December
The Branch held its presentation night whichand we congratulate those who received awards:
| Janet Henley and Dogs Memorial Award | Mark Stevenson |
| Most Improved Dog | Kahn (Andrea Meeke) |
| Most Improved Bitch | Sia (Jason Pickles) |
| Most Consistent | Michelle Cabel |
| Child Handler | Abby Cabel with Hunter |
| Endurance Trial (ET) title | Carmen Shajdak with Rourke |
| Encouragement Obedience | Therese Alexander with Bob, Geof Bagley with Otto, David Butler with Jenna, Ange Byrne with Koby, Zac Costigan with Sam, David McIvor with Evie, Daniel Varrasso with Sienna, and Maureen Williams with Jac |
Committee members were thanked for their efforts throughout the year and presented with a gift, as was Desma Dickson who has provided invaluable assistance on the grounds throughout the year.
The success of the evening was due in no small part to a number of members, including Social Secretary and Canteen Officer, Kylie Abbott who did a great job selecting the gifts and hosting the event, and to Jo Mee and Maureen Williams who, having dedicated their time to cleaning and decorating the clubrooms for several years, did so again this year with the able assistance of a number of our members as well as Jo’s husband, Graham.
The final day of training was held on a very wet and surprisingly cool day and, while fewer members than usual attended, a great day was had by those who arrived to participate in the games.
October
A number of new members have joined us this month. A warm welcome to:
- Jessica Ferguson with Kade
- Tania Greenwood with Ocy
- David McIvor with Evie
- Jeanette Parrott with Zoe
- Natasa Mikulic with Zeus
An update on one of our members: GSD foster carers, Joan and Ray French, said goodbye to Maverick (Rick) as he was welcomed into a new home and greeted young Mack, who is currently looking for a new home. As might be expected, the uncertainty of leaving the home they knew sees many of our GSDs exhibiting some problems with socialisation, but with Joan, Ray and their family of children and grandchildren, they are gently coaxed into a greater level of confidence. We are pleased to have Ray and Mack joining us on Sunday mornings and thank the French family for extending their home and hearts to these vulnerable dogs.
A number of pass ups have been awarded to members over recent months that have gone by without acknowledgement. Congratulations to the following:
Puppy to Class 1
- Therese Alexander with Bob
- Zac Costigan with Sam
- Lyndal Hayns with Beau
- Josh Kiss with Marli
- Moricia Vrymoet with Brax
Class 1 to Class 2
- Geof Bagley with Otto
- Arndrea Meeke with Kahn
Class 2 to Class 3
- Kylie and Kayla Abbott with Elly
- Will Urquhart with Naylor
- Abby Cabel with Hunter
Congratulations also to David and Lorraine Organ who achieved success at the recent Royal Melbourne Championship Dog Show with Kaiser (Jayshell Glasgow) achieving, in Group 5 (Working Dog, German Shepherd Dog) first place in Junior Dog and Best of Breed, while little Xena (Zandrac Duchess Satine Kryze) placed third in the Minor Puppy Bitch in Group 5. Kaiser has had success in other shows since then, including Junior Dog of Breed – Long Coat in the ACT German Shepherd Dog Association and Best of Breed Junior at the Ballarat Dog Club while Xena was runner-up Best of Breed Minor in this event. Congratulations to you all!
Also at the Royal Melbourne show were Ashley Kendall and Asa provided visitors with an opportunity for a meet and greet, thereby showing the public how gentle our dogs can be. We are relieved that, following an extended period of illness, Ash is now back in good health and able to return to the grounds to instruct our dogs and, with Asa, to effectively represent our breed wherever possible.
We were pleased to raise around $300 from last month’s sausage sizzle held in front of these two stores. Many thanks to our Social Secretary, Kylie Abbott, for organising this event and for Assistant Branch Manager Dennis Gladman’s assistance in the setting up and taking down of the equipment. Thank you also to Barbara Allen, Geof Bagley, Michelle and Abby Cabel, Veronica Filmer, Arndrea Meeke, David Organ, and Mark Stevenson for putting up their hands and coming along to help with the event.
