~ Letter from the President ~
13 April 2008

Well, Spring is finally here and the outdoor training season has started.  Our first training day of the year looked like it was going to be a wash out. The forecast was for rain through out the day, but the Gods smiled on us and the sun came out to bless the day.  The Chapter spent the day at Cox farm in Lee, NH with a new batch of puppies and a lot of older dogs from last year.  Most started the day off with a swim and I will tell you that water was cold as the ice had just come off it within the past week.  A lot of brave pups took their first swim yesterday and most went back for more.

The day's training was a prelude to the Spring NA Test, so the handlers and dogs got some idea of what they will be doing in May.  The test for both days has filled up nicely and it is possible we will have a wait list this will be a chapter first, so we must be doing something right.  We are still looking for helpers for both days May 10^th and 11^th if you have some time to spare please come out and give us a hand.

Saturday night, May 10^th, we will be having a no-host dinner after the test is finished for the day. Nikki’s soon to be other half, Tim, is cooking.  I do not know what the menu is yet, but I promise you it will be good.  Everyone is invited to attend, but please let Nikki or myself know if you would will be joining us for dinner.  Having an accurate headcount will help us plan for food and estimate the cost per person.

A couple of notes:

- TICKS are out in full force and in this area they do carry LYME.  Please make sure you have treated your dog and take the appropriate precautions for yourself. 

- Water is still an issue.  Handlers are not bringing water to the field for their dogs.  Please remember that your dog needs water just as much as you do so please carry a bottle or two with you while in the field.

- Our membership is growing and over the past month we have had 6 new members join taking us to nearly 100 members!

- Dave Trahan is a big asset to this chapter.  It would be a great way to show our appreciation for his time, knowledge and energy if when you are looking for training gear you look to Dave first for your purchases.

Our next event is the Spring NA test May 10^th and 11^th at Cox Farm, then we move over to Sharps Farm for June training.  April 19^th is the clean up day for Sharps farm and April 26^th is Wild NH in Concord.

I look forward to seeing you at an event this year

Gary Sullivan

President

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