specialty Show and Obedience Trial the following year subject to AKC approval. In the event AKC approval is not forthcoming on any judge or judges, the ladder system will be used.
Dated July 18, 1996 Blanche Beisswenger, Corresponding Secretary
ALSO PASSED BY THE MEMBERSHIP ATHE October 12, 1995, Annual Meeting in Burbank, CA, was the 10-4-2 requirement for conformation judges (effective 1997 National). Definition: 10 years in German Shepherd Dogs, 4 litters born on your own property, 2 champions resulting from your breedings.
Dated July 18, 1996 Blanche Beisswenger, Corresponding Secretary