Yorkshire Terrier Club of America

This article appeared originally appeared in the Express 10 years ago.  With the YTCA’s Breeder Referral now entirely Internet based, it is increasingly important new members be fully known and vetted before joining the Club since some people may have an increased interest in joining just to appear on our homepage listing to sell puppies or stud services.  The information below has been updated and is presented again for your consideration.

"Will you sponsor me for the YTCA?"  It is a question nearly all YTCA members are asked at time or another, yet how many of us realize the importance of this simple question?  When you agree to sponsor a new member, you are, in effect, placing your own integrity and prestige on the line by attesting to the applicant's worthiness for admission into the YTCA.  While it is probably one of the most important acts you can do as a member, the process may not be all that familiar to you.  This article will introduce you to the ABC's of sponsoring potential new members and explain why the system works as it does and why you are such an important part of the process.

The YTCA has objects, or purposes, for its existence and these purposes are stated in Section 2 of  Article I. of the YTCA's Constitution.  Before sponsoring a new member, you need to fully understand the YTCA's reason for existence yourself so that you may educate your applicant about why our Club is here in the first place.  If your applicant disagrees with Club's purposes or cannot support them, then he or she is not a good candidate for membership to begin with.  The five purposes of the YTCA are:

 One ... To encourage and promote quality in the breeding of pure-bred Yorkshire Terriers and do all possible to bring their natural qualities to perfection.

 Two ... To encourage the organization of independent Yorkshire Terrier Specialty Clubs in those localities where there are sufficient fanciers of the breed to meet the requirements of the American Kennel Club.

 Three ... To urge members and breeders to accept the standard of the breed as approved by The American Kennel Club as the only standard of excellence by which the Yorkshire Terrier shall be judged.

 Four ... To do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed and to encourage sportsmanlike competition at dog shows and obedience trials.

 Five ... To conduct sanctioned matches, specialty shows and obedience trials under the rules of  The American Kennel Club.

So, now that you know why the YTCA exists, and assuming you have explained our purposes to your applicant and he or she still wants to join, where do you go from here?  The requirements for membership in the YTCA are spelled out in the Club's Bylaws and are quite straightforward.  An applicant must be 18 years of age or older, be in good standing with the American Kennel Club, own at least one Yorkshire Terrier at the time application is being made, subscribe to the purposes of the Club, agree not exploit their membership in the YTCA, and agree to abide by and uphold the YTCA's Codes of Ethics and Conduct.  [Bylaw Article I, Section 1]  If you want to sponsor someone for YTCA membership, it is your obligation to see that your applicant meets these requirements.  Furthermore, you should also make sure your applicant fully understands  the requirements found in the both the Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct, which are printed each month in the Express and will not, therefore, be restated here.

At this point, your applicant is ready for the application process itself.  The application form (available on request from the YTCA’s Secretary) has been approved by the YTCA's Board of Directors and requires the sponsorship of two YTCA members in good standing.  Both sponsors must have known the applicant for a minimum of two years and at least one member MUST have been physically present in the applicant’s home/kennel during the preceding two year period.  Neither sponsor may be related to nor be engaged in any business venture with the applicant.  The sponsors must reside in separate households and neither may reside in the same house as the applicant.  If your applicant knows only you and not another member who can join in the sponsorship, his or her application will have to be postponed until such time as that requirement has been fulfilled.  The application asks general information about the applicant as well as questions designed to get a sense about what they think about our breed.  In signing the application, the applicant agrees to abide by the Club's Bylaws, the rules of the American Kennel Club, and the YTCA's Code of Ethics.  The signed application is then submitted, along with the applicant’s check for the application fee and dues for the current year, to the YTCA's Membership Chair (presently Robert Owen of Kentucky) for processing and eventual publication in the Express.  In addition to Bob, the Membership Committee is comprised of four other members appointed by the Board.

All applications for membership are voted upon by the YTCA's Board of Directors within six months after the applicant’s name has been published in the Express.  The point of publishing the name of the applicant in the Express is to allow the membership to make comment, either positive or negative, about any prospective member.  All comment upon an applicant should be sent directly to Bob for review and investigation.  (Letters about an applicant may be sent directly to officers or directors of the Club, who will forward them onto the Committee.)  If no negative information is received about an applicant, the Board votes on that application in the regular course of its business.  It is only when negative information is received about an applicant that the process becomes more complicated.

