West County DOGS logo of a fun-loving frisbee player wearing a St. Louis T-shirt and tossing a disc to his leaping dog
August Newsletter
August 2005 WEST COUNTY CHAPTER--DOGPARKS OF GREATER ST. LOUIS VOL. 1, NO. 8
Contents: Chairman's report, Community notes, Fun events, Meetings, Help and have fun, Final thoughts, Subscribe, Unsubscribe
Chairman's report
Chairman's icon of a boy running with a pinwheel

Fundraiser news

Chesterfield K-9 Splash This year the Dogparks of Greater St. Louis has agreed to credit proceeds from the K-9 Splash 2005 to West County D.O.G.S.

The next meeting of the West County Chapter is Wednesday, August 3, at the Thornhill Branch of the St. Louis County Public Library, from 7-9 P.M.
Agenda (PDF)
The K-9 Splash in 2004 inspired feats of daring in this very active dog.

Last year most of the voluteers were members of the West County committee, and this year it is imperative that West County members support this event by volunteering their time. We are almost completely staffed already, but need just a few more helpers to ensure a well-staffed event.

Thanks very much to those who have already offered a couple of hours.

Click here for details about the event.

For those of you who would like to help and have fun too, email Carol Panter, D.O.G.S. Events Coordinator, or Diane Thomas, West County Chairperson.

Incorporating as a 501(c)(3)

If the K-9 Splash is successful, we will need to become a separate nonprofit corporation from Dogparks of Greater St. Louis and seek our own 501(c)(3) status. At the meeting on August 3, we will be discussing this process.
Click the photo above to see a gallery from Quail Ridge Dog Days of Summer 2005
The Dog Days of Summer in Quail Ridge Park celebration on Saturday, June 4 included a number of exhibitors and many happy people and dogs.

Friendraiser news

Our exhibit at the Quail Ridge Dog Days of Summer event was a lot of fun, but less than successful as an event that supports our mission.

Our mission focuses on West County, so we try limit ourselves to activities and events that reach out to stakeholders in those communities. Unfortunately not many people in the communities we serve attended this event, although the location is very close to West County. We got no new members and no petition signatures from any West County residents. However, a journalist for Suburban Journals did interview us, which could result in good public relations in our West County group.

Midyear evaluation

At the June meeting we reviewed the objectives on our strategic plan to see how many we have achieved in the six months since writing the plan. We were encouraged to learn that we have achieved three of the four short term goals we identified.

Short term goals are those that can reasonably be achieved in no more than a year. On our list are:

  • Get dog parks on the agendas of Chesterfield and Town and Country
  • Raise funds for immediate use in communication program
  • Increase membership
  • Get agreements for dog park for a day event at St. Louis County old jail

We have accomplished the first three, but not like we expected:

  • Establishing a dog park is still a current topic in Chesterfield, but, while Town and Country Parks and Trails discussed it, the majority of the members will not support the concept.
  • We have raised a small amount of money, which we will use to reprint brochures. However, we expected to do it through a fundraiser at the old county jail, not our donation jar at the recent events.
  • We have increased membership by about 15 percent since January, but we expected to do it through referrals. It actually was the result of adding an online membership form to the D.O.G.S. website.
  • And finally, our lack of success with our fundraiser at the Gumbo Jail is not a lost cause, just not one we can pursue effectively at this time.

This experience illustrates the organic nature of a strategic plan. Our planned goals and activities are guidelines that give us direction, like the map a person uses when traveling somewhere new. If the traveler finds the way blocked by construction or an accident, s/he searches for alternate routes.
Community notes
icon for community notes

Creve Coeur

Recently, interest in off-leash recreation has increased in Creve Coeur. Two of our Creve Coeur members, Tom and Andrea Lenzen, contacted Mr. Harold Dielman, the Mayor of Creve Coeur, and he agreed to read a proposal for off-leash recreation in Creve Coeur.

The proposal is in the review phase now and should be ready to deliver to Mr. Dielman in a day or two.

