INTRODUCTION
Purpose Of This Handbook
Putting on an ADGA Annual Meeting and Convention has always been a huge undertaking. Most clubs, prior to putting in a proposal for hosting an ADGA Convention, have little idea of the commitment they are about to make. A year or two down the line, they sometimes find themselves in over their heads. In the past, putting on a Convention requires people who have expertise not only in meeting planning and implementation but also an ongoing club commitment to the project over a number of years.
In the year 2000, the ADGA Board recognized that many clubs are unable to make either the financial or personnel commitments necessary to host a Convention, and that because of this, we are losing many opportunities to have Conventions in areas that might be suitable. To help overcome this problem, the Board unanimously passed the ADGA Annual Meeting Committee's proposal to change the roles of both the ADGA Annual Meeting Committee and future host groups, beginning with the year 2002.
Beginning in 2002, the ADGA Annual Meeting Committee will partner with local host groups in all aspects of the ADGA Convention. See "Convention Committee Responsibilities" for more specific information about the roles of the ADGA Annual Meeting Committee and the local host groups.
The purpose of this Handbook, then, is to provide a guide to the Annual Meeting Committee, its Chair(s), and members, to their partner host groups, to groups thinking about hosting a Convention in the future, and to Convention and Visitor Bureaus who would like to invite ADGA to hold a Convention in their area.
Not only should this guide give a thorough picture of the responsibilities and demands involved, it sets out the policies, procedures, and requirements for each aspect of the Convention that has been accepted by the ADGA Board of Directors. The policies, procedures, and requirements detailed here are ones that have led to well-organized, well-attended, successful ADGA Conventions.
The Handbook should help the Annual Meeting Committee and prospective and actual host groups through the entire process of hosting a Convention from pre-Proposal to final reporting.
ADGA Annual Meeting and Convention
ADGA has been holding Annual Meetings since its first meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1904. The second Annual Meeting was held in 1907 in Chicago, Illinois, the third in 1915 at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, and the fourth in 1918 in Los Angeles, CA. Thereafter, it was held each year, usually in a different city.
Originally, the Annual Meeting consisted of an Annual Meeting of the Officers and Board of Directors of the American Dairy Goat Association and an Annual Meeting of its General Membership. At the meetings of the Board of Directors and Officers, the Association conducted its business. At the General Membership Meeting, the Board of Directors reported actions taken at their business meeting and received feedback from members of the Association.
Today, these two functions are still central to any ADGA Convention. However, over the years, to satisfy all of its members, ADGA has added numerous goat- and nongoat-related activities to its Annual Meeting, and now the entire family will find both educational and social activities to fill a full week’s stay at the host site.
Activities that Make Up a Typical ADGA Convention
The following activities have become a traditional part of the ADGA Convention:
Educational Activities:
A.I. Clinics
Judge’s Training Conference
Pre-Judge’s Training Conference
Advanced Judge’s Seminar (odd-numbered years)
Type Conference (even-numbered years)
AASRP (American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners) Continuing Education Seminar
Production Tester Training Program
Youth Program
Multi-level program of lectures, seminars, clinics, and workshops on a wide variety of goat-related topics.
ADGA-related Activities:
Board of Directors Meeting
General Membership Meeting
ADGA Youth Representative Competition
Spotlight Sale
ADGA personnel and Directors available to membership.
Social Activities:
Welcome Dinner
Youth Banquet
Banquet and Ball
Champagne Brunch prior to Spotlight Sale
Wine and Cheese Tasting Party or Showcase of Dairy Goat Products
Hospitality Room
Other Activities:
Breed Club Meetings
Tours
Commercial Vendor Exhibits, Breed Club and other goat-related exhibits.