Clean Run - May 2014 - 64

How to Form an AKC-Accredited Dog Club: http://images.akc.org/pdf/rulebooks/RCFORM.pdf
AKC Agility Club Search & Directory: http://www.akc.org/clubs/search/?action=agil&display=on
Rationale for Incorporation (from the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America): http://www.bmdca.org/rcc/incorporation.php
Sanders County Dog Training Club Constitution/By-Laws: http://www.huckleberryhoundsagility.com/#!articlesof-interest
Constitution and By-Laws of the Spokane Kennel Club: http://spokanekennelclub.com/Club_Constitution.html
SunDogs Agility Club By-Laws: http://www.sundogsagility.com/docs/2007-04-02SunDogsSportsmanshipConstitutionBylawsAndGeneralRu.pdf
The difference between non-profit and not-for-profit groups: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-differencebetween-non-profit-and-not-for-profit.htm#slideshow

ever you choose, make it a name that
describes what you offer and where you
are, without being too restrictive. Which
is more identifiable to the public-your
town, your county, or your region? Will
competitors from 200 miles away know
where you are when they see your
club name on a premium list? Avoid
a name that is hard to pronounce or
spell. And don't call yourselves an "agility club" if you plan to eventually offer
obedience and tracking classes as well.

we chose Sanders County as our geographic identity. Three years later we
had added obedience, rally, community outreach classes, and other services
to our mission statement. That called
for a name change. We considered:

Here's how our local club developed
its original name and morphed into
something else. We were chartered
in 2009 as the "Huckleberry Hounds
Agility Club of Sanders County." The
"huckleberry" part identified us with
the famous berry for which our region
of Montana is known. We were only an
agility club then. The area is rural, so

„Thompson Falls Dog Training Club
(nope, we couldn't name it after just
one town and alienate everyone else
in the county).

„Huckleberry Hounds Dog Training
Club (nope, no geographic focus).
„Huckleberry Hounds Dog Training
Club of Sanders County (nope, too
long).

„Sanders County Dog Training Club
(yup, this one worked! It says who we
are, where we are, and what we do.)
A good way to involve the folks who
come to your organizational meeting is

to hold a "Name the Club" contest. Your
board of directors can pick from the
selections and offer a free agility class
to the person whose name suggestion
is chosen. Before you make your final
selection, check out the names of dog
clubs across the country to get a feel
for what's already out there. Do this by
going to AKC's "Clubs and Associations"
page, where you can search all types of
dog clubs by state.
You can always change your club's
name later, but it can be as complicated and expensive as changing a business name. So plan well and choose
your name with foresight.
Next in the "Let's Start a Club!" series:
Financing your club, effective fundraisers, how to plan a budget, and how
to seek grants. D

Jan Manning helped charter the SunDogs Agility Club in Yakima, Washington and the Sanders County Dog Training Club in northwestern Montana. She runs two rescue
American Staffordshire Terriers in agility, one of whom was the AKC's top AmStaff (Preferred) in 2013.
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Clean Run | May 14

http://images.akc.org/pdf/rulebooks/RCFORM.pdf http://www.akc.org/clubs/search/?action=agil&display=on http://www.bmdca.org/rcc/incorporation.php http://www.bmdca.org/rcc/incorporation.php http://www.huckleberryhoundsagility.com/#!articles-of-interest http://www.huckleberryhoundsagility.com/#!articles-of-interest http://www.spokanekennelclub.com/Club_Constitution.html http://www.sundogsagility.com/docs/2007-04-02SunDogsSportsmanshipConstitutionBylawsAndGeneralRu.pdf http://www.sundogsagility.com/docs/2007-04-02SunDogsSportsmanshipConstitutionBylawsAndGeneralRu.pdf http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-non-profit-and-not-for-profit.htm#slideshow http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-non-profit-and-not-for-profit.htm#slideshow

Clean Run - May 2014

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