HIgh five!

Fun events
Icon for fun events September 6--Take the plunge with your dog at the Chesterfield K-9 Splash

The K-9 Splash was awesome fun last year and this year it will be even better because the proceeds will support West County D.O.G.S. Come to swim or just to watch people and dogs romp in the water.

Contact Carol Panter, D.OG.S. Events Coordinator, or Diane Thomas, West County D.O.G.S. chair, to volunteer.
Click on the image above to see a photo gallery of last year's K-9 Splash.
Day/Date Tuesday, September 6, 2005
Time 4:30 P.M. to 8 P.M.
Where Chesterfield Family Aquatic Park
16365 Lydia Hill Dr.
Chesterfield, MO
Cost $10 per dog, limit 2 dogs per handler,$3 each additional person
Learn more Contact Carol Panter, D.OG.S. Events Coordinator, or Diane Thomas, West County D.O.G.S. chair, to volunteer. PDF flyer coming soon.
Meetings
Icon for meetings August 3, 2005--West County D.O.G.S. regular monthly meeting from 7-9 P.M. at the Thornhill Branch of the St. Louis County Public Library.

All West County D.O.G.S. meetings are open to the public.

Minutes
of the June meeting (PDF).
Agenda highlights will include planning for the next six months based on the results of the midyear evaluation, review and discussion of the Creve Coeur proposal, upcoming events, and a plan for membership recruitment and volunteer involvement. Click here for the agenda in PDF format.

Peer Training this month will cover "Understanding Nonprofit Status and Tax Exemption," clarifying the differences. If you would like to prepare for the discussion, the Community Tool Box has a couple of helpful pages. Go to the Community Tool Box link, "Understanding Nonprofit Status and Tax Exemption," for an introduction to the process of receiving 501(c)(3) status.
For dates and times of other D.O.G.S. meetings and events check out our complete calendar of meetings and events.
Help and have fun
Help and have fun icon of kids working in the garden and playing tag at the same time Our next event is the Chesterfield K-9 Splash. Please say Yes! and help us by volunteering for these jobs:
  • Check in assistants. We need people at the check in table to verify rabies tags on each dog and have people sign waivers.
  • Information table greeter. Greeters offer visitors to our table information about the benefits of off-leash recreation and the features of off-leash recreation areas, or dog parks. In addition, they represent us to the general public and encourage visitors to join our group. We have a couple of experienced greeters on board already, so if you have never volunteered for something like this before and would like to try, K-9 Splash is a perfect opportunity. It will be well-attended and newbies don't have to worry about being without an experienced partner.

    The K-9 Splash will be open from 4:30 P.M to 8 P.M. Volunteer for at least an hour or more, if you can. Bring your dog and play in the water before or after your time in our booth.
  • Gate monitor. We need people to stand at the main gate to intercept canine escape artists.

Contact Diane Thomas to volunteer.
Final thoughts
West County DOGS logo Several years ago, I participated in an Outward Bound course. During that experience, one of our campfire meditations was called "Lessons from Geese." An excerpt from the reading says, "As each goose flaps its wings it creates an uplift for the bird that follows. By flying in a V formation the whole flock adds 72 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew alone."
The lesson to be learned from this statement was (and is) "People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another."

In West County, we are experiencing this kind of synergy. As our formation becomes more organized, like the characteristic V formation of a flock of geese, the whole is becoming greater than the sum of its parts.

Let us resolve not to lose that extra energy we have acquired over the last six months. Let's make the next six months productive and positive and add more members to our V (for volunteer) formation. The added energy will make the flight to our target of off-leash recreation in West County that much easier.
Diane Thomas, Chair
West County D.O.G.S.

Email: westcounty@stdogparks.org
Dogparks of Greater St. Louis Home Page: www.stldogparks.org
West County D.O.G.S. page: http://www.stldogparks.org/pages/works_west_county_chp.html
We encourage you to forward this newsletter to interested parties.
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