We have now determined a date for Presentation night and our final day of training or Games day:
- Presentation night: Saturday, 6 December 2014 at the clubhouse when members can enjoy a social get together in a relaxed atmosphere and celebrate the winning or winners of trophies for achievements throughout the year.
- Games day: Sunday, 7 December 2014 from 10.00 am when members and their dogs can enjoy a variety of games including musical chairs, fastest tunnel, and a run through an agility course. It’s a fun day for all so we invite all members to come along on this day.
As an early notice, the new year of training will begin on Sunday, 1 February 2014.
July-September
It has been some months since checking in on the news, so we have a number of new members to welcome to the Branch. We hope that the following are enjoying their time with the Branch:
- Jacqueline Rivett with Lexi
- John Brandwood with Holly
- Chloe Loh with Lexi
- Jessica Ferguson with Kade
- David McIvor with Evie
- Joan French with Rick
- Angela Byrne with Koby
With last year’s relocation of our local Bunnings store and a revamp by Bunnings of their booking system, we were unable to book our normal annual Bunnings sausage sizzles – our major fundraising event of the year. However, our Social Secretary, Kylie Abbott, was able to find two Sundays at the Geelong’s Best Friends Pet Store/The Good Guys complex for sausage sizzles, with the first taking place on Sunday 21st. This was a great opportunity to let the petlovers visiting Best Friends know of our existence as well as raise some much-welcome funds. Many thanks to those who gave up their time to attend the stall, in particular, the aforementioned Kylie, as well as Dennis Gladman, who spent the day cooking and serving. Also coming along to assist were Kayla Abbott, Barbara Allen, Geoff Bagley, Michelle and Abby Cabel, Veronica Filmer, Arndrea Meeke, David Organ, and Mark Stevenson.
Our next Best Friends Pet Store/The Good Guys sausage sizzle will be on Sunday 19th October and hopefully we will again have a good response to a call for assistance.
June
A warm welcome to new members:
- Kim Blain with Harpa
- Zac Costigan with Sam
- Steve Haynes and Lyndal McKinnon with Beau
- Andrew Kiss with Marli
- Jay Lewis with Zena
We hope that you will enjoy your classes and the company of like-minded GSD admirers.
Congratulations to the following members who have received their pass ups:
Puppy to class 1:
- Arndrea Meeke with Khan
- Avik and Shareva Roy with Leo
- David Varasso with Sienna
- Maureen Williams with Jac
Class 1 to class 2:
- Abby Cabel with Hunter
- Jason Pickles with Sia
We trust you will do well in the more advanced classes.
Well done to Carmen Sahajdak and Roarke who, with Dennis Gladman’s invaluable assistance, gained their ET title in the recent GSDCV Endurance Trial. Dennis kindly trained and prepared Roarke for the bike ride and both completed it with ease. It was great to see one of our Branch members participating in this annual trial and hopefully others will be encouraged to also enter it next year.
Congratulations to David and Lorelle Organ with Kaiser (Jayshell Glasgow) whose successes in the show ring have just earned him the title of Australian Champion. He now joins his GSD playmate Shakira who achieved this title last year while young Xena (Zandrac Duchess Satine Kryze) will follow in his footsteps.
Huge thanks to Michelle Cabel who volunteered her services as Equipment Officer, following Barb Allen’s resignation earlier in the year. With few position holders on the committee (many taking on multiple roles), Michelle’s assistance is greatly appreciated.
With the increasing popularity of Rally-O obedience competitions, the Geelong Branch is offering classes after training for those who would like to take the lessons a little further. Rally-O is a relaxed form of obedience, where handlers are able to speak to and encourage their dogs through a course comprising command signs including sits, stands, drops, and weaves as well as slightly more complex ones.
May
As part of Mother’s Day celebration, we were able to surprise former committee member and recently instructor, Mary Giertola, with a thank you celebration for the many years she has devoted her time to GSDs. Mary has helped many GSDs to achieve a level of obedience that resulted in success at trials as well as well-behaved companion dogs. She showed great dedication to the Branch and to the breed by continuing to instruct and participate in meetings when she no longer had dogs, knowing that the Branch would struggle with just two instructors. So a sincere thank you Mary for your contribution and we wish you all the best.
