Versatile Newfoundland Committee

Duties and Responsibilities

An award is established to recognize the Versatile Newfoundland, one who has completed each of the following:
• AKC Championship
• AKC or CKC Companion Dog Degree
• NCA Water Rescue Dog Title
• NCA Draft Dog Title
The application for versatility recognition must be made by February 1 of each year. All certificates must be earned by December 31st of preceding year. Each application must be accompanied by two (2) copies of each certificate earned. Where certificate has not yet been received, two (2) copies of the following must be submitted:
• Records and/or results from the AKC Gazette
• Signed statement from Water or Draft test judges and Test Chair

The owner may list any additional working areas in which he/she and Newfoundland have been active.

The Versatile Newfoundland award is presented to owners of honored Newfoundlands each year at the National Specialty General Membership meeting.

Recipient will be notified ahead of time. Those who cannot attend will receive their certificate and patch in the mail, though all will be announced at the awards ceremony whether present or not.

The recipients of the Versatile Newfoundland Award will have a section in the “Specialty” issue of Newf Tide in which each honored Newfoundland is allotted 1/2 page for photo and owners comments (as is allotted BOB and BOS winners). This section will also have introductory remarks about the award, for the purpose of informing/educating the membership about this achievement. Information to be included: sire, dam, breeder, owner.

History & Board Actions

V15.2 02/18/84
Versatility Committee established. The Versatility Committee Chair advertises, receives and processes applications for the Versatile Newfoundland Award. He/she presents certificates at the annual meeting, having mailed patches as soon as the NCA Database Chair has notified the Versatile Newfoundland Chair that titles awarded information has been checked out. He/she is responsible for getting appropriate information, as well as a photograph, for each new Versatile Newfoundland dog for publication in Newf Tide.
V16.1 02/11/85 (Mail Meeting)
Guidelines with Board revisions approved.
V19.2 04/29/88
New design of Versatility Certificate approved. Previously issued certificates may be replaced with new ones at owner's request.
V22.4 11/09/91
Reaffirmed current policy that when a dog completes, according the records of the owner, the requirements for Versatile Newfoundland, the title “Versatile Newfoundland pending” may be used prior to the certificate being awarded at the National Specialty.
V25.2 11/07/93
The word “pending” will be used in advertisements for dogs until their Versatility Newfoundland title has been verified.
V25.3 05/22/94
The Versatility Newfoundland designation will be awarded to qualifying Newfoundlands earning an American Companion Dog title (only).
V25.3 05/22/94
The Versatility Newfoundland designation will only be recognized for NCA members in good standing.
V26.1 09/94 (Mail Meeting)
Versatility Newfoundland designation will be awarded to all qualifying dogs, whether or not the owner of record is a NCA member.

12/95 (Committee Action)
The Versatile Newfoundland Committee established the following procedure for processing pedigrees for publication in Newf Tide:
• Three (3) generation pedigrees submitted for Newf Tide publication will be generated from NCA’s database. VN recipients will no longer be supplying the pedigrees.
• VN Committee Chairman will submit list of VN’s receiving the award for the current year to the Database Coordinator by March 1 of each year.
• Database Coordinator will generate the pedigrees at the time the computer has been geared up to produce the pedigrees for the Annual of Titlists.
• Database Coordinator will send pedigrees for VN recipients to VN Committee Chairman in time for that Chairman’s material to be submitted (re June 15) for the summer issue of Newf Tide.
V28.3 03/30/97
Board directed that pewter pins be acquired as additional recognition to owners of all past and future VN’s.
V29.1 11/22/97
Co-owners, breeders and co-breeders (who are NCA members) can purchase title and award certificates, patches and pins [$5/certificate (ROM); $5/certificate and patch (WD, WRD, DD, TDD); $5/pins (CH, CD, CDX, UD, WA, OA); and $10/certificate, patch, pin for VN].
V31.1 10/29/99
Board approved committee’s recommendation to provide a special rosette for the current year’s Versatile Newfoundlands to be presented to the Newfoundlands and their owners at the National Specialty each year, at an appropriate venue (Honors Parade, Annual Meeting Awards Program, Working Dog Reception), at the discretion of the host club. Board granted Versatile Committee Chair the authority to approve VN status for Newfoundlands based upon the owner providing the appropriate certificate.
V32.1 11/3/00
Additional VN certificates requested by co-owners and breeders will be mailed in March. Cost of ordering additional patch, pin and certificate increased to $12.
V33.1 12/101
Coverage to be printed in 2nd Qtr NewfTide issue, eliminate three generation pedigree to allow for slightly longer write up and larger photo. All new VN’s identified by registered name, date of birth, sire x dam, owner and breeder.
V36.1 10/29/04
Change the policy to require only a copy of the AKC registration certificate be sent to the Versatile Newfoundland chair when a Newfoundland has finished the requirements for the Versatile Newfoundland award.

Back

Versatile Newfoundlands

VN Candidate Information Form

Current Activities

2008 Versatile Newfoundland Committee Annual Report by Bethany Karger, Chair

For 23 years, an annual tradition at the NCA Annual Meeting is the announcement of each year’s new Versatile Newfoundlands. In 2008, 22 new Versatile Newfoundlands were recognized and added to the long and distinguished list of these wonderful dogs. This public recognition of the dogs and their owners is the culmination of a long journey that emphasizes a strong relationship between dog and handler. Photos of these new VNs with a brief write up can be seen in theSecond Quarter 2008 Newf Tide.
Two thousand and eight also saw the new practice of handing out the rosettes during the recognition at the Annual Meeting rather than at the Honors Parade. This new practice was well received and will continue.
Since our database was still under construction, it was necessary to request owners to contact the committee if their dogs met the qualifications for VN recognition. The requests were made through NCA e-notes and word of mouth. Once the database is completely functional, members will once again be notified directly when their dogs meet the criteria. We thank our VN owners for their cooperation and patience.
In the spring, long-time VN Committee Chair, Jacqueline Brellochs, resigned. Jacqueline’s 20 years of service and attention to detail set a very high bar for this new chair. I will work very hard to keep up the quality of effort provided by Jacqueline.