| Suri Network News |
May 2016
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President's Letter One of our goals is to ensure strong communication with members. This newsletter is used to let you know about activities and initiatives of the Board of Trustees, and to give you more information about events, such as the Suri Symposium and Fleece Show. We use several other means of communication throughout the year: emails, newsletters, and our Suri Members Facebook Group page. Communicating electronically helps conserve financial resources as well as paper. Be sure your email address is up to date in your Suri Network account (Go to www.surinetwork.org, then log in to your account. If you have forgotten your password, just click to get a new one.) We have some important dates coming up. Ballots for the 2016 election will be mailed around June 1, 2016. Included on the ballot are the candidates for the Board of Trustees. We will have three vacancies this year. Nominations have closed, and we have a total of eight candidates. Additionally, we are proposing bylaws changes. The bylaws have not been reviewed or revised since 1997. Some key changes include increasing the number of board members from five to seven, allowing for electronic voting, and increasing terms of board members from two to three years. The other item that we plan to present on the ballot is a revised Suri Breed Standard. Established in 2006, the Breed Standard has been reviewed by a special committee appointed by the Board of Trustees, and members and non-members alike have had opportunity to review and comment on the recommended changes. The timeline for elections this year is:
Patty Hasselbring President, Suri Network 2016 Suri Network Summer Symposium - Registration is Open  "Weaving the Fabric of Our Industry" is the theme of the 2016 Summer Symposium. Register here!The conference will be packed with high quality and relevant topics, including: Dr. Andy Merriwether, with a reprise of his wildly popular workshop on breeding and color genetics, plus a general session on genetics and deformities Cheryl Gehly, on using herd classification to improve your breeding program, plus a live demonstration of how alpacas are classified NCCAT's ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas) will provide workshops on pasture management and business planning Elizabeth Taylor, Spotted Circus Alpacas, will present a workshop on tanning hides. Dr. Norm Evans will present a two-part neonatal seminar plus a general session to explain histograms, skin biopsies and what the scientific data means for you in your daily work. Amanda VandenBosch will provide a general session on the Suri Breed standard and a session in the fleece room after the fleece awards are made. Molly Gardner will be back this year by popular request to address commercial fiber development. Lodging and Venue A block of suites has been secured at the Embassy Suites Loveland - Hotel, Spa & Conference Center. Please call 1 800 EMBASSY (362-2779) and ask for the Suri Summer Symposium block with code SUR.
The Hotel will offer the group rates until midnight on Friday, July 15, 2016 or until the block is sold out, whichever happens first. Additionally, the above rates include a full hot breakfast and evening reception, both served daily!
All Suri Fleece Show The 2016 All Suri Fleece Show will once again be held in conjunction with the Suri Network's Summer Symposium. Our judges this year for the fleece show are Amanda Vandenbosch and Sharon Loner. Stacy Heydt will be our Spin-Off judge, and Elizabeth Taylor will judge Fiber Arts and Skeins. Learn more about the fleece show here. Spin-Off and Fleece Show registration is open, so register online now! Deadlines for the Symposium and Fleece Show:
Ballots will be mailed around June 1 to the membership for election of members to the Board of Trustees. In addition, the revised Suri Breed Standard, and proposed bylaws revisions will be submitted to the membership for vote. Board Member Nominations: The Suri Network Nominating Committee, chaired by Patty Hasselbring, consists of Liz Vahlkamp, Al Cousill, Tim Sheets, and Linda Kondris, has identified candidates for the Suri Network Board. Three positions will become vacant in 2016: those currently held by Patty Hasselbring, Jill McElderry-Maxwell, and Randy Coleman. Per bylaws, at least two candidates must be nominated for each vacancy. A total of eight candidates will be presented on the ballot:
Candidate statements from the eight candidates will be presented with the ballot to Suri Network members in June.
Bylaws Changes: The Nominating Committee has also worked on proposed bylaws changes. Substantive changes include the following: Increase the number of board members from five to seven, with a maximum of nine.
Suri Breed Standard: Over the past year we have worked to review and update the Suri Breed Standard. The Suri Breed Standard was developed in 2006 and approved by the Suri Network membership. This year, the Board of Trustees appointed a committee to review and make recommendations for revisions to the Breed Standard. That process has included extensive input from members and non-members alike, and the final version of the revised breed standard will be included in the June voting packet for member vote. Show Rallies You may have attended one of the Suri Rallies at a show this year. When a Board member is attending an alpaca show, we try to coordinate a Suri Network Rally, usually on Saturday after the show ring closes for the day. The Rally is a time for Suri owners and others interested in Suri alpacas to get together and learn more about activities that are happening with the Suri Network. This year the Suri Network was able to hold rallies at eight shows. We hope you were able to attend one of them! |
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