(Current Committee)

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'Welshie Day' in the Barossa Valley, hosted by Trevor and Beth Marschall, and held on the first Sunday in May, was already an annual event and fast becoming something of tradition, before the Social Club was 'officially' formed. Many times it was said that we should form a Club, but somehow we never quite got around to putting our words into action.

The existing "breed club" in N.S.W. enveloped the South Australian contingent under it's umbrella, but due to the distances involved, the SA Welshie devotees were not able to participate in many of its activities. Whilst the N.S.W. breed club did have some South Australian members, S.A. people who had Welshies as 'family members' felt more comfortable with a social club.

Finally, in November 1998, our "Why don't we?" became "Let's do it!" and our social club was up and running. We were fortunate to have at our inaugural meeting enough people willing to put their efforts where their mouths had been for so long, and they were duly appointed to the following positions:

President: Rex Lang
Treasurer: Jacqui Tilley
Secretary: Beth Marschall
Committee: Mary Davies, Craig Desmond, Jenny Elsom, Frank Elsom,
Trevor Marschall & Rob Tilley;
Newsletter Editor: Beth Marschall.

From very humble beginnings the Social Club has flourished, maintaining bi-monthly committee meetings, producing a quarterly newsletter, and holding many gatherings with 'Welshie-Day-in-May' being one of the highlights each year.

Another function that has become a tradition is the smorgasbord luncheon held on 'breed day' at the Royal Adelaide Show. As a club, we are very proud to have so many members who don't have their dogs entered on the day, come in simply to join in with the excitement and cheer on the exhibitors ! We spend more time planning the luncheon than we do on what we are going to wear in the ring …

In the year 2000, the club produced it's first year-book, celebrating Welsh Springer Spaniels in Oz. After considerable effort on the part of our members, we were able to print the book in full colour. It has proved a most sought-after publication, and since then, 2002's second edition has been printed. We are also very proud of the Calendar we have printed for 2003, once again in full colour and featuring some 75 photos of Welshies just being Welshies, some of which are reproduced on this site.

As a Club, we remain committed to organising social get-togethers and enjoying life with our most wonderful of dogs to the fullest! On a more serious level we do recommend that all breeding stock is hip-scored and eye-tested, and and encourage members to participate in the club's "health register".

As is evident in many of the photographs reproduced here, the breed is very social, as are its followers, so it seemed appropriate to establish a 'Social Club'. We are not an A.N.K.C.-affiliated breed club, although many of our people and dogs are registered with the South Australian Canine Associaton, as well as of breed clubs interstate and overseas, and there is a great wealth of dog-related and more specifically 'Welshie'-related knowledge and experience within our ranks, as well as ordinary pet-owners who recognise a worthwhile addiction once they're hooked.

 

W.S.S.S.C.S.A. meetings are held at members' homes, at odd intervals, and usually at lunch time, maintaining the 'social' atmosphere which is emphasised in the club's name & charter, while upholding proper meeting procedure, and as can be seen, absolutely rigorous discipline both during discussion, and behind the scenes...

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