Meeting December 5, 2005
Commenced at 7:15 p.m.

Board Members:

Mary Bell
Sherri Youngblood
Jeanine Pegg
Ginny Nokes
Donna Doulton

Members:

Kristen Herder
Matt Herder
Linda Cornelius
Dian Deal
Paul Valdez
Sherry Smith
Rose Marie Eash
Elizabeth Bell

Ms. Sherri Youngblood, 1st VP, led the meeting.

October meeting minutes approved.

TREASURY: Bill Eash

Treasurer's report given by Rose Marie Eash for Bill Eash.

Thank you letters received from donations sent to Hospice of Baton Rouge &
Lone Star Equine Rescue - Disaster Relief.

MEMBERSHIP: Mary Bell

40 - renewing members
105 - associate members
3 - lifetime members
6 - 3 year members/youth

Competition card dues are due lst of January each year. $10.00 late fee is received after December 31, 2005. Individual memberships are now due year from date joined.

YOUTH: Jeanne Harford

Reporting for Jeanne Harford was Sherri Youngblood.

Next meeting is December 17, 2005 at John & Denise Nichols home from 2 - 4 p.m.

Government Canyon Park - youth still planning to help clear trails the 2 Thursdays over the holidays. Miss Donna Mursphy is a good contact person.

OLD BUSINESS:

Clinics: Donna Doulton

Desensitization Clinic early Feb. 06 with Miss Melissa Neal at K-Bar-M Equestrian Center in Waring, Texas. Cost: $75.00/horse. $15.00 to audit. Negative Coggins Required. Maximum number of riders: 20. Minimum: 15. Duration: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. One hour for lunch. Bring food & drinks for you & your horse. Minimum age: Persons over 15 years of age & strong enough to handle a skittish horse on the ground. Number of instructors: 4. Obstacles will be demonstrated on foot in the morning & mounted in the afternoon. Competition at the end of the day for those interested.
Some examples of obstacles: teeter-tauter, ramp, sac full of cans being dragged behind horse over plastic tarp, pushing a gigantic beach ball through darkened shed, mud pond & at the end of the day ... completing the course with fire crackers being set off.
Will have rain date scheduled. Will require $25.00 deposit to hold a spot for the clinic. More details to follow.

Team Penning Clinic early Spring 06 with Yancy James at Cibolo Livery in
Bulverde, Texas.
Date: some Sunday in early Spring or late Winter.
Cost: $70.00/rider
Coggins a must
Maximum number of riders: 12. Minimum: 10.
Number of instructors: 2 - 3
Age level: 15 years or older.
Brief description of clinic: learning to control cows & your horse. Start out with one on one & slowly increase to maximum of 3 riders & maximum of 15 cows. Individual teaching progressing to team concept & practice. Cattle will be provided.
Bring food/drinks for you & your horse.

Both these clinics are open to friends & family of the Alamo Arabian Association. Contact Donna Doulton at 830-885-2258 for further information or interest. Please note: dogs are not welcome at these clinics.

Shows: Ginny Nokes

Dates for Open Shows are needed to be set for April - June - October. Kathy
Starustka & Marilyn Short will verify dates.

NEW BUSINESS:

Convention - November 15-20, 2005. Jeanine Pegg reports:

550 delegates.
Discussed resolutions the first night all in one session. Resolutions were basic housecleaning & not big issues. Community Arab Shows - most interesting resolution & a huge push within AHA. Will require to report points of each show to AHA. Will present further information at next meeting to assess interest of our members.
New way of determining shoes on horses. Now using a special gauge to
determine width of shoes. All judges & stewards will be supplied with this new piece
of equipment. Sport Horse: split half-Arabian & full Arabian in dressage.

Dian Deal is interested supporting a Community Arab Show.

Delegates for 2006:

Will need to nominate delegates before Horsefest. Nominees thus far are:
Jeanne Harford, Margo Shallcross, Jeanine Pegg, Bill Eash. Will need to nominate alternatives. Financial support given for convention only.

ECHO:

Ginny Nokes & Rose Marie Eash.

First ECHO out via e-mail & well received.
Receive a report for each time ECHO is opened - more than 55 to date.
Only 10 -12 bounce backs or e-mail boxes full. Printed & mailed to members who do not have e-mail addresses. Newsletter every other month & updates will be sent out on an as needed basis. Advertising in the ECHO no change in price. Barbara Blanch has volunteered to assist. Plan is to put advertising back in the ECHO for Feb. 06.

Volunteers:

A big thank you to all volunteers that gave their time throughout 2005. Ideas for a thank you party to be discussed next meeting. A sign in sheet for all volunteers at each show with name, address & phone numbers to write a personal thank you to them.

Next meeting January 9, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. Meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.