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Kiana's Kermit The Dog SDX
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Mishawum's Art of Zen, RN, CGC
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ISHC History
The Seppala Siberian Husky Club was formed in the spring of 1960. Charter members included Mr. and Mrs. Leonhard Seppala, Mrs. Louise Foley, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Thompson and Mrs. Virginia Emrich. Leonhard Seppala was the first president of the Club. From the minutes of a meeting held in 1960 and taken down by Ginny Emrich (Rice) come, in part, the original purpose of the Club:
A. Purpose of Organization
- Siberian Huskies have held more records for racing than any other single breed of sled dog. It is hoped that through the efforts of our Club the breed will continue as top-ranking sled dog.
- It was pointed out that when sled dogs are bred and trained for the purpose in which the breed originally excelled, their continued position as excellent sled dogs is assured.
- It was generally felt that a combination show and race dog could develop if enough interest were shown in both divisions and if the breed were more uniformly bred to suit both purposes.
- It was due to the great efforts of Leonhard Seppala that dog racing became safer and more humane for both driver and team. Mr. Seppala devoted the better part of his life to stimulating dog driving and to establish rules concerning humane treatment. It was felt that this club, as a tribute to this great man, should continue the work and effort he began during the first organized sled dog races.
The name International Siberian Husky Club was taken in 1964 and from that very small beginning, membership has grown. Membership is open to fanciers the world over and indeed the Club has members in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and Wales.
The NEWS, the Club's magazine, was designed to provide a forum for communication among the membership. It was first published bimonthly by the Raymond Thompson Publishers. In May of 1964, Mrs. Beth Murphy and Miss Jane Smith edited and published the NEWS. In 1965, editor Arnie Hed took over and had the NEWS published professionally on a quarterly basis. The following year, the Club purchased a mimeograph and the NEWS became a monthly publication under the editorship of Miss Doris Lovrine. Linda Arnett, Judy Roger, Ruth Barrett, and currently Barbara Schaefer, and Pam Thomas, have all overseen the editorship of the NEWS.
The Club has worked on an area basis with an Area Director designated for a given geographical area. Originally there were seven areas, but as membership increased it was necessary to realign some of the areas for the sake of improving communications with the membership. The Directors also serve as a nominating committee for the succeeding year. The ISHC has five officers - President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer. The Editor of the NEWS and Chairman of the Board round out the Board of Directors.
Committees were formed in 1961 to serve the membership in specific fields of interest. These committees periodically write material pertaining to their area of responsibility, which is then published in the NEWS. Over the years committees have included Research and Records, directed by Mrs. Louise Foley, who spent many hours in the Library of Congress collecting little known facts and seeking out records that would shed some light on the background of the Siberian Husky. At the time, her correlation of history was the most comprehensive ever completed. Largely through her untiring efforts, a number of Russian articles were translated from explorer's records. One of Mrs. Foley's major contributions was the publishing of the book The Siberian Husky, edited by Louise Foley and Raymond Thompson. This book deals primarily with the early history of the Siberian Husky in Siberia. The committee was disbanded in 1965. Other committees still serving the membership include Obedience, Racing, Show, Breeding/Genetics, and Awards.
In addition to the NEWS, the Club has been responsible for various other publications which filled a need in the world of Siberian devotees. In 1967, under the able guidance of Mrs. Peggy Hazlett, the ISHC Pedigree Directory was published, listing various dogs, their characteristics, and the pedigree. The largest publication projects, prior to this book, were the first and second editions of The International Siberian Husky Club presents The Siberian Husky. The first edition came out in 1969, the 2nd following in 1977. The 3rd Edition has since been published and reprinted. The 3rd Edition took over two years to compile and edit. As with all efforts of the Club, our purpose in producing the 3rd Edition was "To promote interest in the registered Siberian Husky in racing, breeding and showing with prime emphasis on maintaining the racing qualities and workability of the breed." It is also our desire to make information available specifically for and about the Siberian Husky.
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