The starting Officers and Board of Directors are as follows:
President and Chair: J. Jeffrey Bragg
Vice-president: Isa Boucher
Secretary/Treasurer: Jack R. Murray
Custodian of Records: Susan Murray
A comprehensive website has been set up on the Internet for the association. Its URL is:
http://www.seppalasleddogs.com/isa/index.htmAlthough the I.S.A. website in its initial form is quite extensive, we anticipate its expansion into a major sleddog data resource and a source of continuing education, entertainment and satisfaction for our membership. For the time being, web design services, website hosting and bandwidth have all been made available to the association at no cost, through the courtesy of the Seppala Siberian Sleddog Project.
Initially the I.S.A. will provide services for Seppala Siberian Sleddogs and for Chinook Dogs. We intend to offer similar services for autochthonous Siberian sleddogs of the various regional strains, particularly in the case of stock exported from Russia to western countries. Work will be underway in March to set up and configure record-keeping and database software. Collecting and preserving ancestry records and historic breed data will be given priority during the first year of the association's existence.
It is expected that much of the association's work and activity will take place via the Internet. As the I.S.A.'s tasks are worldwide in scope, we expect that our membership will be widely scattered geographically. Rather than to attempt to hold regular meetings in a single geographical location, it seems sensible to provide for easy worldwide participation of our members online.
The Officers and Board invite the participation of fanciers of Seppalas, Chinooks, and other historic sleddog breeds. We hope and trust that the foundation of the I.S.A. will mark the beginning of an auspicious new era of consolidation and growth for those breeds.
J. Jeffrey Bragg, I. S. A. President and Webmaster
jjeffrey@seppalasleddogs.com
P. O. Box 21162
Whitehorse, YT Y1A 6R1 Canada
