Presidents Message  July / August 2005 Time is flying, summer is upon us and preparation is gearing up for the Eureka Nationals in October.  Take the time now to make your travel arrangements, order your shirts, send in trophy donations and ads, and support the raffle. Jerry Rush has more than adequately covered the latest board activities in his report, and you have already read the results of our teleconferenced meeting. I had the distinct pleasure of being able to attend part of the Spring Nationals field trial in Coraopolis, PA and the BHCA Regional and cluster shows in Freehold, NJ over Memorial Day weekend.  It doesn’t get any better then that – watching Bassets run at one of the best field grounds in the country, doing what they were bred to do, and then attending one of our Regionals where some of our best gather to compete in the show ring.  It’s been over 24 years and I still have never quite gotten used to the pleasure of observing the Basset Hounds at work.  As Marge Skolnick so aptly stated in last month’s TH article, “We are all concerned about the next Basset Hound or two that will be around to compete – and how do we manage that? Breeding!!”  Our membership is comprised of individuals with varying viewpoints and areas of emphasis; consideration, better communication, education and understanding the history and roots of our breed are necessary if all of our venues are to grow and prosper.  For the Basset, field work is where it all began. A wealth of written material is available.  If any members are interested in learning more about the basics of trialing contact any of our field trial members or FTAC chair Kay Reilly and they will guide you through.  You and your dogs are in for a real treat.  The Berkshire Valley BHC hosted the eastern Regional, part of a 4-day cluster also over Memorial Day weekend. The cluster was well inviting and successful, a direct reflection upon the club members and officers who went out of their way to ensure warm hospitality for all visitors, exhibitors and judges.  As time and scheduling permit, I intend to visit more Regionals and perhaps some specialties throughout the country this year.  Some thoughts for you to ponder -  there are serious issues involving club insurance on the horizon.  Insurance companies are taking a more conservative approach coupled with a “no risk to them” attitude.  Many breed clubs are experiencing reductions in coverage that was commonplace just a short time ago.  Homeowner’s policies are not being renewed if specific breeds are on the premises.  Rescue related activities are also under pressure.  Some time ago, through a survey, the membership of BHCA indicated that they were in favor of BHCA becoming pro-active with Rescue.  We have been exploring different avenues and are working with committee members to find ways to accomplish this goal while still protecting the BHCA from undue risk.  I’m confident we will find a balanced solution. The Board is researching additional insurance coverage and will continue to keep you posted.   Meanwhile I encourage you to check your homeowner’s and club policies to be certain that you are adequately protected. Another area for consideration is health. Has the time come to consider a health registry?  Can we better spend our dollars improving our breeding programs by going to more advanced testing of our Bassets and officially recording the results?  In casual discussion with some of our members the idea of beginning this process through a volunteer health screening pilot program continues to surface.  Are our research dollars being spent wisely or should we be committed to making a larger investment in the future health of our Bassets?  Many breed clubs are much more advanced then BHCA in these areas, while others seem to care little about health and genetic related issues.  I realize these are sensitive issues and yet feel compelled to address at least the recognition some of our health problems. The end product will be a better, healthier more versatile Basset Hound. Well, these are just a few items to ponder and as always please advise your thoughts.  Travel safe and enjoy your summer.  Best regards, Thad Makowski