ABOUT AKC LICENSING
Much has been learned in this club about the process of achieving AKC licensing and AKC’s constraints. Here is some of what we have learned.
For starters, AKC assigns ‘local’ areas to their licensed clubs. And AKC has the policy that they “cannot encourage the establishment of a new club if there is an existing club of the same type in the same area.” (…) Further, they state that a Good Club “Has members who reside in a relatively compact geographic area, …[see How to Form an AKC – Accredited Dog Club]
Club type: AKC licenses clubs as one of several alternative types. Licenses are given for local specialty clubs (sometimes called breed clubs), group clubs, and performance event clubs of specific types. More on this below..
Area: AKC designates the club’s area from the information submitted about the club’s membership. Currently we are being told that they will deem the Border Collie Club of Arizona to be a Greater Phoenix area club. Our intent to be a statewide club will not be honored by AKC although the name “Border Collie Club of Arizona” has been approved. See AKC letter approving our name. For all metrics, such as required numbers and percentages of exhibitors, only those members residing within the “local” area which AKC has designated are counted toward meeting licensing requirements. There will be boundaries for our "area" established by the AKC club relations department.
Performance event type clubs: For the Border Collie Club, the above policy also essentially precludes the application to AKC for accreditation as any type of Performance event club in the Greater Phoenix area. The license for a Companion Events club is held by Phoenix Field and Obedience (Companion events include tracking and obedience). The Herding license is held by Arizona Herding Association. And the agility license is possibly held by Sahuaro Scramblers, at least for some part of the state. For this reason, although in each of these performance events there exists a majority of BCCAZ members who compete, licensing through a performance event in the Greater Phoenix area is not an option we currently see. Further, if a club is licensed as a performance club, then the club can hold licensed events only for that particular performance event and not *all* those events in which Border Collie Club members exhibit. As a performance club, the club would be licensed for only one and could not recognize the diversity of activities of the club’s members.
Performance club licenses are both simpler and easier to obtain and more limited than specialty and group club licenses. The sequence of sanctioned performance events is most often shorter. There are no “plan B” matches required for herding events, for example. Instead, the herding match requirements start with “plan A” level matches. However, licensing as a local specialty club will enable the club to conduct all those performance events in which Border Collies excel…. As stated in our original mission.
Group clubs: “Group clubs are open to owners of all breeds from one of the seven groups. Group clubs are eligible to hold shows, obedience trials, and performance events open to their particular group.” In the case of Border Collies, the applicable group is the Herding group. Group clubs are the least common type of club.
Local specialty clubs: “Local specialty clubs serve the interests of a single breed on a local level. These clubs may be eligible to hold shows, obedience trials, tracking tests, and performance events approved for their breed.” [In the case of Border Collies, those events include herding and agility.]
There not being an existing Border Collie Club in Arizona, the Border Collie Club of Arizona’s application for accreditation as a local specialty club was approved as of September 22, 2009. See letter from AKC approving our application for accreditation. The BCCAZ has begun the licensing process as a local specialty club. Progression to AKC specialty club licensing is accomplished through satisfying AKC's requirements for a series of sanctioned conformation matches specifically. This club is also concurrently pursuing licensing for conducting obedience and rally events. See our club news page to track our progress.
Much has been learned in this club about the process of achieving AKC licensing and AKC’s constraints. Here is some of what we have learned.
For starters, AKC assigns ‘local’ areas to their licensed clubs. And AKC has the policy that they “cannot encourage the establishment of a new club if there is an existing club of the same type in the same area.” (…) Further, they state that a Good Club “Has members who reside in a relatively compact geographic area, …[see How to Form an AKC – Accredited Dog Club]
Club type: AKC licenses clubs as one of several alternative types. Licenses are given for local specialty clubs (sometimes called breed clubs), group clubs, and performance event clubs of specific types. More on this below..
Area: AKC designates the club’s area from the information submitted about the club’s membership. Currently we are being told that they will deem the Border Collie Club of Arizona to be a Greater Phoenix area club. Our intent to be a statewide club will not be honored by AKC although the name “Border Collie Club of Arizona” has been approved. See AKC letter approving our name. For all metrics, such as required numbers and percentages of exhibitors, only those members residing within the “local” area which AKC has designated are counted toward meeting licensing requirements. There will be boundaries for our "area" established by the AKC club relations department.
Performance event type clubs: For the Border Collie Club, the above policy also essentially precludes the application to AKC for accreditation as any type of Performance event club in the Greater Phoenix area. The license for a Companion Events club is held by Phoenix Field and Obedience (Companion events include tracking and obedience). The Herding license is held by Arizona Herding Association. And the agility license is possibly held by Sahuaro Scramblers, at least for some part of the state. For this reason, although in each of these performance events there exists a majority of BCCAZ members who compete, licensing through a performance event in the Greater Phoenix area is not an option we currently see. Further, if a club is licensed as a performance club, then the club can hold licensed events only for that particular performance event and not *all* those events in which Border Collie Club members exhibit. As a performance club, the club would be licensed for only one and could not recognize the diversity of activities of the club’s members.
Performance club licenses are both simpler and easier to obtain and more limited than specialty and group club licenses. The sequence of sanctioned performance events is most often shorter. There are no “plan B” matches required for herding events, for example. Instead, the herding match requirements start with “plan A” level matches. However, licensing as a local specialty club will enable the club to conduct all those performance events in which Border Collies excel…. As stated in our original mission.
Group clubs: “Group clubs are open to owners of all breeds from one of the seven groups. Group clubs are eligible to hold shows, obedience trials, and performance events open to their particular group.” In the case of Border Collies, the applicable group is the Herding group. Group clubs are the least common type of club.
Local specialty clubs: “Local specialty clubs serve the interests of a single breed on a local level. These clubs may be eligible to hold shows, obedience trials, tracking tests, and performance events approved for their breed.” [In the case of Border Collies, those events include herding and agility.]
There not being an existing Border Collie Club in Arizona, the Border Collie Club of Arizona’s application for accreditation as a local specialty club was approved as of September 22, 2009. See letter from AKC approving our application for accreditation. The BCCAZ has begun the licensing process as a local specialty club. Progression to AKC specialty club licensing is accomplished through satisfying AKC's requirements for a series of sanctioned conformation matches specifically. This club is also concurrently pursuing licensing for conducting obedience and rally events. See our club news page to track our progress.
Send mail to BCCofAZ@gmail.com with questions or comments about this web site.