Minutes of the results reached by the annual meeting of the International Union for Leonberger Dogs 2002 ( IULH )
Location : Brewery restaurant “Kirchner“ in Leonberg
Time : 28.September 2002, 10.00 a.m. – 14.00 p.m.
Presence of : Delegates of IULH member clubs from the following countries
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA ( in alphabetical order )
Chair : President of the DCLH and chairman of the IULH, Mr. Gerhard Zerle
Minutes writer : Secretary of the DCLH, Mr. Mathias Ring
Items on the agenda : 1.) Welcoming address
2.) Reports by individual members on possible problems
3.) Changing the standard with regard to the wolf claws
4.) New statutes of the union
5.) Miscellaneous
The annual meeting of the IULH came to following results:
Item 1.) Welcoming address
Mr. Zerle welcomed the representatives of the member countries. After that the new presidents of the Leonberger Club in USA ( LCA ), Mrs. O´Connor, and Denmark, Mrs. Keldgaard Nielsen, and another represantive of Russia, Mrs. Natalia Romanova; were introduced. A participant of Portugal was welcomed as a guest. There will be a foundation of a Leonberger Club soon.
The application of the represantitive of the Victorian Leonberger Club, Mr. Hein Sibrijns, for changing the items was permitted unanimously.
The new item 2.) Application for associated membership in the IULH of the Victorian Leonberger CLub Australia´s
The meeting decided the admission of the Victorian Leonberger Club as a associated member. This club is the only one, which cares Leonberger ( 30-40 dogs ) in Australia now. It is a duty for this club to form a federation with other Leonberger Clubs in Australia, which will perhaps exist in future. Such a federation will be a full member of the IULH.
The new item 3.) Reports by individual members on possible problems
a) The delegates of France informed with regret, that the former president of the French Club, Mr. Guilbert, died in spring 2002.
b) In England champion-titles were given to Leonbergers.
c) At present the Suisse Leonberger Club takes court proceedings against the breeder Mrs. Koller, Kennel „vom Röthelbach“. Mrs. Koller was crossed out of the list of members of the club.
d) Geeske Joel introduced a summary of health problems of the Leonberger population in the USA.
e) Italy:
There exist a national commission of water rescue in the Kennel Club, which asks the Leonberger clubs for support and co-operation.
Prerequisites for a champion title are HD A or B and a passed exam, which allowes the usage of the Leonberger for breeding.
Mr. Hellener and Madame Courvonsier will get the Leonberger – award in 2003
f) There will be new exhibition rules in Finlandia from beginning January 2003. In addition to that new breeding rules can be expected if the general meeting resolves them. The eye certificate will then be valid for 24 months. The character will be tested after the first litter birth. The result of the test can not mean an exclusion from breeding, but it will be made public.
g) In the Netherlands there are two kinds of pedigrees which can not be changed throughout the life of a Leonberger. These are the pedigree and the birth certificate.
h) In Austria it is possible that Leonberger receive register documents from other studbooks ( outside the FCI ) so that these Leonbergers can be used to fulfil the breeding rules of the Austrian Leonberger Club ( ÖCLH ) in practice.
The new item 4.) Change of the Leonberger standard considering wolf claws.
A resolution has been passed at the annual meeting of the DCLH in April 2002. Judges in Germany are now ordered to not pay attention to wolf claws any longer.
The new item 5.) Managing the new statutes of the IULH
Mr. Cejnek regreted that no passing of the resolution can be made available to the conference. Reasons are an increasing occupational responsibility and health problems.The IULH conference agreed as a majority that Mr. Sibrijns continues the work done by Mr. Cejnek. The resolution will be submitted to every club in German and English language until March 2003.
The new item 6.) Miscellaneous
a) Mr. Sibrijns introduced the delegates to the Internet statistics and addressed a request to the clubs to send him the club newspapers.
b) The Spanish Leonberger Club thanked Mr. Zerle with a badge of honour.
c) Russia carried out its first club show and expressed its thanks to Mr. Perosino for functionning as a special judge and councelor.
d) Mrs Jenny Inwood designed a piece of art which was discussed to become a logo of the IULH webside and then to appear on the first page.
The conference agreed as a majority.
As soon as the Union´s statutes are concluded and resolved, a professional graphic will be charged with creating the logo. Mr. Zerle thanked Mrs Inwood for her efforts and appreciated the advertising appeal of the picture.
e) The ÖCLH will celebrate its 25th anniversary and invites to their special club show in Tulln on 5th April 2003.
f) The Czech Leonberger Club welcomed all handlers to the club show in Mlada Boleslav on 3rd March 2003.
g) From the beginning of December 2002 on the DCLH starts to sale a „Steiff – Leonberger“ for the amount of 98 Euro. The stuffed animal was created in co-operation with the Steiff Company Germany, the city of Leonberg and the DCLH.
h) Mr. Guido Perosino asked the clubs to check the individual websides more rigorous considering the truthfulness of the publications.
i) In accordance to complaints the chairman of the IULH called the delegate´s attention to the problem that officials have to follow the rules of their club and of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals just as much as they check these on the members of the club.
Mathias Ring Gerhard Zerle
Secretary DCLH President DCLH
Minutes writer Chairman IULH
Leonberg, 28.09.2002