No Beagle Club Close? Why Not Start One?

No Beagle Club Close? Why Not Start One?
By Brian Spini, Lane KS, ARHA Gundog Division Watchdog Chairman
President Eastern Kansas Beagle Club, 913-208-7964, burnemupkennel@gmail.com
I hear folks say the sport of Beagling seems to be dying when
you compare the present with the past. I am fairly new to field
trials, but just in the last couple years I have seen 4 clubs close
their doors. I have heard all the excuses like someone ticked me
off, I always felt cheated, I don't like old so and so, just can't
get enough hounds and so on. I also hear folks say they love
Beagling, yet they don't want to even try a field trial. I was one
of those guys that just wanted to run my hounds and hunt. But
once I went to the right trial for my type hounds, I was hooked.
I have stated many times before that I never really experienced
Beagling until I joined a Beagle club and started field trialing
my hunting hounds. I worry I will live to see all the clubs close
their doors, and folks will just run on their own. Some of us are
doing all we can to prevent this from happening. I believe many
Beaglers would trial and belong to clubs if they had one close
by. Well, why not start a club? It's really very simple to do!
Starting an ARHA Gundog club is easy once you get a place
to run and a place to meet. The club we started runs on public
land and meets in the basement of the office building that manages that land. It cost us under fifty dollars a trial to rent the
building and pay for the permit. Three entries at a trial pay for
that! Clubhouses come in all shapes and sizes some are fire stations, barns, actual clubhouses, community buildings, church
halls; any place that will allow you to meet. The clubhouse
does not need to be on the running grounds. I have been to trials that you drive 10 miles to the running grounds from the
clubhouse. I have also been to some that we ran the casts right
behind the clubhouse. Anything will work if you want it to. If
you have good running grounds, whether public or private, try
to find a building in the closest town and you will be surprised
how easy it is to start an ARHA club. Many communities welcome Beagle clubs with open arms. At least a couple weekends
a year it brings in folks from outside to stay at the local hotel,
buy fuel, eat and shop in the area. Our area newspaper even
runs articles every time we hold a trial. The local hotel will set
aside a block of rooms if we think we will have a big turnout.
Many trials are held in small communities, most will really
welcome your club if you go about it in the right way.
Hounds coming out of a check
Hounds running a line at a
ARHA Gundog Pack Trial
Now that we have the grounds and clubhouse covered, we
need folks and hounds. If you can muster up 15 people, and at
least that many hounds, you have yourself a club. Keep in mind
if you start it they will come. I try to travel to any club within
5 or so hours away. I know many folks that drive farther for a
good trial at a reputable club. So just because you only have 15
people doesn't mean that's all that will be at your trial. I can
almost guarantee you will get twice that from outside your
club. Once you get your folks gathered, you’re going to need
club officers. You need a President and Secretary/Treasurer for
sure, and then you can have a Vice-President, Master of
Hounds, and a club Board of Directors. Now all this sounds
like a big deal, it really isn't. It seems the Secretary/Treasurer is
the hardest to fill. If you have someone willing to handle the
money, the rest is easy. The President and Secretary/Treasurer
are the ones that seem to handle most of the business. The club
votes on things and the President and Secretary/Treasurer make
it happen. The Board is comprised of members that can step in
when needed to make big decisions; the board is who the
President answers to. In our two years as a club, the Board only
had to rule on one thing, an unruly member. Other than that,
they just make sure things are run fair and honest. It sounds
hard, but it's not, I am a club President and it does not take
much of my free time to handle club affairs.
Now that we have our running grounds, clubhouse and EBoard it’s time to apply to hold an ARHA Gundog Hunt. The
first thing to do is, contact ARHA and request a new club packet. When you receive it, fill it out and send it back with the
charter fee ($25) and proof of insurance. If you don't have
insurance, ARHA can put you on theirs for around $300.00 a
year. You will want club insurance! If someone gets hurt at
your trial, you will want to be covered. Where does the money
come from? We collect annual membership dues $15.00 for
single $20 a family. This money covers our charter and insurance. Don’t worry, after the first trial you will have money in
Okie Dog Supply set up at an Eastern
Kansas Beagle Club Field Trial. Mike and Sandy
are big supporters of Beagling.
the bank. Now it's time to set up a hunt. Pick a date that does
not conflict with other gundog club trials. This way folks from
those other clubs will come to yours. If you're not familiar with
the ARHA Gundog rules, get copies to all your members (these
can be downloaded for free off the ARHA web page
www.arha.com). Read all the rules and make sure you understand them.
Once you have the ARHA approval, it's time to run your trial.
About a month before the trial, you will want to order some
kind of award for the winners. Most folks understand it's your
first trial so they won't expect much. A simple certificate or ribbon will do. Do you plan to have food? Have members bring a
dish of some kind, nothing fancy, a simple snack and drinks
will do until you get on your feet. You will need to get a couple qualified judges and a Master of Hounds to help run your
first trial and train your folks. I would also highly recommend
having someone from other clubs there to help with the paperwork. Contact an ARHA State rep, or any E-Board member to
help you line up some help. After your first trial, it's very easy
to handle the next ones on your own. I assure you once you get
your first trial done and things in order, the club will run itself.
Other than getting awards and food lined up for each trial it
really does not take much to put one on.
There is also another option for folks that want to try an
ARHA Gundog trial. Recently the Division Chairman has been
asking already established Beagle Clubs that run in different
formats to try a Gundog trial. This is a very simple process and
I think it will work for many clubs. Some organizations will
only allow a club to hold a couple trials a year. Our approach
has been why not run an ARHA Gundog trial or two so your
club can have a few more trials a year. The hounds that run in
Talking with old friends and making new
ones at a field trial
the Gundog Division also fit in a couple other formats. The one
big thing is the ARHA Gundog Division is looking for a
smooth, close and clean hound. Speed is not an issue, but cleanliness and line control are. We have had folks from ARHA
Progressive Pack and AKC Gundog brace and SPO try the
ARHA Gundog trials and like them. The trend in some areas
for some other formats has been faster hounds and less emphasis on control. Many of the folks that like control in a hound
have found a home in the Gundog Division. There is nothing
wrong with fast hounds or slow hounds, it’s just some have
found their hounds no longer fit those formats. So why not try
this one? An already established club can contact one of our EBoard members and ask how to try a Gundog Trial.
Beagle clubs and Field trials are a great way to enhance your
Beagling experience. I have become friends with many folks
that I would never have met if it wasn’t for field trialing. I
recently attended a funeral of one of our club members. It was
very gratifying to see all the flowers and cards from area
Beaglers. Not to mention all the people in attendance from area
clubs. Had it not been for the Beagle Clubs and trials, I would
have never had the opportunity to meet that fine man who
passed. I take many hunting trips every year with folks I met at
trials. My point is, if you have never experienced a trial before,
give one a try. Don’t listen to others who may not like trials. Go
experience one for yourself! If one is not around, start a club
with your Beagle buddies.
The ARHA Gundog Division Executive board invites you to
try a Gundog Field trial. If you would like to start a club, we
are here to assist you in any way possible. Happy running and
hope to see you at a trial real soon.
ARHA Gundog Contact:
www.arha.com — Click on the gundog Division
then the Executive Board tab on the left