The annual Winter Board Meeting (WBM) of the Master National Retriever Club Board of Directors was held in Dallas. This in-person meeting serves several important purposes, including a comprehensive review of the previous year’s event, an operational overview of the club, strategic planning and forward-looking analysis, and a systematic review of our governing documents.  Each of these discussions plays a vital role in ensuring the continued strength and success of the organization. Regardless of the specific subject matter discussed, the prominent common thread this year was communication.

One of the most important and complex strategies of any business-like entity involves communication. Communication builds trust, without it puts any business at risk. Those communication efforts must include the customer base at its core.

The MNRC is a not-for-profit organization that has grown to the point it mandates similar strategies for success used by corporate businesses be considered.  The MNRC customers are you; the owners and handlers of these remarkable athletes who take part at our national hunt test, prospective players of the hunt test game at every level, the MNRC member retriever clubs and the ‘followers’ of our event (including our sponsors.) We need to improve our communication with our customers. You want it, you need it, and most importantly, you deserve it! We know we have a long overdue obligation to answer the call. This letter of ‘PAWS-itive Perspectives’ is our first effort to revisit a decades old practice of the MNRC. The goal; to share club information with member clubs and all of you. We recognize that information from MNRC sent to member clubs does not always reach the owners and handlers involved with the MNRC National Hunt Test. We will address that void by expanding our lines of communication.

It is not our intent to inundate you with the minutia, but more to give a quick and substantial snapshot of the discussions held at board meetings. I would expect this letter to be the longest since we are revisiting this extremely critical and necessary service for our customers. The communication snippets of the future should be just as informative, but not as extensive as this explanatory message. 

“Why was the Winter Board Meeting held in Texas instead of Oregon?”

Historically, the WBM has been conducted at the location of that year’s event. Doing so allows Board members to personally visit property sites and evaluate the local infrastructure to ensure the venue and surrounding community can support the scope and demands of our national event.

Holding the WBM in Texas this year was in accordance with being financially prudent and accountable. The cost of holding the meeting at a location more centrally located for board members to reach was much less than in Oregon; especially since we have been to Roseburg, twice before and nearly all the same properties and venues are in play for the 2026 event. There is extreme value of meeting in person that a Zoom call cannot achieve. Thus, holding the WBM in Texas was a financially responsible decision. 

The MNRC Board of Directors spent 23 ½ hours at the table over a 2 ½ day period. During this ‘workshop’ meeting environment, many discussions took place. Aside from discussing logistics of the 2026 event planning process and 3 guest presentations, a brief synopsis of subjects we focused on follows:

• Significant discussions were held involving better communications and outreach using Social Media platforms beyond the Annual National event itself.
• Establishing appropriate budgets; club operations, event operations, and merchandising operations as well as accountable and responsible financial planning.
• Outsourcing accounting responsibilities with a sitting treasurer was discussed as an option. This would have an impact on the operational budget.
• Reviewing and updating MNRC Governance following the passage of the By-Law Amendments from the 2025 annual meeting. 
• The ongoing growth of the size of the event, property, resources needed, workforce needed, and costs associated. These topics have been a constant subject of concern since 2010. 
• Improving the quality of the tests at the event in line with our Mission and Vision Statement. The MNRC National Hunt Test event is intended to test the excellence of a retriever’s performance as a hunting companion in a non-competitive manner at a higher level than the standard set forth in the Regulations and Guidelines for AKC Hunting Tests for Retrievers. That testing level of excellence is supposed to set the ‘national event’ apart and above the weekend and mid-week tests.
• The MNRC store will return to being managed in-house, rather than outsourced. This is a service we believe is crucial to our customers. This transition poses challenges but is a doable venture we believe we can carry out. We are working through some of the immediate challenges including product acquisition, staffing, hours of operation, and entertaining online and/or pre-sale impacts. More to come.
• The upcoming board position vacancies having to be filled this year: secretary, directors, and the ongoing search for a treasurer. The need to add positions to the Board (elected and appointed) was discussed to help meet the workload the event demands. 

I am hopeful this initial letter of ‘PAWS-itive Perspectives’ is received in the spirit in which it is intended: a good-faith effort to strengthen and enhance our relationship with all who have a vested and genuine interest in the MNRC. 

We intend to continue this practice throughout the year. The communication lines are being expanded in the efforts to reach all our customers, and that includes you!

Please know we value your voice, your memberships, your participation in our National Hunt Test, and most importantly your partnership in making the MNRC National Hunt test successful in meeting its objectives; showcasing and testing the ‘best of the best’ hunting companions at a level of excellence above and beyond the standards set by AKC for hunting retrievers.

On behalf of the MNRC, thank you for your continued support and commitment.

Passionately sincere,

Annette T. Pacheco

2026 President MNRC