As we go to press, news is filtering in of the Delegates meeting which took place in London on Wednesday, October 24th. By the time you are reading this leader, many of you will have more details than I do at present. What seems clear from the outset is that it was a very well attended meeting with over 140 delegates voting on the various motions.

Not having any records of previous meeting attendances, I am not sure whether that is high or not, but an observer has told OUR CATS that it did seem to be a busy meeting with lots of delegates and observers as well.

My colleague Nick Mays attended the meeting as an observer for Our Cats and also in his capacity as News and Features Editor and we have printed his initial report elsewhere in this issue. What we would say from the outset is well done to the many delegates who have stood up and been counted and made their feelings known, not just for our sakes, but for the way their pursuit or hobby is managed. That augurs well for the future.

 

Lets hope the minutes of the meeting are made available soon so we can all have an accurate report of what went on.........................

 

 

 

 

Drawing from events in the real world seems to have been a theme of the OUR CATS leader of late, but the comparison with the financial meltdown following bad decisions in the American sub prime mortgage market cannot be ignored. Here was something based on poor decisions made by people in key positions,based in the States,  which ultimately led to a lot of grief and repercussions around the world....way beyond what anyone thought they would have done in the first place. Decisions made on high within our little world have had a similar impact...flawed decisions which people are still struggling to get their heads around...and a response way beyond what the Exec Committee envisaged.

Those repercussions appear to have come home to roost at the delegates meeting where motions put forward regarding the official journal showed resounding votes against the Executive Committee, 90 odd to 50 odd in one, and 108 to 35 against in another. Fairly clear where peoples sympathies lie there then. Apparently the first vote was shy of the two thirds majority so it was not carried...the second vote, even with my bad maths, is patently a massive majority.

So where does that leave us now? The GCCF have issued solicitors letters (more than one) against the company that produces OUR CATS, they have issued a very strong statement naming the MD and Editor, they have published elements of our accounts and made very negative comments about our financial background (despite this never having been an issue before), they appear to have underwritten a brand new company with no track record to the tune of £10,000 (was this a loan or a guarantee?), they now appear to have been instructed by the delegates not to proceed with any new company.

Where does that leave OUR CATS, and incidentally, where does that leave any new title or new company? Will they sue for breach of contract, or was there a contract in the first place, and if so, has it been signed yet? 

 

Both feet shot at the same time?

 

Already we have had calls and emails asking us what are we going to do. Lets be clear. We have been turned upside down by all of this since last July and we are now in November. We have cancelled our Annual because of the situation and have had untold grief and stress for staff and management alike. Our subscribers are only renewing to January 31st, the deadline set by the GCCF, so our income streams are affected.

The Directors of the company will meet if and when we get any official notification from the executive Committee of the GCCF, or are we to expect another letter via their solicitors?

Whilst we wholeheartedly  thank all delegates and readers alike for their unqualified support, we cannot offer any guarantees. We had already received enquiries about the title prior to the vote and we do of course have the elder statesman, OUR DOGS, to take care of at the same time. The relationship with the GCCF has turned very sour since last July when the first solicitors letter rolled in, and nothing has been done by them (GCCF) to make matters any better since then. What would you do?

 

 

It seems ironic that if you track back to the letter sent to us by Betty Shingleton on behalf of the Executive, you will see that our offers of help with publicity, distribution of schedules , PR and Marketing, web development etc were all customarily rejected. We were assured that things were in hand and would be improved.

Not so. The publicity for the show, despite having a new  PR officer, is non existent. We have only just received some judging changes and a map, just in time for this weeks issue.

We have still to see a poster or any PR in the press. PR aimed at getting more people to attend the event is conspicuous by its absence. The web site both for the GCCF and the Supreme remains what it was a year ago, bland, unimaginative and not user friendly. Compare this to the Kennel Club....or even OUR CATS and OUR DOGS web sites.

Back to the show......what awaits people if and when they arrive? An entry which apparently shows a drop of nearly 200 cats, well down from 1550 in total last year, to about 1360 in 2007. (1231 in competition).

Why the drop? Questions have to be asked at the top...is it a reaction to last year when exhibitors were far from happy, is it a reaction to the last three months debacle with the GCCF, is it the lack of publicity and marketing, the reduction in sponsorship or a general malaise on the committee? Probably a bit of everything thrown in, but it is clear that if this continues, we will have normal club shows with higher entries in a few years time.

I remember a headline and article  in OUR CATS  some years ago written by Barry Kirk bemoaning the demise of the mighty shows that used to take place, and also Marleen Howe's article last issue which highlights the falling entries in her breed.

Perhaps a working party should be set up to look at some real problem issues.