Voting for 2014 National Specialty Judges The ballot for judge nominations for the 2014 National Specialty (Conformation and Obedience) is now available via “survey monkey” for voting.    Members are encouraged to vote and take advantage of this new voting process.  The ballot is also included in the December issue of the Memo and as a printable download should you prefer to mail in your ballot.  The process is simple:  Nominations will be accepted from each ISCA member whose membership dues have been paid by January 31, 2012.  You must include your name as it appears in the membership, your address, your region and e-mail on the form.  If you have a family membership, two forms can be submitted, each with appropriate name.  Nominations must be completed by March 1, 2012. To vote, go to:   https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ISCA2014Judges   Election Results for the 2012 Slate Region 2: Cassie Allen - 382 Bob Geddeis - 224 Region 3: Fran Shea/Jackson - 334 Dotti Fowler - 279   Nominations of Officers and Directors for 2012 In accordance with the provision of the ISCA Constitution and By-Laws, “Article IV, The Club Year, Voting, Nominations, Elections.” “Section 3(a) The Nominating Committee shall nominate from among the eligible members of the Club one candidate for each office and for each other position on the Board of Directors and a candidate for the Delegate to the American Kennel Club and shall procure the acceptance of each nominee so chosen. The Committee shall then submit its slate of candidates to the Secretary who shall mail the list to each member of the Club on or before September 15th so that additional nominations may be made by the members if they so desire. “Section 3(b) Additional nominations of eligible members may be made by written petition addressed to the Secretary and received at his or her regular address on or before October 15th, signed by twenty-five (25) members and accompanied by the written acceptance of each such additional nominee signifying their willingness to be a candidate. No person shall be a candidate for more than one position, and the additional nominations which are provided for herein may be made only from among those members who have not accepted a nomination of the Nominating Committee and which meet all the requirements of Article III, Section 1. Section 4(a) Elections. If no additional nominations are received by the Secretary on or before October 15th, the Nominating Committee’s slate shall be declared elected, and no balloting will be required. The newly elected officers, directors and the delegate to the American Kennel Club shall be notified by the Secretary by mail and they shall assume office on January 1st next. THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE: Chair – Diane Seibel Region 1 – Sam McDonald Region 2 – Tina Gradowski Region 3 – Sarah Shuman Region 4 – Dawn Secord Alternate – Debbie Lawrence THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE HAS PROPOSED THE FOLLOWING SLATE FOR 2012: OFFICERS: President - Jeanette Holmes 1st Vice President - Heidi Laabs 2nd Vice President - Jan Ziech Recording Secretary - Christine Boutwell Corresponding Secretary - Fran Sloughfy Treasurer - Jeanine Wilson Delegate to the American Kennel Club – Karolynne McAteer DIRECTORS: Region 1 – Mary Lamphier Region 2 – Robert Geddeis Region 3 – Dotti Fowler Region 4 – Pat McGarry All other Directors are to remain to their elected terms. Respectfully submitted, Heidi Laabs ISCA Recording Secretary DATED: August 30, 2011 Brief Biographical history of the nominees   LATE ONSET PRA INFO There have been recent breaking developments in the UK about a new form of PRA in the Irish setter, a late onset form of PRA rcd4 , also referred to as LOPRA in several articles that will appear in this October issue of the Memo. This research has been done by Dr. Cathryn Mellersh and her team at the Animal Health Trust in the UK. This is truly emerging information. The actual research has NOT been published or peer reviewed yet. It is my goal as Health Chair to provide up to the minute factual scientific information and testing information regarding this in the Memo, as well as links here, on the ISCA website, to this information. As you read through this information please keep in mind the advice received from Dr. Aguirre, who did the original PRA DNA work for ISCA. In my correspondence with Gustavo Aquirre DVM PhD he provided this timely and important insight as we begin to test dogs in the US and get back results on our dogs: ” There is absolutely no need to panic and the breeding recommendations that we have in place for rcd1 apply to LOPRA. Affected dogs CAN and SHOULD be bred if of exceptional quality, but only to genetically normal dogs. Please keep reminding the club members that you are breeding dogs and not test results, and it is essential to maintain genetic diversity in the breed. “ Thanks to Dr. Gustavo Aguirre, who did ISCA’s initial research on PRA, for his guidance, to Dr. Christine Haakenson at AKC Canine Health Foundation for her contacts at AHT, to Dr. Mellersh for her insight, to Dr. Jerold Bell for the article about how to use the info once you have test results, to Dr. Nigel Holmes, the Genetics Service Manager at AHT for his help getting testing services info to me as well as permission to publish a direct link to the AHT info on rcd4 on the ISCA website and to Kim Poile, Lab Tech at AHT for answering many questions as well! Finally thanks to Connie Vanacore and Jan Ziech for helping me every step of the way and to ISCA member Terry Moberg for giving me an early heads up about it and ISCA Member from the UK David Bell for his assistance. Information about rcd4 in the Irish setter and how to use test results: Please refer here to the ISCA Website, which will have all the most current links to info about what PRA is and what rcd4 LOPRA is. On the website you will find also a wonderful article from Dr. Jerold Bell. The article from Dr. Bell provides insight as to how to use the test results. (Dr. Bell's article) Rather than publish text from the Animal Health Trust website, a link is provided here. It is VERY IMPORTANT that members realize that the AHT website is constantly updated as information becomes available. Please refer to the link for the most current emerging information, which is updated frequently: http://www.aht.org.uk/genetics_prarcd4_irish.html Be sure to refresh your browser often to assure you are viewing the most current info. Upcoming ISCA DNA Cheek Swab clinics testing for rcd4 via Animal Health Trust ISCA, with the help of the Animal Health Trust, will be sponsoring clinics around the United States to facilitate Irish setters being tested via cheek swab for rcd4. All tests will be run by AHT. Our first clinic will be at the Irish Setter Club of Michigan specialties on September 24. Additional clinics will be posted here on the ISCA website by Sunday September 18th. Please check the list of clinics often as we will be adding them as they are arranged! What if there isn’t a clinic near me? You can apply to have a cheek swab sent directly to you. We are in the midst of arranging a 2 week period where Irish setter owners will get 20% discount (similar to the one that clinic participants are paying). Stay tuned to the website for the discount code. It will be active from Oct 24th to Nov 6th. Where to Record rcd4 Test Results: Confidential test results will be sent to the OWNER ONLY. Once owners receive test results from AHT, they may choose to make the results public. To submit the results to OFA complete the form in the following link, attach the official test results received from AHT and send them to OFA. The OFA form to use is found at: http://www.offa.org/pdf/dnaapp_bw.pdf Please feel free to contact me with any questions at rsetter@att.net Anne Marie Kubacz ISCA Health Chair   BOARD & IRISHVILLE MEETINGS MAY 2011 BOARD MEETING  HIGHLIGHTS 1. ISCA is seeking help from the membership for someone who would be interested in helping with the graphic design of a pop-up booth for ISCA to travel to AKC sponsored Meet the Breeds, as well as ISCA events. If you are interested in helping, contact President Debbie Davis at iscapres@gmail.com . 2. Purina and ISCA have renewed their Parent Club Partnership for 2011. As a result of ISCA members designating their Purina weight circles to benefit ISCA, the ISCA Foundation has received a check from Purina for $ 1321.40. A match amount has been sent to the Canine Health Foundation for ISCA donor advised research. If you feed Purina and are not a member of their pro club, or have not designated ISCA as the beneficiary for Parent Club points, and would like to do so, more information is available at ISCA web site: http://www.irishsetterclub.org/PPCP.html 3. AKC Humane Fund is seeking nominations for the AKC Awards for Canine Excellence. The categories are Companion, Law Enforcement, Search & Rescue, Service, and Therapy. Nominations are due June 1, 2011. For additional information click go to AKC at: http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=4357 4. Sweepstakes class at the National 2012 will be modified to include those dogs not eligible for the 6-9 class at the 2011 National. The oldest Sweepstakes class will be 15-19 instead of 15-18 in 2012. 5. ISCA National 2013 will be in Doswell, VA hosted by the ISC Greater Richmond on April 16th to 20th 2013. Doswell, VA is on US 1 just off Interstate 95 Exit 98, just above Richmond, Virginia. It is also the exit for Kings Dominion amusement park which will be opened on the weekends. Potomac ISC will be having a specialty on the same grounds on Sunday April 21, 2013. 6. A committee has been formed to review the ISCA's bylaws and if deemed appropriate, recommend updates for consideration by the membership. The process is expected to take 2-3 years, which will allow ample opportunity for input by the members. Any potential updates will be sent to the membership for a vote, per the existing bylaws. Committee members are Heidi Laabs (chair), Marilee Larson, Dave Schafer, and Bruce Foote. IRISHVILLE TOWN HALL MEETING The Board held a Town Hall meeting on Thursday to obtain input from the membership about "How are we doing and what can we do better." Going Well Communication - the Memo, Flea Bytes and the Website all keep the members in the loop in a timely manner Rescue is effective, efficient, and well supported Health - there is a strong commitment to addressing our breed's health issues; we support research and offer opportunities for dogs to be tested for genetic problems We have made progress in addressing conformation vs. field issues Concerns The membership and Board are ageing -we need to find ways to bring in new blood Uneven enforcement of Principles of Integrity, for breeders and health issues and also for sportsmanlike, respectful behavior Poor participation in voting for National judges Members who offer to help/take on projects are not always welcomed/taken up on their offers Suggestions for Improvement Breeder Outreach, including creating a Puppy Packet that is available for use/adaptation online; provide breeders with membership applications for puppy buyers, trial memberships for puppy buyers, provide puppy buyers with a copy of a past Memo Voting for National judges online Mentor program for new club members and new board members Mediation/arbitration for disputes Clarify qualifications for board membership Invite/accept involvement from members in ISCA projects Outreach to the "youth" such as local "meet the breeds" high school visits, 4H and other activities to get the younger generation involved

