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First, it is a labor of love. It is a work of determination to collect and verify the thousands of data points that go into each yearbook. The yearbook is the GRCA’s official record of all Goldens earning AKC and GRCA titles, and there is a Canadian section as well. We expect that the yearbook will be used as a reference source for years to come by breeders and others seeking information to plan future breedings, select a future star or just to see what their dog’s ancestors looked like. It is accurate research at their fingertips, available in either CD or paper formats.
Where does the information all come from?
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AKC titles. Throughout the year, the AKC electronically sends files of titles earned by AKC-registered Goldens, listed by the months in which they were earned. The titles are uploaded to the database in August and in March of the following year. The AKC awards are usually two months behind the current date, so that January usually lists November’s awards.
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GRCA titles. The yearbook is divided into sections according to venue and there is a GRCA statistician for each section. The GRCA statisticians compile the titles for the Show Dog, Dual Dog, Field Dog, Obedience and Agility Hall of Fames. Other statisticians record the CCA, **, ***, WC/WCX, and VC/VCX titles. After all AKC and GRCA titles have been entered into the database, an export of data is given to the Outstanding Sire and Dam Statistician to calculate the Outstanding Sires and Dams. Additional offspring for existing OS/ODs are also compiled for the year.
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Golden placement lists are created by their respective statisticians. For example, the Field Statistician keeps track of all the placements of Goldens at Field Trials within a given year. The statisticians collect placements for Conformation Group wins, Field Trial wins (including the Derby stakes) and Obedience High In Trials. These lists are sent to the Editor in March.
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The National section is compiled from AKC awards, photos from the show and the GRNews Editor.
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The Canadian Section is obtained from the GRCC Yearbook Editor, which is in turn gathered from CKC published awards.
What’s done with the data then?
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.After all the information for a given year has been uploaded to the GRCA database, we send award letters requesting verification of current information, photos and pedigrees. We send these via email to all owners and co-owners of titled Goldens for whom we have email addresses. For those owners without email addresses, we send out snail mail letters requesting information and pictures for those dogs which have earned a major title, provided the owners are GRCA members. Major titles are OS, OD, CH, SDHF, DDHF, FC, AFC, FDHF, ***, MH, OTCH, OBHF, UDX, UD, CT, VST, MACH, ADHF, MX, MXJ, MXP, MJP, VC and VCX.
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Owners then check the yearbook database and report any changes or updates to the yearbook staff. The Editors and Database Divas make the edits in the database. If a dog’s pedigree is incomplete, we request that the owner send us a certified pedigree so that we can fill in the blanks. Because the yearbook is the official historical record of the GRCA, we only accept AKC, CKC and Julie Cairns-researched pedigrees as proof of ancestry. In some cases, we can fill in pedigree holes by matching the registration numbers of littermates for whom we do have parentage confirmed. We also do research from the AKC stud books and occasionally from other stud books for foreign dogs.
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Owners with computer capabilities can upload up to three photographs of each dog to the database. If owners are unsure about the scanning requirements, for a nominal fee they may send the photographs to the Editor. The photos are then scanned to the proper specifications, cropped and uploaded to the database. At the completion of the yearbook, these photographs are returned to the owners.
What happens when all the data has been verified
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The Editor collects photographs to accompany each section heading, creates the cover art and compiles the Table of Contents.
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The information is extracted from the database and formatted into a CD version. The CD-ROM is proofed and the install method tested before being taken to the CD duplicator.
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A different extraction takes place for the creation of the paper version in Quark. Those sections are formatted and proofed and taken to a printer. Due to the larger expense, the paper version is pre-order only.
Yearbook Staff as of April 2008:
Yearbook Editor - Kathy Bourland
Yearbook Assistant – Alison Desmarais
Technology Guru - Jay Bourland
Database Divas – Lesley Albin, Cindy Steward, Toni Maita, Chris Gallant & Nancy Clinchy
Research Assistant – Julie Cairns
Agility Statistician – Gail Shaw Appointed by GRCA Board
Conformation Statistician – Jane Christy Appointed by GRCA Board
Field Statistician – Judi Carter Appointed by GRCA Board
OS/OD Statistician – Noreen Sila Appointed by GRCA Board
Obedience Statistician – Helen Smith Appointed by GRCA Board
WC/WCX Recorder – Marj Dupree Appointed by GRCA Board
Dual Dog Statistician – Christy Thomas Appointed by GRCA Board
VC/VCX Statistician – Edell Schaffer Appointed by GRCA Board
CCA Recorder- Robin Bowen Appointed by GRCA Board
Canadian Section- Chris Gallant Appointed by GRCC Board
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