One of the reasons Mary felt able to retire was last year’s graduation of Ashley Kendall as an instructor and Sherry Henley becoming an aspirer around the same time. This year, we are delighted that David Organ has also become an aspirer and, upon graduation, will be a qualified instructor in show as well as obedience.
David and Lorelle Organ have both been showing their GSDs over recent years with great success and we congratulate them for their most recent with Kaiser (Jayshell Glasgow) who was awarded Most Structurally Sound Long Coat at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney followed by achieving Puppy of Breed and Runner Up Best of Breed, Challenge Colac Ladies Kennel Club Championship and Puppy of Breed at the Shepparton & District Kennel Club. Kaiser will soon be joined in the show arena by his new little sister, Xena, and we also wish her well in competition.
Congratulations to Avik and Shareva Roy with Leo who has been passed up from Puppy to Class 1 and will join the bigger dogs in their obedience training.
The Geelong Branch was again invited to participate in this year’s RSPCA Million Paws Walk by providing demonstrations to the dog-loving public who came along to what turned out to be a perfect dog-walking day. The pre-Walk demonstration featured three of our puppies and their handlers:
- Khan with Arndrea Meeke
- Sienna with Daniel Varasso
- Jac with Maureen Williams.
They were taken through some basic heeling patterns, sits, stands and drops as well as a recall before a run through the tunnels and a bit of rough and tumble. They certainly delighted the morning crowd.
Following the Walk, our larger dogs were taken through there paces:
- Jason Butler with Sia
- Abby Cabel with Hunter
- Ashley Kendall with Asa
- Mark Stevenson with Chilli
All performed their heeling patterns and basic obedience instructions beautifully—a special well done to our junior handler Abby in her first demonstration with Hunter!—and the larger post-Walk spectators were most impressed with the performance of our dogs. The puppies had a short session following the big dogs and again provided amusement for the those watching. Many thanks to Jo Mee who was calling the demonstration, Veronica Filmer who provided commentary, and those who assisted with the logistics. We would also like to thank the Geelong organisers of the Walk who went to great lengths to ensure that a demonstration ring was set after new Council guidelines prohibited the use of the Branch’s usual star-picket and mesh system. Without their efforts, we would not have been able to participate in this manner.
It was with deep sadness that we learned of the sudden and unexpected loss of another dear canine member of our GSDCV family when Dennis Gladman’s beloved companion, Shadow recently passed away as a result of cancer. Shadow was a familiar figure for many years on the clubgrounds as well as at trials where he worked hard to gain his CD. He will be much missed by his human and canine friends.
April
A warm welcome to the following new members:
- Belinda McCreddon with Willow
- Chris Morrison with Roxie
- Hayley Pochley with Archie
We hope that you will enjoy your classes and the friendships that you and your dog will make. Feel free to ask your instructors for any advice regarding your dog and share stories with other members who may also be able to help.
Our Branch was again asked to hold a demonstration at the annual Wyndham’s Pet and Animal Expo on 6 April. Congratulations to Ashley Kendall for successfully leading the teams through the sessions and thank you to those who gave up their time to participate in the event. While Veronica Filmer again provided commentary the following took their puppies and older dogs through their paces:
- Rob Barbour with Kes
- Ashley Kendall with Asa
- Arndrea Meeke with Khan
- David Organ with Shakira
- Jason Pickles with Sia
- Mark Stevenson with Chilli
- Daniel Varesso with Sienna
- Maureen Williams with Jac
Our GSDs were very popular, particularly the puppies who had a huge day with many of the Expo’s visitors unable to resist patting them. We were also delighted to see a number of our members also at the Expo with their dogs and showing all and sundry how wonderful and well-behaved our dogs can be.
March
A warm welcome to the following new members: Arndrea Meeke with Khan and Jason Pickles with Sia. We hope that you will enjoy your classes and that both you and your dogs will form friendships as you progress throughout the year with each other. These will no doubt include the puppies of two existing members: Daniel Varasso with Sienna and Maureen Williams with Jac. Congratulations to you both on the new members of your families, who are no doubt creating havoc as they settle themselves into their surroundings.
