This is a letter from Judith Stratton, who served as DVHA’s vice president. She is responding to an article that appeared on this site Nov. 4. Here is a link to it.
It was with interest that I read your article on the dissolution of DVHA. I would like to address some of the comments that were made by DVHA members.
The first is in regard to the assertion that we did not properly conduct the dissolution process stipulated under our constitution. Two written communications; the first one announcing the dissolution and the second letter containing a ballot, were sent to all of the current adult voting members and life members. Approval of 75% of this mailing was required in order to proceed.
Secondly, that “little band of older members” is offensive to those of us who have given many years of dedicated service to the organization. We were also in DVHA in the early ’70s/’80s and some of us go back as far as the 1960s.
If any member wanted to give it “one more try”, where were they? They never attended meetings to express their concerns or to offer assistance. In fact, two of the life members expressing their dissatisfaction in your article didn’t even return their ballot to vote their opinion. Yet, they used your article to express their concerns and aspersions on DVHA.
There were several comments regarding Jessica Brittain. She was a 3-year member of the executive committee but was president only from December 1, 2021, through September of 2022. Also, she was not forced to resign. She stated she was not going to run again for president and was not going to chair the hunter/jumper division in 2023. Her decision to no longer be active was hers and hers alone. At the August general meeting we asked her and Jen Cassidy to present their ideas at our next general meeting in September, but they never bothered to attend and offer their presentation.
As you well know, DVHA is very dependent on the members volunteering to staff our shows. If we have an insufficient number of members, especially adults, we cannot survive. Membership in DVHA is also vital to the attendance at our shows as it constitutes the base from which we can forecast our upcoming show season. As property owners, in order for DVHA to maintain our showgrounds, hire judges and other staff, and pay taxes and insurance requires a monthly minimum gross income. By August of this year, we realized that we would be facing an insufficient amount of funds to even start a 2023 season. This same lack of funds also prevents us from making the necessary improvements to the footing in our rings.
We would have loved to continue, and we would have preferred to have heard from all of these members personally. The fact that members now bemoan the demise of DVHA without supporting and participating in the organization is on them.
Judith E, Stratton