Dear Katahdin members:

Can you believe that hunting season is once again upon us? Summer just seemed to pass by so fast. It seems like only yesterday that I was talking about trekking to our favorite sites. My goodness, it has been a year. A year filled with training days, web sites, club championships, December specialty shows, new members, brags, hunt tests, and lastly, my favorite, litters. My fellow Katahdin members, this was a fun year.

I finally made my first Club Championship. And I must tell you, if we as a club only had one function to organize, the club championship would be it. The club championship is the backbone and integrity of Katahdin's members. This year's championship winner was Jeremy Thompson and Griffin, and intermediate winner Deb Broad and Glamor. Congratulations to both and everyone else who participated. Other results and photos can be seen on our Katahdin web site.

The only way to describe the club championship is to experience it. A great many thanks go to Deb Broad, who organized and ran a fantastic event where more than twenty dogs competed in three categories. Many more members showed up to enjoy the day. We also have to thank Steve and Pauline Marcq for organizing and running the food and raffle table. Gerry Newcombe also took some really nice shots of the event along with the winners. These pictures, along with others can be seen on our web site, so please check them out. I can't wait for the championship next year.

This month's meeting was held at my home. We flipped some burgers, had a good meal and again, conversation ensued, with great enthusiasm, throughout the night. We mainly discussed the successful turnout of the club championship along with new memberships and the details of the upcoming hunt test which we will discuss later in this newsletter.

One of the barometers in forecasting how well the club is receiving and distributing upcoming information in the GSP world is through correspondence of the club's secretary. The more active our club becomes, so does the correspondence of our club secretary. Many of the members who have been attending the meetings have noticed that Pat's paperwork has been on the increase. You will notice that the secretary's report in our club minutes is the largest section of our reported meeting. The secretary also writes the minutes of the meeting that you all read. Pat has not missed a beat.

Jeremy Thompson, our treasurer also reported a successful hunt test from last spring. Steve Marcq, who is chairing the fall hunt test, will be mailing the entries with this newsletter. Extra entries for this fall hunt test can be obtained on our web site www.katahdingsp.org. This is the last Katahdin hunt test for the season and everything is ready for the event, however, we still need bird planters and other people to help out during the day. Please call or e-mail Steve if you can help.

The rescue committee gave a donation to a GSP who needed an amputation. Now, when Peg Gagnon talks about a rescue, people listen. And when Peg talks, I feel the need to do more, so, I personally pledge a twenty-dollar donation to the Katahdin Rescue fund. There will be another dog in a similar situation that will need our help again some day.

We also discussed the ability to chair and run a team shoot next year. This is another event that I have not yet attended and look forward to competing with fellow members next year.

The event was greeted with a warm reception and I do see the teem shoot being a reality next year.

We ratified and accepted three new members that were read in at our last meeting. We were also presented with two new membership applications. I would like to welcome John Hastings and Carl Destremps. New membership packages will be sent to the new read in members. Welcome to both John and Carl.

We missed the presence of Sandra Kretz at this meeting so we tabled the hunt test seminar along with other show committee reports until our October meeting. Let us not forget that the December specialty show is not too far around the corner.

Please remember that it is very important to share information with fellow members. Members with e-mails will have noticed by now that I have been sending out information and photos of current events via e-mail. I have noticed that you as members have been responding with gratitude for keeping you, in the loop. There are some members who have not been able to give us their e-mail addresses. If you do want to be included in the Katahdin e-mail listing, send your e-mail addresses to Pat Russell.

We have a lot of other information in this month's newsletter, so, sit back in your favorite chair, with your favorite shorthair, and enjoy the Katahdin newsletter.

Don't forget that we have our fall hunt test coming up and remember; enter in another club's hunt tests. They in turn will enter in one of ours.

Also, its bird season, so, take care of your dog in the field. Take care of the other hunters in your sight. And most of all, take care of yourself. I want to see you again, next year.

Enjoy your dog.

Tommy Dwyer, President
Katahdin German Shorthaired Pointer Club of Greater Portland