"A Message from Eddie Dziuk, CEO of OFA, regarding registering genetically clear PRA offspring at OFA There are essentially 2 ways of listing PRA clearances for Irish Setters, through the OFA and through the ISGR which the OFA administers for the ISCA. OFA wise, owners can register their Optigen Test Results with the OFA, and receive and OFA number. Or for first generation off spring of clear parents where all three, sire/dam/offspring have been DNA profiled to verify parentage, the OFA will issue a clearance with a CBP (Clear By Parentage) suffix at the end of the assigned OFA number. The OFA’s CBP policy can be found on the OFA website at: http://www.offa.org/cbp.html This policy is applied consistently across all DNA based databases. The 2nd way of listing clearances is through the ISGR. The OFA began administering the ISGR for the ISCA in early 2008. All historical data was imported, we maintain the database, and have been issuing ISGR numbers since we began the administration process. For ISGR, owners can submit their Optigen reports and they are assigned ISGR numbers in the format: ISGR-DNA-####-GT. The numbering format indicates that the dog was Gene Tested. For descendants of clear dogs, the only requirement to be issued a number is that the sire and dam both have existing ISGR clearance numbers. There is no restrictive limit on the number of generations that will be cleared, and there is no requirement that parentage verification be documented. These were the existing ISGR guidelines when we took over the program, and we continue to run ISGR under the same criteria. Clear descendants are issued numbers in the format: ISGR-GTA-###, GTA indicating “Gene Tested Ancestry”. BOTH OFA and ISGR PRA clearance numbers are displayed on the OFA website. BOTH OFA and ISGR PRA clearance numbers meet the PRA requirement for CHIC. Hopefully this clears up any misconceptions, more importantly misinformation. To download the form for registering blood tested dogs with ISGR click here. To download the form for registering offspring of tested sires and dams click here.

