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-- Rules to benefit Youth (http://forums.ukcdogs.com/showthread.php?threadid=928478514)

I don't think anyone doubts UKC' s commitment to the youth. It is not very often that a club would have enough entries for youth to have their own cast. No one is advocating to have one dog youth casts or putting all dogs regardless of title combined. The likelihood that kids could title their dogs by strickly hunting dogs in a youth cast is slim to none, which truthfully is sad that the numbers aren't usually there. Maybe if kids knew they may have the option if enough others showed up to hunt together that could change over time. I do not know of a club out there that would have a problem sending out a non-hunting judge if they had the #' s for a youth cast, if they have a problem some revaluation of if they even needed a club may be in order. We basically are throwing the kids to the wolves with the exception of YEP events, Youth State hunts and Youth Nationals yet there are special procedures set up for seniors. The seniors were our foundation but these kids are the future. Use the same guidelines for both!
PUT THE PROCEDUDES IN PLACE TO LET THE YOUTH HAVE THEIR OWN CASTS IF THEY CHOOSE AND ENOUGH ARE PRESENT TO HAVE A YOUTH CAST.
Thank you,
Jennifer Cummings

__________________
Cheyenne & Jennifer Cummings
Seneca , MO
(417)317-4815
"TEAM MAFIA"
*NATIONAL GRNITECH GRCH GRNITECH(5) HALL OF FAME PKC PLATIUM CH REDNECK BACKWOODS SHACK
2014 OK STATE CH, 2015 MO PKC LEADER, 2016 PKC NATIONALS SEMIFINALIST, 2016 UKC TOP 20, 2O17 UKC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 3RD PLACE, 2018 PKC SENIOR SHOWDOWN TRUCK HUNT FINAL 4, 2018 MO PKC STATE CHAMPION, 2019 AUTUMN OAKS NATIONAL GRNITE CH, 2019 PKC WORLD CH SEMIFINALIST. 2021 PKC SENIOR SHOWDOWN TRUCK HUNT FINAL 4.
*PKC WORLD CHAMPION PLATNIUM CHAMPION GRNITECH SHACK'S HEATHER ISLAND SOUTHERN STOGIE
2021 OKLAHOMA STATE CHAMPION, 2022 PKC WORLD CHAMPION, 2022 MO PKC STATE LEADER PRO SPORT TRUCK WINNER, 2025 MO PKC STATE CHAMPION

RIP
*GRNITECH PKC SCH REDNECK MAFIA PKC HALL OF FAME REPRODUCER INDUCTED 2022
*GRNITECH CH PKC SILVER CH REDNECK SHACK ATTACK aka TAC 2018 OKLAHOMA STATE CHAMPION, 2020 MO PKC STATE LEADER

I've seen a few people on this thread post these ideas, and I will go ahead and repeat them...
Non-sanctioned youth casts are ALWAYS an option. Buddy hunts are ALWAYS an option. There are plenty of ways to get youth involved with the rules that are already in place.
A youth hunt or a youth cast is not, and should not ever, be about putting a title on the dog. What they are, and should be, about is teaching these kids the rules and helping them develop the passion for the sport. Once a kid knows these rules and has experience hunting in casts, then they can take the training wheels off and try to title their dog. Think of it like any other sport. Practice is a place to learn. Rules become more and more enforced as you go from elementary, to middle school, to high school. What do those kids win? Trophies. They win trophies, ribbons, and some bragging rights. If you're looking for incentive, offer nice prizes! A lot of kids will be happy to win a six inch trophy that says they won! We focus a whole lot on ourselves and titling our dogs. We don't think a whole lot about putting in some extra effort to help the kids.
I understand club budgets are low. I come from a pretty low budget club myself, but there are ways to build a youth fund. Fundraisers! Fundraisers! Fundraisers! Just like raising money for the club fund. You would be AMAZED at how generous people become once you tell them it's for the youth. We very consistently did the boxes of candy. Those sell like hotcakes considering just about EVERYONE will pay a dollar for a candy bar for a good cause. We had a lot of people simply just donate money if they were unable to eat the candy.
Want to draw attention to your club and these youth hunts? Advertise! Advertise! Advertise! Coonhunting isn't something everyone does anymore. It's something that people hear their grandfathers and great grandfathers tell stories about, but they never get to experience it...and let's face it, telling someone you stomped 800 yards through swamps and green briars just to look up, see some furry critter and stomp 800 yards back out isn't going to sound too appealing to the uneducated.
Ask around at your local outdoors stores, grocery stores, barber, where ever. See if they will let you come out and set a booth up outside of their store for a day. Tell them what you're about. Sell more raffle tickets. Sell more candy. Get out there!
A lot of these tactics can be used to promote a youth program as well as just your club in general.
Next step? Encourage membership participation and bust your butt to get to host the state youth event or a breed youth event.
I love seeing the youth involved and what I love almost as much is seeing a club prioritize that and build a youth program. That one UKC event you have a year? Make it a big one! Prizes, raffles, auctions, everything. Make a name for yourself and your youth program and that is how we will benefit these kids.

