This with association life is tricky, in other words. The idea is that it should be positive for all members, and that it should function as a democracy. But it does not always do that – obviously, if you have looked at both episodes of Kalla Fakta which is about the Swedish Kennel Club.
Here you can see Episode 1 and Episode 2.
I'm incredible split into these programs. While on the one hand I sympathize with individuals who are run over by authorities – been there, done that, myself, it is usually the case that there is no smoke without fire.
With that said, I can not say anything about the individuals who participate in Kalla Fakta and who have been excluded from SKK. I do not know them, I do not know what the story behind it looks like, I am not more familiar with regulations and other things in SKK, nor do I intend to engage in finding out more than what was included in the program.
That, on the other hand would be interesting to know more about is exactly what the culture in SKK actually looks like. It is in many ways an unreasonably large club, and it has just as much power. I have a bad memory, so I do not remember the name of the chairman and the CEO, but these two men seem to have an extremely large influence in dog sweden – for better or worse. I'm not entirely sure I think it's good, that so much depends on two people. And at the same time – it may have to be so. I do not know how SKK works topside, so I can not really say much.
Something I, on the other hand wonders is how easy it seems to be to exclude members who, despite solid evidence, can prove that they have not done or been in the way they reported for. I also bother using terms like “crime”, “penalty” and similar. It's an association, not a society with a court that judges – even if that seems to be what their disciplinary committee is doing.
Absolutely regardless the individuals who participate in the program are guilty of what they are accused of or not, then a picture is painted of SKK that I do not want to be with and support. I agreed for Boyo's insurance, but it's just time to pay a new fee – and I take the liberty of letting go. I do not feel comfortable supporting a business that does not listen to its members in the way described in Cold Facts.
On the other hand I can understand that there must be rules and ways of relating to the association. Especially if you are an active member, whether it is as an exhibitor, Judge, breeder, competing or whatever it may be. If you want to be part of an association, you have to choose if you want to relate to all this, or not (and that's where I choose not to).
In other words, I am so divided on this that I hardly know how to formulate myself about it. I myself have in various different contexts been the one who has been exposed to reports for no other reason than that the complainant does not like me, so I know just how hard it is, how much is destroyed by ignorance, ignorant people. But I have been active in associations as chairman of a county-wide association, but thankfully did not have to exclude anyone. I have also worked in an association at national level, though not in the dog world.
I have no clear and unambiguous opinion on this, I feel. The only thing I can say spontaneously is that I do not want to be part of a club that has this attitude towards its members. There are so many people who get to make fun just because they can, because they are self-righteous, because they do not like anyone – and even though I have not been active during this year as a member, so I have no desire to expose myself to the risk that someone makes a report just because they do not like me. And yes, You are absolutely right – my trust in people in general is basically zero.
It's lucky for me that I am so uninterested in taking courses, train and compete with Boyo. I am so uninterested that I do not even know if you have to be a member of SKK to train and compete with the working dog club, or someone of race- or the special clubs.
Like some kind I may find it terribly unpleasant that there are so many people who report without finding out what the situation actually is..