June 2010 Annual Meeting Minutes DRAFT Highlights  from the  June 6, 2010 BOARD MEETING JUNE 6, 2010 BOARD MEETING 1. Connie Vanacore announced that she will be retiring as the AKC Delegate for ISCA at the end of this year. We all thank Connie for her significant contributions to the Irish Setter breed during her many years on the Board. 2. Results of the 2010 National are on the ISCA web site at: http://www.irishsetterclub.org/2010_National_Specialty.htm For you FACEBOOK fans, there are also pictures from the 2010 on Facebook. If you're on FACEBOOK, you can find the ISCA page by searching"ISCA 2010 National" Facebook is free and you can sign up at www.facebook.com 3. Now that the 2010 National is over, without skipping a beat we can start thinking about next year's National. It will be held in Oklahoma City, OK from May 1st to 7th. Because it is earlier than this year, please note the DATE below. Hotel Reservations available on September 4th (More information will follow) FAX ONLY! Judges for 2011 National: Intersex Robert McKay Dogs Sam MacDonald Bitches Robert McKay Veterans Marge McKay Sweeps Intersex Phil Booth Sweeps Dogs Pat Nagel Sweeps Bitches Phil Booth Juniors Judy Bradley Obedience Patricia Scully Rally Lynn Eggers Agility Helen Dorrance 4. The Nominating Committee for the 2011 ISCA Board of Directors will be chaired by Dave Schafer. Other members of the Committee are: Region 1 Patti Fanelli Region 2 Martina Friedeberg Region 3 Mindy Higby Region 4 Renette Berggren Alternate Brian Rasmussen Alternate Laura Edwards-Johnson If you would like to be considered by the Committee for a BOD position, please send your resume to Heidi Laabs hlaabs@aol.com by August 16, 2010 with copy to Deb Davis iscapres@gmail.com (June MEMO page 5) 5. The Irish Setter Club of Colorado will hold the 2011 National Hunting Test, Walking Field Trial, and ISCA walking Gun Dog Championship April 15 to 17, 2011 at the Rocky Mountain Roosters hunting preserve near Denver, Colorado. Mark your Calendars. 6. In an effort to improve the quality of the Breeders Directory, Jan Ziech and Dave Schafer will review a process to make a Draft PDF available on the Web for review by the membership before publication. 7. An invitation to host the 2013 National will be sent to all Region 1 Clubs about August 1, 2010. If you have any questions, please contact Norbert Dee: ndeedogs@gmail.com 703-777-6559

