70 Saber Tails Summer 2017
Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America
The “Night of Celebration” combining three events
scheduled for the 2017 National was actually the idea of
show chair Bev Childs. And a fantastic idea it was! We
had the largest turn-out for the Top 20 yet. One hundred
ten PBGV enthusiasts purchased tickets to attend this
combined
event.
It took months
of planning to
put all of the
pieces in place.
Pam Helmer,
Bev Childs
and I shared
ideas and
coordinated
funds to bring
this fabulous
event
about.
And I have to
admit, Bev Childs knows how to jazz up an event. Pam and I
start planning each Top 20 immediately after wrapping up
the previous year’s event. Our first challenge is selecting
our judges. As each step is planned so must a plan be
developed to pay for it as it is not an event the parent club
supports financially. The judge’s list (step one in the many
planning stages) starts with, but is not limited to, judges
living within a radius of each year’s national in addition
to judges we know are planning to attend. Big expenses
for this event, aside from our judges being compensated
with one night’s lodging and the meal at the event, are
the rosettes. Ordering 14 individual participation rosettes
in addition to the larger Top 20 Winner and the People’s
Choice rosettes costs $600 to $700. Printing color
catalogs, another expense at $5.50 each, the cost of the
meal being offered and the attendance keepsakes further
add expenses that must be covered.
This year, an eblast notified our membership that we were
looking for a volunteer to collect raffle items to help offset
the cost of running the Top 20 (this job had previously
been handled by Pam). Our raffle helps keep ticket prices
down which makes this extra event a nice, inexpensive
addition to the National’s schedule. The price for the 2015
Top 20 was $25 but the Top 20 catalog was not included
and had to be purchased separately. Club members
asked that the price of the ticket be adjusted to include
the catalog in 2016. Therefore the 2016 event cost $30
and did include the catalog. Having 3 great raffle items,
donated by club members for the 2016 Top 20, absorbed
expenses not covered by the $30/pp attendance fee.
2017 PBGVCA Top 20 Invitational
In 2017 the price remained $30 and included a dinner
buffet (meal prices vary greatly depending on the
cooperation of the individual hotels). Adding Leigh Page
as our new Raffle Coordinator was an enormous help
with the concern of covering this year’s expenses. Leigh
collected ten fabulous raffle items including a Go Pro
Camera, Christmas Trees, PBGV Christmas Tree ornaments,
picnic items including a basket, chairs and a blanket, and
a DVD player with several PBGV movies. Many thanks to
Leigh who kept this year’s prices to a minimum for all who
attended.
In addition to our wonderful Leigh Page managing the
raffle to offset expenses, each year we look for a sponsor to
offset the cost of the rosettes. This year Mary Ann Morey
was our rosette angel. Very sadly Mary Ann was not able
to attend the National this year and she was missed and
we wish her a speedy recovery.
An announcer is a must at these events. Bob Cohen,
PBGVCA Vice President, originally filled this position but
has been unable to attend the last two Nationals. Bev
Childs has assumed this role two years in a row and has
done a marvelous job with her lovely southern drawl.
By December we have selected our “meal”, our judges are
under contract, our attendance gifts purchased, and our
theme colors selected for the rosettes. For several years
we offered free glasses of wine displaying the Top 20 Logo
as an attendance gift. This year an etched logo desert
plate was the attendance memento. During the month
of January, we wait for the AKC official Top 20 List to be
published. As soon as we purchase that list, Vistaprint
is contacted and custom invitations are ordered with
matching envelopes coordinated with our new rosette
colors. A calligrapher donates her time to address each
envelope and the invitations are mailed in February. By
March we have collected the required items from each
exhibitor (those on the list who are not able to attend are
encouraged to enter and place all pertinent information in
the catalog too as this is a reference for potential breeding
decisions, puppy selections and purchases, and posterity).
This required information includes: a color show photo,
a pedigree, a biography, the owner’s information, the
breeder’s information, the fee and, this year, we added a
favorite song to be played while each individual PBGV is
gaiting in the ring.
As soon as all information is collected from the exhibitors,
the Top 20 show catalog is hand delivered to our printer
in Reading, Pennsylvania. A new color cover is selected
to match that year’s rosette colors. At the same time we
arrange a pick up date so the box can be delivered to Zack
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