Krystal those are all great ideas that clubs can do to get youth involved in our sport but still does not address the issue at hand. If a club is blessed enough that they have enough youth that show up at a sanctioned hunt there are no procedures in place that if these kids wished to hunt in a "cast of youth" there is no option for it and there should be. Just like if a club still has enough seniors wishing to hunt procedures are in place to allow them that option. As I said before the foundation and the future.
Jen

__________________
Cheyenne & Jennifer Cummings
Seneca , MO
(417)317-4815
"TEAM MAFIA"
*NATIONAL GRNITECH GRCH GRNITECH(5) HALL OF FAME PKC PLATIUM CH REDNECK BACKWOODS SHACK
2014 OK STATE CH, 2015 MO PKC LEADER, 2016 PKC NATIONALS SEMIFINALIST, 2016 UKC TOP 20, 2O17 UKC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 3RD PLACE, 2018 PKC SENIOR SHOWDOWN TRUCK HUNT FINAL 4, 2018 MO PKC STATE CHAMPION, 2019 AUTUMN OAKS NATIONAL GRNITE CH, 2019 PKC WORLD CH SEMIFINALIST. 2021 PKC SENIOR SHOWDOWN TRUCK HUNT FINAL 4.
*PKC WORLD CHAMPION PLATNIUM CHAMPION GRNITECH SHACK'S HEATHER ISLAND SOUTHERN STOGIE
2021 OKLAHOMA STATE CHAMPION, 2022 PKC WORLD CHAMPION, 2022 MO PKC STATE LEADER PRO SPORT TRUCK WINNER, 2025 MO PKC STATE CHAMPION

RIP
*GRNITECH PKC SCH REDNECK MAFIA PKC HALL OF FAME REPRODUCER INDUCTED 2022
*GRNITECH CH PKC SILVER CH REDNECK SHACK ATTACK aka TAC 2018 OKLAHOMA STATE CHAMPION, 2020 MO PKC STATE LEADER

Yes Chey you do need to get better dogs hahaha......

Krystal my kid don't want to go to the club to hunt just for fun. If we are going to go to a coon hunt he wants to win a slip of paper or money. As a MOH I do believe we need rules for youth casts or if a youth draws out on a cast appoint a non-hunting judge or if the kid feels that he or she can handle it don't worry about it.

__________________
shawn stovall
wyandotte, ok
shawnstovall2001@yahoo.com
918-961-2434
Home to:
Pr S&J's Shack's Backwoods Patches (walker)
'PR' Stovall's Black Knight Wild Willy
Past Home to:
dual grand stovall's black knight george (gone but not forgotten)
pr D&S' black little luke (1st and 3rd place wins) (davis black luke x paynes black june) gone but not forgotten
Dual Grand Davis' black hutch (gone but not forgotten)

There is a yep event this satuday in Troy Iowa if anyone would like to bring some kids out. We would love to have them. We are fortunate enough to have a strong club that realizes our youth are our furture. This event should be a great time for all the youth involved. Youth hunt with ch points toward a dog. Best of Both worlds. You asked for it now come support it.

__________________
Morgan Branch Kennels:
" where quality comes first "

I think that there is a lot of talking past each other in this post. Mathew and several others are not trying to say that ukc does nothing for the youth. We are just trying to figure out if all the criteria is met why a youth cast couldn't hunt at a regular event and be awarded points just like a seniors cast. No one is trying to get into special circumstances for one youth to be able to hunt alone. If three youth show up with registered dogs let them hunt with a non hunting judge, if non hunting judge is not available they hunt with the men (pretty simple). If one youth shows up on the same night as the three with registered dogs with a night champion dog, sorry about your luck you don't hunt alone, you hunt with the men (just like a senior would). Another thing that had been mentioned is the fact of getting the 16 year old to hunt your dog against the 11 year old with his pup, who cares it's still more fair than most ukc cast because you have a non hunting judge and don't even get me started on the fact that at least there is some competition versus going to a hunt and being the only nite champ to show up and still getting the win with one coon. It's not a secret that hunt numbers are dwindling at our sanctioned hunts. I truly do not understand why this has to be such a big deal, just change the rule and help the future of our sport .