Reminder Notice - Medallions If you earned a medallion for putting a title on your Irish Setter during 2009, but did not apply for it by the deadline, this will remind you that you may purchase one until Dec. 31, 2010. Send proof of title (either AKC or ISCA certificate) with your check for $30, made out to ISCA and send it to: Fran Sloughfy ISCA Medallions 20 Maple shade Lane Fleetwood, PA 19522 2009 Medallions – earned but not picked up in Wisconsin…. I will be glad to mail your medallion(s) if you forward a check for $5, made out to ISCA, but mailed to me: Fran Sloughfy ISCA Medallions 20 Maple Shade Lane Fleetwood, PA 19522 List of those not picked up

New AKC Rules AKC has come out with a new judge/handler rule - the new rule is printed in the May 11-12, 2009 AKC Board Minutes - Page 5 and states as follows:   Guidelines for Conformation Dog Show Judges   "Following a motion by Dr. Davies, seconded by Mr. Goodman, it was VOTED (unanimously) to amend the Rules, Policies and Guidelines for Conformation Dog Show Judges as follows (the words in bold are to be added):"   "If you use the services of an agent, instruct the agent that he/she, and any member of the agent's household, or any handling associate of the agent may not exhibit dogs under you or any member of your household while in your employ and for at least four months after working for you.  In addition, you or a member of your household must not knowingly use the services of an agent, any member of the agent's household, or any handling associate of the agent to handle your dog(s) for at least four months after that agent has exhibited under you.  This policy applies to all levels of competition." All questions should be directed to AKC. Revised Regulations Governing The Use of Tracking Devices

Order a 2011 National DVD!  DVDs are $40,. Order from: ISCA Video, Ken Davis 3372 Breezewood Ct., Ortonville, MI 48462

Health Committee News: New HOD Project The Irish Setter Club of America Health Committee is pleased to report a new initiative in the search for a research study into the causes of Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD) in our breed.  More information on the current research page. NEW HOD Paper! ISCA sponsored Osteosarcoma Research Project at MIT. Blood samples from affected dogs needed. Download research information and submission form or contact Jan for more information. Important Notice for Dogs to Be Tested by Optigen for PRA  Make sure when getting dogs blood tested by Optigen for PRA that you also register for  CERF registration by paying the extra fee. If you do not do that, none of dogs tested by Optigen or their offspring will be eligible to be registered with ISGR. CERF does not give numbers to offspring..(.only ISGR) so it is important if your aim is to get numbers for the parents in ISGR and any offspring that you also register for the CERF registration fee on the Optigen registration form. ISGR CHANGES Beginning March 11, 2008, all submissions to ISGR registration will now be taken by OFA. OFA will now be doing all the administration work of ISGR and will continue to register Irish Setters from blood tested dogs that were tested by Optigen and their offspring. That information will be put on the website handled by OFA. If any forms in the meantime have been sent to Chris Miller, Secretary of ISGR, or Sandy Novocin , blood tested coordinator, those forms with the proper fees will be forwarded to OFA. Refunds will be sent to the owners since the new fee for registering any dog whether blood tested or from genetically clear stock will now be $7.50. The application will remain the same although all forms now should be sent to the following address: ISGR c/o OFA 2300 E. Nifong Blvd. Columbia, Missouri 65201 New Epilepsy Study -  Samples Needed! The U of Missouri  is working in conjunction with a lab in Finland which has just been awarded more than $1 million to study epilepsy through SNP mapping. They are accepting new blood samples. Those who would like to participate can do so by logging on to the U of Missouri epilepsy network www.canine-epilepsy.net . There is a link there to access an online seizure survey and a sample submission form. PURINA PARENT CLUB PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM raises funds for Irish Setters!

Thinking about becoming a judge?  Or applying for Irish Setters as an additional breed? Contact the ISCA Judge's Education Chair - MRS. LORRAINE W. BISSO, 405 Rosa Avenue, Metairie LA 70005  (504) 833-1780.

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Local Club Forms Attention local club secretaries - please review and update your local club contact information listed on the site. Contact the webmaster  and corresponding secretary with changes.  New club info is needed for ISCA publications. Please use the Local Club Officers Form Local Specialty consent forms ,  Field Trial consent forms and Versatility Test Application ISCA Versatility Test Guidelines & Certificate  RequirementsI

Information on the AKC Companion Animal Recovery Program Can you survive a disaster? New ISCA brochure - print out & save! Have any Irish Setter or ISCA memorabilia of historical value? Please contact the ISCA Historian with your information.