Officers/Committees/E-mail/Membership/History
 
Officers

President: Lee Greever

Vice President: Sally Vilas

Secretary: Diana Moreland

Treasurer: Bonnie Prato

Board of Directors: Sue Calestini, Carolyn Marcus, Sharon Shevelson
E-mail Norcaltoy@aol.com
Membership Application

Diana Moreland, Secretary Download Application.pdf
History History of the Nor - Cal Toy Dog Fanciers, Inc.

     On May 2, 1981, a gathering of toy dog fanciers was held in Santa Rosa on the grounds of the Mensona Kennel Club show. The concept of a toy group club was to be discussed. It was enthusiastically accepted and the ball was set in motion as to how the club would be organized. Within the next month a second meeting (this time at San Joaquin Kennel Club’s event) was held and the club’s charter was established. Thirty four members began the Nor-Cal Group V Club. Of those original members, seven are still members: Dixie McCulloch, Bonnie Prato, Leonard Reppond, Toni Robinson, Virginia Smith, Sally Vilas and Mary Walsh. At our third meeting, a contest was proposed for a club logo. The board and any members were welcomed to submit suggestions. It is interesting to note that twenty one years later the club has its first logo!

     Seven months from its initial meeting the Nor Cal Group V club held its first match. Since it was a non-sanctioned event, it was called the Toy-a-Rama and was a great success. The group club seemed to be on its way except for one stumbling block.

     Only a few all toy clubs existed and only two were show giving clubs, namely the Progressive Toy Dog club in New York and the Metro Mile High Toy club in Denver. These were older clubs that had been in existence for many years and were established at a time when the American Kennel Club looked favorably on Group clubs. In the early 80’s, however, the tone was different. The American Kennel Club actively discouraged the formation of any new group clubs. At that time only one of its board members (David Merriam) was in support of the concept of a group association! Although the club still continued to offer matches and other worthwhile events, the discouraging message from the AKC dampened much of the enthusiasm of our membership. Although the club still existed in principal, its activities lay fallow for almost a decade.

     While traveling together to a judges’ seminar in the early 1990’s, charter members Sally Vilas and Len Reppond discussed the reactivation of this club; the American Kennel Club was NOW encouraging the formation of such clubs. Notices were sent to all the charter members who were still active in the sport as well as to other current exhibitors, fanciers and breeders in the club’s geographical area. Like our very first meeting, the enthusiasm was palpable. Would the phoenix of the Nor Cal Group V club rise from its ashes? It appeared to be a resounding YES. That meeting was held at the Del Valle Dog Club of Livermore show in October, 1994. The revised toy club would be renamed the Nor Cal Toy Dog Fanciers.

     Within a short period of time the club was back to offering fun matches and attempting to build its treasury; it would be important to have a sufficient amount of money IF we were ever to be approved to be a show giving club. With a growing membership, successful fun matches, lucrative raffles and a board with a bent toward fiscal conservatism, the club flourished. Soon the American Kennel Club approved our club’s formation and we were on to holding a series of sanctioned matches. After our prerequisite B-OB and A-OA matches, we were approved to offer our first point giving show in February 1999.

      Since that date we have continued to offer quality all toy shows (in both conformation AND obedience) with the number of entries growing with each year’s show, attracting exhibitors from all corners of the United States.

     But shows are only one activity of the club. Education was from its inception thought to be the club’s primary goal. And to that end we have been successful: training, breed seminars, nutritional requirements, immunization protocols, diseases affecting toy breeds have been a few of the many program topics.

     The club continues to thrive and offer the toy breeders and fanciers in Northern California a venue for learning, camaraderie and enjoyment of our beloved toy breeds. We all look forward to many more pleasant experiences as members of Nor Cal Toy Dog Fanciers.