Since Bylaw changes approved by the membership in 1994, applicants and their sponsors now receive copies of any negative letters received by the Committee and are specifically given the opportunity to address any of those issues raised by such a letter.  This makes our membership process more open by allowing the applicant and his or her sponsors the chance to give their side about any negative information.  Anonymous letters cannot be accepted, nor can the Committee keep confidential any complaint letter received about an applicant.  If you, as a member, are not willing to have an applicant see your letter about him or her, you should not write it in the first place.

As for some other guidelines members should consider when writing a complaint letter, I would include the following.  First of all, our Bylaws require that an applicant be in good standing with the AKC before application can even be made.  If he or she is in such good standing, it is meaningless to write to the YTCA alleging the applicant has violated some AKC rule or another.  The YTCA is not responsible for policing AKC rules and regulations.  Our membership application process is not the appropriate forum to complain about AKC infractions, which should be directed to that organization for proper handling.  Secondly, the point of publishing the applicant’s name in the Express is to invite comment from YTCA members, not non-members.  While letters against an applicant written by a non-member may be considered by the Committee, it is very important for members with specific knowledge about an applicant to also come forward if there is some reason why an applicant should not become a member.  Lastly, give the Committee only your firsthand knowledge.  We are not interested in rumor,  innuendo, or what you might have heard.  Give the Committee only facts you know personally.  That is the kind of information the Committee wants and needs to evaluate an applicant.  This is our Club and we must ALL work to assure only applicants in agreement with the YTCA’s purposes and who will adhere to our Codes become members.  Plainly, in some instances it will be difficult to write a complaint letter but that is a responsibility of your membership.

Once the Committee has reviewed all the information received on any contested application, the Chairman polls the other Committee members and a recommendation is made to the Board.  It is the Board’s prerogative to accept or reject the Committee’s recommendation, but credence is given to the Committee’s recommendation, which is acting on the Board’s behalf in processing contested applications.  According to our Bylaws, the Board’s vote may be conducted by secret ballot.  A two third’s affirmative vote by the Board at a meeting or of those Board members voting by mail is necessary to elect an applicant to membership.  In the event an applicant is declined by the Board, one of the applicant’s sponsors may present the declined application to the full membership at the next annual meeting of the club.  Should that occur, a two thirds affirmative vote of the members present is necessary to elect the applicant to membership.  If an applicant is rejected by the Board, his or her application fee and initial dues payment are refunded in full.

So, now that you know the official rules and regulations for nominating someone for membership, what practical guidelines should you consider when that person asks you "Will you sponsor me for the YTCA?"   Here are some questions I would recommend you should ask yourself about this potential member before you agree to sponsor him or her.  Have you ever been to potential applicant’s home?  Have you seen his or her kennel setup?  Would you sell a dog to this person?  Would you breed a bitch for this person?  Would you board your bed dog or your breeding stock with this person?  Would you board a dog for him or her?  Do you know this person better than merely being able to recognize him or her at a show?  Would you let this person stay overnight in your home with one or more of their dogs?  If your answer to any of these questions is “NO”, then maybe you need to ask yourself if this is a person you should be sponsoring for membership in the YTCA.

Additionally, the question of Internet friendships can be problematic.  Is “knowing” someone only through email correspondence really a sufficient basis for a sponsor to truly say he or she really knows the applicant and can vouch for his or her fitness for membership?  In most people’s heart of hearts, we know the answer is probably not so be cautious when someone you know primarily through casual Internet correspondence approaches you about sponsoring them for membership.  A red flag should also be raised when an applicant has no sponsors from his or her immediate geographic location, even though there are YTCA members living there who should know the applicant.  If someone is bypassing local members for sponsorship, find out why before you agree to do so.  The time to find out about an applicant is BEFORE they become a member, not after.

Of course, everyone has his or her own idea about what a good potential member is or should be.  But, it cannot be stressed enough that when you sponsor an applicant it is your reputation and integrity on the line.  Protect your reputation.  Avoid potential problems from the outset by knowing your applicant well and personally before you sponsor him or her.  Like all membership organizations, the YTCA needs new members in order to grow and survive into the future.  The intent of this article is to help members like yourself sponsor quality applicants who can and will make a contribution to our wonderful breed, our Club, and the dog fancy in general.  Instead of waiting for good applicants to ask you for your sponsorship, seek out those you know who would be good YTCA members and ask him or her if you could sponsor them!  I have done this myself and find it rewarding to invite good people into our Club without waiting for them to ask.  We all know people who should be YTCA and aren’t, so think about doing some inviting yourself.