The third quarter of 2003 has been a very active time for the South Central Giant Schnauzer Club. We changed our name and added two new Board Members: Leta Whittington of Mississippi and Kevin Jennings of Louisiana.

On June 28, 2003 (second quarter) we had our second meeting at the home of Bill Ameser and Scott Turnbull. Bill and Scott were great hosts and as you will note from the minutes of that meeting, we accomplished a few things in addition to having a good time.

Since that meeting we have proceeded with our Non-profit Incorporation process. The By Laws have been completed and Anne and I will meet with the attorney again on September 10.

Lots of people interested in Giants attended The San Antonio shows. I was not prepared for the onslaught because we had never had so many interested spectators at those shows. So I did not have materials with me. We will make sure we do not make that mistake next year. There are some smaller shows in San Antonio in October and I will take information with me just in case. As a matter of fact I will start carrying some newsletters with me, wherever I go!

We hope that Enid will return to the rocky hills of Central Texas sometime this fall—although it is hard to move her from the beaches of Delaware and who can blame her! When she does return to Texas, Enid, Anne and I will spend the winter working on some informational materials for the club. I sent a questionnaire by email to all of you a couple of months ago. Please go back over that questionnaire and send your comments. We want to provide quality information to people interested in the breed. We all know that the Giant is not the breed for everyone and it is imperative that we find a way to better educate the public. Your input is vital.

The Houston shows brought out the usual number of lookers and shoppers. Those kennel clubs do a great job of advertising to bring the public out to the shows. We had a good group for our BBQ lunch, provided by Matt and Michelle Smith with sundry extras provided by Leta Whittingon. We had a nice raffle and a lot of fun discussing the breed with all who attended.

At the Monroe shows over Labor Day, Pat Gandy arranged several nice dinners and lunches for the entire group. The official club event was held on Saturday night. We had a great time and wonderful seafood—it doesn’t get any better than that.

Pat was also nice enough to go to the show site early on Thursday and set aside space for our dogs and us. The Monroe shows are relatively small, but beautifully organized and conducive to fun and visiting. We did not have a formal meeting during Monroe, but as a group we decided to investigate the possibility of SCGS Club hosting a Regional Independent Specialty for The Giant Schnauzer Club of America, with the Monroe shows being supported entries. Leta Whittington and Pat Gandy were made Co-Chairmen for that event. Leta will request the permission of the G.S.C.A. and once granted we will proceed with those plans. Assuming we are successful, please mark your calendars for Labor Day weekend 2004. It will be fun for everyone. I know that Pat and Leta will arrange a wonderful weekend, not just for the show people, but also for any and all interested in the Giant Schnauzer. We will keep you posted on our progress.

I must admit, that besides Monroe, I have another favorite show: Cen Tex Kennel Club in Waco, Texas in November. Yes, Cen Tex is my home club, but the show site is lovely, small enough to be a lot of fun with minimal pressure and the weather is usually perfect…November in Texas is much better than August in Texas!

We will all gather in Waco in November for a meeting and get together. Information for that event, hotels and so forth will be on the web site in the next few weeks. Hope to see you there!

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