Date: February 17, 1998

Dear ABTC Member:

The enclosed ballot is being sent to you by the American Belgian Tervuren Club Board of Directors. This ballot takes the place of, and serves the same essential function as a ballot proposed to be sent by the American Kennel Club. The reason that your board chose to send its own ballot is so that it could more closely follow the advisement of our attorneys on voting requirements, and also, so that the membership would be afforded the opportunity to more clearly state its wishes on the recombination issue.

This ballot is worded essentially the same as the proposed AKC ballot except for the ABTC’s requirements that are necessary before we would take action on club recombination, and except that we offer a second part to the voting options.

The proposed AKC ballot asks for a vote between two choices: (A) "I favor one breed with three varieties to be shown with separate points and group representation", or (B)"I favor three separate breeds as they currently exist." The AKC’s first choice (A) assumes there would necessarily be one club representing all varieties. This is something they told us would be a requirement of recombination, and that we could not have parent variety clubs.

The ABTC ballot enclosed (the only one you will get) asks you to vote on those same options, and additionally allows for a choice between (B) and another option, (C) "I favor one breed with three varieties and three variety parent clubs, with each variety shown for separate points and with group representation.", because the board feels that in fairness to the membership, this ballot should give the membership the opportunity to say exactly what their wishes are in the matter of the clubs, regardless of the AKC’s stated policy.

The other difference from the proposed AKC ballot is that our ballot requires a 2/3 total membership favorable vote of item A before any action will be taken to vote on the dissolution of the Club in order to begin the process of reorganization. This is at the recommendation of our attorneys according to our Constitution and By-laws. It would be necessary for 2/3 of our membership to approve item A, as well as the required majority determined by the Belgian Sheepdog Club of America and the American Belgian Malinois Club for the like-worded choice in their ballots. This is required before AKC or the ABTC would start the process for voting to dissolve and recombine clubs.

The strength of results in favor of item C will provide the ABTC Board of Directors with the information needed to determine if it should go back to the AKC to negotiate separate variety clubs. Item C will provide us with much more accurate information with which to continue any further discussions with the AKC.

If 2/3 of the total membership consistently votes in favor of choice "B", status quo, then no further efforts will be planned by this board for any type of recombination effort and this board would recommend that the next board also not spend time on it.

Respectfully,

ABTC Board of Directors

The American Kennel Club wishes to resolve the breed versus variety question regarding the Belgian breeds. In order to do this, input is being sought from the membership of each of the three parent clubs. The AKC Board will only proceed towards the next phase of the reorganization of the three clubs into one club if and when there is a minimum affirmative vote as set forth by each of the three clubs. The ABTC is requiring a 2/3 affirmative of the entire membership, at our attorney’s recommendation. [ A 2/3rds vote in favor of the proposed change is required in order to move forward to dissolve and reorganize.] To ensure validity of the balloting, all ballots must bear the member name and return address on the outer envelope. All ballots will be checked against a current membership list then counted by three members of inspection, including one ABTC Board Member, then all materials will be forwarded to another area of the country and again will be verified and counted by three members of inspection, including one ABTC Board Member.

Each of the Belgian breeds is considered a distinct breed by AKC. [This is pertaining to AKC’s Registration Policy for the Belgian Breeds. AKC considers the Belgians 3 distinct breeds. In essence, AKC is telling us that the only way AKC will rectify the AKC registration complications is to become ONE breed, with ONE standard and ONE club.] Dogs of one breed can not produce offspring of another breed that can be registered, nor can the offspring of interbreeding between AKC registered dogs of distinct breeds produce registerable offspring. [Presently, if a black puppy is born to AKC Registered Belgian Tervuren parents, the AKC registers the pup as a Belgian Tervuren. The same applies if a brown pup is born to an AKC Registered Belgian Sheepdog. The pup is registered the same as its AKC Registered parent – as a Belgian Sheepdog. Such dogs can compete in AKC Performance Events, but are disqualified in the breed ring. Presently, intervariety breeding is Not Allowed between the different AKC Belgian breeds because AKC considers the Belgians distinct breeds, not varieties. If this vote were to pass, all Belgians would become one breed, with varieties and intervariety breeding would be allowed. Imported offspring of non-AKC registered Belgians may be registered by AKC as dictated by their physical appearance if they are from an AKC recognized foreign registry regardless of the variety of their parents. [Imported dogs, regardless of the foreign variety of the parent, (as long as the parent is Not AKC registered), may be AKC Registered as the variety indicated on its AKC-recognized foreign registry.]AKC registered dogs being exported may sometimes experience difficulty in obtaining foreign registration as the correct variety.

There has been a great deal of controversy over whether the Belgian breeds should continue to be treated as distinct breeds or whether they should be one breed with three varieties, to be shown with separate points and separate group representation. [If a vote to dissolve and reorganize were to pass, AKC is telling us that the Belgians will continue to be allowed to show separately in both the breed and group rings, similar to the way that Rough and Smooth Collies are shown.]

If item A on the ballot were to be voted upon favorably by the memberships, it could be phased in with full reorganization taking place in January 2000. This would allow for the honoring of all contracts for National Specialties, etc., and allow time for the clubs to implement the reorganization. One possibility to consider could be to use the current three standards with a common preamble to allow for registration as a breed with varieties. [If this vote were to pass, it is going to take some time to make it all work. In the meantime, AKC is saying that a "common preamble" for all 3 standards could be used until this change is in full affect. The logistics for this common preamble have not been addressed.]Any actions requiring amendments to club bylaws or breed standards, would be subject to a vote of the memberships of each of the clubs. A positive vote for one breed and one club would start the process for developing a recombination plan. This plan would provide for the reorganization of the existing three clubs into one National Breed Club, with one standard and one National Specialty Show with the three varieties represented. [If this vote were to pass, the process would begin to dissolve the existing 3 AKC Parent Clubs and begin reorganization for One National Breed Club, One Standard, One National Specialty Show and One AKC Delegate.]

1. What about the club’s treasury? The ABTC Constitution and by-laws call for donation of our club treasury to charity in the event the club is dissolved. However, since a reorganization of all Three clubs would occur should the ballot pass, our attorney is of the opinion that our assets can be merged with the other clubs’ assets to establish the NEW CLUB’S treasury. However, the three clubs will need the help of an attorney to determine the details and amount.

2. What will happen to the existing area clubs? There is only one ABTC area club that is AKC licensed. That club would have to dissolve and reorganize, as would the existing BSCA club in the same area. All other area clubs would have to:

Sincerely,

Diane Schultz
ABTC Secretary