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An ACC Breed Mentor must be approved by the Judge/Breeder Education Committee and appointed to the position by the ACC Board to mentor breeders, prospective and active judges about all aspects of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever. ACC Breed Mentors are also permitted to give breed seminars and to act as a tutor.
According to the AKC, a mentor is “…someone who possesses a clear and in-depth understanding of a breed’s form as well as function, and is capable of communicating this wealth of information to a prospective judge. A mentoring program is one in which a mentor and prospective judges are paired for the purpose of providing educational experiences.”
This means that usually at a National Breed Specialty show or another show with a significant entry of that breed, i.e. a supported show, a mentor and a group of judges are paired up ringside for education and discussion.
The AKC defines a tutor as follows: Tutoring and guiding the applicant in breed knowledge over a period of time continuing into the provisional and regular status periods.
Requirements
The American Chesapeake Club Board has approved the following requirements for an official Breed Mentor.
1. 12 years of continuous ACC membership.
2. 12 Years of Breed Specific Experience / Involvement (meaning breeding, exhibiting, running in field trials or hunt tests, although not necessarily all of these).
3. Must have Bred 2 Breed Specific Litters.
4. Must have bred and/or owned 5 bench champions OR at least 3 bench champions with a WD/JH or field trial credit (JAM or better in a licensed AKC FT). Titles must have been earned by the dog while in ownership of the applicant.
5. Must have attended a structure/movement seminar within 4 years previous of application submission. A copy of the certificates of attendance or completion must be submitted with application.
6. Must have attended an ACC National Specialty Judges’ seminar or an ACC approved Judges’ seminar held by a Judges’ organization within 4 years previous of application submission. A copy of certificates must be submitted with application.
7. Must have recommendations from a minimum of three (3) ACC members in good standing, each of whom has been a member for at least five (5) years. If possible, include one (1) recommendation from a Regional Director.
8. Breeders with 20 years or more in the breed (meaning breeding, exhibiting, running in field trials or hunt tests, although not necessarily all of these) who meet the club membership requirement; number of litters bred; champions needed, can be invited to apply by a majority vote of the JBEC committee. They do not necessarily have to meet the seminar requirements but it is strongly recommended.
The Judge /Breeders Education Committee will have final approval of the applications submitted to them. Actual appointments must be approved by the ACC Board.
EXPECTATIONS OF MENTORS
As noted above, the job of an ACC Breed Mentor is to help educate other breeders, prospective and active judges. This is done in many ways including seminars and ringside mentoring. Part of an approved ACC Mentor’s job is to occasionally volunteer to present seminars and to also do ringside mentoring at National Specialties and Support Shows if requested.
TUTOR REQUIREMENT / POLICY
All ACC approved mentors acting as a tutor (per AKC’s definition of a tutor) for an AKC provisional or potential judge of the breed are required to submit to the JBEC the name and address of all judges with whom they are acting as a tutor including the date the tutoring relationship began.
All ACC mentors acting as a tutor should not show an exhibit to a judge they have tutored until an appropriate amount of time has passed. An appropriate amount of time is up to the ACC Mentor’s good sense and judgment, circumstance of exhibiting and sense of fairness to other exhibitors.
The JBEC will follow up with all tutored judges submitted and send a mentor evaluation letter to them.
MENTOR CONTINUING EDUCATION & MENTOR RENEWAL
The JBEC will contact all mentors annually on issues covering but not limited to:
MENTOR COMPLAINTS
Mentor complaints must be made in writing and should be sent to the Judge/Breeder Education Committee. The JBEC will review all letters of complaint and make recommendations to the ACC Board Any action will be decided by the ACC Board.