Our Branch was invited to hold a demonstration at the Wallington Strawberry Fair on 2 March. With Veronica Filmer providing commentary, the older dogs performed a simple but very effective demonstration involving heeling patterns and an opportunity for children in the crowd to pat the dogs. This was followed by the puppies having a play in the ring and the tunnel and drawing plenty of oohs and aahs from the crowd. Well done to Ashley for organising the demo and to those who participated.
- Geof Bagley and Otto
- David Butler and Jenna
- Ashley Kendall and Asa
- Felicity Robertson and Blade
- Mark Stevenson and Chilli
Ashley and Asa were also selected to participate in the GSDCV demonstration at this year’s Moomba Festival pre-parade the following weekend. They were part of a 14 pairs team that walked in alternating chevron formations the length of the parade. Selected by each Branch’s chief instructors, the dogs remained focussed and steady as they walked to heel along the crowd-lined street and amongst many distractions with a few pats thrown in. Both Ashley and Asa maintained their composure throughout the walk and both are to be congratulated.
February
Welcome the following new members: Anna Allen and Teeko; Geof Bagley and Otto; David Butler and Jenna; Lauren Higgins and Sammi; Andrew Plecher and Clyde; Hayley Pocklington and Archie. We hope you will enjoy your classes and learn lots of tips and techniques from our instructors and each other.
The clubrooms were looking very smart last week following the working bee held the previous weekend. Although we would have liked to have seen more members assisting, many thanks to Dennis Gladman, Veronica Filmer, Ashley Kendall, Jo Mee, David Organ, and Mark Stevenson for putting in a solid morning’s work cleaning the crates as well as vacuuming, mopping, sweeping and wiping surfaces throughout the clubrooms.
We were thrilled to have the GSDCV Assistant Training Manager and Chief Instructor of the Skye Branch, Les Rudling, visit us last Sunday with his wife, Therese, and two dogs, Odin and Mee, to look at our members in action, lead classes 2 and 3 through some heeling and weaving moves, and provide various training tips. Les was quite impressed with the level of skills that we were able to demonstrate and noted that we showed good control of our dogs. He also provided some very useful tips for working with some of our more reactive dogs and for having fun with our dogs. Our members left with some more knowledge and we are most grateful that he took the time to come to Geelong.
It was with shock and sadness that we learned of the sudden and unexpected passing of Maureen Williams’ beloved companion, Mac. Mac was struck down by cancer of the spleen, a particularly aggressive and fast-acting form of cancer. From an early age Mac and Maureen could be found on the clubgrounds almost every Friday and Sunday mornings and formed solid friendships amongst other regulars—both humans and dogs. In 2009 he and Dennis Gladman became great pals as they trained for and passed the Endurance Trial, with Mac trotting beside Dennis’ bike. The following year, together with Ashley Kendall and Asa, he and Maureen visited aged care facilities where they gave short demonstrations and an opportunity for dog-loving residents to pat them. Although big and strong, he was always gentle with the often frail residents, and remained still as they patted and hugged him.
We are pleased to announce the new Geelong Branch committee was elected at this month’s Annual General Meeting for 2014:
- Branch Manager – Ashley Kendall
- Assistant Branch Manager – Dennis Gladman
- Secretary and Membership Officer – Maureen Williams
- Treasurer – Sherry Hanley
- Chief Instructor – Jo Mee
- Social Secretary and Canteen Officer – Kylie Abbott
- Publicity Officer and Webmaster – Veronica Filmer
- Equipment Officer – Barbara Allen
- Grounds Manager and Breed Liaison Affairs Officer – David Organ
- Assistant Grounds Manager – Mark Stevenson
- Assistant Canteen Officer – Kayla Abbott
Many thanks to the outgoing committee members who have made valuable contributions to our activities in 2013: Colin Gissing, Karin Gissing, Deborah Koch, Lorelle Organ, Barbara Pownall, Felicity Robertson, Robyn Trower, and Rod Trower.
Particular mention should be made of the many years of work on the committee by Colin and Karin, with Colin occupying the positions of Branch Manager and Treasurer at various times and Karin as Canteen Officer and assisting with Treasurer duties. Both have also participated enthusiastically in Branch activities, and we are most grateful for their contribution in ensuring the success of the Branch. Similarly, Barb has spent some years as general member and we thank her for her efforts in this role.