Membership

MEMBERSHIP TYPES

  • Associate Membership - open to any person who has not been an ASTC member before (all privileges except vote, office holding, and breeder referral)

  • Regular Membership

  • Foreign Membership - (all privileges except holding office and voting on the breed standard)

  • Junior Membership (under 18, no vote)

  • Special Members (Clubs Only)

  • Life Members (all privileges, no dues)

  • Honorary Members (no dues, no vote, no office holding)



  • MEMBERSHIP COSTS
  • $25.00 Initiation Fee
  • $20.00 Annual Dues for Associate Membership
  • $40.00 Annual Dues for Regular Membership


  • The complete application procedure is contained in the ASTC Bylaws, posted on this web site. Below is a summary of the procedure & requirements:

    An applicant must have two (2) current ASTC members, who have known them for at least one year, sponsor them for membership. The sponsors cannot be related to the applicant or to each other, and cannot be of the same household. They must have been members of ASTC for at least two years, and at least one of the sponsors must have visited the applicant and viewed his/her dog facilities.

    1. One of the sponsors must contact the Membership Secretary, and request a membership application packet. The application and sponsor forms must be completed and returned to the Membership Secretary by November 1st in order to be considered at that year’s annual Board meeting.
    2. The name of all applicants will be published in the November ASTC Newsletter. Members have 25 days to write the Membership Secretary if they have comments about the applicant.
    3. After publication, the applications will be forwarded to the membership committee for investigation. A member of the committee will contact the applicant, both sponsors, and possibly other ASTC members in the area.. Once the investigation is complete, the membership committee reports its recommendations to the ASTC Board.
    4. Applications are voted on by written ballot at the annual Outgoing Board meeting. Affirmative votes of 2/3 of the Board present at the meeting are required to elect an applicant for Regular Membership.
    5. The Board looks at a variety of experiences when considering an applicant, such as:
      1. How long has the applicant been involved in the breed? Generally, it is preferred that an applicant have several years experience before applying for Regular Membership in the Parent Club.
      2. As the American Shih Tzu Club is the American Kennel Club's "parent club" for Shih Tzu, our members are responsible for determining the "breed standard" used by AKC to judge the Shih Tzu. An understanding of that breed standard can only be gained through study, observation and experience. As the ASTC only meets once a year, it does not provide the degree of exposure needed to develop this understanding.
      3. Is the applicant an active member of a local club, Toy group club, all-breed club or obedience/agility club? An applicant should work up to Parent Club membership by showing dedication to the breed and sport at the local level whenever possible.
      4. Local Shih Tzu clubs are listed on this web site. Other clubs will be listed on the American Kennel Club site: www.akc.org
      5. Does the applicant participate in breed rescue? If so, how?
      6. How well do the sponsors know the applicant?
      7. An applicant's sponsors are seen as mentors who can assist with breed education and experience.

    Applications must be requested by a sponsor and are available from:
    Lila Pontius - Membership Secretary
    720 County Road 304
    Bunnell, FL 32110
    E-mail: lapontius@aol.com

    Applications must be received by November 1 to be voted on at the annual Board meeting.