To amend Section 16.2.1 of the USCA Helper Program so that final assignment of selected helpers at the GSD-National Championship and Working Dog Championship is made by the helper committee and announced at the close of entries by the USCA Secretary.

EB #26-26

EB Ballot – #26-26 – To amend Section 16.2.1 of the USCA Helper Program so that final assignment of selected helpers at the GSD-National Championship and Working Dog Championship is made by the helper committee and announced at the close of entries by the USCA Secretary.

 

Motion: by Don Yelle, New England Regional Director, seconded by Mike Diehl, DAL, to amend Section 16.2.1 of the USCA Helper Program so that final assignment of selected helpers at the GSD-National Championship and Working Dog Championship is made by the Helper Committee.

 

Proposed Section 16.2.1:

 

Final assignment [i.e., IGP 1, 2 or 3, Front-Half, Back-Half and Alternate(s)] of the selected Helpers will be performed by the Helper Committee and announced by the USCA Secretary at the close of entries.

Background:

 

Under the current language, a minimum of three evaluators must be on site for the Helper Tryout. Host clubs bear the cost of bringing them in: airfare, hotel, rental car, mileage, and per diem. That cost can run several thousand dollars per event. It is a significant fixed expense on events that already struggle to break even.

 

USCA has run a financial deficit for the last several years. At the same time, it has become harder to find clubs willing to host National Events. The logistics are demanding, and hosting is rarely a financial win for the club. Removing this expense puts that money back into the event, where it ultimately returns to the host club and to USCA.

 

The Helper Committee keeps its role in helper selection. It reviews the qualifications of every helper who applies, votes on the slate, and recommends that slate to the Executive Board for approval. This amendment changes only that the Helper Committee will also place final assignment of the helpers with a public notification the day after the close of entries.

VOTE RESULTS:

YES: 12 –  Vice President Mike Sweeney, Secretary Michele Elmore, NBW Heidi Theis, DAL’s Mike Diehl, Josh Liniger, Mark Chaffin and Deb Krsnich, RD’s  Don Yelle, Ben Kools, Pedro Jimenez, Richard Shook and Erin Easter

Needs Further Discussion: 1 – RD Robin Ayling

No Response: 6  – President Vadim Plotsker, DOJ Nathaniel Roque, RD’s Mark Scarberry, Emily Lawrance, Terry Macias, and Julie Grayson

MOTION CARRIED OCTOBER 9, 2026